**OFFICIAL** Halo 3 thread.

[natep]

Picked it up last night, went home and was only planning on playing for an hour or two (had to be at school @ 9) but then my buddy got on and wanted to co-op. We beat it on heroic.:Q

 

[NaOH]

Pretty small launch at my local Blockbuster. I would have went to one near UCI, but all my friends bailed. Anyways, they only had 2 LEs so I just got the regular (At least I missed out on the defects).

Text

 

[mzkhadir]

Score of 96 - 26 Reviews so far on MetaCritic

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: mzkhadir
Score of 96 - 26 Reviews so far on MetaCritic

"but it's still overhyped"

/haters

 

[RagingBITCH]

Microsoft Admits LE packaging was defective, offering free replacement discs:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/supp...eplacement-program.htm

(Requires mailing your Halo 3 disc in though)

Seriously, at this point you might as well go back to the store and have them open up another copy in front of you, but I guess it's a nice gesture.

 

[purbeast0]

Halo 3 Players Online:
92,879

Unique Players (Last 24 Hours):
455,396

Matches Logged (Last 24 Hours):
1,319,513

UNSC Campaign Kill Count:
105,899,651

over 450k unique users on xbox live on halo 3 in a little over 12 hours (9 PST) of the game being released. that is pretty damn impressive.

 

[jdoggg12]

The circuit city here in Santa Barbara had 20ish legendary boxes, 40 LEs and 70 regular... I was near the end of the line (of 30 or so) and I could have easily purchased any of the packages. Theres still like 8 legendary boxes left.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: BD2003
So is it running it true 1080p, or just 720p scaled up?

720p scaled up from what I understand, but I could be wrong. That's just what I've been told around here.

I checked around after asking that question awhile back, and it is definitely 720p native, that directly from Bungie.

So whats 1080p about it? I hear all this hoopla about how great it looks in 1080p, so I'm hoping at least the HUD is rendered at a high res? Seems pretty wack to just upscale it so they can put 1080p on the box when any 1080p TV should be able to upscale it by itself exactly the same.

You do realize the taxing amount of resources it would put on the console to make it 1080P right? And still maintain framerate, some form of playability, with a billion guys on the screen shooting at one time? This isn't Virtua Tennis @ 1080P...there is a lot more going on. If you can find a compareable game running at 1080P on the 360 or PS3 let me know, but it just seems "obvious" that at this point/stage, a game like this wouldn't be running at 1080P

Yes, I do realize it, and thats exactly why I'm asking. To my eyes, it doesnt look like theres very much improvement over Halo 2 other than the high res, and such would be a consequence of forcing a game to support such a high resolution as 1080p. But thats just an assumption until I actually know whether or not it's the case.

It certainly seems to me with the level of detail that I'm seeing in shots, that they could pull off true 1080p. Yes, it does look better than Halo 2, but nowhere near as good as most other xbox games I've seen.

Its kind of strange to read the reviews from big name sites such as IGN and Gamespot - they barely even mention the graphics, even in some of the longest reviews I've ever read. It's as if everyone knows it could have looked so much better, but no one wants to say it.

Graphics don't make a game or anything, I just would find it rather absurd if the reason for this is because they needed to support a bullet point on a box that 1% of people can experience.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: BD2003
So is it running it true 1080p, or just 720p scaled up?

720p scaled up from what I understand, but I could be wrong. That's just what I've been told around here.

I checked around after asking that question awhile back, and it is definitely 720p native, that directly from Bungie.

So whats 1080p about it? I hear all this hoopla about how great it looks in 1080p, so I'm hoping at least the HUD is rendered at a high res? Seems pretty wack to just upscale it so they can put 1080p on the box when any 1080p TV should be able to upscale it by itself exactly the same.

You do realize the taxing amount of resources it would put on the console to make it 1080P right? And still maintain framerate, some form of playability, with a billion guys on the screen shooting at one time? This isn't Virtua Tennis @ 1080P...there is a lot more going on. If you can find a compareable game running at 1080P on the 360 or PS3 let me know, but it just seems "obvious" that at this point/stage, a game like this wouldn't be running at 1080P

Yes, I do realize it, and thats exactly why I'm asking. To my eyes, it doesnt look like theres very much improvement over Halo 2 other than the high res, and such would be a consequence of forcing a game to support such a high resolution as 1080p. But thats just an assumption until I actually know whether or not it's the case.

It certainly seems to me with the level of detail that I'm seeing in shots, that they could pull off true 1080p. Yes, it does look better than Halo 2, but nowhere near as good as most other xbox games I've seen.

Its kind of strange to read the reviews from big name sites such as IGN and Gamespot - they barely even mention the graphics, even in some of the longest reviews I've ever read. It's as if everyone knows it could have looked so much better, but no one wants to say it.

Graphics don't make a game or anything, I just would find it rather absurd if the reason for this is because they needed to support a bullet point on a box that 1% of people can experience.

Hence Bungie not making it 1080P.

Can I ask you a question - do you actually own a copy and have played it? I was less than impressed by the graphics in screenshots, magazines, and even the beta. The graphics are 100x better than my expectations after having actually sat down and played it. 100x. (In my opinion) You can look in magazines or watch videos all day long, but you're not getting the full effect until you actually play it. And I played Halo 2 all day Sunday - believe me, these graphics blow away Halo 2's without question...H2 is easily an older gen game compared to this one. Without a doubt.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: BD2003
So is it running it true 1080p, or just 720p scaled up?

720p scaled up from what I understand, but I could be wrong. That's just what I've been told around here.

I checked around after asking that question awhile back, and it is definitely 720p native, that directly from Bungie.

So whats 1080p about it? I hear all this hoopla about how great it looks in 1080p, so I'm hoping at least the HUD is rendered at a high res? Seems pretty wack to just upscale it so they can put 1080p on the box when any 1080p TV should be able to upscale it by itself exactly the same.

You do realize the taxing amount of resources it would put on the console to make it 1080P right? And still maintain framerate, some form of playability, with a billion guys on the screen shooting at one time? This isn't Virtua Tennis @ 1080P...there is a lot more going on. If you can find a compareable game running at 1080P on the 360 or PS3 let me know, but it just seems "obvious" that at this point/stage, a game like this wouldn't be running at 1080P

Yes, I do realize it, and thats exactly why I'm asking. To my eyes, it doesnt look like theres very much improvement over Halo 2 other than the high res, and such would be a consequence of forcing a game to support such a high resolution as 1080p. But thats just an assumption until I actually know whether or not it's the case.

It certainly seems to me with the level of detail that I'm seeing in shots, that they could pull off true 1080p. Yes, it does look better than Halo 2, but nowhere near as good as most other xbox games I've seen.

Its kind of strange to read the reviews from big name sites such as IGN and Gamespot - they barely even mention the graphics, even in some of the longest reviews I've ever read. It's as if everyone knows it could have looked so much better, but no one wants to say it.

Graphics don't make a game or anything, I just would find it rather absurd if the reason for this is because they needed to support a bullet point on a box that 1% of people can experience.

so you finished the campaign mode in halo 3 already?

 

[RagingBITCH]

Ok guys - where the hell are the free theme/gamer pics? I keep clicking on it but it still wants to charge me 150 points/80 points. :|

 

[jdoggg12]

I dont notice much difference between 1080p or 720p, i'm using a westy 37" 1080p. The game looks better than a lot of people give it credit. It might not be as detailed as Gears, but its b/c the levels are often much bigger and vibrant.... Halo doesnt slow down for me like Gears did either.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: jdoggg12
I dont notice much difference between 1080p or 720p, i'm using a westy 37" 1080p. The game looks better than a lot of people give it credit. It might not be as detailed as Gears, but its b/c the levels are often much bigger and vibrant.... Halo doesnt slow down for me like Gears did either.

the majority if the people not giving credit to the graphics haven't even played the game.

 

[bucwylde23]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Ok guys - where the hell are the free theme/gamer pics? I keep clicking on it but it still wants to charge me 150 points/80 points. :|

same thing here man! I got up and wanted a new halo 3 theme but I'm not paying for it.

I've got the sprite/halo 3 theme right now

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Microsoft Admits LE packaging was defective, offering free replacement discs:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/supp...eplacement-program.htm

(Requires mailing your Halo 3 disc in though)

From that site:

NOTE: This program covers the Halo 3 Limited Edition Game Disc and Essentials Disc at no charge through 12/31/07.

Good. My main game disc was scratched in a very small spot, but my essentials disc was roughed up pretty bad. As long as my game runs fine, I'm happy. I'll play the hell out of it for a month or two, then send it away for a week or two to get clean discs. I could care less about the essentials disc, but I'll definitely take advantage of this since it's free.

Thanks for the link RagingB.

 

[slag]

I got the game this morning.

I just cant get into it as I did with halo 1 and halo 2. I dont think its a fault of the game per se, but rather the controller. I really hate the feel of the xbox360 controller and love the feel of the xbox controller regarding feedback, etc. I just can't aim worth a crap at all and find myself looking at the floor regularly. Yet, I can go back and play halo 1 or 2 on xbox and have no problems aiming, looking around, etc.

Great looking game, fun to play, but i just cant get into it.. sigh...

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: BD2003
So is it running it true 1080p, or just 720p scaled up?

720p scaled up from what I understand, but I could be wrong. That's just what I've been told around here.

I checked around after asking that question awhile back, and it is definitely 720p native, that directly from Bungie.

So whats 1080p about it? I hear all this hoopla about how great it looks in 1080p, so I'm hoping at least the HUD is rendered at a high res? Seems pretty wack to just upscale it so they can put 1080p on the box when any 1080p TV should be able to upscale it by itself exactly the same.

You do realize the taxing amount of resources it would put on the console to make it 1080P right? And still maintain framerate, some form of playability, with a billion guys on the screen shooting at one time? This isn't Virtua Tennis @ 1080P...there is a lot more going on. If you can find a compareable game running at 1080P on the 360 or PS3 let me know, but it just seems "obvious" that at this point/stage, a game like this wouldn't be running at 1080P

Yes, I do realize it, and thats exactly why I'm asking. To my eyes, it doesnt look like theres very much improvement over Halo 2 other than the high res, and such would be a consequence of forcing a game to support such a high resolution as 1080p. But thats just an assumption until I actually know whether or not it's the case.

It certainly seems to me with the level of detail that I'm seeing in shots, that they could pull off true 1080p. Yes, it does look better than Halo 2, but nowhere near as good as most other xbox games I've seen.

Its kind of strange to read the reviews from big name sites such as IGN and Gamespot - they barely even mention the graphics, even in some of the longest reviews I've ever read. It's as if everyone knows it could have looked so much better, but no one wants to say it.

Graphics don't make a game or anything, I just would find it rather absurd if the reason for this is because they needed to support a bullet point on a box that 1% of people can experience.

Hence Bungie not making it 1080P.

Can I ask you a question - do you actually own a copy and have played it? I was less than impressed by the graphics in screenshots, magazines, and even the beta. The graphics are 100x better than my expectations after having actually sat down and played it. 100x. (In my opinion) You can look in magazines or watch videos all day long, but you're not getting the full effect until you actually play it. And I played Halo 2 all day Sunday - believe me, these graphics blow away Halo 2's without question...H2 is easily an older gen game compared to this one. Without a doubt.

Played it? Nope. Did watch a rather lengthy (17 min) HD video review, so I'd say I have a pretty good idea as to how various parts of the game look in motion. I can't say theres ever been a game where I've done the same, and then actually played the game and thought to myself "You know, this looks NOTHING like the 10 minute review I just watched."

I'm not saying it looks bad - not by any means. It looks good, but for arguably the biggest release in all of video gaming history, I would have thought theyd have put a little more work into it. As soon as you fired up Gears of War, you knew they had done something special. I'm just not getting that impression here.

 

[herkulease]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Ok guys - where the hell are the free theme/gamer pics? I keep clicking on it but it still wants to charge me 150 points/80 points. :|

Yeah I'm wondering that too

But then again I don't have a true gold membership. for the next 3 days I'll have it for free.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: BD2003
So is it running it true 1080p, or just 720p scaled up?

720p scaled up from what I understand, but I could be wrong. That's just what I've been told around here.

I checked around after asking that question awhile back, and it is definitely 720p native, that directly from Bungie.

So whats 1080p about it? I hear all this hoopla about how great it looks in 1080p, so I'm hoping at least the HUD is rendered at a high res? Seems pretty wack to just upscale it so they can put 1080p on the box when any 1080p TV should be able to upscale it by itself exactly the same.

You do realize the taxing amount of resources it would put on the console to make it 1080P right? And still maintain framerate, some form of playability, with a billion guys on the screen shooting at one time? This isn't Virtua Tennis @ 1080P...there is a lot more going on. If you can find a compareable game running at 1080P on the 360 or PS3 let me know, but it just seems "obvious" that at this point/stage, a game like this wouldn't be running at 1080P

Yes, I do realize it, and thats exactly why I'm asking. To my eyes, it doesnt look like theres very much improvement over Halo 2 other than the high res, and such would be a consequence of forcing a game to support such a high resolution as 1080p. But thats just an assumption until I actually know whether or not it's the case.

It certainly seems to me with the level of detail that I'm seeing in shots, that they could pull off true 1080p. Yes, it does look better than Halo 2, but nowhere near as good as most other xbox games I've seen.

Its kind of strange to read the reviews from big name sites such as IGN and Gamespot - they barely even mention the graphics, even in some of the longest reviews I've ever read. It's as if everyone knows it could have looked so much better, but no one wants to say it.

Graphics don't make a game or anything, I just would find it rather absurd if the reason for this is because they needed to support a bullet point on a box that 1% of people can experience.

Hence Bungie not making it 1080P.

Can I ask you a question - do you actually own a copy and have played it? I was less than impressed by the graphics in screenshots, magazines, and even the beta. The graphics are 100x better than my expectations after having actually sat down and played it. 100x. (In my opinion) You can look in magazines or watch videos all day long, but you're not getting the full effect until you actually play it. And I played Halo 2 all day Sunday - believe me, these graphics blow away Halo 2's without question...H2 is easily an older gen game compared to this one. Without a doubt.

Played it? Nope. Did watch a rather lengthy (17 min) HD video review, so I'd say I have a pretty good idea as to how various parts of the game look in motion. I can't say theres ever been a game where I've done the same, and then actually played the game and thought to myself "You know, this looks NOTHING like the 10 minute review I just watched."

I'm not saying it looks bad - not by any means. It looks good, but for arguably the biggest release in all of video gaming history, I would have thought theyd have put a little more work into it. As soon as you fired up Gears of War, you knew they had done something special. I'm just not getting that impression here.

sorry but after reading your first bolded line there, all your comments about graphics on this game are no longer valid.

 

[slag]

Originally posted by: herkulease

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Ok guys - where the hell are the free theme/gamer pics? I keep clicking on it but it still wants to charge me 150 points/80 points. :|

Yeah I'm wondering that too

But then again I don't have a true gold membership. for the next 3 days I'll have it for free.

how do you guys get 3 days free? My box had a card that said 48 hours.. 2 days.. not 3..

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: slag

Originally posted by: herkulease

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Ok guys - where the hell are the free theme/gamer pics? I keep clicking on it but it still wants to charge me 150 points/80 points. :|

Yeah I'm wondering that too

But then again I don't have a true gold membership. for the next 3 days I'll have it for free.

how do you guys get 3 days free? My box had a card that said 48 hours.. 2 days.. not 3..

Live Gold is free from the 25th to the 28th as part of the promotions for Halo 3.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: BD2003
So is it running it true 1080p, or just 720p scaled up?

720p scaled up from what I understand, but I could be wrong. That's just what I've been told around here.

I checked around after asking that question awhile back, and it is definitely 720p native, that directly from Bungie.

So whats 1080p about it? I hear all this hoopla about how great it looks in 1080p, so I'm hoping at least the HUD is rendered at a high res? Seems pretty wack to just upscale it so they can put 1080p on the box when any 1080p TV should be able to upscale it by itself exactly the same.

You do realize the taxing amount of resources it would put on the console to make it 1080P right? And still maintain framerate, some form of playability, with a billion guys on the screen shooting at one time? This isn't Virtua Tennis @ 1080P...there is a lot more going on. If you can find a compareable game running at 1080P on the 360 or PS3 let me know, but it just seems "obvious" that at this point/stage, a game like this wouldn't be running at 1080P

Yes, I do realize it, and thats exactly why I'm asking. To my eyes, it doesnt look like theres very much improvement over Halo 2 other than the high res, and such would be a consequence of forcing a game to support such a high resolution as 1080p. But thats just an assumption until I actually know whether or not it's the case.

It certainly seems to me with the level of detail that I'm seeing in shots, that they could pull off true 1080p. Yes, it does look better than Halo 2, but nowhere near as good as most other xbox games I've seen.

Its kind of strange to read the reviews from big name sites such as IGN and Gamespot - they barely even mention the graphics, even in some of the longest reviews I've ever read. It's as if everyone knows it could have looked so much better, but no one wants to say it.

Graphics don't make a game or anything, I just would find it rather absurd if the reason for this is because they needed to support a bullet point on a box that 1% of people can experience.

Hence Bungie not making it 1080P.

Can I ask you a question - do you actually own a copy and have played it? I was less than impressed by the graphics in screenshots, magazines, and even the beta. The graphics are 100x better than my expectations after having actually sat down and played it. 100x. (In my opinion) You can look in magazines or watch videos all day long, but you're not getting the full effect until you actually play it. And I played Halo 2 all day Sunday - believe me, these graphics blow away Halo 2's without question...H2 is easily an older gen game compared to this one. Without a doubt.

Played it? Nope. Did watch a rather lengthy (17 min) HD video review, so I'd say I have a pretty good idea as to how various parts of the game look in motion. I can't say theres ever been a game where I've done the same, and then actually played the game and thought to myself "You know, this looks NOTHING like the 10 minute review I just watched."

I'm not saying it looks bad - not by any means. It looks good, but for arguably the biggest release in all of video gaming history, I would have thought theyd have put a little more work into it. As soon as you fired up Gears of War, you knew they had done something special. I'm just not getting that impression here.

sorry but after reading your first bolded line there, all your comments about graphics on this game are no longer valid.

Although I'm generally pretty reluctant to go there, thats just plain fanboy with blinders on BS.

Being that I am not privy to a copy yet, exactly what did I not see that makes me entirely unable to judge the general graphical value of a game after watching 17 minutes of 720p footage on a perfectly calibrated 34" HDTV?

I've seen dozens of realtime gameplay videos for various games, and said to myself, "now those look like it has some excellent graphics", hell, even on a 60 second clip. Crysis, Team Fortress or Gears of War, for example. Yet Halo 3's apparent inabilty to visually impress me is due to some unique ethereal facet of the game, something which cannot be appreciated in even the most lengthy video clips available, a clip with hand-picked material to show off some of the best the game has to show? Is there some psychotropic drug coating the DVD that is necessary to fully experience it's visuals?

Did I see every part of the game? Certainly not. I saw quite enough to not be visually impressed by it.

If I had said that Halo's gameplay sucked without playing it, then you'd have a point. A very good one, in fact. I'd be with you 100%. And while the gameplay of previous Halo titles have never really blown me away, I'm not even going to begin to judge how well it plays.

Sure, we can have different opinions on how it looks, I dont expect everyone to agree with me. But my opinion of the games visuals is entirely invalid because I havent actually controlled it, even though I've seen plenty of it? Surely you jest.

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

I'm gonna get so owned tonight. Never played Halo or any console fps besides Bioshock. I better play the campaign first to get used to it.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: BD2003
Although I'm generally pretty reluctant to go there, thats just plain fanboy with blinders on BS.

Being that I am not privy to a copy yet, exactly what did I not see that makes me entirely unable to judge the general graphical value of a game after watching 17 minutes of 720p footage on a perfectly calibrated 34" HDTV?

I've seen dozens of realtime gameplay videos for various games, and said to myself, "now those look like it has some excellent graphics", hell, even on a 60 second clip. Crysis, Team Fortress or Gears of War, for example. Yet Halo 3's apparent inabilty to visually impress me is due to some unique ethereal facet of the game, something which cannot be appreciated in even the most lengthy video clips available, a clip with hand-picked material to show off some of the best the game has to show? Is there some psychotropic drug coating the DVD that is necessary to fully experience it's visuals?

Did I see every part of the game? Certainly not. I saw quite enough to not be visually impressed by it.

If I had said that Halo's gameplay sucked without playing it, then you'd have a point. A very good one, in fact. I'd be with you 100%. And while the gameplay of previous Halo titles have never really blown me away, I'm not even going to begin to judge how well it plays.

Sure, we can have different opinions on how it looks, I dont expect everyone to agree with me. But my opinion of the games visuals is entirely invalid because I havent actually controlled it, even though I've seen plenty of it? Surely you jest.

well you continue to change your mind somewhat. initially you say it looks like hardly any improvement over halo 2, then you go onto to say that it looks good, so which is it?

and since you haven't played through the game you can't comment on the graphics overall. you saw bits and pieces of it. and i'm sure from most vids you saw they hardly showed any of the spectacular parts because everyone who's talking about halo 3 is being very reluctant to show off a lot of it because they don't want to spoil it. so a lot of what they ARE showing is multiplayer footage, and multi doesn't look as good as many parts of the campaign mode do.

i also do not see why you think halo 3 would look as good as a game like gears of war or something, when bungie has never been known for putting out the best graphics. and to say "they should have put a little more work into it" is just ignorant considering all of the features thrown into halo 3, but again I guess you wouldn't know about them because you haven't played it yet.

anyone who knows anything about Halo knows the LOOKS of the game stay very true to the halo world (vivid colors with rich and varying environments) but are a significant step above Halo 2's graphics. the only people who are putting down Halo 3's graphics are people who are PC gamers who just will never accept games in the Halo franchise as a great game, or those who are just trolling to troll.

and LOL @ your fanboy comment.

 

[BD2003]

well you continue to change your mind somewhat. initially you say it looks like hardly any improvement over halo 2, then you go onto to say that it looks good, so which is it?

There's no contradiction. Halo 2 looks good. Halo 2 in high res looks good as well. Halo 3 looks good. Yet since Halo 2 came out, the bar has been raised, so to speak.

For its time, Halo 1/2 were extremely technically impressive, although the art style has never done much for me. Especially the environments - they always seemed thrown together and lacking the detail and atmosphere that can make an otherwise weak technical game look very impressive. (Ex. Metroid Prime 3)

Now that Halo 3 has all of the extra power of the 360 at its disposal, I was hoping to be technically impressed, even though the same art style would never do it for me. But I'm just not seeing that. It merely looks good. Just enough. Nothing special, really. I believe that it could have looked much, much better from what I've seen.

and since you haven't played through the game you can't comment on the graphics overall. you saw bits and pieces of it. and i'm sure from most vids you saw they hardly showed any of the spectacular parts because everyone who's talking about halo 3 is being very reluctant to show off a lot of it because they don't want to spoil it. so a lot of what they ARE showing is multiplayer footage, and multi doesn't look as good as many parts of the campaign mode do.

Well, I have no intention of getting another 360 anytime soon, so by all means, please spoil it for me, or at least point me in the general direction of a place where I can see it's magic. I'd genuinely like to see what I'm missing.

I'm quite skeptical that they would go out of their way to not show off the best the game has to show.

i also do not see why you think halo 3 would look as good as a game like gears of war or something, when bungie has never been known for putting out the best graphics. and to say "they should have put a little more work into it" is just ignorant considering all of the features thrown into halo 3, but again I guess you wouldn't know about them because you haven't played it yet.

I personally don't see why it shouldnt look as good as it possibly could look given it's stature. Saying that "bungie has never been known for putting out the best graphics" is either a pale excuse or an outright admission that it's missing something.

And from what I've read of it, theres quite a long list of very impressive features. I'm merely talking about the graphics.

anyone who knows anything about Halo knows the LOOKS of the game stay very true to the halo world (vivid colors with rich and varying environments) but are a significant step above Halo 2's graphics. the only people who are putting down Halo 3's graphics are people who are PC gamers who just will never accept games in the Halo franchise as a great game, or those who are just trolling to troll.

Again, thats another excuse and admission that it's technically unimpressive. The art direction of a game will always be a matter of opinion. I personally think their art director should be fired, and if the layout of the campaign levels is anything like Halo 1/2's campaign, their SP level designers should be fired as well. The multiplayer maps on the other hand, were quite well done IMO.

Simply put, a game with as huge a release as Halo 3 should have been given every opportunity to shine in every possible way. Why would they pull out all the stops in every other area, and then fail to meet the same standard for gfx? This is supposed to be the jewel of the 360, and thats the best they could do?

and LOL @ your fanboy comment.

I aim to please.