Being an editor at a video game site certainly does have its advantages. We get to travel all over the world to visit studios, collect the free games that are sent our way, and interact with our readers, who are some of the most knowledgeable gamers out there (and there are definitely times when they know more than us). While all of those things are well and good, the best part of our jobs is the ability to check out games before just about anyone else in the world. Not surprisingly, just about every editor that attended last week’s Halo 3 event in San Francisco was excited beyond belief to finally get a chance to play the most anticipated Xbox 360 game of all time (well, except for Brent, that is).
After playing the game all weekend, I’m finally beginning to feel comfortable with the controls and the gameplay. Ultimately, the toughest thing to get used to is the new stable of weapons. While many of them appeared in the previous games, it feels as though they’ve been tweaked and fine-tuned a bit this time out. Then there are the new ones, each of which adds a new twist to the action, for better or for worse. With that in mind, we decided that a nice little feature detailing each of the Beta’s 19 weapons and 4 gadgets was in order. Let’s kick things off with the new ones, shall we?
NEW TOYS!
Missile Pod
Wait a minute, we could have sworn that Halo 3 is supposed to be a first-person shooter! If that’s the case, why do you go into a third-person view when using this massive weapon? Wielding the missile pod will make you move pretty slow, but it more than makes up for this by firing projectiles that track your targets. Best of all, you can hold a lot more ammo than the standard rocket launcher!
Spiker
This nasty little number is basically a pistol that rapidly shoots spikes into your foe, turning them into a Spartan pin-cushion. Dual-wielding them only increases the fun, as you can easily take down an enemy without even expending a full clip. The fact that the gun has a curved blade on the bottom makes us think that this will be some sort of Brute weapon in the single-player game.
Spartan Laser
While it definitely takes a while to get used to, this may very well offer the most satisfying kills in the game. Essentially a shoulder-fired laser cannon, this bad boy take a few moments to heat up, then unleashes a searing blast of energy clear across the map, frying anything in its path. Amazingly, you can get multiple kills with just one blast (think Indiana Jones killing four enemies with one bullet in “The Last Crusade”).
Turret Gun
Alright, we know that the Halo series has always featured mounted weapons, but this marks the first time that you can actually rip them off their moorings and carry them around. Like the Missile Pod, you’ll enter a third-person view and walk slowly when using this weapon, but its high rate of fire might make up for these shortcomings.
Spike Grenade
Looking like a WWII-era potato masher, this grenade doesn’t look all that impressive at first. However, once you toss one for the first time, you’ll wish that you could hold more than two at a time. Thanks to its ability to stick to any surface (including the faces of your enemies), you can use this grenade as a booby trap of sorts. Once it explodes, anything in its blast radius is showered with deadly spikes.
After playing the game all weekend, I’m finally beginning to feel comfortable with the controls and the gameplay. Ultimately, the toughest thing to get used to is the new stable of weapons. While many of them appeared in the previous games, it feels as though they’ve been tweaked and fine-tuned a bit this time out. Then there are the new ones, each of which adds a new twist to the action, for better or for worse. With that in mind, we decided that a nice little feature detailing each of the Beta’s 19 weapons and 4 gadgets was in order. Let’s kick things off with the new ones, shall we?
SOME OLD FAVORITES
Sniper Rifle
While some of the old weapons in the game got next-gen makeovers, Bungie obviously knew better than to mess with a classic. The Sniper Rifle is just as deadly as ever, as you’ll still have two levels of zoom and the ability to peel a sucker’s cap back with a single, well-placed shot. Although the new infrared screen is cool in theory, we wouldn’t mind if it was a little more useful.
Assault Rifle
The classic rifle has returned from the grave, and it’s now the default weapon for the majority of the game modes in the Beta. Starting with this gun means that you’ll probably see a lot more grenades being used right off the bat, something that suits us just fine. Plus, there’s something satisfying about taking out an enemy with the default weapon, isn’t there?
Plasma Pistol
Once Halo 2 players learned that the secret to success was using this weapon to knock down an enemy’s shield before finishing them off with standard bullets, the game got old fast. Thankfully, Bungie decided to lessen the amount of tracking, meaning you won’t get hit every time it’s fired at you. Coolest of all, firing a charged shot at a vehicle will instantly kill its engine!
Needler
This may very well be the weapon that’s changed the most since the last game in the series. The Needler was once woefully underpowered, despite the fact that its projectiles can track enemies and it could be dual-wielded. While you can’t hold two at once anymore, the Needler does a lot more damage than ever before…almost too much. We’ll be interested to see if Bungie tones it down a little bit.
Battle Rifle
Thanks to the ability to zoom in a bit, the Battle Rifle is more useful than the Assault Rifle, although it’s hindered a bit by the fact that you can only fire it in short bursts. Basically, if you were a fan of the weapon in Halo 2, you’ll be just as comfortable with the one in the Beta. If not, well, you’re SOL.
Beam Rifle
The Covenant version of the Sniper Rifle really hasn’t changed at all. It’ll still overheat if you fire it too quickly, and it still allows you to zoom in on your foes from afar. Ummmm…yeah, that’s all there really is to say about this one.
Plasma Rifle
This workhorse still fires plasma blasts at an insane rate, although it still overheats if you fire for too long. Partner it up with a standard projectile weapon (Spiker, anyone?) to do some serious damage. One thing we’re not totally sold on is the cosmetic change, which features a flap that sticks out from the side of the barrel.
Frag Grenade
Thanks to the fact that you’ll be starting out with the Assault Rifle (rather than running off to find a weapon to dual-wield with your SMG), there’s a good chance that you’ll be using these grenades a lot. You begin with two of them, but it won’t be long before you’ve picked up a few more, as Bungie has liberally spread them around the map.
SMG
The default weapon in Halo 2’s multiplayer action, the SMG really hasn’t changed that much over the last three years. It’s still pretty weak on its own, and you probably won’t need to pick it up unless you’re out of ammo or need a support weapon while dual-wielding.
Shotgun
Mmmmmm, just as delicious as ever. You still won’t want to take on anybody from afar with this bad boy, but it’s the perfect weapon when you’re exploring the underground corridors of Snowbound. As far as I can tell, it really hasn’t changed at all over its previous iteration. That’s to say that blasting someone in the face with it is just as satisfying as ever!
Carbine
Like the Beam Rifle, this is basically the Covenant version of a human weapon: the Battle Rifle. If you’re not good with that, don’t grab this, and vice versa. If you’re the master of the head shot, however, it’s a nice backup weapon. It seems like it’s about the same as the one we used in Halo 2.
Rocket Launcher
Given that there’s only one of these on the standard maps, it’s a bit tough to figure out if there have been any major changes made. The rockets themselves appear to move a bit slower than in previous games, but we don’t really know if the vehicle-tracking has been tweaked at all. Still, playing a Rockets-only game on Snowbound was one of the best times I’ve had in the Beta.
Brute Shot
Some people have been complaining about the surprising weakness of the Brute Shot’s projectiles, but I’m pretty happy with my experiences with it. This may be due to the fact that the blast radius isn’t as wide as some people would like, but I’ve found that hitting a foe in the chest with a few well-placed shots works juuuuust fine.
Plasma Grenade
As was the case in the previous Halo games, these puppies are a perfect way to “stick it to the man.” You can still toss them onto an enemy for an extremely satisfying kill, although we haven’t seen them in use as much as we were expecting. Of course, this might be due to the fact that everyone’s too busy playing around with the Spike Grenades.
GO GO GADGETS!
Bubble Shield
This is the gadget that everyone was talking about after the Halo 3 trailer premiered during the Super Bowl, and it’s just as awesome as you might expect. Simply toss it on the ground with the X button (as is the case with all the gadgets) to bring up a domed shield around you. Once you’re inside, bullets and grenades from outside will harmlessly bounce away. Be warned though: enemies can walk right through the shield and attack you.
Portable Grav Lift
You might not think that you have much use for this tool, but you’d probably be wrong. For instance, in the CTF game on High Ground, you’ve got to make your way up to open a gate from the inside. While you can try to storm the wall, it’s a lot easier to just launch yourself up using the Grav Lift. Another fun little trick is to drop one in the path of an oncoming vehicle, then stand still as it launches safely overhead.
Trip Mine
This bad boy is most effective against vehicles, as any Warthog or Mongoose that runs over it will quickly be turned into flaming wreckage. If you’re walking around a map and hear a loud beeping, watch your step, as there’s a mine in close proximity. Here’s a mean little tip: toss one of the guys right in front of a parked vehicle, then watch as your clueless enemy gets in and steps on the gas…
Power Drainer
Tossing one of these orbs into a room will instantly create a blue, sparking energy field that will quickly drain an enemy’s shield, leaving them vulnerable to your bullets. We can’t wait to see how this is used in some of the objective-based gametypes, as we can’t image anyone willingly running through one to grab a flag or attack a VIP. Plus, the sound that it gives off is downright scary!
WEAPONS IN ACTION!
During this match, we manage to use such weapons as the missle pod, the turret gun, the plasma pistol, the assault rifle and much more!
After playing the game all weekend, I’m finally beginning to feel comfortable with the controls and the gameplay. Ultimately, the toughest thing to get used to is the new stable of weapons. While many of them appeared in the previous games, it feels as though they’ve been tweaked and fine-tuned a bit this time out. Then there are the new ones, each of which adds a new twist to the action, for better or for worse. With that in mind, we decided that a nice little feature detailing each of the Beta’s 19 weapons and 4 gadgets was in order. Let’s kick things off with the new ones, shall we?
GO GO GADGETS!
Bubble Shield
This is the gadget that everyone was talking about after the Halo 3 trailer premiered during the Super Bowl, and it’s just as awesome as you might expect. Simply toss it on the ground with the X button (as is the case with all the gadgets) to bring up a domed shield around you. Once you’re inside, bullets and grenades from outside will harmlessly bounce away. Be warned though: enemies can walk right through the shield and attack you.
Portable Grav Lift
You might not think that you have much use for this tool, but you’d probably be wrong. For instance, in the CTF game on High Ground, you’ve got to make your way up to open a gate from the inside. While you can try to storm the wall, it’s a lot easier to just launch yourself up using the Grav Lift. Another fun little trick is to drop one in the path of an oncoming vehicle, then stand still as it launches safely overhead.
Trip Mine
This bad boy is most effective against vehicles, as any Warthog or Mongoose that runs over it will quickly be turned into flaming wreckage. If you’re walking around a map and hear a loud beeping, watch your step, as there’s a mine in close proximity. Here’s a mean little tip: toss one of the guys right in front of a parked vehicle, then watch as your clueless enemy gets in and steps on the gas…
Power Drainer
Tossing one of these orbs into a room will instantly create a blue, sparking energy field that will quickly drain an enemy’s shield, leaving them vulnerable to your bullets. We can’t wait to see how this is used in some of the objective-based gametypes, as we can’t image anyone willingly running through one to grab a flag or attack a VIP. Plus, the sound that it gives off is downright scary!
WEAPONS IN ACTION!
During this match, we manage to use such weapons as the missle pod, the turret gun, the plasma pistol, the assault rifle and much more!
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