On 15 th November 2001 , Halo: Combat Evolved was released, and since then game manufacturers throughout the world have tried to replicate the successful Halo recipe. While some of them have been triumphant in their attempt, others have failed dramatically. Despite of endless duplications, the original Halo formula hasn’t lost its sheen. Perhaps that’s the reason why Halo 3 has received such an overwhelmingly positive response.

Halo 3 is last game of the Halo trilogy. The events that began in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued in Halo 2, find an exhilarating conclusion in Halo 3. The game plan is very simple: In a bid to destroy the civilization, the covenant tries to arouse the floating space weapons called Halos. The Master Chief and his allies leave no stone unturned to derail the dangerous plans of covenant.

With respect to game plan, it can be said that Halo 3 doesn’t drift too far away from Halo 2. However, this aspect doesn’t make the new release repetitive or boring. Thoughtful integration of established protocols and new intriguing events and effects make Halo3 a superlative video game. Let’s explore a few outstanding features of this nerve-racking game.

New Weapons
Halo 3 comes loaded with a host of brand new weapons. The gravity hammer, for instance, that wasn’t usable in Halo 2 is fully functional in this version of the game. This large melee weapon wipes out the enemy in one swipe. Mauler, one-handed shotgun; spiker, an automatic pistol; plasma canon, missile pod and flamethrower, very heavy weapons that slow down movement; and brute weapons make the game thrilling, especially in multiplayer setting.

Stylish Vehicles
Both modish and classic Halo vehicles make Halo 3 incessantly enthralling. While the Ghost and Warthog revive the old memories, the Brute Prowler provides an electrifying experience. The only drawback is limited artificial intelligence due to which the vehicles don’t drive well. This flaw was present in the previous versions too. Halo 3 loses its luster at this point!

Innovative Items
Several new items have been deployed in Halo 3. For instance, bubble shields: The players and enemies can walk through them, but bullets and explosions bounce off. These items become more interesting when enemies adorn them. Most of these items appear in the multiplayer setting to make the game more competitive.

Easy Customization
The original settings of Halo 3 can be customized with ease. For example, the player can change such things as starting weapons, game speed, weapons that show up on the map, the time a barrel takes to explode, etc. All these changes can not only be saved, but can also be shared through an easy-to-use file sharing system. Some creations can be shared publicly too. Users of Halo 3 can upload as well as download forge creations from Bungie’s website.

Technical Front
From the technical point of view, Halo 3 is not very impressive. However, the visual design is simply terrific. The frame rate is smooth throughout, the effects are mind-boggling and the scenes are very colorful. The sound is an interesting mix of old and new. Apart from the familiar Halo theme music, the user gets to hear plenty of new musical scores and lots of combat dialogues. All the characters of Halo 3 have given believable performances.

In nutshell, Halo 3 may be called a sequel, but it has its own alluring individuality. This makes it the best available Xbox game.