The Settler

The return of Master Chief is finally upon us. But does the latest installment of the Halo Trilogy live up to the impossibly high amount of hype it has garnered?

While Halo 2's single player campaign mode was somewhat of a let down Halo 3 has gone above and beyond the call of duty this time around. When you first begin your game the earth has been invaded by The Covenant and humanity faces total annihilation. Master Chief is the final beacon of light standing against the coming darkness. I won't divulge any more information about the storyline, but rest assured, the story this time around is every bit as good as the original Halo if not better.

After the Beta was released earlier this summer many people were complaining that the graphics weren't much better than Halo 2 on the original Xbox. Well the good folks at Bungie did not take this lying down. Halo 3 has some of the best graphics of any game on the 360. Guns cast a glare in the mid-day sun, explosions erupt in an unbelievable fashion and vehicles even kick up dust realistically. I would be hard pressed to name a better looking game.

The game play is phenomenal as well. The AI is what really sells the single player experience. The Covenant are smarter, more agile and a heck of a lot more aggressive than they ever were before. This is especially true on the higher difficulty levels. The AI seems to know how you will react based on previous encounters and employs new tactics, constantly keeping the player on his toes. But even though the game is the hardest it has ever been it still doesn't feel difficult to the point of frustration. Outsmarting your opponents and tactfully taking them down is a rewarding experience.

The weapons certainly don't disappoint either. Whether you're gunning down a Brute with your trusty Assault Rifle or decimating a Hunter with the new dual wieldable shotguns, known as Maulers, the method you use to destroy your enemies is never boring. The newly added Gravity Hammer was particularly devastating, as it could be used to either smash opponents or send them flying off into the horizon. The addition of new, secondary weapon types helps to mix up the action too. The Bubble Shield, Landmine, and Shield Drainer add a new depth and level of strategy to skirmishes.

The new multiplayer features are outstanding as well. Rather than having to tell people about that sweet triple kill you pulled off you can now just save a replay of it and send it to your friends over Xbox Live. You can now customize your Spartan's or Elite's armor completely, right down to what type of helmet you have. New vehicles and weapons add new heights of chaos to the already frantic online death matches, making the multiplayer that much more competitive. All of this combined with the promise of more downloadable content and new maps to come makes Halo 3's multiplayer an experience unmatched by any other game on the market.

The multiplayer and the single player perfectly complement each other and combine to make a truly unforgettable game that will undoubtedly become an instant classic. Halo 3 lives up to and surpasses the hype; this is the game we have all been waiting for. I give Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 a perfect 10 out of 10. All hail the third coming of Master Chief!

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