I have never felt as disappointed as I did with Halo 3. I know what you're thinking, maybe I should say what I really feel, beat around the bush less. Ok, I'll take that on board.
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A few words must be dedicated to the advertisements surrounding the game which did more to add to already growing amount of hyperbole dogging the launch of Xbox's flagship game. We all saw the adverts, hoping for the game to replicate what was only alluded to in the adverts. I would like to congratulate the marketing team for conducting such a successful campaign as they were able to package a below-par game as a gaming blockbuster.
Single player
Six hours appears to be the benchmark for all the new first person shooters with this worrying trend becoming more of the norm. I, personally, would prefer more time to be spent on the single-payer as this should still remain the focus. Halo 3's single player is good but rather short-lived. It can only be described as being nothing spectacular with the graphics indicative of this; they are well presented without ever being breath-taking. I did find it more enjoyable when you were able to play it co-operatively over the Xbox Live or locallym, which did add to the competitive nature of the game. Nevertheless, I can only describe the disappointement I had felt once I had finished the game. Nothing really stood out enough to quash any of the doubts this this really felt like more of an add-on than a brand new game in the growing franchise.
Multiplayer
With Halo now famous for its overcompetitive multiplayer, I must admit there were a few positives including the forge and theatre modes. The ability to record a short clip of a flukey double headshot from a sniper rifle without scoping is always welcomed, allowing us to show off to our uninterested friends, just like we did with PES. Nonetheless, the multiplayer has never demanded my full attention like Team Fortress 2 or Call of Duty 4 has and because of this I have largely ignored Halo 3 since completing the single player campaign.
Conclusion
Quite frankly, Halo 3 has only been able to deliver an underwhelming experience with a short single player campaign and an upgraded multiplayer. This is meant to be the reason why everyone must own a 360 and yet when I find myself recommending which games to buy for the Xbox 360 this wouldn't even feature. Imagine saying the same thing about Super Mario on a respective Nintendo console. Halo is a decent game but it appears to have been crushed under its own hype. Only really for the fanboys, everyone else should decline.
