New Halo 3 shots

By Kristan Reed Published 13 May, 2007

See what the fuss is about.

Halo 3 eh? The Internet hills are alive with Spartan cries this weekend, as a lucky few get an early hands-on with the beta that everyone's talking about.

But if you're one of those people that doesn't do words, then we've got some pictures for you to ogle at too. Grabbed by Eurogamer contributor Richard Leadbetter on his fancy state of the art capture kit, he's slavishly given up a portion of his weekend to bring you the finest shots of the game he possibly could.

All three of Halo 3's beta maps have been extensively captured for your pleasure, and tomorrow we'll be bringing you more in-depth thoughts on what we think of Bungie's latest creation. See you then.

Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (62) Latest comment 5 years ago

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  • Yossarian #1 5 years ago

    huzzah

  • Yossarian #2 5 years ago

    I would be perfectly happy with those graphics as they are, given the potential scale of the encounters, especially in singleplayer. all I really want is another pass of AA to smooth out some of the rough edges. particle effects, lighting etc. are all excellent to my eyes.

  • grandmaster Verified Director, Digital Foundry #3 5 years ago

    I spent most of yesterday taking these shots. Thankfully the capture kit works by streaming off every frame the 360 produces losslessly during gameplay. So after each game I rifled through the 40gb+ files scooping out the individual frames, but I could still concentrate on playing the game (albeit poorly having never played Halo 2 multiplayer).

    Some of the close-range shoot-outs look a little odd because as is the norm, various colourisation effects kick in when you take damage, or when weapons discharge near the target. You don't usually see this stuff on developer shots.

    The graphics are absolutely fine IMO - I agree about the AA comment though. The thing is that in the heat of the action, you really don't notice. And the action is superb. I had a hell of a good time playing it. Frame rate is around 30fps, but it isn't consistent. Typical Halo really. This usually bothers me, but it doesn't here. I was more annoyed by the relatively slow walking speed TBH.

    And as I posted in the impressions thread yesterday the way they handle lag (I was playing with people across the world from my lair here in the Middle East) is extremely good. They've succeeded in making it feel like a LAN-type experience - all-important in a first person shooter.
    Edited by grandmaster at 13/05/07 @ 15:33

  • Yossarian #4 5 years ago

    I like how a lot of the 'next-gen' buzzword effects like self-shadowing and HDR are used subtly for once. it's those touches, plus the particle effects like grass spinning off vehicle wheels or snow being kicked up, that really pick this out from previous incarnations. I think a lot of the 'Halo 2 HD' comments stem from the fact that the basic level geometry is still quite simple, but that's partly Halo's signature style and you can clearly see the increased polycounts in the Spartan models themselves, which also animate wonderfully (ragdolls seem a lot more consistent now, and the way the models' feet react to slopes etc. makes everything seem more 'real'). hopefully they can smooth out the aliasing (and framerate, as grandmaster mentioned, although Halo has never been good in that regard) in the final four-six months of development, because those would be my only concerns.

  • Waldo #5 5 years ago

    Looks like a good Unreal Tournament 2004 mod.

  • Yossarian #6 5 years ago

    what was that post? "I hate this game becuase I'm bad at it"?

  • Xerx3s #7 5 years ago

    4 posts already before an idiot comes in. They must be slacking off.

  • Yossarian #8 5 years ago

    there were and are a lot of assholes playing Halo 2 because, well, there were and are a lot of people playing it, and a significant percentage of people are assholes. that said, the matchmaking system works well (even better this time out), and Bungie have given us a way to quickly mute opponents (hold down back to display names of player in game, flick to offensive players with the right thumbstick, press A to mute/unmute). even if you ignore the obvious ability to play custom games against friends and like-minded players -- not in the beta, of course, but on release -- there is no reason for you not to be able to find fun games at your level. but if you dislike it simply because you're not very good at it then nobody can help you I'm afraid.

  • captainrentboy #9 5 years ago

    I don't think Owen's comment was that bad :/ He just said why the multiplayer doesn't do it for him, infact it's the one reasons that I'm occasionally put off H2's multiplayer, some of the guys on there clearly put in a hell of a lot practice and they fucking hammer me over and over again. That wouldn't be so bad if I was at a level 25, but these are matches where I'm playing against supposed level 4 opponents.
    I think I'm at a level 20 in standard team based multiplayer, and there are some really impressive guys at that level, and they manage to make me feel a whole lot shitter than I am :)
    Ohh and nice pics too, they certainly show it in a nicer light than most other website's do.

  • jiveguy #10 5 years ago

    I kind of agree with Owen here. Halo 2 multiplayer was fun when it came out and if you get the right people around your skill level it still can be. But after a few months you really do only have the hardcore still playing regularly and if you haven't kept up the pace it's not that fun anymore. I haven't bothered with it in ages because I know I'll just get frustrated and give up. The same will happen with Halo 3 mp.

    And just to keep on topic: those shots look nice :)
    Edited by jiveguy at 13/05/07 @ 16:51

  • Overlush #11 5 years ago

    Graphics look good IMO

  • Lukus #12 5 years ago

    I do believe Xerx3s was refering to (The Great) Waldo (Pepper).

  • BrokenSymmetry #13 5 years ago

    That's a problem with all multi-player games, though. After a few months, only the hardest of the hardcore is still playing online, and if you enter at that moment as a new player, it's very hard to find fun games. Only exception I have seen to that was PGR2. I came to PGR2 only in the summer of 2005 (almost 2 years after release), and I've only met a lot of nice guys that helped creating great races. That may be the nature of racing games, though, compared to FPS games...
    Edited by BrokenSymmetry at 13/05/07 @ 17:06

  • Waldo #14 5 years ago

    Run home and cry to your momma about how the mean man pushed you down in the mud and ruined your favorite dress.

    If Master Chief could see what big pussies most of his fans are, he'd change his name and put a paper bag over his head so no one could recognize him.
    Edited by Waldo at 13/05/07 @ 17:14

  • Yossarian #15 5 years ago

    surely this kind of thing is banworthy

  • Dizzy #16 5 years ago

    The skill system kinda solved the difficulty for matched games. I found that at certain levels the amount of crazy headshots (head-shotting me when driving a warthog???) because too much to have fun. People were just too good. Luckily my skill never went higher after that so I stayed in parties with do-able skill levels :)

    Anyway... Graphics look pretty good, especially with the draw distance and the amount of stuff going on (and indeed some very nice next gen effects). I guess the pre-rendered trailer generation has no idea any more what graphics actually are and how they are used.
    Edited by Dizzy at 13/05/07 @ 17:24

  • Yossarian #17 5 years ago

    "(head-shotting me when driving a warthog???)"

    I've managed this a few times, but I whooped with surprise and delight. it's easier to take the gunner than the driver. the really frightening one is people sniping the tiny sliver of helmet that's exposed when a Ghost is attacking head-on.

    I think I hit my skill wall when I started running up against players doing the button combo glitches (which should be considered cheating, according to Bungie, and they are gone from Halo 3). a BR duel is no fun when you have to get four hits and your opponent doubleshots you on his third to take you out. and getting BXRed when you have the sword is just embarrassing.

  • Ihya #18 5 years ago

    I enjoy snacking on the Big Mac and Fries of the multiplayer world which is what Halo is, but the Multiplayer won't hold me for any great length of time. I'll buy it on the proviso I am getting a Halo single player experience and not a Halo 2 singleplayer experience.
    Edited by Ihya at 13/05/07 @ 18:07

  • Scump #19 5 years ago

    From these tiny screenshots I must say Im no position to make a definitve comment. There, ha, I can accept that I dont know everything....aw.

    Really though I'd say it looks as good as any other 360 game on Live. I don't understand what people were expecting Halo to do graphically. Just because its bungie does not mean they can pull some magic stick out of their asses and make the 360 more powerful, broadband speeds more broad and yappy PS3 fanboys less idiotic.

    I just undone my niceness didnt I. I just wanted to start a fight.

  • DUFFKING #20 5 years ago

    Anyone seen the official beta vid on bungie site? Loooks good.

  • SBfistfun #21 5 years ago

    Looks nice, if unspectacular.

    If I had a 360 I'd probably buy it.

  • chiz #22 5 years ago

    This looks seriously dated :/

    I've seen better graphics in a 4 year old PC game.

  • Beano #23 5 years ago

    The Halo 3 multiplayer screenshots and movies has been far from impressive so far.
    But I expect the graphics to be far better in campaign than in multiplayer... otherwise the game will be a letdown graphicswise.

  • morriss #24 5 years ago

    They look lovely.

  • morriss #25 5 years ago

    chizlol

  • _Price_ #26 5 years ago

    Looks good, could have made a bit more of a graphical improvement over Halo 2, but then again maybe the final build will. What are those old looking solid-slug pistol/sawn-off shotgun things with the blades attached to them enyway? Could well replace brute plasma rifles as my favorite duel-wields.

    It's always nice to see the good old battle rifle back in action too.

  • Yossarian #27 5 years ago

    "What are those old looking solid-slug pistol/sawn-off shotgun things with the blades attached to them enyway? Could well replace brute plasma rifles as my favorite duel-wields."

    brute spikers, a new addition to the brute armament alongside the spike grenades.

  • UncleLou #28 5 years ago

    chizlol

    He's right, you know.

    Looks through and through unspectacular. Like others have said, the singleplayer part will certainly look a lot better.

  • foamy #29 5 years ago

    If the first trailer they showed really is in-game, then I guess SP must be a hole lot better in what comes to graphics.

    (I read somewhere that there was people to whom Bungie flew around the the big area with the cliff where master chief stood in the trailer. Wasn't it here at EG?)

  • JediMasterMalik #30 5 years ago

    MP looks a bit dated in screenshots, video's look more impressive mind. Seeing some of the nade explosions is pretty good stuff.

  • captainrentboy #31 5 years ago

    Hmmm I just had a lil blast on Halo 2, and anyone who's saying that this looks basically the same is talking out of their rectums.
    Some of those pics are pretty effin sweet actually, and after playing the second one only 10 minutes ago I can defintely see the difference, especially on the weapons and the lighting effects.
    Will the beta allow you to make a room with you and a few chosen friends and then take a match, or are you forced to play against randoms everytime you play a game? That's the one thing that's bugging me.

  • siro #32 5 years ago

    Much ado about 8/10.

  • The-Bodybuilder #33 5 years ago

    Or maybe, just maybe, the SP will look like the MP?

    Bungie have always stated they were going to use an updates halo 2 graphics engine,didn't they?

  • davisorle #34 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 20:44:35 16-04-2012

  • melw #35 5 years ago

    Am I the only one that thinks these screenshots look bland if not ugly? Under-excitement to the max if this is supposed to be the X360 flagship...

  • Pablo2k5 #36 5 years ago

    @Waldo

    You are wrong! This doesn't "look like a good Unreal Tournament 2004 Mod"....
    ...it looks like a BAD Unreal Tournament 2004 Mod!

    Oh, and how dare you for having an opinion than differs from Xerx3s!!!

  • Moz #37 5 years ago

    in regard to the comments about the matchmaking and the hardcore players ruining it less good players, hopefully now we have gamer profiles it will be harder for people to reset their ranking so you should get less expert player joining games pretending to be newbies.

    And if you do see anyone blaitantly cheeting the ranking and match making then just going to their gamer tag and setting them as Not prefered (You also get the warm feeling of knowing your screwing over the bastards star rateing ;o)

  • ChocNut #38 5 years ago

    I agree with Melw and Owen. Halo is mediocre at BEST. This looks identical to the other two games imo.

    We've already had the next-gen flagship game. It was gears.

  • captainrentboy #39 5 years ago

    Gears was next gen in graphics only, that's it. The multiplayer on it bored me after a week or so, it was nothing special. This, although not having the mind shattering graphics will have a wealth of options and possibilties in it's multiplayer that games like Gears could only dream of. That's what it makes it next-gen in my opinion :/
    Edit: Let's not forget things like AI and physics too, Gears doesn't particularly excell at either of those.
    Edited by captainrentboy at 14/05/07 @ 08:25

  • Shrike #40 5 years ago

    Am I the only one who thinks that, perhaps, due to this being a beta, the highest-res stuff probably isn't in? They're testing balance and net stuff.. what have graphics to do with it?

  • mkreku #41 5 years ago

    Hmm.. Not as pretty as I was expecting them to look. The screenshots that is.

  • Darren #42 5 years ago

    I think that fact that the Halo 3 beta videos and screenshots I've seen aren't wowwing me as much graphically as I expected is testament to how amazing the original games looked on the Xbox really, I'd say that in many ways they were ahead of their time. OK so there were jaggies, texture pop-in and LOD issues but Halo 2 was, still is, a fairly impressive-looking game even today.

    The multiplayer in Halo 3 beta looks very much Halo 2.5 to me but I'm sure the single-player will deliver and that's what interests me more anyway... that along with co-op are what I spent the most time doing on the originals as the multiplayer modes just don't hold my attention for very long. I reckon I'll be well and truly bored of it from just playing the beta for three weeks to be honest!!! LOL

  • morriss #43 5 years ago

    @Uncle Lou: I really,really don't agree. I think it looks very nice indeed, especially the particle effects.

    A 4 year old PC, could 'not' replicate that at all.

  • monkie_king #44 5 years ago

    @davisorle: the problem i found with H2 was that each game type was ranked independently. I basically played Rumble Pit exclusively, and eventually struggled my way up to Level 20. However, I was regularly getting ripped to bits by people several levels below -- but when I went and looked at their stats, you'd see that they were like a level 40 on the Team games.

    Conversely, the rare occasions I'd play 1-vs.-1, even though I was only ranked 3 or 4, I'd easily trounce newbs who had just started playing.

    It seems pretty dumb that the ranking system wasn't designed to take this into account. After all, you don't reach level 40 playing Team Slayer without gathering a lot of skills that are useful in Rumble Pit.

    Combined with the well-known matchmaking latency issues for European gamers (majority of opponents in US, therefore game hosted in US, therefore massive latency disadvantage), I completely lost patience with playing online.

    Anyone know if they plan to have localised matchmaking in H3? Bungie were in denial about the problem, last I recall?

  • UncleLou #45 5 years ago

    @Uncle Lou: I really,really don't agree. I think it looks very nice indeed, especially the particle effects.

    A 4 year old PC, could 'not' replicate that at all.

    Well, maybe he has exaggerated a bit, but not much. I really think shots like this would have generated a lot of "mehs" if it would have been any other franchise - now it's fair enough that people are looking forward to it, I was just a bit annoyed last night (not by your comment here, really, more by some numpties in the comments) that being not terribly enthusiastic instantly caused "troll" accusations.

    Although I blame anti-Halo trolls as much as the Halo fans. ;-)

    edit:

    I'd like to stress once again that I am convinced that the single-player stuff will look great, and I don't think the shots look by any means terrible - like I said, it was just the general vibe that annoyed me a bit.
    Edited by UncleLou at 14/05/07 @ 10:27

  • The-Bodybuilder #46 5 years ago

    @disc

    I'm just trying to lower expectation n all.
    It's always good to lower expectations, especially when halo is concerned.

  • The-Bodybuilder #47 5 years ago

    I don't see jaggies, but a do see crappy lighting.

  • Max_Powers #48 5 years ago

    I see crappy comments

    and dead people
    Edited by Max_Powers at 14/05/07 @ 11:38

  • johnboy_johsnon #49 5 years ago

    This is what I would expect Halo 3 to look like on the original XBox.

  • Dizzy #50 5 years ago

    "I basically played Rumble Pit exclusively, and eventually struggled my way up to Level 20. However, I was regularly getting ripped to bits by people several levels below -- but when I went and looked at their stats, you'd see that they were like a level 40 on the Team games. "

    This is fixed in Halo 3 :)

  • monkie_king #51 5 years ago

    @dizzy: yay! now, how about the latency probs in matchmaking? (i.e. the problem of always ending up in a match wi a huge majority of north americans)

  • JYM60 #52 5 years ago

    I think that it looks quite nice and will look better come release. The graphics are not the main thing with halo anyway imo.

  • reality_cheque #53 5 years ago

    Owen: Why not play with EG members then? Very few of us are loud and abusive Americans :)

  • reality_cheque #54 5 years ago

    I think I'm going to just ignore comment threads from now on. My ignore list has grown by 15 people this morning already, and I don't want to strain the EG database.

  • JYM60 #55 5 years ago

    ^

    LOL. Could be a wise move.

  • JHuxley #56 5 years ago

    I'd express my opinion about these screenshots, but considering that I'd apparently run the risk of being added to countless ignore lists it's really not worth the effort.

  • RickHard #57 5 years ago

    Frankly guys, I am the only one thinking it absolutly doesn't look good enough ? It is certainly not on par with the trailers released... I hope bungie is not going the same way as Guerilla with Killzone2 : I don't like being cheated :-( Anyway, I'm really disapointed, Halo 3 was meant to set a new graphical benchmark for next gen title (as did the previous halo games).

  • captainrentboy #58 5 years ago

    When did anyone say that it would set a graphical benchmark? I don't remember that :/ Surely that was what Gears was for.

  • johnboy_johsnon #59 5 years ago

    The very first trailer that was released for the game (the one with the Master Chief walking in from the distance and Cortana speaking "This is how the world ends) was visually amazing. Nothing they have realeased since has looked anywhere near as good.

  • captainrentboy #60 5 years ago

    Killzone one looked amazing enough for a PS2 title, but it played like utter cack! In pretty much ever concievable way.
    I think until the SP screenies come out we should lay off Halo 3 for the graphics, if they do turn out looking identical to the MP ones then I'll be joining in with the bashing :)

  • speedstars13 #61 5 years ago

    Whatever happened to the awesome "real time" trailers at E3(?), this looks unitard.

  • davisorle #62 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 20:44:35 16-04-2012