Okay, after my recent article about the likes of Modern Warfare and Battlefield and so on - I'm banging on about FPS again, so what gives?
 
Well, I was down at my sisters house picking up my manic three year old - when I managed to bag a ten minute play of Halo 3 on my nephews XBOX while the girls were out of the way.  The argument for doing this was to 'test' whether I found it gave me motion sickness in the way my sister complained it gave her.  In a word, it did, a tiny bit, but moving closer to the screen seemed to help and it was no way as bad as playing Half Life 2 on an over-spec PC or Wolfenstien 3D on a Pentium 3.
 
But what about the game?  Did I like it?  
 
Well, yeah, I suppose.... It's alright.  Nicely rendered, interesting character design and maps... From what I can tell anyhow.  At the same time though - it all seems a bit... Hmmm, how can I put this?  Bland is the best word.  The environment of Gears 1 & 2 to me was far more interesting, the characters were far more colourful too.  I didn't play Halo 3 for long enough to judge the story but... It didn't really make me want to.  Left 4 Dead and it's sequel are more interesting, more exciting - if perhaps not as polished?  Actually, Doom 3 on the PC was more gripping and tense, and interesting.
 
To sum up - Halo 3 seems like a very polished product, but I just can't get excited about it.  I genuinely don't know what the fuss is about with it.  I even had an American friend try to explain the Halo story to me in detail - but it just sound pointlessly complicated....
 
*Sigh* I guess I'll give it a go again, but it's not particularly something I'm looking forward to - unlike Gears 3 or Left 4 Dead 3...

In my opinion, Halo 3 was more of a nostalgia game for me. It was cutting-edge technically speaking, but the story and halo universe isn't all the interesting anymore. One of the major reasons why I played through Halo 3's campaign was because I had also played Halo and Halo 2, both of which I hold fond memories of. I'm guessing, this is why the Halo series continues to be successful.

Halo is still the gold standard for getting a bunch of friends together and playing crazy, WTF-moment-filled multiplayer matches. The campaigns are ok so long as you do it co-op. I played through the entire Halo 3 campaign and had literally no idea what was going on the entire time, but it didn't really matter. We'd just dick around with mongooses and shit. CoD and GoW are for intense firefights. Halo is for shenanigans. That's why it has giant hammers.

 co-op

Don't feel bad. I don't get the fuss about it either. I played the first and second one when I was deployed in Iraq many years ago. I get that Halo made the controls better for FPS on console, but gameplay wise it's never clicked with me.
 
Not hating, just sayin'. Not a game I find fun to play.

halo 3 wasn't that great compared to 2. i thought it was just 2 with newer graphics. i think that they need to make the game faster like call of duty. i remember playing call of duty 4 and then switching to halo 3. i felt like i was walking in slow motion with that game. i wish i could run right now.

" Halo is still the gold standard for getting a bunch of friends together and playing crazy, WTF-moment-filled multiplayer matches. The campaigns are ok so long as you do it co-op. I played through the entire Halo 3 campaign and had literally no idea what was going on the entire time, but it didn't really matter. We'd just dick around with mongooses and shit. CoD and GoW are for intense firefights. Halo is for shenanigans. That's why it has giant hammers. "

It's hard to appreciate a game after you've played a ton of other games in the genre that ripped a bunch of elements straight from it.
 It's not your fault you thought it was bland.

The graphics in halo 3 were shit, the story mediocre, and gameplay mediocre. 
 
Halo 1 is where it's at. 
 
Halo 2 had a pretty interesting story but most of the levels were boring as shit. 
 
Reach was alright, pretty boring ending though, was expecting more. 
 
ODST is a bad joke. 

" halo 3 wasn't that great compared to 2. i thought it was just 2 with newer graphics. i think that they need to make the game faster like call of duty. i remember playing call of duty 4 and then switching to halo 3. i felt like i was walking in slow motion with that game. i wish i could run right now. "

I wouldn't be to down on not liking Halo 3, since even fans of the series put as a pretty weak entry in the series. I've also heard the story is hard to fallow, so I suppose you're hardly alone in that. If you are still interested in the Halo games with more colorful characters, more interesting environments and more exciting (YMMV), than may I suggest you pick up Halo: Reach?

I got  ODST bundled in when I bought my first 360 (late to the game) and played half an hour and was bored (first Halo game I ever played).  For me its more that I prefer fps games on the PC, always do better with the mouse.
 
But brand names are powerful in today's market

Oh, you judge everything after spending 10 minutes with it? How's that working out for you?

"I wouldn't be to down on not liking Halo 3, since even fans of the series put as a pretty weak entry in the series. I've also heard the story is hard to fallow, so I suppose you're hardly alone in that. If you are still interested in the Halo games with more colorful characters, more interesting environments and more exciting (YMMV), than may I suggest you pick up Halo: Reach? "

" @iam3green said:

" halo 3 wasn't that great compared to 2. i thought it was just 2 with newer graphics. i think that they need to make the game faster like call of duty. i remember playing call of duty 4 and then switching to halo 3. i felt like i was walking in slow motion with that game. i wish i could run right now. "

yeah..because all fps games should be like COD.  /rolleyes "

Sounds like you're indifferent to it, which is a-ok. Some people like one thing and others don't.

Personally while I was very late to the party I think I was better off playing Halo: Combat Evolved before a lot of the post-Halo FPS games that have come along. I've found that a certain number of people that have only played Halo in recent times may have found it a more bland experience than they otherwise would have because Halo laid out a lot of the conventions that are now a standard part of the FPS genre, such as recharging health and working out how to really adapt FPS games to consoles. Still, as others have said you did only spend ten minutes with the game. Halo may not be the FPS series for you but did you really spend enough time with that game to get a proper understanding of what it was about?

Opinions!

• Well, yeah, I suppose.... It's alright.  Nicely rendered, interesting character design and maps... 
• seems a bit... Hmmm, how can I put this?  Bland is the best word.  The environment of Gears 1 & 2 to me was far more interesting, the characters were far more colourful too.  
• I didn't play Halo 3 for long enough to judge the story but... It didn't really make me want to.  Left 4 Dead and it's sequel are more interesting, more exciting - if perhaps not as polished?  Actually, Doom 3 on the PC was more gripping and tense, and interesting.
•  To sum up - Halo 3 seems like a very polished product, but I just can't get excited about it.  I genuinely don't know what the fuss is about with it.  I even had an American friend try to explain the Halo story to me in detail - but it just sound pointlessly complicated....
•  *Sigh* I guess I'll give it a go again, but it's not particularly something I'm looking forward to - unlike Gears 3 or Left 4 Dead 3...

I remember when I got a new computer so that I could play Halo 1 online. That game had some awesome multiplayer moments, though none of the other games interested me very much.

I've never much cared for Halo as a single player game, but the MP is among my favorites. Especially Halo 3/ODST. If it weren't for the godawful community, it'd be my perfect multiplayer FPS.  
 
If it's single player you're after, though, and you don't care for what you've played, give ODST a try. The shooty-shooty is the same, but the presentation is quite different. It's easily my favorite Halo campaign. 

Eh, I gave the Halo series a try, and it confirmed what I always thought. That the series is bland. The games are perfectly playable, but there is never anything that makes you excited. Not any set piece moments stood out for me.

" @Otogi said:

"I wouldn't be to down on not liking Halo 3, since even fans of the series put as a pretty weak entry in the series. I've also heard the story is hard to fallow, so I suppose you're hardly alone in that. If you are still interested in the Halo games with more colorful characters, more interesting environments and more exciting (YMMV), than may I suggest you pick up Halo: Reach? "

I'm a Halo fan and I consider Halo 3 to be one of the strongest games in the series, I thought the story was easier to follow than Halo 2. I consider Halo 2 to be one of the weakest, if not, the weakest entry in the series. 
 
I like Halo 2's multi-player and all, but it has a lot of problems that are shown in this video. 
 
  

  I also didn't like Halo 2's campaign very much, even thought the story was interesting, if convoluted. "

" @MarkWahlberg said:

 co-op

If you have some co-op buddies, some grenades and an upcoming elevator ride I DARE YOU not to have fun.  (...bonus lols if someone has a hammer) "

" @blacklabeldomm:   No I don't judge everything after 10 minutes!  I quote my post-
 

• Well, yeah, I suppose.... It's alright.  Nicely rendered, interesting character design and maps... 
• seems a bit... Hmmm, how can I put this?  Bland is the best word.  The environment of Gears 1 & 2 to me was far more interesting, the characters were far more colourful too.  
• I didn't play Halo 3 for long enough to judge the story but... It didn't really make me want to.  Left 4 Dead and it's sequel are more interesting, more exciting - if perhaps not as polished?  Actually, Doom 3 on the PC was more gripping and tense, and interesting.
•  To sum up - Halo 3 seems like a very polished product, but I just can't get excited about it.  I genuinely don't know what the fuss is about with it.  I even had an American friend try to explain the Halo story to me in detail - but it just sound pointlessly complicated....
•  *Sigh* I guess I'll give it a go again, but it's not particularly something I'm looking forward to - unlike Gears 3 or Left 4 Dead 3...

 All I was saying is that a ten minute play didn't really make me want to buy it - or even ask if I could borrow it!  I admitted it wasn't long enough to judge the story.  Okay I offered an opinion on the graphics and level design etc .. The gameplay wasn't actually bad, it just gave me a sense of Deja Vu...  I'm not hating - I'm just offering an honest first impression.  It might be that I would've felt more positive if I'd played multi-player, but at the moment I'm not that bothered about MP.  I didn' t even play Gears 1 or 2 MP, although I do like L4D 1 & 2 on MP, vs mode and Scavenge - now that's really good MP fun. "

I think the story and setting in Halo was always very bad and they have not improved it much. The art direction is horrible except some locations.

It's okay to dislike Halo.

Seems kind of silly to judge a game based on 10 minuteS (apart from perhaps Tetris), don't think you can experience enough of whatever you're playing in that time to make judgements on the environments and story (especially considering you have missed 2 games worth of information in that respect)

Despite what everyone says, I will always have an undying love for the entire franchise. Honestly, I can't say that I have ever disliked a Halo game, and I find the universe really interesting. Even ODST, I found fun and interesting. Adding a co-op partner turns it into a completely different game. 
 
Hate me for it if you want to, but god fucking dammit I love me some Halo. Any day of the week.

For years I was one of the biggest Halo fans around but it was never because I deemed the story and environments to be some incredible pieces of fiction. The first three at least were perfectly fine. They were awesome for the same reason I don't have a problem with the crazy plots in recent Call of Duty games, but nothing Oscar worthy.
 
It was in error, I believe, how Bungie began to place such emphasis on storytelling beginning with ODST and later with Reach. Both Bungie and Microsoft from behind the scenes bought too much stock into the Halo novels and fanboys who believe them to be the pinnacle of Sci Fi.  The specifics and intricacies of the story began to fall in on themselves. They tried to do too much to make it "serious" when it's still just a goofy alien shooter with grunts that explode confetti when they die. 
 
If I had to pick a recent film equivalent to these games it would probably be something like Spiderman 3 which also reeked of corporate arrogance and boredom from the creative teams. Half the time you're looking at some supposed inner conflict with Peter and the other half he's dancing up a storm with an emo haircut.

" @greenygrey:  Dude, I'm not actually being that critical of the game, so there's no need to get your knickers in a twist.  All I'm saying is, a ten minute play didn't make me desperately want to own it / borrow it / play it a great deal more.  I would play more - but lots of other titles, after 10 minutes I've found it hard to put down.  It wasn't a serious review - if I had a career reviewing games and it landed on my desk I would play it a lot more before offering a detailed opinion.  I was actually quite positive, I described it as very polished!  I don't know if you're some all-out Halo fan-boi, it's a well made game for sure, it's a very popular franchise so it must do SOMETHING right... It's probably fine, I was just saying the initial 10 minutes left me feeling uninspired!  For christ's sake! "

I played it, bought it, bought ODST, bought Reach, played all of 'em...they're good. Not my favorite games by any stretch, but fun with friends.

I always liked Halo's game play. The story was never the best story ever told in gaming but it had some good moments. Halo 3 is always seen as the weakest in the series by most fans but I think it is one of the better ones if not the best. At the end of the day it really comes down to whether you like the game play or not but I think calling it bland is a little harsh. Halo always had a really clean look to it from the start and I guess when it transfered to HD graphics it looked bland compared to other games at the time. Anyway its all just opinions but if you like shooters you could do a lot worse than the Halo series.     

Still the most fun I have playing multiplayer on a console.  Campaigns are ok.  

I don't know, Halo is not really that impressive these days, but when they came out they were great. No other shooter on a console other than COD has done so much to popularize the platform for shooters.  
 
But the multiplayer does stand up, I think Reach is a lot more fun than most of the popular shooters this year. The overwhelming majority are all too serious, and trying to be hardcore and COD like. Too much stupid overly-serious military attitude. Same with the gameplay, just too serious. 
Halo's kinda fun, light multiplayer action. Rockets and explosions everywhere, people flying around, they take lots of shots before dying... just the kind of madness that reminds me of the fun, hectic arena style PC shooters of old. It just captures what I loved about Unreal Tournament or something. 

" Okay, after my recent article about the likes of Modern Warfare and Battlefield and so on - I'm banging on about FPS again, so what gives?  Well, I was down at my sisters house picking up my manic three year old - when I managed to bag a ten minute play of Halo 3 on my nephews XBOX while the girls were out of the way.  The argument for doing this was to 'test' whether I found it gave me motion sickness in the way my sister complained it gave her.  In a word, it did, a tiny bit, but moving closer to the screen seemed to help and it was no way as bad as playing Half Life 2 on an over-spec PC or Wolfenstien 3D on a Pentium 3.  But what about the game?  Did I like it?    Well, yeah, I suppose.... It's alright.  Nicely rendered, interesting character design and maps... From what I can tell anyhow.  At the same time though - it all seems a bit... Hmmm, how can I put this?  Bland is the best word.  The environment of Gears 1 & 2 to me was far more interesting, the characters were far more colourful too.  I didn't play Halo 3 for long enough to judge the story but... It didn't really make me want to.  Left 4 Dead and it's sequel are more interesting, more exciting - if perhaps not as polished?  Actually, Doom 3 on the PC was more gripping and tense, and interesting.  To sum up - Halo 3 seems like a very polished product, but I just can't get excited about it.  I genuinely don't know what the fuss is about with it.  I even had an American friend try to explain the Halo story to me in detail - but it just sound pointlessly complicated....  *Sigh* I guess I'll give it a go again, but it's not particularly something I'm looking forward to - unlike Gears 3 or Left 4 Dead 3... "

I often see post like this. Any time you go back to play a game that had a lot of hype or even fanboyism you almost always go into it with preconceived  notions.  Yes this several year old game with a highley confusing story line, and the FPS genre isn't exactly cutting edge creativity.  So I'm not surprised it didn't grab you and knock you off your feet.   
We loved Halo 3 because we played 1 and 2. We were there when the records were broke and we were there in our dorm rooms playing countless upon countless of hours of 4 way split screen multi-player with huge black controllers and getting drunk off our asses.  We waited 4 plus years for the story to end and anticipated multi-player teaks and the evolution of playing online on our consuls.  So for many of us, thats why Halo 3 (and 1 and 2) was great. Because at its time it was the peak of the industry. 
 
That being said, both Halo 2 and Reach are better :)

boring generic. first successful multiplayer game that blew up with consoles. shouldnt be big whatsoever.

" @greenygrey: What do you have against Doom 3?  I thought the difficulty was set nicely, the enemies were varied and interesting, as was the environment and levels.  I thought the rendition of Hell itself was very interesting.  I would play Doom 3 again today if my wayward friend hadn't borrowed the discs then lost them...  I'm looking forwards to Duke Nukem Forever - it looks genuinely fun, I enjoyed the old Duke 3D games, although I thought Doom 1 & 2 had the edge for gameplay.  
 
@XII_Sniper: I most enjoy Left 4 Dead and the sequel on MP.  Taking control of the infected is massive fun and about as unserious as you can get.  I think I've more or less had my fill of serious FPS, I just have no interest in playing COD, MW2 or Battlfield or anything like that... Mind you I used to spend hours a night playing tactical ops on multiplayer.  And a fair whack of Medal of Honour "

The Halo series is great but if you don't really find it interesting, no point trying to make yourself like it.

The reason I like halo games is cause CE was so fucking fun. the pistol was awesome and maybe I'm in the age range where I think Halo is the shit, but split screen lans with friends was one of my first, and best, multiplayer gaming experiences.