Halo 3 Xbox 360 Review Wichita KS

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I've finished the fight. For three long years Microsoft has told me that I need to finish a fight and believe. Three long years since the end of Halo 2 left me with my jaw open as to how bad the ending is, and three long years between some of the most explosive first person shooting around. Three long years. Many expected Halo 3 to be ready for the Xbox 360 launch, but they were wrong and Microsoft did give Bungie the time needed to polish this monster game off. In a way it seems a bit silly to write this review. Chances are you would have bought it anyway and are just looking to see what the critics think, however for those who are still not convinced, or perhaps PlayStation fans, Halo 3 is the game that defines the Xbox 360 console in both good and bad ways.

Halo 3 picks up pretty much right after Halo 2 finished. Chief is on earth, motionless with a squadron of Marines trying to revive him so he can finish the fight. The game never really gives players an overall perspective of what happened in Halo 1 and 2 so unless you've finished those fights, don't expect to understand one iota of the storyline. This is a real shame and a bit stupid considering this is the first Halo game on the 360 console. We found the storyline to be a little lacking and doesn't evoke the cinematic styling of the first game, but even so it does close the trilogy off well.

Halo 3 is made up of two distinct game modes; single player and multiplayer. The single player campaign is of course the main section where Chief finally comes to earth, beats a lot of enemies and then finishes the fight. The single player game mode can be a little lackluster at times but what it does do, it does very well. There are instances in the single player where you will get frustrated, especially in one level which we won't name due to spoilers, but it's a frustration which isn't a bad one. It's one where you feel frustrated but don't get angry. There are not many games on the market that can make you angry in one instance, but also make you happy to be playing the game at the same time. Halo 3 is one of them.

There have been a number of changes to the game since we last visited Master Chief. First of all, the enemies are a lot tougher and a lot smarter, as you would expect on a next generation console. However, perhaps the most awesome addition to the game is the Hammer Brutes who carry a giant weapon which can be utilized by Chief once they are beaten. This hammer is the single greatest weapon in the Halo trilogy and perhaps in any 360 first person shooter game. They basically took the sword from Halo 2, and upped its power by a thousand fold and handed it to Chief. The result is a lot of dead enemies.