Before Game Review #2: Waiting until after the third ring
I picked up Halo 3 a few weeks ago. Like many games that I pick up, I rarely have time to play it, usually fitting in an hour here, an hour there.
I confess, this is the first time that I have ever actually owned a Halo game. I have played both previously for short periods of time in a variety of places. I enjoyed them well enough and I have always been a fan of over-the-top tournament-style shooters.
Let's be clear here: if you've ever played video games more than a couple times in the last 5 years, you at least have an impression of whether you like Halo or not.
Halo 3 is possibly the most laser-focused, no frills added, only-the-l33t-may-apply game I have ever played.
If compelling story, beautiful architexture, deep characters and powerful themes are what you like, this is not a game for you. If complex 3 dimensional puzzles are your thing, this game is not for you. If the evolution of gameplay mechanics is a necessity, this game is not for you.
If, on the other hand, you like old-style gameplay that, rather than becoming stale, has been honed to a razor-fine perfection as it shoves the player into a chaotic, balls-to-the-walls, human-on-alien combat against highly intelligent squad-based opponents with equal or better weapons than you, purely as a device to train you for the savagery that is online multiplayer combat...then Halo 3 is an absolute must.
Personally, I fall somewhere in the middle. I like my well-paced storylines, developed characters, and pretty designs. I like evolved gameplay and puzzles.
But sometimes fun is just fun, and Halo 3 is regular fun, distilled in a beaker for 4 years down to some pure essence of fun hitherto undiscovered by man.
Initial Impression: PERFECT (if you like this stuff), meh (if you don't)
I confess, this is the first time that I have ever actually owned a Halo game. I have played both previously for short periods of time in a variety of places. I enjoyed them well enough and I have always been a fan of over-the-top tournament-style shooters.
Let's be clear here: if you've ever played video games more than a couple times in the last 5 years, you at least have an impression of whether you like Halo or not.
Halo 3 is possibly the most laser-focused, no frills added, only-the-l33t-may-apply game I have ever played.
If compelling story, beautiful architexture, deep characters and powerful themes are what you like, this is not a game for you. If complex 3 dimensional puzzles are your thing, this game is not for you. If the evolution of gameplay mechanics is a necessity, this game is not for you.
If, on the other hand, you like old-style gameplay that, rather than becoming stale, has been honed to a razor-fine perfection as it shoves the player into a chaotic, balls-to-the-walls, human-on-alien combat against highly intelligent squad-based opponents with equal or better weapons than you, purely as a device to train you for the savagery that is online multiplayer combat...then Halo 3 is an absolute must.
Personally, I fall somewhere in the middle. I like my well-paced storylines, developed characters, and pretty designs. I like evolved gameplay and puzzles.
But sometimes fun is just fun, and Halo 3 is regular fun, distilled in a beaker for 4 years down to some pure essence of fun hitherto undiscovered by man.
Initial Impression: PERFECT (if you like this stuff), meh (if you don't)