Review
As the final chapter of the Halo trilogy, Halo 3 had a lot to live up to. Since it’s debut in 2001, Halo: Combat Evolved introduced us to a breathtaking and story-rice universe. In Halo 2, Bungie built on this world by introducing us to the politics and powerful individuals who can change the fate of so many.
Fan-favourite characters from the series like The Master Chief & The Arbiter have been through much in their life, not just in the events of Halo: Combat Evolved & Halo 2. Now in Halo 3, the pair would team up to finish the fight they started in Halo 2, if they want to destroy the Covenant, stop the Flood & prevent the remaining Halo rings from activating.
Picking up 2 weeks after The Master Chief’s epic “Finishing this fight” moment, we find him no worse for wear in an African Jungle, where he crashed. Joined by the reliable Sergeant Johnson & The Chief wakes up for quite possibly one of the first times in his life, alone, without Cortana. Cortana who stayed behind in the Covenant Holy City, High Charity to ensure the Chief could follow the delusionally powerful, Prophet of Truth to Earth, is now stranded with no way back.
Coming back into the rule as a supporting character this time around, who thankfully manages to avoid getting his brain blown out by the Chief when he see’s him appear out of nowhere. The choice to make The Arbiter a supporting character instead of protagonist again is a bit of an odd choice, considering the heavy agency he had in the last game, although it is understandable for Bungie to put the spotlight back on Chief again. Thankfully the Arbiter’s presence is still heavy throughout the story.
Originally enemies, the 2 must now work together to take down the Covenant before they can find the ARK, a forerunner installation capable of firing all the Halo rings. From the moment our boots hit the ground, it is clear that even though we may have the homefield advantage, we are quickly reminded how the Covenant can dominate anywhere they go. Even with the Arbiter on our side, giving us an insider advantage, the Covenant are still tough to put down.
Halo 3’s tight narrative revolves around resolving the 3 main conflicts we have been introduced to: The Covenant, The Flood, & The Halo’s. Thankfully, Halo 3, like its predecessors knows how to perfectly balance all 3 threats without feeling like we are overwhelmed. The Chief wouldn’t feel that he just takes on one enemy at a time and deals with whatever comes next and the game does a good job of making us feel like that.
Chief’s mission is strengthened by the likable and steadfast characters that have been with us for the last game or so. Avery Johnson continues to carry the whole attitude of humanity with him, Miranda Keyes honours her father as a considerate and hands on commander. Even though we no longer play as the Arbiter, his short but sweet rooted dialogue still makes for a character we can’t help but like and feel lucky whenever he is by our side. The biggest gamechanger for Chief is he is now without his most trusted AI companion, Cortana, who we have relied on since Halo: Combat Evolved.
This wouldn’t mean we wouldn’t see her, however. From before we are even given control of Chief, Cortana acts as a sort of foreboding narrator, reaching out to the Chief, like an erratic Ghost who can’ quite gather her thoughts. Staying behind and now at the mercy of the ravenous Flood intelligence, The Gravemind, Cortana is fighting him off trying to guide the Chief. Each time Cortana appeared like this we would unintentionally learn subtle things about the Chief’s past and his history with Cortana.
In many ways, Halo 3 feels short but not because any part of the story feels rushed, or because the game is designed poorly, quite the opposite in fact. It’s a testament to how Halo has kept a tight and purposeful overall narrative through the trilogy. The moment the Chief took his first step on the Halo and when the Arbiter put on the armour that was meant to be his tomb, they unintentionally would decide the fate of the war and how it would end.
Finding a solution to the Flood, breaking the Covenant, stopping the war, this was the only true outcome from the moment Chief first stood on the Halo. What Halo 3 does best, is have these conflicts get resolved in ways we would never be able to predict, if you’re as well versed in the franchise.
As Halo 3 winds down on its epic conclusion and its exceptional missions, the series honours hallmarks that started in Halo: Combat Evolved and even brings the series full circle as Chief comes to the inevitable truth of what needs to happen if he wants to save humanity and the entire universe.
The Verdict
Halo 3 delivers a hell of a conclusion to a fantastic trilogy. As it brings to a close the Human-Covenant war, it leaves our heroes that we have endured so much with, pondering the future and what they can make of it. Halo has delivered some of the most epic adventures with, political complexity, hidden agendas and Halo 3 continues to highlight what is important for the moment. Whether this is the end or the closing of this chapter, Halo 3 delivers one hell of a sendoff.
Characters – Halo 3 returns the spotlight to The Master Chief as we started this journey with him and now, we need to finish it with him. It’s range of supporting characters like the Arbiter, Avery Johnson and Miranda Keyes all collaborate fully to make us feel like we are never alone and signal a change as they all collectively work together with ease, despite the past. The villains are juggled very well and its even like an interesting game of whack-a-mole that doesn’t feel tedious – 9.5/10
Narrative – Halo 3 is packed tightly but never to the point that it feels overstuffed. Halo wants to go out with a bang but before it does that, it makes us work for it and rewards us with epic moments and set pieces that make us realise why we love Halo so much. The story wraps up everything that’s been seen with a neat bow while also leaving potential secrets and plot threads for the future – 9/10
Environmental & Collectible – Halo has always taken a good amount of care when it creates its locations. The locations of Earth that we see are not like the metropolitan city of New Mombasa that we see in Halo 2. On the outskirts of the city that has been burned away, we get a glimpse on what the fate of Earth will be if we fail. The ARK has its own hidden mysteries as like the Halo rings, it sports beautiful flora environments, harsh desert terrains and passages left behind by the forerunners that make for some fascinating pieces of forerunner lore – 9/10
I give this game 10/10 Cortana Chip’s
