Halo 3 manual

The Halo 3 Instruction Manual is a publication by Bungie Studios that accompanies all copies of Halo 3. It serves as an introduction to Halo 3, revealing characters, weaponry, controls, and further.

Sections of the Manual
The manual has 33 pages. It is divided into a number of sections.

Introduction
This section contains health and safety information, as well as a guide to the rating system (differing depending on region).

The Story So Far
"It is the year 2552. Humanity has long been at war with the terrifying alien civilization that collectively calls itself the Covenant. This monstrous conglomerate of warlike species sees Humanity as a form of heresy against their religion—a religion based in the single-minded belief that a Great Journey awaits its faithful and that this Journey can be embarked upon by firing an array of vast ringlike weapons scattered throughout the galaxy.

"These immense terraformed rings, known as Halos, have been abandoned by their mysterious and long-vanished creators, the Forerunners.

"This conflict, terrible and destructive though it is, has recently been complicated by a series of cascading events. One of these artificial worlds, these Halos, was discovered and subsequently destroyed by Human forces, led by Spartan-117—the Master Chief—the last fighting member of the legendary SPARTAN II military program and Humanity’s last, best hope.

"Conflict at a second Halo installation then ignited a galaxy-spanning conflagration as civil war erupted within the Covenant, driven by revelations that the Covenant leadership, the Prophets, had been deliberately deceiving its populace.

"In truth, these Halos would not take the Covenant on a Great Journey but rather eradicate all sentient life in the galaxy—a last-resort defense against the most terrifying menace the galaxy has ever known—and a menace the deluded Covenant has reawakened for the second time in a hundred thousand years.

"That horror is the Flood—a sentient, all-consuming parasite that makes monstrous puppets of those it kills and will not stop until every last thinking creature is absorbed into its ferociously intelligent plan.

"The second Halo has been activated, putting all of the remaining installations in a dangerous state of emergency standby—they are now primed to fire. Worse still, the Covenant has discovered the long-hidden location of Earth and crushed almost all Human resistance as it seeks vital clues to the nature of the Halo array, some of which may have been hidden under our very feet for untold millennia.

"Even with our newfound allies, the Elites, and their valiant and honorable leader, the Arbiter, we are still hopelessly outnumbered. The Prophets set their wills against us—and forces greater than the Covenant wheel malevolently into place, intent upon the destruction of all but the Flood.

"As the Master Chief hurtles Earthward in a Forerunner spacecraft, he may be our last chance to stop the Covenant, the Flood, and the ticking time bomb that is the Halo network, before every last soul in the galaxy is destroyed. The stakes have never been higher.

"It’s time to finish the fight."

Game Controls (Default)
This section explains the default game controls, including the film and forge mode controls.

Heads-Up Display (HUD)
This section describes the different components of the heads-up display, as well as their functions.

Characters
This section describes the different characters present in the game. Spartan-117: The Master Chief The Master Chief is the last of the elite SPARTAN II soldiers. These genetically superior, highly trained super-soldiers stand nearly 7 feet tall and, in MJOLNIR Mark VI powered assault armor, weigh almost 1000 pounds. Spartan-117 is an expert in all weapons and combat systems and can run faster, jump higher, and hit harder than any normal Human. Honed by years of battlefield experience, he has an unparalleled natural talent for war. The Arbiter The disgraced Commander of the Covenant Fleet of Particular Justice was stripped of his rank and forced to don the ancient Armor of the Arbiter—an Elite custom where a warrior is sent on a suicide mission to claim great honor in death. The Arbiter discovered, however, that the Covenant’s Great Journey was a lie and he subsequently started a civil war that has shaken the foundations of the Covenant. The Arbiter’s people, the Elites, have joined Humanity’s struggle against the rest of the Covenant. Cortana The UNSC’s most sophisticated AI, Cortana is the onetime shipboard intelligence of the Halcyon-class cruiser Pillar of Autumn. After helping to destroy the first Halo, she was lost during events on Delta Halo. Her last known location was aboard the Flood-infested Covenant capital ship High Charity, in the thrall of the Flood. Cortana is the only link to the incredible secret of Halo. She must be saved. The Prophet of Truth The deluded leader of the Covenant, this zealot is forcing his civilization down a suicidal path. He intends to activate the Halo and will sacrifice anything or anyone to do so. The Prophet believes he can follow the Forerunners to their mysterious final destination and share their ancient and unlimited power. He now knows that the secret to this power may lie in the ancient sands of Earth. Gravemind The virulent Flood spreads by absorbing sentient creatures. When it reaches a certain critical mass, it develops a centralized intelligence known as a Gravemind. It was destroyed once before by activation of the Halo array, but it will not be stopped this time in its campaign to consume every thinking creature in the galaxy. The Gravemind now roams free aboard the former Covenant ship High Charity. Sergeant Johnson Sergeant Major Avery Johnson is the battle-hardened and longtime cohort of the Master Chief. An excellent soldier and unmatched marksman who’s seen more than his fair share of combat, no other Human knows the Master Chief like Johnson does. Johnson is never more at home than in the thick of battle and he will do anything for his men and his homeworld. Commander Miranda Keyes Commander Miranda Keyes now finds herself in the unenviable position of coordinating post-invasion resistance on a battered and occupied Earth. Her father, Captain Jacob Keyes, died on Halo as one of the first Human victims of the Flood. Her dedication to duty and raw ability have helped her avoid accusations of nepotism during her short but distinguished career.

Covenant Species
This section covers the alien species encountered in-game.

Weapons
This section covers the UNSC and Covenant weapons usable in the game.

Equipment
This section covers the equipment usable in the game.

Vehicles
This section covers the UNSC and Covenant vehicles found in the game.

Basics
This section covers the basics of playing the game, such as game lobbies and settings.

Multiplayer
This section covers the basics of multiplayer gameplay, such as creating parties, finding matches, and the ranking system.

Viewing Films
This section provides an overview of the Theater mode.

The Forge
This section provides an overview of the Forge mode.

Bungie.net
This section provides an overview of Bungie.net.

Xbox Live
This section provides an overview of Xbox Live.

The Xbox 360 Hard Drive
This section covers the Xbox 360's hard drive functionality in the game.

Credits
This section lists those who worked on the game.

Warranty and Customer Service
This section covers information about the game warranty and customer service, as well as including copyright information.

Trivia

 * Avery Johnson appears to have a lighter skin tone than he did in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2.
 * Cortana appears purple like she did in Halo:CE, even though she appeared blue in Halo 2.
 * Grunts, Drones, and Jackals seem to have had major aesthetic overhauls and the Covenant name for the Prophet race, San' Shyuum, has been revealed.
 * The Beam Rifle and the Carbine have their ammo counts wrong. The Beam Rifle only has 10 shots, instead of 18. The Carbine is claimed to have a 36 round magazine instead of the actual 18 rounds per mag.
 * The Mauler, Gravity Hammer, Fuel Rod Gun, the Sentinel Beam, the Flamethrower, and the Incendiary Grenade are missing from the manual.

Internal

 * Halo: Combat Evolved Manual
 * Halo 2 Manual
 * Halo 2: Special Collector's Edition manual
 * Halo 2: Multiplayer Map Pack manual
 * Planetary Operations Manual
 * Field Operations Guide FM 90-10-140
 * MIL-FBS-295937(1)B Field Manual
 * Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary manual

External
Download the PDF versions from Xbox.com:
 * Manual Download