Sterling McGarvey, Associate Console Editor: Okay, confession time. As anyone who played us in 'Spy Hunter a few days ago might know, I'm embarrassingly bad at Halo 2. Maybe it's because I had a misfortune that separated my Xbox (and a copy of the game in the drive) from me on November 9, 2004, but I fell victim to every little bastard waving a plasma sword at me. I am the proverbial n00b that everyone makes fun of. While I recognize and appreciate the quality of Halo 2, the game has been tainted in my eyes by teenage racists who've all but rendered it unplayable. Call me overly PC (and/or smooch where the sun don't shine, take your pick), but that's not why I get online to play video games.
With that in mind, Halo 3 seems savory, in that it's the Next Big Thing, but unsavory thanks to that stigma in my mind. That said, my time with the beta showed a game that's still a work in progress, but has a lot of extra stuff that gives it an endearing quality. From the Mongoose ATV, which reminds me, for some reason, of the drive-by motorcycle shooting in "New Jack City," to the variety of new weapons, Halo 3 feels both new and familiar at the same time. Anyone who's been whuppin' ass in Spartan suits since late 2001 should feel right at home here. I'm just not so sure how more casual fans of Master Chief are going to feel when they're getting donkey punched by the butt of a rifle mid-map...
Thierry "Scooter" Nguyen, PC Editor: I'm not here to yammer about where the hell my mouse and keyboard are or whether this uses DX10 shaders or a crap DX8 lightmap. I'm just here to clip fools in the face with a magnum and a plasma pistol. Too bad I couldn't find a magnum. What I found myself using a lot, instead, is the dual Brute Spiker set, which felt like a hybrid of the SMG and the Magnum. Two Spikers look really mean in my hands and when I get a bead on someone, they do a decent job of tearing through shields and armor. I'm sure Patrick is about to tear into why I'm a tactically inept player, but I'm not too crazy about the assault rifle's return, as I end up looking for different gear as soon as I can.
While much of Halo 3 feels really familiar (firmly entrenched in the evolution side of the ditch), I find myself really getting into using items. I've only used the Portable Grav List, the Bubble Shield and the Power Drain, but I found myself trying to find the perfect opportunities to deploy 'em. I especially like dropping a Power Drain and following that up with a Spiker or a Battle Rifle to the face. I just wish there were more items laying around the maps. That, and less bunny-hopping.
