Gamespot does a visual previewThe Halo 3 beta only includes three maps, but they all offer huge graphical upgrades over the maps in Halo 2. The Valhalla alpine-gorge-like map uses high-resolution granite textures, new plant life, new water effects, and excellent landscape design to create a breathtaking view. Bungie has also given caves and even building interiors a dramatic upgrade. Snowbound's icy tunnels have replaced harsh angles and bland wall textures with more believable curves and subtle surfaces. We got ourselves killed several times while examining the new water effects in Valhalla and High Ground. On the bright side, we've confirmed that your corpse will in fact float on top of the water for a few seconds before sinking to the floor.
The comparison screenshots have shown us that Halo 3 on the Xbox 360 has the graphics to be a worthy successor to Halo 2. We can't wait to see how the game looks when it ships on September 25, 2007.
Come on gspot!
I know gamers tend to bitch a lot, but it seems to me during the past year that journalists are out of touch with fan opinion. You just have to check out the gamespot, pcgamer and IGN forums to notice how opinions seem to differ. Again I know people just like to bitch a lot, but there seems to be a growing sentiment that these websites don't share the frustrations of their readers. Sometimes instead of being scathing they seem to be making excuses for these developers.
PCG was the only publication to acknowledge what a mess Dark Messiah and Double Agent were. Double Agent was particularly shitty for me, because bugs screw the game up the moment you change the default settings. PCG gave the game 66%, while IGN gave it 9.0 and Gamespot gave it 8.5. You just have to check out the gamespot forums to know how pissed people were.
I've been seeing tons of threads like
these across the net. I personally tried to defend the writers of PCG and Gspot in that thread, but it seems to be a growing trend across the net. While I think people just like to bitch, and display their own immaturity by implying reviewers are corrupt whenever they have a different point of view, I do think there is a growing gap between fans and reviewers. It just annoys me when reviews act like the biggest fanboys and make excuses for any shortcomings a game has. Most writers seem to be very pro STEAM, Windows LIVE and a lot of this other crap.
IGN has been far more in touch with fan opinion with their Halo 3 impressions:
Link to IGN coverage pageThe Halo 3 multiplayer beta is, um, well, more Halo.
I don't know what I was expecting. The hype is getting so great that I would not have been surprised if a harem of Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders wearing nothing but gold body-paint exploded out of the console as soon as I hit start.
Instead I got more Halo.
It's no revolutionary new sequel, it's not set in an open-world and it doesn't now feature a stealth meter or cover system. It's the same action-packed, bunny-hopping, grenade-lobbing, beat-down-from-behind multiplayer shooter that we've come to know and love. In the same way Halo 2 felt like the original Halo with additional vehicle jacking, dual wielding and a crappier pistol, Halo 3 feels like Halo 2 with additional bubble shields and giant lasers.
And man cannons.
What you notice first about Halo 3 is literally the first thing you see: the graphics. Maybe Microsoft shot itself in the foot with the gorgeous CG "Starry Night" trailer, or even the very first trailer that shows the Chief looking over a giant crater as dozens of Covenant ships invade Earth. We were expecting a bit more. Instead, the visuals look like a high-res Halo 2 with some nice new rag doll physics and pretty water. The rocks and trees are especially bland. It's still a great looking game, but fans were probably expecting Halo 3 to at least challenge Gears of War as one of the best-looking games on the console. As of now, it does not
Anyway I had a look at some of the vids. While the game still looks like a lot of fun, it just looks like Halo 1 Expansion 2. Everything looks the exact same to me, and they haven't changed the weapons at all. I find that really odd.
All this makes me thing Bungie are a lazy bunch. They are basically using an update of the technology they made a decade ago. Mind you, it still looks like a lot of fun...
