Halo 3 has been without a doubt one of the most heavily advertised games to be released in recent years. Microsoft has spared no expense on the promotion of their top selling franchise, and we've been treated to numerous ad campaigns, collector's editions, and limited-time beverages as a result. Given all of this hype, it's quite impressive that this latest entry in the series actually manages to live up to most of it. Halo 3 successfully improves upon nearly every aspect of its predecessor, and introduces some interesting new features to form a cohesive package that will last dedicated players a long time.

Perhaps the most improved aspect of Halo 3 is its story. The events of the game take place sometime after the cliffhanger ending of Halo 2, and it's not long before the Master Chief, UNSC and some unlikely allies are embroiled in an all-out war on Earth with the Covenant, who still have the desire to eradicate the universe. At the expense of revealing too many details, let's just say that the narrative builds up nicely and finishes with a satisfying, if a bit open-ended, conclusion. Overall, the story has much improved from the last game, and will rarely leave you with any of those "what just happened" moments that plagued Halo 2.

Halo 3's environments are quite detailed.

The game's campaign spans nine chapters, each with its own setting. It can be played with a single player or cooperatively online with up to four players. Much like the previous games, the campaign combines Halo's tactical shooting action with driving sequences designed to break up the gameplay. This blending of gunplay and vehicular combat works to near perfection, providing incredible action that never grows dull until the credits finally roll. This experience is enhanced when you bring additional players into the fray, as well. The inclusion of online cooperative play is a huge advancement for the series, and it makes the playing through campaign a viable option even after you've already finished it. This feature has been needlessly neglected in previous Halo games, and the inclusion of it here adds a lot of replayability to what would otherwise be a single-playthrough affair. Depending on the number of players you bring into the campaign, it does become necessary to increase the difficulty to provide a sufficient enough challenge to accommodate for the extra manpower. If you're a Halo veteran or playing with four players, it's best to set the game to Legendary to get the most out of the experience.

On the competitive side of things, Halo 3 offers a bevy of multiplayer game modes over Xbox Live. Much like earlier games in the series, game customization is just as prevalent here, and nearly every facet of a match can be configured to your liking. Many of the same match types you've seen over the years are still here, and many familiar modes like slayer, team slayer, capture the flag, and VIP all make a return. However, new to the game is Forge mode, which is essentially a stripped-down, real-time level editor. Forge doesn't allow to you modify the geometry of a map, but it does permit you to change the objects inside it. So, for instance, you can move spawn points, add weapons or vehicles, introduce complex traps using the game's equivalent of explosive barrels, and more. The configuration options here are vast, and with enough creativity, you can effectively create your own minigames within the engine itself. You may find yourself spending hours, if not days, creating these elaborate setups, and that's a very appealing aspect of gameplay that hasn't previously existed in the franchise.

If there's anything negative to be said about the multiplayer, it's that it may be a bit too similar to Halo 2, both in terms of gameplay and player base. If you were sick of the loud mouth pre-pubescent teens that infested the last game, then here's ample warning: prepare to be unleashed upon a whole new breed. Fortunately, it's easy enough to mute other players, and making good use of this tool effectively rectifies the problem.

Once you've finished a game session, you're offered the opportunity to replay what just happened in the Theater mode. By default, the game stores replays of the last 25 games you've participated in, and that includes both single player and multiplayer matches. During playback, you can fast forward, change views, or take screenshots of your favorite moments. If you like what you see, you can opt to permanently save the recording, and share it with your friends on Bungie's web community. From their website, you can browse and download films directly to your Xbox 360. In addition, you can also download other peoples' screenshots, game types, and map creations. There's a ton to do here, and this community aspect of Halo 3 is a large part of what gives it so much lasting value.

Outside of the mode additions, Halo 3 also features several subtle enhancements to the core game itself. You'll find a few new weapons, like the dual-wieldable Brute sub-machine gun, as well as larger firepower like the mini-gun, which can be broken off its pedestal and carried around. There are several new grenade types as well. On the driving front, a variety of new vehicles have been included. One of the most noteworthy is the Hornet, which is an aerial unit that's effective at taking out both air and ground targets. Finally, you can also carry sub-weapons, which are essentially items you pick up that perform a specific task when deployed. There's a bubble shield, which forms a globe-shaped barrier that cannot be penetrated by anything but a player, a shield recharger, a shield drainer, and proximity mines, just to name a few. While there's nothing here that's particularly groundbreaking, the inclusion of these enhancements is a welcome change, and helps to further distinguish this game from its predecessors.

The multiplayer is very similar to Halo 2's offering. If you enjoyed it there, you'll love it here.

As for the presentation, this is where Halo 3 falters a bit. The visuals are by no means bad. In fact, the environment design in combination with the high dynamic range lighting make for a truly spectacular view. It's just a shame that the rest of the graphics don't adhere to the same level of quality. Many of the player models are downright ugly, especially when they reveal their overly simplistic facial animations. There also seems to be a distinct lack of anti-aliasing on some spots, and jagged edges are often present throughout the campaign. Still, the artistic design shines through, and some massive set pieces help to alleviate the persistence of some of the technical flaws.

The sound is about on par with the graphics. Again, there's nothing terrible to be heard here, but the soundtrack relies too heavily on previous themes. As a result, you'll often hear remix after remix of the Halo theme song, and it can get a little grating. However, there are some interesting new tracks, like the ambient tune played during the sections of the game with Flood infestations. The voice acting, on the other hand, is just as good as it's always been, with a lot of interesting dialog that will often cause you to wait around just to hear some more. Everything else, from the gunfire to the vehicles, sounds very Halo-like, which is never a bad thing.

When you look at all of the things that this game offers, it's hard not to be wowed by everything in front of you. All of the modes, replays, and community features mold Halo 3 into a package brimming with worthwhile content, and that's a large reason why it's so great. The combination of the excellent campaign, tried and true multiplayer, and online co-op make this a game that shouldn't be missed by anyone. If you have even a slight interest in console shooters, you'd be doing yourself a great disservice by not checking this one out.