Halo 3 Beta Sneak Peak

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Halo 3 Beta Sneak Peak
New video shows off the Beta and replay camera.

Videos!

Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta Impressions
Has sliced bread finally met its match?

It's been nearly three years since the release of Halo2. That's a long time to wait for one of the biggest videogame on planet Earth. After months of anticipation, the Halo 3 multiplayer Beta is finally here. Around the IGN office, we have two Halo camps. Some lived and breathed the first Halo. Others swear by Halo 2's online multiplayer. What can we say; some people love peanut butter, others love chocolate. Can Halo 3 be the Peanut Butter Cup dream we've been waiting for?

Some of IGN's top editors are taking a run at the Halo 3 Beta. Their impressions will appear over the next week. If you want even more details on weapons, vehicles and the maps, check out our Halo 3 Beta Bonanza. We've got everything covered.

Enjoy.

Hil's Take
It is awesome. After two-and-a-half years, the wait is finally over. And yes, it really is an awesome, fun, fast-paced experience. What else did you expect from Bungie, the crew that served up two of the greatest Xbox games of all time?

Three maps are included in the Beta, along with several matchmaker settings to keep anyone from getting bored over the next three weeks. The maps, Valhalla, High Ground, and Snowbound, make for a good sampling of what the full version Halo 3 might have to offer. Each is unique not only in visual design, but also in the flow of combat. Snowbound, for example, is very open and attacks will come from all sides. Other than bunker down in the base, there's no easy way to defend territory.

On the other hand, High Ground is designed for invasion-style play. There's a beach below, with a few weaponless ATVs, but unless its capture-the-flag, few will ever defend the area. Instead, those who spawn below will venture towards, you guessed it, the high ground. The base is difficult to penetrate if the other team knows their stuff, as there's a mounted turret at the top of the hill. In the right hands, it can decimate the other team. Fortunately, there a few places to take cover and work your way along the sides. High Ground has a few hotspots where the majority of action takes place. In a way to feels a bit like Zanzibar from Halo 2. And that's a good thing.

If you weren't a fan of Halo 2 multiplayer, you may be a little disappointed in the Beta. This is clearly more of a progression of Halo 2 than it is a sampling of the best from both games. Fall damage remains off, at least in the Beta, and it has a noticeable effect in High Ground. More than a few times, prey has escaped with a well-timed jump. There aren't any weapons placed in precarious positions (at least that I saw), so the Beta does remove some of the cheapness seen in Halo 2, where people risked nothing to try and grab hard-to-reach weapons.

While Halo 3 certainly plays a lot like Halo 2, it does play better. And that could swing some Halo 2 naysayers back onto the Bungie bandwagon. And once on the bandwagon, they will be easy picking for the laser.


One of the best weapons in the Beta is the laser. Get to the high point of High Ground and you will find it. And with it, you can cause incredible havoc. Somewhat like the Hammer of Dawn in Gears of War, the laser takes time to charge. You need to focus the light on a target and wait. It's slow and not always easy to hit someone, but when you do, it's spectacular. The best is standing atop High Ground, sniping with the laser and watching as people frantically run for cover.

But the laser is a puny toy compared to some of the bigger weapons. High Ground has a mobile Gatling gun. Sure, you move at a snail's pace, but you do so wielding a flippin' Gatling gun. No Spartan ever looked so fearsome as the one that knocks in the gates of the High Ground base and sweeps machine gun fire across the courtyard. Another lovely weapon is the missile pack, found in Valhalla. It's a rocket launcher best-suited atop a Warthog, but instead it's in your hands.

Even Halo detractors are certain to love some of the new grenades. The spike grenade can stick into the sides of walls or on ceilings. It's much like the sticky grenade of old, but it doesn't glow. In other words, it's tough to spot. Anyone who has played Splinter Cell: Pandora's Tomorrow multiplayer, already knows the joys of hiding explosives that others walk into. Now you can do it with Halo. The reactions from doomed gamers can be priceless.

Also a welcome addition is the bubble grenade. Drop it with the X button and a shield appears. You can't shoot out, but no one can shoot in. The honeycombed shield doesn't, however, prevent people from coming inside. That I found out the hard way, as a clever opponent snuck up behind me, entered my shield and clubbed me to death. I denied his request to be added to his Friends List.


There are some welcome changes to the Beta. For one thing, you start with the Assault Rifle. It's an effective weapon to begin a match with and those with skill can clean up without ever having to switch to another gun. In matchmaking, players can veto a map before it loads, so if everyone hates Valhalla, it can be nixed. But no one will hate Valhalla. It has a man cannon. Everything, at least through a few plays through, feels more balanced. And every match can be saved for replay.


The save function is pretty much perfect. A save only takes up a few megs of space, meaning its likely just a reference for video held on a server. This makes it easy to send video to a friend. It takes almost no time to receive and the playback looks identical to the actual battle. Finally, you can document your killing spree and share it with the entire Halo community. So far I have a collection of vids showing me getting slapped more times than Jon Miller at a Hooters Happy Hour.

The visuals are now in HD, though honestly, they probably will leave many unimpressed. But really, no one will care if Halo 3 doesn't look like Gears of War as long as it plays great. And, after an hour of playtime, I think Halo 3 might just deliver. I could go on for another six pages with details, but Halo 3 Beta is calling.

Source:IGN: Halo 3 Preview

Halo 3 Beta: The Weapons and Gadgets
Get the goods on each tool of mass destruction.


Get ready to lock and load. The Halo 3 Beta is upon us. Wondering how the weapon list has changed? Wonder no longer. We've got info and screens for each gadget, grenade, and gun in the game. The old favorites are back along with a few new soon-to-be classics.

FULL Weapon List and Source:IGN: Halo 3 Beta: The Weapons and Gadgets

Halo 3 Beta: Sweet Rides
You'll love the feeling of a Mongoose between your legs as you launch off a man cannon.

Vehicles don't play a prominent role in the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta. There are only three vehicles playable across the three maps: The Warthog, Ghost and Mongoose. The first two will be incredibly familiar to Halo 2 players, but the Mongoose is new and it is swank.

Mongoose
The Mongoose is the new business. It has no weapons and can carry two Spartans. And really, two Spartans is more weapon than any mounted turret. The Mongoose is easier to control than the Warthog and can fit into narrow spaces. It's quick, though it offers no protection. It's best used to quickly transport two Spartans. As such, it's a key tool for both Assault and Capture-the-Flag games.


Because it's narrow and light, the Mongoose can slip through the narrow caverns in High Ground, which can get you from the beach and into prime infiltration position on the enemy stronghold. The Spartan on the back has free range to shoot in any direction (even at his buddy's head), but it's tough to aim with the 'Goose moving so quickly.

The best thing about the Mongoose? Jack the guy in the back, hop on and then pop his friend.

Maps Found In: High Ground, Valhalla
Verdict: A great addition for team-based games. We like!

Warthog
There's not much to say about the Warthog available in the beta. It controls as in Halo 2 and there don't seem to be any special additions.

Maps Found In: Valhalla
Verdict: We're so over the Warthog.



Ghost
You'll feel instantly at home in the Ghost. It controls a little better and still maintains its dual lasers. The speed boost, still on the left trigger, no longer sends you charging forward. Instead, it's a constant (but slower) turbo. It negates the ability to fire and restricts your turning radius. You can still run fools over, but it's not as effective. The balance feels better, since the Ghost can't be used for easy instant kills with the speed boost. It should make for a great Mongoose chaser. Too bad the beta keeps these two weapons on separate maps.

Maps Found In: Snowbound
Verdict: The slight changes should prove welcome, though the Ghost seems a little wasted here.



Man Cannon
The Man Cannon isn't technically a vehicle, but it is a mode of transportation. Located at both home bases in Valhalla, the Man Cannon launches Spartans and their vehicles a good 50 feet in the air. This gets you a third of the way across the map, but leaves you vulnerable to sniper and laser shots. But who cares, it looks effin' awesome!

The real joy of a Man Cannon launch is driving a Mongoose or Warthog into the air. This is a skill that must be learned. Take a Mongoose at a side angle and you will launch crooked, flip around and crash into the creek. Take the Mongoose at a straight angle and you will soar like an eagle. And as long as a rocket doesn't take you out of the air, you'll likely land perfectly and be ready to take off towards the enemy base.

So far, the best Man Cannon moment came quite by chance (though I'd like to believe it was all skill). After taking a mighty leap, I noticed an enemy Mongoose below. Aiming the drop perfectly, I hit the ground and instantly jacked the vehicle. That's right, Halo 3 (sort of) has air jacking.

Maps Found In: Valhalla
Verdict: It's like Prom all over again.

Source:IGN: Halo 3 Beta: Sweet Rides