Halo 3

Halo 3 is a game by Bungie and, supposedly, the final game for Bungie in the Halo saga (another company is creating Halo Wars). Bungie is notoriously secretive and only releases small amounts of information at a time. However, in Halo 3 Trailer - Behind the Scenes, Bungie confirmed that the trailer was made using in game assets and that the final product will be very similar to the trailer.

Release Date
Bungie has offically announced that Halo 3 will be released in the fall of 2007. A public beta test will be available in Spring 2007 and is scheduled for online play at midnight (U.S. West Coast Pacific-Time) on the 16th of May, 2007. The full game will be coming out sometime afterwards in that year. The 2007 release date for Halo 3 hasn't been set yet but there has been a lot of speculation. Companies like Best Buy and Gamestop.com are predicting the November mark (Gamestop states Nov 2, 07 and Best Buy states Nov 15, 2007 ). Amazon.co.uk states the release date as 23rd November 2007. According to IGN Halo 3 may ship in September so Microsoft will have a lead going into the holiday season. There have also been a number of websites that are counting down to the date of Halo 3s release. Halo 3 Count Downis a site that is counting down to the days, hours, minutes and seconds until Halo 3 is released. The only thing bungie will say so far about Halo 3's release date is "when its finished".
 * Halo 3 will ship in 3 different versions:
 * Normal version: includes game.
 * Collector's Edition: includes game, Halo fiction and art book, and extra DVD containing extra/bonus content.


 * Legendary edition: includes a replica of Master Chief's helmet, Halo 3 story board art, and 3 discs.
 * Disk 1: Halo 3 Xbox 360 Game
 * Disc 2: Making of the game
 * Disc 3: Spin-off material(Red vs. Blue, This Spartan Life, etc...). It will also include every cutscene from Halo 1, Halo 2, and Halo 3 in high-def.

Pre-Alpha
For Christmas, Microsoft & Bungie gave the U.S. soldiers in Iraq a chance to play the Halo 3 multiplayer public pre-alpha.

Trailer Analysis
It required long hours and hard work from many, many Bungie staffers, it utilizes real-game assets, fiction and locations from parts of the "real" game."

Cortana's line in the trailer: "This is the way the world ends," references the first of the Cortana Letters. The line itself refers to T. S. Eliot's The Hollow Men, which ends:


 * This is the way the world ends
 * Not with a bang but a whimper.

Cortana's emphasis on "this" implies she is rejecting the poem, and that the world will end with a bang.

Plot Line
The details of the plot have yet to be revealed. All Bungie has confirmed is that the Master Chief has returned to Earth. The Covenant has uncovered a massive and ancient Forerunner artifact under New Mombasa (The mountain in the background is indeed Kilimanjaro )and Cortana is still trapped in the clutches of the Gravemind.

The Ark


The Ark is mentioned in Halo 2 as a place where all the Halo rings could be fired at once. While the structure in the trailer is thought to be, but not officially confirmed as, The Ark. All evidence points to it being the Ark:


 * In the Halo Graphic Novel one Elite says "We need to clear this area before we can secure access to The Ark" -- Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa.
 * It is also seen in this small sketch from the DVD.

Also, in Bungie's FAQ, they said that although they wouldn't tell what the structure is, Halo fans may recognize it. The structure looks somewhat similar to a structure seen in the Halo 2 multiplayer map Ascension or the circular structures on the exterior of Halo which is visible in the opening menu of Halo. It also looks like the dock that the Forerunner ship at the end of Halo 2 was stationed in. Bungie may also be refering to the Jjaro station in Marathon Infinity (an artifact used to contain a being within a sun). Also, in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, the Dyson Portal is described very similarly to the structure, albeit much smaller. There is also an interesting comparison here. 

Screenshot Anomalies

 * In one screenshot, the word "Puma" can be seen on the tires of the Warthog, this is possible homage to the popular online Machinima series Red vs Blue, which uses the Halo game engine.
 * In screenshots in the campaign mode and the Halo Trailer, there is Master Chief armed with the new MA5C Assault Rifle, and in the middle of the gun, there is the Marathon symbol, Click here for Image.

Weapons
These are the confirmed weapons known to be in the game:

Covenant

 * Brute Shot Confirmed in H3 ViDoc
 * Carbine - Confirmed in Weekly Update, and seen being wielded by an Elite in "Et tu Brute?"
 * Energy Sword - Seen wielded in H3 ViDoc by Brutes and Elites, and actually dual wielded by an Elite
 * Gravity Hammer - Seen in "Starry Night" CGI Trailer for Halo 3 (Carried by a Brute)
 * Particle Beam Rifle- Confirmed by Frankie on Bungie.net article, seen in the "Et tu Brute?" wielded by an Elite when being attacked by a pack of Brutes
 * Plasma Cannon - Seen carried and fired by a Brute Chieftain in H3 ViDoc
 * Plasma Pistol - Seen on ground in H3 ViDoc
 * Plasma Rifle-Seen carried by Master Chief on Bungie.net
 * Plasma Grenade
 * Spiker - (officially called Type-25 Carbine) is a new, dual-wieldable Brute weapon.
 * Spike Grenade - A sticking grenade that shoots spikes.
 * Needler - Seen on ground in H3 ViDoc

United Nations Space Command

 * Battle Rifle
 * Frag Grenade
 * Gun Turret - Seen in High Ground screenshots
 * MA5C Assault Rifle - A new version, the MA5C
 * Rocket Launcher -Confirmed in Et Tu Brute video
 * Pistol -Seen in starry night commercial, and confirmed by Frankie in a weekly update.
 * Sub-Machine Gun (has been made 'pointier')
 * Bubble Shield - Seen in "Starry Night" CGI Trailer for Halo 3. Later Frankie hinted that it wasn't a grenade during a chat on the bungie.net IRC.
 * Shotgun - Seen in operation in H3 ViDoc
 * Spartan Laser - An anti-vehicle weapon.
 * Sniper Rifle - In Snowbound (Also commented to be in Valhalla and High Ground.)
 * Fusion Core - As revealed in a Weekly Update, they will be redesigned and may include an as yet unnamed feature.
 * Trip Mine - Seen in operation in H3 ViDoc
 * Jump pad - Unconfirmed name seen in H3 ViDoc

Covenant

 * Banshee - E3 Trailer.
 * Brute Ghost - 1UP.com
 * Ghost - Halo 3 Alpha Screenshots.
 * Phantom - E3 Trailer.
 * Wraith - Confirmed in EGM's "3 Weeks of Halo 3"
 * Brute Wraith - Possible new Brute vehicle, seen in "Starry Night" commercial.
 * Chopper - Possible new vehicle mentioned in the bungie.net article about the Spartan Laser.
 * Mauler - Possible new vehicle mentioned in the bungie.net article about the Spartan Laser, could also be the name for the Brute Ghost.

UNSC

 * Pelican - Halo 3 Alpha Screenshots.
 * Mongoose - Halo 3 Alpha Screenshots.
 * Warthog - Halo 3 Alpha Screenshots.
 * Gauss Warthog - Confirmed in EGM's account of small campaign video
 * Part of what looks like a Scorpion Tank can be seen in a High Ground screenshot.This has NOT been confirmed.The parts seen look like a turret and hatch.

Multiplayer Levels
Xbox Live Features:
 * Valhalla
 * High Ground
 * Indoor Covenant level
 * Snowbound
 * Large indoor level
 * Icy outdoor level
 * Jub jub (not official name)

According to bungie in EGM, Halo 3 will be taking XBL to the next level, if you create a gametype, you can advertise it, and if it gets good ratings it will become a matchmade game, and if you have the vision camera you will be able to video chat with your friends, and the ranking system will be based on actual military ranks, instead of numbers. And now you can rank up in custom games.

Characters

 * Master Chief
 * Cortana
 * Sergeant Johnson
 * Miranda Keyes
 * Marines
 * Grunts
 * Jackals
 * Elites
 * Brutes
 * Drones
 * Gravemind
 * Arbiter

New Features

 * The physics have improved for this game greatly.
 * It seems that characters' limbs may now be severed. For in part of the Halo 3 ViDoc trailer a brute ripped the arms clean off a marine, or when the duel sword wielding elite chopped off both of a brute's legs before stabbing him in the chest. If you watch carefully the first time the chief shot a brute up close with a shotgun his limbs including head and chest flew in all different directions.
 * Some Grunts are forced to fight for the Brutes.
 * The Man Cannon is an addition capable of catapulting a player across a multiplayer map. It seems to have replaced the teleporters for Halo 3.
 * Energy Shield doors have been added to some multiplayer levels, which allow players to pass through, but cannot be shot through. Spike grenades can stick to these walls
 * It might be also important to note that the graphics seen in the Alpha build in the Halo 3 ViDoc are not the graphics that are going to be in the game. Have no fear, they will improve. Also the shotgun light looks to have been changed from green to blue (the light is right above the ammo gauge) and you might be able to dual wield energy swords.
 * Decorators, such as grass and weeds, will move when too close to a grenade explosion or rocket explosion. They will also be affected by the weather, such as wind.  Some of these decorators are said to be completely destructible.
 * Matchmaking will feature more customizations akin to the pre-game options from Halo. As revealed in a Weekly Update, these customizations include a feature for manipulating gravity.
 * You can turn the camera when you die in multiplayer, so you can see the one who killed you.(leaked footage n.4)
 * There is a more detailed way of changing your button layout.
 * A "Replay Feature" was explained in the EGM issue. The Feature re-creates the entire battle, you take the view of it like a "Ghost" or spectator and can watch every detail of the match-in slow motion or sped up!
 * The Gravity-Towers(blue Jackal sniping towers) are now destructible.
 * Phantom Drop-ships are now destructible.
 * The Fusion cores have been upgraded and given a new look, as revealed in the April 6th Weekly Update
 * The new ViDoc, released on 4/10/07, showed possible X-Botton activations. The Bubble Shield which was previously seen in the Starry Night commercial.  And the Trip Mine, a high-explosives device that can take out an entire Warthog.  It's not clear whether the Trip Mine will make it into the final product.

Confirmed facts about Halo 3

 * The matchmaking system from Halo 2 will be revamped. Call signs will be used instead of small HUD emblems to identify allies. Also, Halo 3's matchmaking system will be based on two different ranks, skill and experience, in order to make the system more fair and to reflect the effect of experience on players' profiles.
 * A new version of the Assault Rifle (The MA5C)makes an appearance.
 * Master Chief's gloves and armor have also changed noticeably.
 * Bungie says that despite several triple wielding illustrations, that is purely fictional and was drawn with an artistic license.
 * The combat AI is said to be in testing.
 * There will be an ingame video recorder that will allow the player to send and recieve machinima videos over Xbox Live.
 * Bungie has confirmed via their Weekly Update at Bungie.net that multiplayer as well as singleplayer testing are currently in progress for the title, in varying stages of completion.
 * The Bungie website also alluded to "a devastated and Covenant controlled Earth".
 * During the Bungie Weekly update of 8-11 it mentions that the testing of the combat dialog for Marines, Elites, and Brutes was underway. So it can be inferred that Brutes will be in the game. Also it alluded to Ghosts and the dialog that would be said when one was hijacked.
 * Bungie revealed that the game would have a new "materials system" so advanced that "you could see light reflect off the ground and onto his armor", which will be able to "[show] the difference between his armor and the rubber undersuit". The site also includes that "It's so detailed that if you bring the camera close to the Master Chief's visor, you see everything in front of him reflected in it, right down to the ammo counter in his rifle" . In addition, there would be new advanced texturing to reflect permanent, persistent damage.
 * In the trailer, Master Chief's Mark VI armor is battle-worn and plasma-scored. Developer Marcus R. Lehto's response: "The Chief is shown as warrior who has seen horrific battle – and it shows. The Earth is dry, barren, ravaged by the Covenant."
 * Actress Julie Benz is not voicing Miranda Keyes for Halo 3 as she was never approached by Bungie to reprise the role.


 * Bungie has confirmed crates in the game in one of their updates.
 * The Master Chief from Halo and Halo 2 is confirmed to be the Spartan in the Halo 3 trailer.
 * Although Halo 3 was planned to end the Halo series, future Halo games haven't been entirely ruled out. On the Halo 3 FAQ from the official Bungie website it says, "Q: Is this the last ever Halo game? A: It is the conclusion to this story arc." Fans note that it is therefore possible that future games could be produced in the Halo universe, even if this particular story arc isn't continued. This was confirmed when Bungie released that the game Halo Wars will be released and is in creation.
 * Multiplayer characters have their secondary weapons on their body, visible to other players.
 * On November 15, Microsoft and Bungie announced a 60 second TV spot to air on Monday Night Football, December 4th on ESPN. And will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace shortly after.
 * Bungie has confirmed that the "face" in the Halo 3 trailer was nothing more than reflections of clouds and Covenant ships.
 * In the November 11 Bungie Weekly Update, it has been stated that due to a "significant chunk" of Halo 2 players being female, there might be an option to have a female voice for the Spartan character in multiplayer.
 * In the December 15 Bungie weekly update Frankie stated that Brutes would NOT be playable characters in Halo 3.
 * Weapons can now be reloaded individually when dual wielding. The right bumper will correspond with the right weapon and the left bumper will correspond with the left weapon.  When not dual wielding, the right bumper will reload and the left bumper will switch grenade types.  Also, the X button will be used for a new feature, although what that feature is is still a mystery.
 * Actress Jen Taylor will continue to voice Cortana, as revealed in a Bungie Weekly Update.

Internal

 * Halo 3 Announcement Trailer
 * Halo 3 Credits
 * 60sec ESPN Commerical Starry Night
 * ViDoc: Et Tu Brute a 7 min documentry about the BrutesViDoc: Et Tu Brute
 * ViDoc: Is Quisnam Protero Damno
 * Halo 3 Beta

External

 * Bungie's Announcement
 * | IMDB Entry on Halo 3

Fansites

 * - Halo Bungie.org
 * - HaloFactor - First german Halo 3 Webpage
 * - Forum about Halo