Halo 3: The beta, now in motion!

BlimBlim
Saturday, May 12, 2007 | 1:00 PM
126 comments

Xbox 360

As promised, here is the first video from the beta of Halo 3, in 720p but shorter version so the size was acceptable. The full video in 640x360 will be online in about 30 minutes. More videos will of course follow.
Worth mentioning, the awesome performance of Snoopers, our own Benny Hill.
Update 1: Complete version in 640x360 available, as a stream too.
Update 2: Second video in 720p short version online!
Update 3: Long version 640x360 of the second video.
Update 4: Let's be done for tonight with this last 720p video.
Update 5: Some people asked for it, so there is the title screen and its music.
Update 6: As expected, here is the complete version of the first video in 720p resolution.
Update 7: This time I'm really done with this news. Enjoy the second video in full 720p glory.

Téléchargement

Commented on 2007-05-12 20:29:25 In reply to PauloEifel

Posted by PauloEifel

but still it doesn`t blow me away like Gears did.

Gears also didn't have nearly as large environements. When you get the SP in your hands, and you're standing over a crater thats more than 5 miles wide; i recon that would blow anyone away. so-much-detail-that-you-can't-even-see-it-all or not.

The game is comming out in a few months so don`t expect an all new game!

No-ones expecting an all new game. But many games can go through graphical revolutions close to the end. Now, thats probably not going to happen here, but a few extra graphical touches, a bit more decorators and polish, and it'll look mighty fine.

No matter how much fun the game will be, it`s graphics sure leave a bad taste in my mouth!

I still find pong fun as hell. maybe thats just me. And thats hardly mind-blowing grahpics.
I mean, what actually 'leaves a bad taste' everything i see here is pretty nice.

In reply to

Slabs

Commented on 2007-05-12 20:32:07 In reply to PauloEifel

Posted by PauloEifel

PS: Sometimes I think this game is only going to be awesome for some because they want it to be so desperately that you could put Pong in the box and they would still hype it like hell!

Utter nonsense. This game is hyped and appreciated because MILLIONS of people love the series and understand that Bungie have a superb track record.

I truly don't understand this ridiculous level of hatred that Halo gets from people who don't like it. No other series seems to suffer from it.

In reply to

SpazH3d

Commented on 2007-05-12 20:56:05

Why can't i download the betaa :,( I have crackdown with the beta invite, but it says: "Click back here at a later date to download the Halo 3 beta" ...whuuuat?!

Oh well, time to go nuts in Crackdown citay!

In reply to

vid33nyc1

Commented on 2007-05-12 21:35:00

After watching these 720p vids on my 360 i think the game looks just fine.Love the effects from the explosions.Its a BETA so things will continue to look even better.There is what another 5 or 6 months before the game comes out?Thats a LONG time.But remember guys its all about the GAMEPLAY.

In reply to

jubilex

Commented on 2007-05-12 22:14:17

I'm not seeing this incredible lighting some are raving about. Doesn't even look like dynamic lighting (whether it is or not).

As for saying the "Halo style" is about being clean, etc -- I would have thought everything was low poly and pretty featureless in the original because the Xbox couldn't handle much more. It's disappointing that the structures are still these blank concrete slabs seven years and a new piece of hardware later. GRAW, Gears, Lost Planet all have wildly different art styles, but all are more visually impressive than this. Compare how solid and three dimensional the armor in Gears looks compares to these Spartans. They just don't have the same solidity, regardless of style.

The explosions look great, the water looks cool, and that's about it. The architecture is bland and boring, the trees look worse than some last-gen games, and a lot of the animations are pretty weak.

Rave about the gameplay all you want, but to praise those graphics as anything other than barely passable is pretty ridiculous. Someone on GAF posted a screen from Halo 2 and one from this beta (the Halo 2 screen being resized to 720p to match the Halo 3 one) in order to show how much better Halo 3 looks, and I swear I thought the Halo 2 picture looked better.

In reply to

I'm not seeing this incredible lighting some are raving about. Doesn't even look like dynamic lighting (whether it is or not).

As for saying the "Halo style" is about being clean, etc -- I would have thought everything was low poly and pretty featureless in the original because the Xbox couldn't handle much more. It's disappointing that the structures are still these blank concrete slabs seven years and a new piece of hardware later. GRAW, Gears, Lost Planet all have wildly different art styles, but all are more visually impressive than this. Compare how solid and three dimensional the armor in Gears looks compares to these Spartans. They just don't have the same solidity, regardless of style.

The explosions look great, the water looks cool, and that's about it. The architecture is bland and boring, the trees look worse than some last-gen games, and a lot of the animations are pretty weak.

Rave about the gameplay all you want, but to praise those graphics as anything other than barely passable is pretty ridiculous. Someone on GAF posted a screen from Halo 2 and one from this beta (the Halo 2 screen being resized to 720p to match the Halo 3 one) in order to show how much better Halo 3 looks, and I swear I thought the Halo 2 picture looked better.

DirtPipeMilkShake

Commented on 2007-05-12 23:36:11 In reply to 0onar

Posted by 0onar

hmm, im a bit disapionted, hope the final game will look beter becouse so far it seems it only got worse:

e3:
http://www.xboxyde.com/pop_image.html?G=3291&N=1

first MP:
http://www.xboxyde.com/pop_image.html?G=4611&N=3

and now this:
http://www.xboxyde.com/pop_image.html?G=5405&N=9

Yeah, but we haven't seen any SP in a while. Also, did you not hear? They will be using much higher rez versions of the characters during the SP cut-scenes, too (I assume that's the version they first showed back at E3-- the good version).

If you are going to compare MP modes, compare the same locations. Snowbound still looks just as good if not better. Not only that, SP will look MUCH better than MP (probably the best 360 graphics to date. maybe better than Gears).

Do not frett. However, my only concern is with what loser n00b made the materials on the guns. Holy crap they look uglier than shit. Guess it's easy to get work over there at Bungie. I should send them a resume.

Posted by SpazH3d

Are you.......serious....?

In reply to

[quote=0onar]hmm, im a bit disapionted, hope the final game will look beter becouse so far it seems it only got worse:

e3:
[url]http://www.xboxyde.com/pop_image.html?G=3291&N=1[/url]

first MP:
[url]http://www.xboxyde.com/pop_image.html?G=4611&N=3[/url]

and now this:
[url]http://www.xboxyde.com/pop_image.html?G=5405&N=9[/url][/quote]

If you are going to compare MP modes, compare the same locations. Snowbound still looks just as good if not better. Not only that, SP will look MUCH better than MP (probably the best 360 graphics to date. maybe better than Gears).

Do not frett. However, my only concern is with what loser n00b made the materials on the guns. Holy crap they look uglier than shit. Guess it's easy to get work over there at Bungie. I should send them a resume.

[quote=SpazH3d]Why can't i download the betaa :,( I have crackdown with the beta invite, but it says: "Click back here at a later date to download the Halo 3 beta" ...whuuuat?!

Oh well, time to go nuts in Crackdown citay![/quote]

Are you.......serious....?

MoonWalkinYiddo

Commented on 2007-05-13 00:59:47

Wow, looks like Halo 2.

In reply to

NeoNemesis

Commented on 2007-05-13 01:19:36 In reply to Acert93

Posted by Acert93

Looking good. Still Halo, and some things are "spartan" but overall looking really clean with a lot of quality put into the level design, gameplay balance, as well as the small details in the world. Nice.

Try to tell that to all the people complaining about the game..Sigh.

In reply to

Nit3m4re

Commented on 2007-05-13 02:08:41

I think as long as it feels and plays like Halo, the graphics dont need to be on par with Gears of War. At least thats not the reason I am getting it. The graphics never really bother me in games like this, if everyone thought that way about games, why the heck is CS 1.6 still one of the most played online games in the world? (and WoW to that fact). They are proof that gameplay > graphics sometimes and even in Halo 3 where the graphics aren't mind blowing, they are still way above satisfactory and I would be more than happy to play it looking like it is now..

In reply to

kadixon

Commented on 2007-05-13 05:32:34

I Can't wait for it

In reply to

hat

Commented on 2007-05-13 08:23:19

I am LOVING the new sound design, but I think the AR sounds way too much like the SMG. That's my only problem so far. Otherwise I think it looks fine, plays great.

In reply to

SilentXenocide

Commented on 2007-05-13 08:27:18

Wow awesome looking game. Gameplay appears to be great, and the graphics are pretty nice too. Can't wait.

In reply to

JonM

Commented on 2007-05-13 08:43:28

Doesnt seem much different at first glance, alot of it seems very halo2-ish. But as you watch it, it looks better. Halo, to me, wassn't about awesome graphics, more of a sense of scale.

In reply to

Eddy186

Commented on 2007-05-13 09:17:48

GOW is not that great looking and it is not a technical marvel and it sure as hell wont be as fun as Halo3.

Gears: No AA, not even half as many effects as halo 3, most of the environment is non reactive, nothing in the environment has any realtime effects everything is animation, no physics for anything other then a grenade and body parts and even then those physics are crappy, small closed environments, repetitive, and it has so many glitches.

Honestly, Gears is not the top notch games in graphics. I do not see why people think it is such a marvel to look at.

Halo 3 will be better in every aspect, no doubt!

In reply to

Nit3m4re

Commented on 2007-05-13 10:25:13

I liked the grenade sticking in the snow. That was cool

In reply to

godhandiscen

Commented on 2007-05-13 12:46:33 In reply to Eddy186

Posted by Eddy186

Gears IS the top notch when it comes to graphics. But it seems Halo 3 is better looking judging by these videos.

In reply to

BlimBlim

Commented on 2007-05-13 14:56:04

More videos coming soon :)

In reply to

most_hated

Commented on 2007-05-13 16:50:36

You Halo fans must be smoking something. The graphics aren't even in the same league as GoW or UT3.

In reply to

RAZurrection

Commented on 2007-05-13 16:54:31

I don't know about some of you, but I saw these 2 vids

http://download.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/t_halo3_...
http://download.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/t_halo3_...

http://download.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/t_halo3_...
http://download.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/t_halo3_...

And I think High Ground looks incredible, way better than Valhalla and Snowbound graphically.

I wonder if HG uses assets from H3's campaign desert levels.

In reply to

Krabath

Commented on 2007-05-13 19:39:16

Ah! More videos! Thanks a bunch, Blimblim! Well judging from the first set of videos the Beta, I think, looks crisp with lots of nice/upgraded details like the water and the Carbine fire trails( Fire as in shot that is.). I must say I am not completely blown away, but that may be due to its beta status... It DOES looks nice though and I am eager to try it out. The maps look good on the whole(chocolate asscream!) if a little familiar... perhaps Bungie should evolve the look of some of Halo aspects a bit? -maps/enviroments, I mean. No I dont think I can do a better job than Bungie nor have I any specific ideas to what the look should be instead. Its just that whenever I look at Valhalla and its structures I get the feeling that I have been there a hundred times before... Well, déjà vu or not, the map could still become my favorite, the name alone will have me playing it lotz! And the Beta features only three maps... There could very well be more variety in store for us.

In reply to

ezbake

Commented on 2007-05-14 01:19:33

sweet

In reply to

360Champ

Commented on 2007-05-14 07:02:45

dunno if anyone saw the special they had on spike tv's gamehead but the bungie studio said these are not the final graphics the graphics will be much polished when the final game is done and these videos really do the game some justice when watching on my 360 in 720p thnx you guys are the best.

For the spike tv special video its on gametrailers.com front page sum where but it will tell you guys that these are not the final graphics i mean come on guys they spent a million on gears they'll probly spend a 2million on halo3(im talking about microsoft if you didnt know) OHHHHH im going to probly drool on myself when i play the beta.

In reply to

DirtPipeMilkShake

Commented on 2007-05-14 07:29:33 In reply to Eddy186

This message is in "Boulet Time" (TM), If you still *really* want to see it, click here

Posted by Eddy186

u dumb hehe

For the love of god, you have an EA logo as your AV. lmao. Your opinion means a lot to us! I'm serious! It does.

Zomoniac

Commented on 2007-05-14 11:59:05 In reply to DirtPipeMilkShake

This message is in "Boulet Time" (TM), If you still *really* want to see it, click here

Posted by DirtPipeMilkShake

For the love of god, you have an EA logo as your AV. lmao.

Umm...

Do you want to tell him, Eddy? Or should I?

SimonM7

Commented on 2007-05-14 12:55:22

I'll back Eddy up a bit on this, about half way at least.

I firmly think Gears IS the most technically impressive game I've ever seen, but not the prettiest. That has to do with art direction, colours (lack therof) and character design though, and that kinda stuff transcends "tech" in my book.

I just can't muster much enthusiasm just looking at the game, because it never really "touches" me in any way. It's just drab and brown and gritty and boring like. So yeah, I think I know what Eddy is talking about, but I do believe he's off the mark where technology is concerned.

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Halo 3: The beta, now in motion!

Video 1 (720p complete)

Video 2 (720 complete)

Video 1 (720p, short)

Video 1 (640x360, complete)

Video 2 (720p short)

Video 2 (640x360 long)

Video 3 (HD complete)

Beta: intro

All comments (126)

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