Knockback, Episode 269 | Halo 3
Added 2023-09-17 16:00:03 +0000 UTCIf you're an older player of video games, you know that 2007 was an historically-insane year for the medium. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Super Mario Galaxy, BioShock, The Orange Box, God of War II, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, and Mass Effect -- amongst others -- all launched within 9 months of each other. And then there was Halo 3, arguably the king of them all. Halo 3 is the Xbox brand's single best-selling game by a mile, and it's an emblem of Microsoft's most successful era both commercially and critically, when it was a completely dominant force with its boot on its competitor's neck. Short and sweet at only eight hours (or so) long, Halo 3 is a thrill to play, though it does lack its predecessor's emphasis on story and lore, which is a bit of a bummer. And it of course thrived via online play via Xbox Live, which isn't at all what our podcast is about. Instead, we focus on its action movie-like campaign, which we both had a blast with. And we reminisce about a time when Microsoft nearly won the so-called Console War, before it somewhat befuddingly dropped the ball and gave the crown away.
Comments
Colin is going to like ODST, Reach, and 4 way more than 1,2,3 Especially Reach. He will love the setting and themes there.
Zack E
2023-09-20 12:32:00 +0000 UTCWas so surprised!
Noah Friscopp
2023-09-19 18:23:06 +0000 UTCYou can play it in mission format and not explore the open world at all. That’s what I did. It was still a 8-9 hour story.
Carter Evenson
2023-09-19 14:08:59 +0000 UTCAll of the halo stories are solid besides halo 5
Carter Evenson
2023-09-19 14:08:06 +0000 UTCAnd, dude, how much fun it was to speculate. They went back to Chief far too soon.
Zackery Parkerson
2023-09-19 04:48:27 +0000 UTCDamn. First time I’ve ever heard anyone criticize Jen Taylor’s voice acting.
Zackery Parkerson
2023-09-19 04:47:33 +0000 UTCYou have to remember btw, halo 3 was supposed to be the end. Bungie said it was the last Cheif game and the marketing was "finish the fight". It wasn't till 343 that we had any idea of getting a new game. The end was ment to be speculative, does he die? Is he found later? What happens to Cheif?
Simon Payne
2023-09-18 19:06:14 +0000 UTCHere we go! So many good memories with childhood friends playing Halo 3.
Raymond Aludino
2023-09-18 18:54:37 +0000 UTCAlso, staying vague to not spoil anything for Colin in case he reads these comments, the way they handled Cortana in Infinite was totally unforgivable.
John
2023-09-18 15:50:49 +0000 UTCHalo 4 is one of my favorites. But I thought Infinite was THE worst mainline campaign. Couldn’t believe how boring the story was and how lackluster the Main missions were. I actually think 5 is better because, although both have bad stories, at least 5 had really fun Main mission design, cool cutscenes and set piece moments, and it actually brought you to interesting places. Infinite is like a piece of stale white bread (although the gunplay in Infinite is the best Halo has felt in a long time)
John
2023-09-18 15:48:44 +0000 UTCInfinite is probably more of my personal taste thing. I played through it and hated it. I had zero interest in the story and can't remember a thing about it. I'm just not a fan of the current trend of taking shooters with a history of focused campaigns and making their campaign a sandbox. I want a more focused approach. I can't speak to the Halo Wars games. Never played them. My comment was only in regards to the shooters. I'm in complete agreement with you on how beautiful Halo 4 looked on 360. It had no business looking that good on hardware that was already 7 years old.
Zach
2023-09-18 15:36:52 +0000 UTCInfinite definitely isn't widely regarded as a "pretty awful" campaign. Not even Halo Wars 2 has that reputation tbh. That crown sits solely on Halo 5's head. Halo 4's campaign is pretty great though, and it also doesn't get enough credit for truly pushing boundaries for what the hardware was capable of... that was a 360 game that looked comfortably better than most Xbox One launch titles.
NotSkyWalker
2023-09-18 15:06:57 +0000 UTCI know in some circles Halo 4 is hated on pretty hard, but I really enjoyed the campaign of 4. It's truly a shame what came to follow after it. You can tell after 4 the focus became the multiplayer and the campaign has been pretty awful since.
Zach
2023-09-18 14:12:50 +0000 UTCCannot wait for you guys to get to Halo 4.
John
2023-09-18 12:17:35 +0000 UTCNever forget lads, my childhood in one game honestly, custom games and infection were lightning in a bottle
Daddy T
2023-09-18 11:52:08 +0000 UTCMaybe a bit nitpicky and pedantic, but the Red Letter Media intros are much more pithy and humorous. You guys are writing and reading what amounts to opinion pieces/mini reviews. That being said, the intros are still a nice way to set the tone for the episode. Enjoyed the listen
Daidoji Reiji
2023-09-18 11:22:07 +0000 UTCIn the original Xbox 360 release of Halo 3, the ending cutscene showing Chief and Cortana surviving in the other half of the ship was only viewable if you waited through all of the credits without skipping. So it was more secretive back then than in MCC.
Kevin Austin Webb
2023-09-18 08:50:55 +0000 UTCHalo 3 is such a special game one of the best multiplayer suites around and a fun story. This was a mainstay at birthday parties when I was a teenager. We would get the two 360's, and play 8 player multiplayer until the sun came up. Infection, Team Deathmatch, Griffball you could play it endlessly. Multiplayer online and local is the reason Halo is beloved. You're insistence that 8 hour games are better and that this is an example of that, doesn't hold up to scrutiny. People then and now didn't come to Halo for the Campaign, it's 10% of the package at most. If a game is around 8 hours long it better have a kick ass multiplayer suite or replayability. Oh and Master Chief is more of a symbol then a character, watch the halo 3 ads and you will understand. I don't want or need to know more about him. Interesting chat thanks for the Pod
Ice Slice
2023-09-18 03:08:27 +0000 UTCCan’t believe I am saying this, but I think Colin is going to love Halo 4.
Noah Friscopp
2023-09-17 16:29:18 +0000 UTCThe Halo 2 and Halo 3 were/are so dope.
Zeke the Plumber
2023-09-17 16:07:36 +0000 UTC
