Earthfrisk.Org Beats Wikipedia, Launches Social Search Engine Months Ahead of Web-Based Encyclopedia
December 31, 2007
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–EarthFrisk.Org launches the first Meta-Social Hybrid Search Engine, months before Wikipedia’s planned launch in 2008 of their own community controlled search engine. With the motto “If you can’t find it by using this site, it doesn’t exist,” EarthFrisk.org finally fully unleashes the Web.
“We’ve created the first search engine where the community can vote and comment on the very best search results, which are the top searches of Google, MSN’s Live and Yahoo, among others, all with less spam,” stated Michael Lodispoto, the managing member of EarthFrisk.Org.
EarhFrisk.Org ushers in a new paradigm; the community takes the best search results and then votes and comments on them.
“For the first time we have believe we can offer a real alternative to the major search engines. We offer far more value to those utilizing Internet search. The new interface allows even better spam filtering as millions of eyeballs commenting and voting can beat any algorithm of any company,” stated Mr. Lodispoto.
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales had hoped to be the first to launch a Web 2.0 answer to search, but EarthFrisk.Org is indeed the first player to enter this growing field. EarthFrisk.Org has direct interfaces with Digg, Wikipedia and other major sites and search engines as well, making searching far easier with less spam.
“EarthFrisk.Org’s community ratings can be seen by all just by clicking on the discuss/info/vote button next to all search engine results. No need to download toolbars to see what others are saying about Web sites or even people,” said Mr. Lodispoto. He quickly added, “Though toolbars are available and ready for anyone to test out.”
With Google’s near complete dominance in Internet search growing every month, EarthFrisk.Org hopes to harness “people power” and create an even better search experience.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, earn your own halo, wings and harp
December 30, 2007
On Thursday, I received my long-awaited shipment of 360 games to review. They couldn’t have possibly come at a better time too, since I had been planning a gaming night for weeks which just so happened to be set for yesterday evening! What a great opportunity. It was myself and four other friends, so there was the inevitable fighting over controllers, though we always worked it out somehow or another. Regardless, the games were a hit! But no other game was as incredibly popular as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare We played the multiplayer mode from 9:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., and then for a few hours in the morning. That’s eight, perhaps even nine hours of gaming dominated by CoD 4. Nine hours that never got dull.
And Now for our Feature Presentation!
Enough with the buildup, here’s the review. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has been getting rave reviews all across the board, and for a reason… actually, many reasons.
This is primarily a review of multi-player. In the campaign mode, Russia and the Middle East are in cahoots with each other. The word nuclear bomb is thrown around. There’s a dictator called Al-Asad who you try and stop, on account of him being a pretty bad dude. I really don’t want to spoil the story. Anyway, where this game really shines is in fact the multi-player. So let’s commence the review, shall we?
The Atmosphere
As the title suggests, the game is set in the present. You’ll find yourself in those regions that seem to be perpetually war-torn– the Middle East and Russia, primarily. From the crumbling ruins of what used to be a mud-brick, cinder block, and sheet-metal center of commerce and residence, to mucky, dark bogs, this game features all of the locales that we have come to expect from such titles. There is no shortage of sepia and steely gray.
The graphics leave little to be desired, as far as effectively rendering recently cluster-bombed slums goes. Although this is not a game that lends itself to eye candy, what it does do is done well. It makes Halo 3 seem almost whimsical when I think of the abundance of color in that game compared to CoD 4. Yes, what you’ll get from this game is a hearty helping of unadulterated, sugar-free realism. There is no bright pink and purple, no glowing green globulous gobs of plasma flying at you from afar, no ‘pink rain’. You feel that grinding in between your teeth? Yeah, that must be the grit left behind from a session of CoD 4.
The Game (how it plays)
First off, the game is a constant adrenaline rush. There is nary a time when you do not automatically respawn in some sort of crossfire. Your reaction time must be absolutely lightening fast. You’ll find yourself juggling things like ducking (if there is any), peeking out just far enough to get a good fix on your opponent with the sight of your weapon, dodging the inevitable pre-death grenade thrown at you as a last measure by the enemy to to take your life along with his, and, of course, that sneaky bastard who is always waiting to strike from behind. The ability to efficiently multitask and also think straight during the heat of battle are key to ensuring some sort of success.
On health– you don’t have much. This is the real world, set in the here and now. There are no bubble shields, nor overshields, nor any other kind of shield except for brick and mortar and the occasional tanker or shipping container. When your health is low, you’ll see a blood-red, almost venous frame around the screen.
On weapons– There’s a fine assortment, although the automatics are the most popular, mostly because they are ideal for such frenetic combat.
Snipers are very rarely used, since there really is no place to hide, so long as you’ve got the map/radar enabled. The map, a little box in the top-left corner of the HUD, shows the positions of you and your adversaries (or allies) in real time. Once again, this feature really facilitates the blitzkrieg style fighting that goes down, but if you prefer laying in wait like the silent and efficient hunter that you are, then I suggest that you disable it. Sort of off topic, but why is sniping on a rooftop not called camping, while hunkering down by a doorway with an automatic is seen as being cheap? It just doesn’t make any sense.
Generally, shotguns are used only in levels such as Vacant, where you are for the most part duking it out in some sort of building, where somebody could very well be right around the corner (and often times is).
Pistols are used primarily during what is called your ‘last stand’, where you are on the brink of death, yet have the chance to pull your murderer down with you to the grave. Personally, though, I usually just opt to shank the person with my knife during these segments, as they’re usually right on top of you on such occasions. You’d be surprised just how often a last stand results in a kill. My advice to you is to treat your opponent like a zombie, or something that has been infected by the Flood. Make a good sweep over the head region and make sure that you’ve killed ‘em dead. :P
Grenades. For the most part, you’ve got flash bangs, frags, and smokers. Like I said earlier, the primary purpose of the grenade seems to be trying to get one last chance to spite your attacker before biting the dirt. At least, that’s what the frag grenades are best for, with their impressive range (they also don’t bounce as much as in Halo 3). I personally prefer the flash bangs, since they’re great for incapacitating your foe before you shank him, or shoot him, or blow him up. Upon being deployed, the victim experiences a blinding flash of light which leaves their screen totally white for a moment before fading away slowly, and a terrible ringing in their ears. Just don’t stand too close, lest you experience this yourself. Believe me, that’s never fun. As for smoke grenades, their not really my thing, although if used correctly they can be rather helpful, and also have the bonus effect of making you feel as one with your inner ninja. Oh, and did I mention that you can sometimes throw a grenade back by clicking R1? Because you can.
As for the controls, they are very cohesive, although I found myself floundering for a little while whilst trying to make the transition from Halo 3.
A- This is used for jumping. Unlike Halo 3, you are no longer Michael Jordan with Moon Shoes.
B- Used to take cover– you can walk fully erect, crouch down low, or git down awn ya belly, if you want to be super sneaky.
X- Used to reload. No deployables here.
Y- Switch weapons.
Analog right- To look around, click to shank
Analog left- Walk around, click to sprint.
L1- To throw smoke, flash bang grenades
R1- Frag ‘nades
Left trigger- Scope
Right trigger- Shoot
When All Else Fails, Call in an Air Strike.
Upon amassing a certain amount of consecutive casualties, you can call in an air strike by pressing right on the D-pad. Why did I give this it’s own section? Because it’s just that awesome a feature.
Death from above– After acquiring 3 kills in a row, you can call in some fighter jets to an area of your choosing, which proceed to bomb at will. This is most effective on maps like Wet Work, which is a cargo ship with very little cover. On maps where buildings are plentiful, however, you’ll need a certain degree of luck for this to rack up any kills.
Get to–I mean away, FAR AWAY, from da choppa– After getting 5 kills in a row, you gain the option of calling in a helicopter mows down all opponents in sight like a kid with a pea shooter in a room full of balloons. Like so many other things, it’s one of those things that’s cheap if somebody else has it, but awesome if it just so happens to be yours.
Would I Recommend This Game?
If you are a 360 owner and don’t own this game… why don’t you? Honestly, I would like to know. Being a 360 owner, there is a good chance that this is the kind of stuff that you bought the system for in the first place. Make your 360 worthwhile. Pick up Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Also, invite some buddies over. Throw in a bag of chips, and you’re set for a long night… and morning… of gaming.
HDNet to Air Dan Rather Reports Interview with Benazir Bhutto
December 28, 2007
DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–WHAT: HDNet will air an interview with Dan Rather and Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The interview was originally broadcast in August of this year, just before Bhutto returned to Pakistan after a period of self-exile.
The updated version will include a new introduction by Rather including commentary about Bhutto’s recent assassination.
In the original interview, Bhutto gave Rather rare insights into the political maneuvering that may be shaping Pakistan’s future.
The U.S. government had reportedly been working behind the scenes to facilitate a power sharing agreement between Bhutto and Musharraf as a means of legitimizing the regime of America’s close ally in the war on terror.
Bhutto was the first woman to lead a Muslim nation.
WHEN: “DAN RATHER REPORTS – A Prime Minister in Exile” airs Friday, December 28 at 6:00 p.m. ET with additional airings scheduled for Saturday, December 29 and Sunday, December 30 at 9:00 a.m. ET.
7-Eleven® Toasts Customers with Free New Year’s Eve Hot Beverage
December 27, 2007
I know what you are thinking, why is this in the Tech Deals section? It is here because all techies love coffee. so here is the deal:
Go to any 7-Eleven store near you on Monday Dec 31 starting at 11PM to Tuesday Jan 1 at 7AM for a free 12-ounce cup of coffee or other hot beverage. Participating stores will have free coffee signs in place.
The offer includes all 7-Eleven store coffees as well as gourmet specialties like cappuccino and hot chocolate. Participating stores will display a sign on the front window announcing information about the free-coffee program. Since ringing in the 1988 New Year, 7-Eleven stores across the United States have given away more than 1 million cups of coffee as part of its free-coffee program for late-night revelers and drivers. But that’s a drop in the cup compared to 365 million cups of coffee the retailer sells a year. 7-Eleven brews almost 10,000 pots every hour of every day of the year. A free cup of coffee on New Year’s Eve is a small way that 7-Eleven can thank its customers for their business and to wish them a happy 2008.
Go Daddy Gives Millions to Charities & Employees
December 27, 2007
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–What’s good for Go Daddy is good for the community. This year’s financial success for the world’s largest provider of Web site addresses is translating into big dollars for charities and for the company’s own employees.
For the year, Go Daddy’s philanthropic works totaled $1.4 million in donations alone. The Scottsdale-based company helped organizations dedicated to a variety of causes, including domestic violence, child abuse, blind children, unwed mothers, homelessness, as well as Parkinson’s disease, Juvenile Diabetes, food banks and animal shelters.
“It’s important to us to make a difference in our community and all over the world,” said Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons.
Mr. Parsons is known for his “surprise” contributions, as with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF). At the JDRF Desert Southwest Chapter’s kick-off luncheon in September, Parsons was expected to announce the company’s $100,000 donation, but after listening to stories of families affected by the disease, he surprised everyone by standing up and pledging twice the amount.
Parsons also doubled his donation to needy children in Tucson, Arizona, this month. He did it in style, too, while riding his Harley-Davidson as the Grand Marshall for the Sun Riders 26th Annual Motorcycle Toy Parade benefiting Aviva Children’s Services.
Go Daddy’s own employees have also benefited from the company’s most successful year ever. More than $1 million was awarded to employees in 2007. Employee prizes included cash, cars, a year’s mortgage paid, a four-year college scholarship and a trip around the world that included 20 paid vacation days and $10,000 spending money.
“We learned a long time ago, happy employees are productive employees,” Parsons said after the company’s holiday party this year. “We hold fun contests all throughout the whole year.”
Go Daddy rented out Chase Field for their holiday party, hired the Gin Blossoms to entertain and gave away gifts to each and every employee. The event was hailed as “the party to end all parties” at a time when most companies are scaling back.
Acer Aspire 5050 5430 Laptop Computer - AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core TK-53 1.7GHz, 802.11b/g Wireless, 1GB DDR2, 120GB HDD, Dual Layer DVD RW, 14.1″ WXGA, Integrated Webcam, Windows Vista Home Premium
December 25, 2007
Acer Aspire 5050 5430 Laptop Computer
Packing phenomenal performance and long battery life into Acer’s Folio design! The Acer Aspire 5050 5430 Laptop Computer offers unparalleled sophistication and productivity in a thin, lightweight laptop. The Aspire 5050’s 1.7GHz Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core TK-53 CPU is uniquely optimized to deliver incredible mobile productivity, delivering longer battery life, enhanced security, and compatibility with the latest wireless and graphics technologies. This full-featured laptop also boasts 1GB of DDR2 memory, a big 120GB hard drive, a Dual Layer DVD+/-RW drive and a brilliant, high-resolution LCD active-matrix display that’s great for watching DVD movies as well as giving you easy-on-the-eyes comfort for your other computing tasks. For your home, or your office the Acer Aspire 5050 offers the best and most affordable combination of performance, portability and style. Order your Acer Aspire 5050 5430 Laptop Computer today and get ready to enjoy mobile computing like never before.
Steve’s Notes
Laptop computers can be hit or miss. Unlike Desktop PCs you can’t do much with a Laptop in regards to upgrades once you buy it. You can replace the hard drive and memory but that is about it. This thing comes with two RAM slots with 512MB in each. The first thing you will want to do is boost this beast up to 2GB of RAM for $60 more. Trust me, it is worth it.
Other than the memory issue the laptop looks good to me.
Acer Aspire T180-UA381B AMD Desktop PC - AMD Athlon 64 3800+ 2.4GHz, 1GB DDR2, 160GB SATA, DL DVD±RW, Gigabit LAN, Flash Reader, Windows Vista Home Basic, 17″ LCD
December 25, 2007
Acer Aspire T180-UA381B AMD Desktop PC with 17″ LCD
For many years Acer has delivered the most reliable computers in the world. Computers you can count on to perform with incomparable efficiency. The T180-UA381B AMD desktop continues the Acer tradition with its AMD Athlon 64 3800+ 2.4GHz socket AM2 processor with Hypertransport, dual-layer DVD±RW drive, 1GB of DDR2 memory, 160GB SATA hard drive, Gigabit LAN, modem, and numerous onboard innovations. The Acer Aspire T180-UA381B runs on Microsoft’s Windows Vista Home Basic Edition operating system for optimum security and stability. The Acer Aspire T180-UA381B is an exceptional all-around computer capable of handling the most complex tasks. An outstanding solution for today’s toughest computing applications, the Acer Aspire T180-UA381B has plenty of room for future upgrades.
Acer AL1706AB 17-inch LCD Monitor Excellent viewing clarity
Admire impressive graphics and video on the Acer AL1706AB 17-inch LCD monitor. The AL1706AB provides a marvelous visual display from features such as 16.2 million displayable colors, 1280 x 1024 maximum resolution, 8ms response time and .26 pixel pitch. Connect your Acer LCD to your Acer T180-UA381B AMD desktop PC and treat yourself to visual splendor.
Steve’s Notes
I bought an Acer Desktop PC for my wife about two months ago. I spent a few hundred dollars more than the cost of this one and that money got me 2GB of RAM and a much larger hard drive. It also came with Vista Home Premium. I think more PC makers are bundling Vista home Basic with their machines because they expect people to upgrade to Windows XP soon after they buy it. So why waste the license for a better version of Vista? (Better is used in a relative manner.)
What I love about Acer Desktop PCs is that fact that they come with almost no bloat ware. unlike the other PC makers who cram all sorts of crap onto your system that you have to remove before you start playing with your machine Acer provides you with a near clean install of the OS.
When people ask me about buying a new PC Acer is on the top of my list.
Virtual console Releases for Dec 24, 2007
December 24, 2007
Just in time for Christmas its the Monday release list for the Virtual Console on the Nintendo Wii.
BLADES OF STEEL™ (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Violence, 500 Wii Points): With stick in hand and confidence brimming, you are looking to bring home the cup, win the MVP award, get on the covers of major sports magazines and date a beautiful model (not necessarily in that order). But soon you will learn that, in this league, nothing is ever given to you, and before you can reach your goals, you’ll have to put the puck in the net and score some. You’ll need both the artful skills of a finesse player and the bone-crushing brutality of an enforcer. Defend your own goal against unrelenting power plays, or put the pressure on your opponent’s goalie and try a slap shot of your own. Don’t forget to defend yourself when anger flares because the gloves come off and fists start flying. So strap on blades of steel and prepare to either make a name for yourself or be put on ice.
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble™ (Super NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Revisit Donkey Kong Island and join the Kong family for their latest adventure. The Kremlings have a mysterious new leader named KAOS and are up to their usual mischief, even capturing Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. Now it’s up to Dixie Kong and the newest Kong, a giant infant named Kiddy, to rescue the two missing apes. They’ll travel across previously unseen parts of the island in their search, and even take to the skies in a rocket at one point. Lucky for them, Dixie and Kiddy’s powers complement each other (including Kiddy’s talent for rolling like a barrel), so they form a powerful team capable of major Kremling damage. They’re not completely on their own, either, since returning favorites like Funky Kong and Enguarde the swordfish provide help along the way. And in a series known for its abundance of secrets and high replay value, this entry doesn’t disappoint, with enough hours of game play to satisfy Donkey Kong himself. Anyone else have a sudden urge for some bananas?
Rolling Thunder™ 2 (Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Violence, 800 Wii Points): In this follow-up to the original classic, you are once again a member of Interpol’s Rolling Thunder task force, and it’s up to you to stop the return of the evil Geldra organization. Now known as Neo-Geldra and led by a newcomer named Gimdo, the bad guys are bent on destroying several valuable outer-space satellites. In this one- or two-player game, you can play as Leila or Albatross-both characters from the original-as you venture through several different levels, trying to put a stop to the nefarious efforts of Gimdo and the rest of Neo-Geldra. Use your bullets wisely and make Rolling Thunder proud.
Talkster Simplifies Group Conference Calling on the iPhone
December 21, 2007
TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–With more than three million iPhones expected in consumers’ hands by the end of 2007, Voice 2.0 company Talkster is delivering an early holiday gift to iPhone users: simplified group conference calling all over the globe for the cost of a single local call.
Although the intuitive iPhone comes with a simple method for adding additional people into an existing conversation, the process becomes tedious and complex when adding a third, fourth or fifth caller to the conference. With the Talkster service, iPhone users simply go to http://i.talkster.com to set up their group call. They enter the names and phone numbers of the people they want to call and click invite. Talkster generates a local phone number for each of the call participants and distributes the new number via text message. This one-time process generates a permanent number that callers can save in their address book and use any time they want to talk to this same group of people.
In addition to creating the easiest way to conference call a group of friends, this single number connects up to five friends anywhere in the world for the price of a single local call. When adding multiple friends to a group call using the native iPhone interface callers are using up multiple minutes including one for each caller in the group, with even higher costs when calling friends internationally. With Talkster, all group calls–even those that include international numbers–are as simple as dialing one local number, and minutes for just that single call are used.
“The iPhone solved some of the complexities of conference calling by adding the simple plus sign to the dial pad for adding callers, but when you are setting up a call for more than two people, the built-in iPhone method can be a complex process with multiple call, hold, merge steps for each caller,” says James Wanless, co-founder and COO of Talkster. “Talkster has made group conference calls as easy as dialing one phone number. Couple the ease of use with the fact that Talkster group conference calls are free, and it’s clear to see that iPhone users with friends and family around the globe have something to celebrate this holiday season.”
Talkster is able to offer callers free long distance, international, and group conference calls from any kind of phone by subsidizing the cost of calls with advertisements. Callers listen to a single 10-second audio ad at the start of each call and then can talk as long as they like with free calling service and no talk time limits in more than 30 countries around the globe.
Eliminating the complexity and cost of group conference calls, Talkster is publicly available today at http://i.talkster.com from the iPhone or http://free.talkster.com from any other mobile phone with a standard web browser.
Halo 3 Review
December 20, 2007
The Atmosphere
While I have found that others lament the fact that the game yet again reverts to yet another Halo, which they say is repetitive and stale now, for me this was really a non-issue. After all, let’s not forget the name of the game– is it not called “Halo 3″ for a reason? The Halos are integral to the story, and I can’t see why they would ever go away.
The entire alien federation, the Covenant, is at war with mankind solely thanks to these ’sacred relics’, and the alliance wouldn’t even exist without them. The bottom line is, the Halos just work. Not only are they necessary story-line wise, but the rings feature many distinct geographical regions to jump back and forth between. With forests, beaches, deserts, arid arctic environments and more, the game stays fresh throughout.
Besides the Halo rings, we are also treated to missions such as those that occur in Africa, human military bases and bunkers, Flood-infested ships, and on the Arc, which, while nearly identical to the Halos except for its shape, is still a welcome addition. Also returning are Forerunner installations for you to explore. Laden with plenty of glowy blue lights, energy bridges, and dull metallic… everything, they are as bland as ever. I guess that they never did away with the blue LED fad. Sad for such an advanced civilization.
The missions in Africa are really cool, especially the jungle area, with its babbling streams, roaring waterfalls, and rampant vegetation. I call this portion “Brutes in the Mist”. On earth, you’ll find yourself inching your way through Covenant defenses, taking out a few anti-air Wraiths to secure landing zones, and duking it out with the occasional Scarab. It’s nice to take the fight back home; there’s no place like it, after all.
The Flood ships are really something else. Always a captured Covenant ship, they appear to have undergone some very extreme Flood makeovers. And let me tell you, they sure went to town. As with everything the Flood lay their slimy mits (tentacles? mandibles?) on, you will find the innards overgrown with pus-filled postules, which if provoked will actually pop, releasing those nasty little Flood anklebiters. The walls look as if they are alive (which they are). All in all, it’s as if somebody ate everything but the kitchen sink and wasted no time in regurgitating every last drop until everything was covered in what looks like a combination of mucus and oatmeal. If you have a weak stomach, I’m sorry. But it’s really that gross. Of all the various Flood enemies, the infected buggers are my least favorite, as they’re always well concealed and sniping at you from as far away as possible, sometimes a dozen or so all at once.
The only thing that I would really have liked to have seen is a ship level that actually takes place in space, like in the first two games. There’s just something about looking out of a window and seeing nothing but a sea of stars beyond. Such a sense of confinement really adds to the overall mood, IMO.
Graphics
Since Halo 3 is really my first foray into next (current?) gen gaming, I am not yet one to stack Halo’s graphics up against those of any other modern 360 game. While I am not sure of what would result from a comparison, I am sure that Halo’s beauty, while perhaps bested by the competing game, would not drop down a tier in my eyes. I have not done extensive observation of the multi-player mode, but I have heard that its visuals do not quite live up to those of the campaign mode. Regardless, the standard set by the single player is surely high. From the goo-covered membranes of the Flood ships, to rippling pools of water, to the windswept desert sands, the game is definitely a looker. There is great attention to detail. I often pause after a battle, if only to look down at the ugly mug of a recently slain brute to behold the wonderful character modeling. I admit, I have a penchant for shiny things. I swear, there have been times when I have undoubtedly gazed, totally hypnotized, at the slick, mauve colored carapace of a Ghost for god knows how long. There is one thing better than a pristine ghost– and that’s blowing it up. Explosions are frequent in Halo. Just make sure that you’re not so mesmerized that you fail to get out of their way.
There is a wealth of beautious textures, lighting effects, and visual spectacles. But there are also some aspects which I believe could use some refinement. The humans look as stiff and plastic-y as ever. Although I have not yet found a game that has transcended the ‘uncanny valley’, there are games which are less deep in the hole than Halo 3. From Sergeant Johnson’s strangely flat, polygonal ears, to Lord Hood’s face (which looks too rubbery, like a rubber glove that was left to sit on a radiator), to the sometimes blocky looking environments, the game could have used a little extra polish in the graphics department. I know that it may seem like nit-picking, and really, it is. But they are some legitimate gripes of mine.
The audio consists of some new variations of the old Halo theme, along with a few other epic scores, rife with piano, strings, and all that jazz. Gone is the more guitar-heavy stuff that could be found in Halo 2. I have to say, I would have liked a little more variety in the sound department. There’s this song during the credits that would have been awesome. But, if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. And one thing’s for sure, there’s a reason why they did what they did with the soundtrack. It has that un-mistakable, distinctly Halo sound.
Gameplay
The game play is as fast and furious as ever, and is truly immersive. If what you’re looking for is to get together with your buddies for an all-out frag fest, then this game just can’t be beat. There may be a little slowdown or freezing, if only for a split second, but it’s hardly crippling; you barely even notice once you’re really into the game. The button layout is essentially the same, save for the two new shoulder buttons, the left for switching grenades/picking up a secondary weapon/reloading, and the right for picking up weapons/picking up deployables/reloading. The X button’s function has been switched around, and instead of reloading your weapon, it is now used to dispatch “deployables”, little devices which may aid you in ways such as setting up a gravity lift, or a shield, or a health-regenerating field. My personal favorite would have to be the bubble shield, which surrounds you in a transparent dome which deflects all attacks. Believe me, It comes in handy.
As for enemy A.I., it’s spectacular. You really start to notice it when playing in Heroic mode, the way that the enemy really comes to life. Taking cover, alerting comrades, ambushing, and just engaging in plain ol’ conversation– it’s all there, and it really helps to immerse you fully in the game. The ally A.I. is, unfortunately, not so impressive. The marines don’t really seem to help all that much at all. If not for the Chief, mankind wouldn’t have a prayer. Although, I guess that that’s really the point, isn’t it?
Would I recommend this game?
Hell yeah. This is a 360 must-have. I think that this following sentence, previously mentioned in this review, is Halo 3 in a nutshell: “If what you’re looking for is to get together with your buddies for an all-out frag fest, then this game just can’t be beat.” If that’s what you’re looking for, then this game is for you. I Gair-awn-tee it.
Credit to teamxbox.com for the screens! Thanks!
Don’t have Halo 3 or or an Xbox360? You have a few choices. You can purchase the awesome Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Limited Edition Systemfor $399 (if you don’t already have an Xbox360) or you can purchase Halo 3
by itself for about $59.99.
