Attending an exclusive preview event held by Microsoft Game Studios in San Francisco, we went hands-on with Halo 3 in multiplayer form. While we weren't able to gather any intel on the single player campaign (try as we might), there was plenty to take in regarding the wealth of multiplayer features slated to ship with the game. Go change your underoos, grab a drink, and sit back for our first hard look at the year's biggest title.
"Bringing Halo 3 up to people's expectations has been our greatest challenge," claims multiplayer lead designer, Lars Bakken. Given the statement on Microsoft's event invitation --"Please join us for an exclusive preview of the most anticipated game of all time"-- it's easy to understand why Bungie has been grappling with lofty expectations, even if some of it is self-imposed.
Bungie is aware of criticism about the short campaign in Halo 2, the demand for added multiplayer features, and the desire for true next-generation visuals. Bakken wouldn't comment on the campaign, only claiming that "We've taken the story really seriously." As for multiplayer and graphics, Bakken had plenty to say. "It's a combination of everything that makes Halo 3 next-gen." Tons of new features, weapons, vehicles, and options certainly add much to the multiplayer game; even more, there's a high-definition upgrade for the series.
Referring to additions and changes made to multiplayer Bakken explains, "We're taking what was in Halo 2 into Halo 3 and refining it." This seems to be true, as our run through three multiplayer maps and several game types left us feeling like we had just played a tweaked version of Halo 2. The controls and interface have been remixed a bit, with your shield gauge aligned with the top of the screen. Entering and exiting vehicles, as well as manning turrets, is now done by holding down the right bumper.
Mapping vehicles and turrets to the right bumper frees up the X button, which is now used for equipment. Two pieces of field equipment were playable: shield grenades and portable gravity lifts. Respective to their namesake, shield grenades create a temporary shield to block damage; however, any opponent that enters the shield can hit you (and harm you.) Portable gravity lifts add a new dimension to the game, allowing you to drop a lift which launches you up in the air to reach high platforms. Bakken wouldn't comment further on equipment, only hinting at the possibility of other items to be included in the multiplayer game.
Complementing the addition of equipment is a bevy of new weapons. While a few will only be playable in the campaign, we did get a chance to check out two weapons in our multiplayer preview: the Brute spiker and Spartan laser. The spiker is a powerful pistol that shoots energy-charged spikes at high velocity. Given its handheld form factor, you can easily dual-wield the weapon. The Spartan laser, on the other hand, is big enough to launch the game into the third-person. From this perspective, you can charge up the laser and hope to land a devastating one-hit kill.
You can still carry only two firearms, but now there are more than two types of grenades. Making a comeback are fragmentation and plasma grenades while the spike grenades are new to the series; these little buggers explode into a cone of killer spikes. A resemblance to the hedgehog grenades featured in Resistance: Fall of Man can't be denied, but at least it appears to be well-intended inspiration.
When compiling a list of additions to Halo 3, one must not forget vehicles. In each of the three maps included in the multiplayer beta--Valhalla, Snowbound, and High Ground--you can jump into a vehicle and zip around at will. The warthog and ghost both make appearances, while newcomer mongoose offers a taste of something slightly different. Two players can hop into a mongoose, with the passenger capable of firing whatever weapon he/she has on hand. One of the smaller vehicles to grace the game, the mongoose is intended more for quick transport rather than combat.
