As a Halo virgin (bar a fleeting affair with the original on a mate's Xbox lasting around 20 mins), I was keen to see what all the fuss was about.
I ordered the collector's edition on Tuesday 25th September 07 and it arrived on Thursday 27th, discs rattling around inside as predicted on several websites and a dent in the tin. Game disc is scratched, but working so far (not sure when it's due to go wrong).
With no Halo-tinted glasses to view the game through, I played it from an objective view point. I was impressed, but not that impressed. The graphics are good, sure, but they're not the best the 360 has seen.
Checkpoints
The checkpoint system is useful, but flawed: a particular checkpoint kicked in just as I fell off a cliff, resulting in several action replays of the same moment of "not looking where I was going" (and vain attempts at jumping back on to the ledge), until the game reverted to the previous checkpoint (at least it does that).
Story
I feel I've missed something where the story is concerned, too. A "Previously, on Halo" style intro would have been useful for those of us who are new to the franchise (the characters talk about "firing Halo rings" and I have no idea what they're on about). The voice acting skills aren't bad though, resulting in believable characters.
Co-op
Co-operative play isn't bad at all. A horizontal split is the order of the day, with one player as the Master Chief and the other as the Arbiter. If one dies, they will re-spawn when the area is safe, providing the other player is still alive. If both die, it's checkpoint time.
In a nut shell
Halo 3 is a good game. It's entertaining, fun and will invoke a few chuckles with some of the lines from the enemies and the results of some well-timed explosions. The graphics are fast and fluid, although not the best the system seems capable of.
I'm also struggling to see how the extra money for other editions is justified, especially given the poor state of packaging for the Collector's Edition, so I'd suggest buying the normal version over this one.
