BioShock GOTY: Breakdown - Part Two: Halo 3

To continue off from Monday's Orange Box breakdown on why BioShock won Spike's Game of the Year award, we now take a look at Microsoft's golden child, Halo 3.

If you have never heard of Halo 3 or the Halo franchise, where the hell have you been and what have you been playing since September? Halo 3, isn't the end all be all of video games, but it does bring two new features to the table that no console game has had before - video capture and map editing. But before I get ahead of myself, here is our breakdown on Halo 3.

HALO 3
During the week of Halo 3's release, it's safe to say that probably 99 percent of Xbox 360 owners were on Live playing Slayer and who could blame them, it was fun. Halo 3, which currently holds the record for the highest grossing opening day in entertainment history, allowed players to take the role of space marine, Master Chief, and finally put an end to the war between humans and their alien enemies, the Covenant.

FINISHING THE FIGHT
Throughout the entire campaign mode, there is never one second that you don't feel like you're in the middle of an epic battle. Each, level is filled with short down times that immediately turn into gunfights because of an ambush. And although the Marines with you are better off just acting as bullet-catchers, the dialogue they provide makes the fight a bit more realistic. I remember many times when I would jokingly interact with the Marines, and more than often scream at them for running a Warthog into a wall. The campaign mode can be somewhat short if you're not playing it on Legendary, so once it's finished you hope that it's not really over. The story is solid with a few down times, but overall it's pleasing to play.

MULTIPLAYER/CO-OP
One of the things that made Halo 3 one of the titles worth nominating for game of the year, in my opinion, was Halo's multiplayer and co-op modes. Being able to go through the story mode with a buddy might have made the game incredibly easier, but it gave you an exhilarating experience to compete against each other for points. And if you got bored of playing that way, you were given the chance to turn on some of the skulls to add some difficulty to the gameplay. If you have never played with the Grunt Birthday skull, do so, you'll love it.

Now, Halo's online multiplayer is where the real magic happens. With over 20 different game modes, including custom games, there is never a time when you have nothing to play with friends. Each map is filled with sniper points and ambush points to make sure that you play as a team and maximize your teams efficiency, or you can just go "balls to the wall" blazing. And for us here at SS, we enjoy every second we get playing Capture the Flag games because playing strategically and the excitement of trying to get back to base with the flag is loads of fun. Also, the postgame trash-talking is worth it.

FORGE
The first of the two newest additions to Halo 3 and by far one of the most creative, Forge allows the player to customize any of Halo's existing maps and gives the gamer complete control. For example, I was a fan of the map Valhalla, and I thought it would be fun to have an all-human base across from a all-Covenant base, so I tried to make it as even as I could. With a Hornet, the Marine aircraft, at one end, and the Covenant's Banshee at the other, I was stoked to finish and try out the map. Unfortunately, when I was put on the team opposite of the Marine weapons, I realized why the Hornet was never put on a map originally, it was completely unfair. Just a fore-warning the Hornet is broken and if you end up on the bad side of the barrel, kiss your Spartan-rump goodbye because you have little chance to dodge it. Whenever someone asks me why I think Halo 3 is one of the greatest games to be released this year, I always mention the Forge feature and how it let us become the developers.

SAVED FILMS
By far the best feature added to the Halo franchise, Saved Films allows player to watch previously played games and edit the movie to their liking. This had to be the feature, I think, that made Halo 3 most worthy of the game of the year title. Having the ability to watch past games and make videos to share with friends was a blast. Players were able to spend hours trying to find that one snapshot that had their Spartan doing something silly and then post it on www.Bungie.net. I can say that I spent at least an hour a day searching through videos looking for tips that other players could provide or that small clip that was worth recognition. Certainly, the most innovative feature I've seen on any game, nonetheless a console game, saving game matches should be implemented in more online games.

OVERALL
I'll honestly say that I thought Halo 3 would win Spike's Game of the Year award because of all that it brought to the table. Cooperative play, solid online play, customizable maps and a video viewing option, Halo 3 had a ton of amazing features to offer and a helluva chance to take this year's gold. In my opinion, what I think may have harmed Halo 3, was when match up against the other game graphically, it just didn't stand up. I'll be the first to say that graphics don't make a game, but I do think that graphics are what we, in the gaming community, judge all games on. Just like I mentioned in my overview of the Orange Box, Halo 3 is a must-have game for the 360. The game has an outstanding gameplay value and if that isn't enough for you, then you can't really call yourself a "gamer." If you don't own Halo 3 yet, be sure to ask for it for the upcoming holidays, you won't be disappointed.

Well, that completes our breakdown of Halo 3, please feel free to add anything on why you think Halo 3 should/shouldn't have won game of the year. I am sure that there are several reasons so speak up!

Come back tomorrow for the third part of our BioShock: Breakdown. In tomorrow's overview we will take a look at Bioware's Mass Effect, the game that everyone gives credit for being the next big step in role-playing shooters. And if you've played Mass Effect already, I promise there won't be any long elevator waits.

- R

Images: http://blogs.theage.com.au/entertainment/halo-3.jpg http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1085/775700808_9d91b3ab3e_o.jpg
http://www.bit-tech.net/content_images/2007/05/halo_3_multiplayer_beta_impressions/1.jpg
http://www.bungie.net/images/News/WeeklyUpdate/4stoshsrocket_ComTeamSatStoshU.jpg
http://a799.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/107/l_f5f6d6b0bfa2161fecf498768c5d20a6.jpg