Halo 3 Beta

We've waited for months, drooling over screenshots and yacking about hundreds of speculative ideas that could be part of Bungie's Halo 3. Finally, the wait (for some) is over (for awhile). So, Grogulus and I have been playing the Beta quite religiously almost every night. We've both had our share of screaming "What the heck?!?" as well as screaming, "Ah! Take it you rocket whore!" Ah, yes nothing quite compares to what we've experienced in Halo 3. I am, however, hoping Bungie will make good use of the data they've been recording throughout the Beta. So far, according to Bungie's Website, they've been collecting enormous amounts of data and have started fine tuning weapons, vehicles, and various other attributes of the game.

Lately, I have been experiencing a lot of repetitive game types, such as Team Shotty Snipers. Personally, I do the worst at this game type, so I was not having the most enjoyable time. Actually, let me rephrase that, I dislike team shotty snipers on Valhalla. Other maps aren't really THAT bad with team shotty snipers. Anyways, I'm hoping that this repetitiveness is actually done on purpose so that Bungie can collect more data on the weapons used; the shotgun and the sniper. This data will, of course, be used to fine tune the accuracy and feel of the sniper and the shotgun. I'm also hoping the melee attack may be more closely monitored, as it seems that it is not effective right before being shot with a shotgun and in other circumstances.

Another issue, mostly brought over from the popularity of the grenades in Halo 2, is the fact that the majority of players rely completely on throwing as many grenades as possible. I have nothing against the use of grenades, but some of the fun is sucked out of the maps that have close quarters, such as Snow Bound and High Ground. This is because players when confronted in any close situation simply toss grenades killing both opponents and allies. I've been on both ends of the stick. I've been killed by an ally an untold amount due to their innate instinct to throw grenades before firing guns in close quarters. This makes teamwork nigh impossible in cramped spaces. I've also been killed after being bombarded four times by grenades simply because they have more grenades than bravado. I'm not saying to take grenades off the map or decrease effectiveness. However, perhaps being able to carry less grenades or make grenades a tad bit harder to come across would be useful. This, of course, is a difficult and touchy subject to deal with, as many players will jealously defend either position dealing with grenades. It is also hardly possible to control how and when grenades are used by a player.

Some weapons, such as the Spartan Laser, is quite the talked about weapon among my group of Xbox Live friends. Some say it throws the balance off, it makes one to many power weapons on a map. At first, I definitely agreed. To attest to this, I've been in games on Valhalla that the other team has control of every power weapon on the map plus our sniper rifle. When this happens it is extremely difficult for the disadvantaged team to recover. The result, a score of 50 to 10. It's definitely not that we're horrible at Halo 3, but more of a balance issue. This may be fun for one team, but for the other, it is a depressing and horribly disliked time. To be fair, maybe something has been tweaked, but the past week I've not experienced said problem. However, I have learned how to more effectively use the Spartan Laser and have made it one of my first stops on Valhalla. This has made me see it from the laser's end. It is definitely easy to kill someone who has a laser if you can get close enough, and the sniper is definitely a quicker shot than the Laser. After using this weapon, I have found the disadvantages and therefore how it has been balanced out.

This has been the first installment of my taste of the Halo 3 Beta. The second installment will focus on maps and any other items I may think of. Please, comment and let me know what you guys are thinking and what you guys want to know. I'm looking forward to hearing and answering any questions you guys may have. Halo 3 definitely has some left to improve on (it is Beta), but it has captured some of the essence of the first Halo's multiplayer and has changed what made Halo 2 a cheap multiplayer game. Of course, people who experienced Halo 2 first will totally disagree and complain, but those who have played through Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 will enjoy Halo 3 all the more. More to come.