Okay, the Halo 3 Brute documentary is now available on Marketplace. Doubtless, many of you have watched it already, while other poor souls are forced to go to work (if you are stuck at work, check out some off screen images here). You know what time it is? That's right, time to over-analyze!
First thing's first: graphics. The graphics in the video were obviously unfinished -- none of it looked as nice as the Halo 3 debut trailer -- with lots of effects and textures missing, though there was a lot of pretty shininess. We would like to note that rounded objects, like walls and barrels, were definitely round. No jagged, polygonal edges here.
We get a nice look as some of the new Brute weapons, including the Spiker and what looks like a new, elongated plasma rifle (similar in look to a plasma turret). It appears that the gravity hammer will have a bigger role this time, too (usable by the Chief perhaps?). We also get a glimpse at some of the refined human weaponry, most notably the glow-in-the-dark nature of the shotgun (which may or may not have had its range increased).
Brutes are more clearly delineated into classes now. There is the basic soldier, with a helmet and armor (more armor than in Halo 2). The Brute captain has even more armor and a samurai like helmet. Finally, the Brute chieftain has really big armor (shoulder pieces, the whole nine yards) and a big samurai/triceratops helmet (samuraiceratops?).
It seems as though Brutes will be the defacto enemy in Halo 3, and they already seem a sight more threatening than the Elites. First of all, Brutes move in large packs (something Elites rarely do) and have coordinated attacks. The Bungie team informs us that they are making Brutes utilize team tactics. One tactic highlighted by the video was a Brute captain ordering all his soldiers to toss some grenades. This results in a deadly barrage of plasma. Nice. The overall idea is to make Brutes a formidable enemy, and not just because they can take a lot of damage (à la Halo 2).
There are other, non-Brute related things to see in the video, though you'll need a sharp eye and the pause button handy. For instance, there is a brief, brief glimpse of the assault rifle near the end of the video. Also, behind one of the Bungie team is what appears to be the Halo 3 title screen. Overall, the video wasn't anything earth shattering, but it did what it was meant to do: get us more excited for Halo 3.
And now we turn it to you, fanboys. Scour that video. Tell us what we missed. Inquiring minds want to know.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
12-20-2006 @ 10:55AM
truthseeker said...
Bungie's meticulous approach to character design means we will all hailing H3 as Bungie's greatest game yet. It looks like we can all rest easy, and patiently wait until the next entry of the 360's greatest franchise is released on us in '07
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12-20-2006 @ 10:59AM
todd said...
Who cares, Halo was great, Halo 2 not so great... online for 2 was even worse. Screw Halo 3.
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12-20-2006 @ 11:21AM
SEMERKHET said...
Halo 2 online was very good, Halo 3 can only be better. I, for one can't wait for this to be released.
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12-20-2006 @ 11:23AM
juicebytim said...
Todd:
I suppose you are just one of those people that hate anything that more than a couple people love. At least you look cool saying Halo 2 sucked, right?
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12-20-2006 @ 11:38AM
Neon Jebus said...
Todd,
Your upset that all the Halo 3 hoodies were sold out at Hot Topic aren't you?
Or is it that you are still ticked about the ending in Halo 2?
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12-20-2006 @ 11:38AM
stumpie said...
What a noob to say Halo 2 Multiplayer sucked.
After the soso experience of Halo 2 Campaign...I'm really much more amped about multiplayer than I am the campaign. If Halo 3 delivers on the multiplayer it will be worth $60 just for that alone.
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12-20-2006 @ 12:16PM
JRock3x8 - 2o2p said...
i love haters, it brings out the christmas spirit in us all.
the video looked bad - let's be honest. it's cool that 4 brutes are going to throw plasma grenades at you at once but it's impossible to give the feel of playing that in a documentary style video.
I'm intrigued by this "alliance" between humans and elites. Does that mean partner play with the Arbiter from Halo2 ala Gears of War? Or is this still a solitary FPS?
It seems Bungie has their head wrapped around squad mechanices for enemies. Does MC get squad orders and intelligence also? Is the "X" button for squad orders?
Will I ever stop asking rhetorical questions?
The Elite with dual swords was sweet - i would like to see more of that.
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12-20-2006 @ 12:31PM
joynt said...
If you want to watch this and aren't near your 360 there's a decent version here:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3566798075235980007& amp; amp;hl=en
Resolution sucks as always but at least it isn't off screen.
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12-20-2006 @ 12:38PM
todd said...
Ha, here comes the flames for saying Halo 2 sucked... oh no what to do.
Well, I love quite a few games, but Halo isn't one of them. The cheaters, the little kids, and the bad attitues had something to do with my hatred for it regarding online play. Besides all that the game just wasn't that great or hard.
Ending, what ending? I don't watch or pay attention to the story line, skip it is what I do, I could care less... gameplay for me is key.
Hoodies, who cares, hey pump out all the crap you want... market till you can't market anymore, I don't care.
No noob either, I was playing the 2600, Commodore 64, Intellivision, and Colecos way before you where even born, please don't bother me with that "noob" crap.
Hell, the only good game Bungie released, and mind you I played the whole series, was Marathon for the Mac...
Just like GoW, Halo 3 won't live up to the hype. I enjoyed GoW for the first few weeks but blah now, once you get the achievements there's nothing left. Hopefully they will keep it fresh by adding new maps, characters or modes in the next few months but that won't do much more for me.
Opinions about things are the purpose of the comments, mine is that Halo 2 sucked, and Halo 3 will be worse... don't like it no need to flame and be a baby about it. Post that your looking forward to it and can't wait for it, because after all that's your opinion.
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12-20-2006 @ 1:03PM
Matt said...
todd, you're funny.
I don't understand trolls like you. You came into a thread about Halo 3 and just totally rag on it with no evidence and then call people out for defending a game they like. Seems very hypocritical to me. I mean, I know you are trolling, but why? At least present a logical argument before you wait for the fanboys to swoop in. You talk about presenting opinions, but you do it so poorly that you just look very silly. I understand you didn't like halo 2, but why don't you be the one to present an opinion in a reasonable fashion and you won't get as many flames.
oh, and congratulations on playing all those systems since "before we were born." It definitely makes your poorly presented opinion much more valuable to us true "noobs." i am impressed.
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12-20-2006 @ 1:37PM
todd said...
No trolling, interested in Halo 3 just like any other game coming out soon for the 360. I might get it to play it (most likely used), like GoW but I think that it will be worse than 2. Not calling anyone out, if anything they are calling me out for saying that 3 will suck. The noob thing was just a way to get my goat so you gotta give a little back... please everyone knows that's just a way to piss people off. I stated that I've been playing video games for a long time so I'm no noob.
You guys are like rabid dogs just like if someone posts a comment on the joystick site about how the PS3 sucks, or even on the 360 sucking, they are stating their opinions about something and people jump right on them calling them names such as noob. Not every opinion needs to be backed up with facts or presented in a manner that you deem acceptable, that's what they are called opinions (opin·ion: a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter). My judgement/view is that Halo 3 will not live up to the hype, will stink gameplay wise, and be destroyed once again by people like yourself online... ruining what fun the game could offer (because online is the only decent part of Halo 2). There ya go, flame away... keep em coming I'll just keep saying the same thing over and over, Halo 3 will suck.
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12-20-2006 @ 1:40PM
todd said...
BTW where is your "logical argument" presented in a "reasonable fashion" on why you liked Halo 2 and think that 3 will be jus as good if not better. The only thing you can do is flame, congrats!
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12-20-2006 @ 2:08PM
juicebytim said...
Todd:
I like how you stated in the beginning of your comment...
"You guys are like rabid dogs just like if someone posts a comment on the joystick site about how the PS3 sucks, or even on the 360 sucking".
Then you somehow ended your paragraph with your own opinion in the same immature tone as above...
"Halo 3 will suck."
Strangly enough, I find it funny how you can say a game will suck before you have even touched it. It's just about as ridiculous as saying a game sucked when it is still the top played game with so many people playing it after two years.
Look, I'm not a fanboy, and I strongly believe that you can have your own opinion about a game, no matter how popular or good it truly may be. (ie. people really like Kingdom Hearts, but I could never get into it, even after 15 hours of playing it).
Another discrepancy I noticed is how you originally stated that "Halo [Combat Evolved] was great", then you went on to say in another post that "the only good game Bungie released, and mind you I played the whole series, was Marathon for the Mac". Just thought I would point that out.
Seeing as how you frequently use the term "noob", I would take a guess that you are one of the reasons why Halo 2 is so annoying to play online with a mic.
Also, believe it or not, but you are not the only older person who posts comments on these blogs. So stop trying to pimp out how old and wise you are, because I know plenty of stupid people above the age of 35 who don't even have much common sense, despite their so-called wisdom granted only by their old age.
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12-20-2006 @ 2:21PM
Joshua said...
Did any one else notice the Elite dual wielding the plasma swords? He cut the legs off of a brute and finished him with a lunge....I was hoping they would allow you to dual wield the sword.
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12-20-2006 @ 2:38PM
Joe said...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h15fuQDwSXs
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12-20-2006 @ 2:43PM
todd said...
I am using the term noob because that was what stumpie used, are you even following the comments here? Using it back, since he's calling me out as a noob. I think terms like powned and noob are just plain stupid to use.
And my opinion is based off the following since I have yet to play it;
Halo: decent game play... sort of new and inventive game for the xbox.
Halo 2: ok game play, why? Far too easy and online just wan't good after a month since it was overun with jackasses and cheaters. Same thing happened for a period of time with SC:CT evenutally it got the shake out, kids lost interested, the hardcores stayed, not Halo 2.
THEREFORE... Halo 3 based off the progress of the series will be horrible, unless they can reinvent themselves and the game into something new, IE halo wars (tho I'm not a big RPG fan so don't care about the title)... so far what I've seen and heard it's the same old crap just using a number higher than 2 for the title. Whoppie, new AI that doesn't look that advanced or unlike anything that hasn't been done and weapons.
Sorry for that statement Halo great, Marathon only good. What I mean to say is Marathon was an amazing game for it's time, so was Halo in some ways but the only game that I took any interest in from Bungie was Marathon. Halo was just Marathon done for the xbox.
And ya I know I'm not the only older person posting comments... not stating how wise I am. I just stated that I've been playing video games for quite a while, does that make me wise, na since they are a waste of time vs. reading a book... never said it did, does that make me a noob (again using that because of stumpie), most likely not... as I said and you can read above "no noob either... please don't bother me with that 'noob' crap". I'm guessing stumpie is "one of the reasons why Halo 2 is so annoying to play online with a mic".
Also, saying Halo 3 will suck, hm how is that immature? My opinion is that it will suck, so...??!?
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12-20-2006 @ 2:45PM
Michael Melazzo said...
Gears of War didn't live up to the hype??
Last I checked, the hype was that GOW was a gorgeous looking game, with an interesting cover mechanic, and a short campaign mode (yes... there was word about the games single played being short before it was released)...
and last I checked... Gears of War ended up being every one of those things...
This is what happens, when we start taking video games too seriously... we lose all the joy that can be had from them... you become the kid that only complains about what each game is "missing" and how it falls short.
And Thoreau would agree that age means nothing... you being an older gamer doesn't mean your wiser... just means you've had more time to figure out ways to be a moron.
So...this is for all you "scoffing" gamers... (the kid who complains because riding a horse in oblivion causes the frame rate to drop... or that the campaign was too short in GOW... or that video games can't compensate for their overall lack of living)... start enjoying other things... read a book... go for a walk... start a business... get a job... fly a kite... then... when you play video games like the rest of us (as a timefiller for that hour between work and chilling with friends) you can enjoy them instead of bitching and scoffing to try and show some sort of "geek superiority".
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12-20-2006 @ 2:56PM
DaWrathofGOD said...
hey did u guys see the elite with the two swords, freakin awsome! the thing i dont get was i thought the covenant split up at the end of halo 2 and the elites and the grunts seperated, but in this video it looks like the grunts and brutes are fighting side by side
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12-20-2006 @ 3:08PM
todd said...
Didn't live up the hype because there was a ton of it AND the hype was soooo high that you expected an individual to buy it and play it non-stop for months. Sure it looks great, in fact so far it's the best looking 360 game, but gameplay... for all the crap Cliff B put out there on how different the game is from every other game and how unique the AI is, it's really not much different than Halo 2 cept 3rd person, it just takes many more shots to put the AI down. Not saying it falls short in anyway, it's exactly what I figured... but does it really live up to the hype that Cliff B was pumping out na... it's just another game that I played and lost interest in after a month. Once you played the casual mode the insane is cake so all there is left is the MP which is very Halo 2 like. The only reason I have't sold it back yet was that I'm missing a few achievements. Not the MP ones cuz who has the time to play ranked without a lobby and a screwy not so great working way to get into the games, so after I clear up the couple I need I'll sell it and hopefully the resale will still be high.
Not all games are perfect and I accept a lot of goofy little problems with many games, ie SC:DA (in fact the SC series is one of my favs but has a ton of problems with connecting to games and lag), TH:P8, Dead Rising but did they have the hype that they slung for Gears, nope so when you get a game like SC:DA, wow it looks great, better than expected, gameplay is fun, MP is different yet more fun than the last it seems like you got a hold of a nice title. Gears your expectations are so high before you get a hold of it and when it turns out to be the same stuff you've been playing, well, your level of interest drops. My level of interest in Gear has dropped, it, for me, didn't live up to all that hype that was put out there. Again, this has nothing to do with the graphics, they look amazing but is it really a new and invovative way to play a game, na... in fact read some reviews, some of them said that they basically toook ideas from other games and used them for Gears.
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12-20-2006 @ 3:39PM
agent lead said...
i dunno man leave the kid todd alone...he came in here to state his opinion...
i personally agree with much of what he says..
im not trying to troll or bash...
i love halo...i played halo on xbox..pc..competed on a top team in cal/cpl...still play halo pc often...but halo 2 just kinda nerfed everything..it wasnt really the same game imo..the dual weilding sucked...that alone was a key reason for my dislike..
and now we get this trailer which looks like it hasnt advanced AT ALL since halo2...the visuals are exactly the same as halo2...and yes i know its pre alphas blah blah blah...but really...i dont think its gonna be that great...
they should just re-release halo with live and new maps...and everyone would be happy...
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