The reason to switch to a 360?
Long story short, it came.. and went.. and left me with a disgusted look on my face.. The campaign was... ok.. i guess. No where near innovative as the original, and I knew they were going to make a 3rd so I really wouldn't say that the campaign ruined it for me. It was the multiplayer. I always hear people say that if you hate Halo.. you must suck at it. Believe me.. I have smited many a fool on live.. and in no way was I awed or entertained. It was just.. not any fun.
And now... the conclusion is out. My thoughts?
Graphics: 7.0
Sure there were some pretty moments with the scenery, lighting effects, and shaders. The question is.. was it next gen? I can tell you right now that I have a 1080p Sharp Aquos with HDMI ports. If there were next gen graphics in this game I would definately have been able to tell. To be completely honest.. I firmly beleive this game could have been played on the original Xbox. I'm not interested in any debating so if you think I'm an idiot, then just agree to disagree and leave it at that.
I saw many pixelated details, and chunky physics. Not to mention the poor detail of the humans... gag me with a cartoon paintbrush, because thats exactly what they all looked like... cartoons... and Cortana.. yuuuukk
The good thing about the graphics were that the load times were exceedingly shorter. However... as with the problem with Xbox.. the disc must constantly be spinning because the game loads in incriments throughout the levels. Wasn't a hinderance, but it still felt like I was playing one of the predecessors.
Gameplay: 8.0
Can't complain too much because after all... It's Halo.. right? Exactly. Nothing has changed in the feel of the campaign. Yea yea.. more content.. vehicles.. whatever. Still the same. And the 9 levels?.. why Lord why can't it be loooongerr?? I'm also not too sure how I felt about the end.. mixed reactions I guess.
Multiplayer? It's great. I absolutely love it. Definately fixed everything that Halo 2 was flawed at. However, I don't base the decision to switch to a 360 solely for the purpose of forking out $50 annually to blast pre-pubescent kids. I would recommend this game for previous 360 owners who love to tweak with objects in multiplayer to your own liking... and who love to compete with others who claim "skill". ;)
Sound: 9.5
Great musical score.. oddly enough this is my favorite aspect of the game. The music is so professionally orchestrated that it totally immerses you into the compelling final chapter.
Sound effects are up to par as well. Explosions, voice acting, footsteps, etc.. never missed a beat. What keeps it from perfect? The dumb little covenant grunts.. (LoL) i hate thier voices. call the sound perfect if you really want because it would be if those damn things weren't sqawking thier high pitched little sayings every corner you turn.
Controls: 9.0
I have nothing really to say here except I like the familiar control scheme Bungie incorporated all throughout their saga. Still feels a little slower when compared to other FPS's though.. no biggie.
Value: 7.5
I know it's the final chapter to a cool story and all.. but It's still the same content base as the first two. My suggestion? Knock the price down 10 bucks and offer a longer free time on Live. Who would want to pay extra money for the collector's edition or (gag) Legendary edition is above me but it's ya'lls money.
Final Words:
I'm not biased or a fanboy of really anything. I'm just a fellow hardocre gamer offering his opinion. Halo 3 is a cool game. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I just hate the overhyping, and then the reprocussion of dissapointment. Which is exactly what I felt... dissapointment.
My advice is to hold on to your money if you're thinking of purchasing a 360 solely on the outcome of this game. But if you already own one.. then by all means join in the fun.