Halo 3 Beta - Live Impressions

6:05 PM:So we're only an hour or so into the night and the party's already started to thin out. Why's that? Press peeps are getting special invites that they can take back to the office and play there. But, instead of ditching, we're staying on hand to deliver the news straight from the source.

First, the matchmaking system seems to be totally random - you've got no say in which areas or play modes are chosen, but party members can veto the current setup and wait for a more favorable area and play style. Don't like Slayer on Valhalla? You and your buddies can say "screw that" and wait until something you do want comes around. Kinda helpful, kinda annoying, but hey, it's a beta.

6:40 PM:Reloading has been switched to the right shoulder button, so plenty of people were asking "how the hell do you reload?" The switch from the X button to RB has allowed the former to become the equipment button, for such items as the bubble shield (you saw it in the very first trailer). The shield was one of the few visual effects we really loved in the first few outings, as its graphic-distorting field was pretty cool. Bullets can't enter, but it also seemed like bullets couldn't go out either. It's basically a giant barrier - placing it in a bottlenecking area could prevent the other team from entering or exiting a room or hallway.

6:55 PM: The new four-wheeler mini-Warthog, the Mongoose, is present quite often, though its use has yet to be truly realized. The Valhalla map has plenty of open ground, great for high speeds, but the lil' vehicle is an easy target for heavier weapons (Spartan Laser, we're looking at you). All in all, it's an expectedly exciting experience, but it's not all a mind-blowing experience.

First gameplay video below. More on the next page.

First, the matchmaking system seems to be totally random - you've got no say in which areas or play modes are chosen, but party members can veto the current setup and wait for a more favorable area and play style. Don't like Slayer on Valhalla? You and your buddies can say "screw that" and wait until something you do want comes around. Kinda helpful, kinda annoying, but hey, it's a beta.

6:25 PM: Our first round or so was a three-tiered match in the Snowbound level. It's basically a large, flat expanse littered with underground tunnels and sneakily hid vehicles. Basic gameplay is the same, though the mode we were playing in, a "hold the spot while a meter fills and then move on to the next one" type of affair, kept everything moving along nicely.

6:40 PM:Reloading has been switched to the right shoulder button, so plenty of people were asking "how the hell do you reload?" The switch from the X button to RB has allowed the former to become the equipment button, for such items as the bubble shield (you saw it in the very first trailer). The shield was one of the few visual effects we really loved in the first few outings, as its graphic-distorting field was pretty cool. Bullets can't enter, but it also seemed like bullets couldn't go out either. It's basically a giant barrier - placing it in a bottlenecking area could prevent the other team from entering or exiting a room or hallway.

6:55 PM: The new four-wheeler mini-Warthog, the Mongoose, is present quite often, though its use has yet to be truly realized. The Valhalla map has plenty of open ground, great for high speeds, but the lil' vehicle is an easy target for heavier weapons (Spartan Laser, we're looking at you). All in all, it's an expectedly exciting experience, but it's not all a mind-blowing experience.

First gameplay video below. More on the next page.