Halo 3

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5503 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4,271 out of 5503
  2. Mixed: 542 out of 5503
  3. Negative: 690 out of 5503
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. IainC.
    Oct 14, 2007
    4
    i had more fun killing my allies in groups over and over then actually playing the game. you can tell that they started to run out of story ideas after the second halo. and they may have had no choice. the story of halo was a story that would have been better off with no ending. the way the story is written really doesnt let their be a descent ending. but. the first halo will always be my i had more fun killing my allies in groups over and over then actually playing the game. you can tell that they started to run out of story ideas after the second halo. and they may have had no choice. the story of halo was a story that would have been better off with no ending. the way the story is written really doesnt let their be a descent ending. but. the first halo will always be my favorite game. and if any thing, bungie should work on remaking the first halo and improving it.… Expand
  2. RichardS.
    Oct 19, 2007
    4
    What a load of pants! I love Halo 1 - without doubt my favourite game. Every time I play it I can't help but marvel and exclaim out loud "I love this!" Halo 3, like Halo 2, bears no resemblance to the original classic. Halo was brilliant because it didn't have too many weapons, it had a couple of weapons all of which served a purpose. There was a brilliant mix of claustrophobic What a load of pants! I love Halo 1 - without doubt my favourite game. Every time I play it I can't help but marvel and exclaim out loud "I love this!" Halo 3, like Halo 2, bears no resemblance to the original classic. Halo was brilliant because it didn't have too many weapons, it had a couple of weapons all of which served a purpose. There was a brilliant mix of claustrophobic corridor action and a few open-field action pieces. There were a few machines, all of which played a different part in the story. Halo 3 couldn't be more different. Like Halo 2 it is now a naff and boring team-squad type game with loads of pointless and horrible weapons no-one wants to use, too many vehicles, loads of massive open-play battlefields with zero tension and zero fun. Instead of tense, close-quarter battles, now you have bland heavy-weapon warfare - it's like playing Mechwarrior or something rubbish like that. Better than Halo 2. But still rubbish.… Expand
  3. ThomasM.
    Oct 21, 2007
    4
    This game is really mediocre at best. It's match making is limited and very flawed. The story is short and not original. The game has potential but with your limited control of the game types you play and the inability to veto more then one game type or map per game, you are often stuck playing game types and maps that no one wants to. One example of a serious flaw is when someone This game is really mediocre at best. It's match making is limited and very flawed. The story is short and not original. The game has potential but with your limited control of the game types you play and the inability to veto more then one game type or map per game, you are often stuck playing game types and maps that no one wants to. One example of a serious flaw is when someone leaves a team game even before it starts, your team will be down players at the start.… Expand
  4. MickThomsoin
    Jul 29, 2007
    4
    After playing the Beta, Halo 3 is nothing new. This game does not live up to its hype at this moment. The graphics and gameplay were like Halo 2.5. And 2 new weapons? C'mon Bungie! Help us out here! Thats pretty pathetic. The maps were OK.Nothing to be excited about though. Same old choppy gameplay. Hopefully when the actual game comes out it'll be alot better. But I thinkAfter playing the Beta, Halo 3 is nothing new. This game does not live up to its hype at this moment. The graphics and gameplay were like Halo 2.5. And 2 new weapons? C'mon Bungie! Help us out here! Thats pretty pathetic. The maps were OK.Nothing to be excited about though. Same old choppy gameplay. Hopefully when the actual game comes out it'll be alot better. But I think Halo's time has past. The first Halo was a blast. But after screwing up the sequal, Halo 3 doesn't have a chance. I think I'll just stick to Gears of War for a while.… Expand
  5. TylerG.
    Sep 25, 2007
    4
    Good way to end, but too short.
  6. JimmyD.
    Sep 26, 2007
    4
    The campaign was a huge disappointment. Graphics were good, although the Admiral was just a huge crap-pile, and the sound was good and the controls were intuitive and easy as always, but the campaign was just not good. never felt like the story and the MCs part in it were as solid as the first two. There were no moments where I was astounded by the epic nature of the fight and the game The campaign was a huge disappointment. Graphics were good, although the Admiral was just a huge crap-pile, and the sound was good and the controls were intuitive and easy as always, but the campaign was just not good. never felt like the story and the MCs part in it were as solid as the first two. There were no moments where I was astounded by the epic nature of the fight and the game was over too soon. The ending was a giant cop out too. Really original guys. Its an underwhelming capstone to what was my favorite console game ever. I will say however that I have not yet played the PvP stuff, so please take that into account. But damn was the single player not good.… Expand
  7. AhmedG
    Sep 26, 2007
    4
    Too much hype for an avrage run and gun shooter.
  8. Lansalot
    Sep 27, 2007
    4
    Doesn't really move the series on from the original. Pales into insignificance next to the more accomplished multiplayer titles like GRAW2, Rainbow6 and the upcoming Call Of Duty 4. How come the frame rate issues, when COD4/GOW are far more graphically intensive and work perfectly? I can't believe it took them this long to come up with something like this. Forge is a good idea Doesn't really move the series on from the original. Pales into insignificance next to the more accomplished multiplayer titles like GRAW2, Rainbow6 and the upcoming Call Of Duty 4. How come the frame rate issues, when COD4/GOW are far more graphically intensive and work perfectly? I can't believe it took them this long to come up with something like this. Forge is a good idea however, quite innovative, but the speed of multiplayer gameplay is as if running through treacle. One for FPS-beginners I think (who haven't seen any of the above games)… Expand
  9. JollyJem
    Sep 27, 2007
    4
    I've only presently played single player but it is very disappointing. Bland graphics and sound, dismal AI and apalling script. A truly epic game (which this claims to be) would not sacrifice single player over multiplayer - both aspects should be outstanding. Poor effort.
  10. JonW.
    Sep 28, 2007
    4
    This game is just a jumped up halo 2, its ridiculously boring, the veichles in this game are god awful, the new guns totalyy useless, and its far too repetive, all it is really is duck shoot, and die, perhaps not in that order, in conclusion WASTE OF MONEY. Spend your money on something worthwile, not this, you'll be wanting your money back very quickly, i did in just 2 hours.
  11. DaveF.
    Sep 28, 2007
    4
    I was a huge halo fan...but 3 is awful. bland and outdated...it feels like an old game, basically a continuation of the first halo which was great for its time, but that was YEARS ago. where is the innovation? what did we wait for? bioshock is many times better than this piece of sh.t. what is wrong with these people who rate it a 10? open your eyes and think for yourselves instead of I was a huge halo fan...but 3 is awful. bland and outdated...it feels like an old game, basically a continuation of the first halo which was great for its time, but that was YEARS ago. where is the innovation? what did we wait for? bioshock is many times better than this piece of sh.t. what is wrong with these people who rate it a 10? open your eyes and think for yourselves instead of believing the marketing hype. yeah i know, i wanted to love this game too but i just can't pretend it's the masterpiece it claims to be.… Expand
  12. EmilB.
    Mar 13, 2008
    4
    This is probably the most overhyped/overscored game ever. Pink weapons, very bad splitscreen! You dont even have the full screen. Monsters sound like some cartoon movie monster. Multiplayer is slow. This game is for kids. Im going back to COD4
  13. oliverB
    Dec 27, 2009
    4
    i can find nothing unique about this generic FPS. seriously, its just another sci-fi shooter with sub-par graphics and boring gameplay. if this was another standalone game, it would get horrible reviews, but just because of all of the halo fanboys, it gets good reviews.
  14. EdwardJ
    Feb 7, 2009
    4
    I've been a Bungie fan for years (since Pathways) and I'm pretty certain this is the worst Bungie game I've ever played. Halo 3 is essentially Halo 2 running at a higher resolution with some pretty water effects. The storyline remains generic, the characters don't flesh out, and it retains the gameplay of Halo and Halo 2 without adding anything new to the franchise. I've been a Bungie fan for years (since Pathways) and I'm pretty certain this is the worst Bungie game I've ever played. Halo 3 is essentially Halo 2 running at a higher resolution with some pretty water effects. The storyline remains generic, the characters don't flesh out, and it retains the gameplay of Halo and Halo 2 without adding anything new to the franchise. Multiplayer is fine, but I've been playing Halo 2 since 2004, and it's the *exact same thing*. Yeah, they added deployables, but it doesn't change the gameplay mechanics, so you might as well not bother using them. Don't bother 'finishing the fight', its just not worth your time and $60.… Expand
  15. NathanT.
    Oct 27, 2007
    4
    Bottom line: just another Halo with a way-too-short singleplayer campaign, mediocre graphics AT BEST (compared to Gears of War and BioShock), and multiplayer that doesn't even compete with the most standard multiplayer PC games of today (Battlefield 2, Counter-Strike, Unreal, Quake, Team Fortress... even Half-Life 2 Deathmatch/CTF). Halo is seriously becoming the Mc Donald's of Bottom line: just another Halo with a way-too-short singleplayer campaign, mediocre graphics AT BEST (compared to Gears of War and BioShock), and multiplayer that doesn't even compete with the most standard multiplayer PC games of today (Battlefield 2, Counter-Strike, Unreal, Quake, Team Fortress... even Half-Life 2 Deathmatch/CTF). Halo is seriously becoming the Mc Donald's of video-games.… Expand
  16. Giterdone
    Sep 25, 2007
    4
    The most overhyped let down in history. I honestly don't know where to begin. Barely next gen graphics, identical gameplay, and so on. M$ has lined the pockets of these reviewers. Either that or they hacked this site and put in all of their own reviews. At least when people's shitbox 360 RRoD during this game (which is inevitable) they won't be crying that they can'tThe most overhyped let down in history. I honestly don't know where to begin. Barely next gen graphics, identical gameplay, and so on. M$ has lined the pockets of these reviewers. Either that or they hacked this site and put in all of their own reviews. At least when people's shitbox 360 RRoD during this game (which is inevitable) they won't be crying that they can't play Halo....cause they'll realize it got old fast.… Expand
  17. GarciaJ.
    Sep 25, 2007
    4
    The online gameplay was amazing but lets get serious, the ending was horrible and disappointing I don't understand how its getting awesome ratings. The graphics were awesome at times but other than that the game did not change much. the game captivated me during the first twenty minutes but then it felt to repetitive and then it just dragged. I'm still a little upset with the The online gameplay was amazing but lets get serious, the ending was horrible and disappointing I don't understand how its getting awesome ratings. The graphics were awesome at times but other than that the game did not change much. the game captivated me during the first twenty minutes but then it felt to repetitive and then it just dragged. I'm still a little upset with the ending though. It actually ruined the game for me, Waited so long for that ending just to have it rip out my heart.… Expand
  18. GameRate
    Sep 26, 2007
    4
    The changing of the controller layout was a mistake, as well as the anti-gravity thingamajig and bubble shield. Multiplayer isn't nearly as fun either, and the menu layout sucks. Bungie, you've been developing this for around three years, and you let us down like this? The new weapons are not anything to be excited about either, in fact, the Spartan Laser might be a good thing The changing of the controller layout was a mistake, as well as the anti-gravity thingamajig and bubble shield. Multiplayer isn't nearly as fun either, and the menu layout sucks. Bungie, you've been developing this for around three years, and you let us down like this? The new weapons are not anything to be excited about either, in fact, the Spartan Laser might be a good thing for you boom-happy gamers, but for the old tactical gameplay of Halo, it just doesn't fit in. The new Spikers are a healthy addition, as well as the old Battle Rifle. The campaign is weak, as I was expecting something epic in proportions. After all, did anyone see the previews? I had goosebumps. Then I played the game. And the sound file is extremely sensitive. It skips quite often, and one last thing- maps suck. They are really unimaginative and basic, and here's the kicker, for some reason stuff has this new percentage of loading, which takes a long time, or, at least, longer than I'm willing to wait. Sorry, but I'm really disappointed!… Expand
  19. DanielB.
    Sep 26, 2007
    4
    Never played Halo till I bought the third one. Was quite interested in finding out how good this game was due to what a benchmark title Halo was for the original Xbox. I shouldnt have bothered. Last Gen graphics (I Have it playing thru a monitor at 1280 x whatever and its distinctly crap) crap story oh and my favourite repetitive gameplay . What is it that keeps you guys so interested inNever played Halo till I bought the third one. Was quite interested in finding out how good this game was due to what a benchmark title Halo was for the original Xbox. I shouldnt have bothered. Last Gen graphics (I Have it playing thru a monitor at 1280 x whatever and its distinctly crap) crap story oh and my favourite repetitive gameplay . What is it that keeps you guys so interested in this repetitive snore. I realise that it has to resemble its previous titles and maintain a Halo "feel" but I mean..... whats the big deal. Yay Im the Master chief, I kick Ass, Looks like ill shoot someone then, repeat till your eyes bleed (or you are stabbing them out). I never thought I would ever say that killing aliens wasnt fun but in this its a chore to keep myself from ripping the disc out of my beloved 360 and using it as a frisbee. I dont know how you could possibly care about going past ten minutes of this snoreville. I beat the first two stages ( heroic) using the left thumb stick and my fingers pressed pretty much constantly on the triggers. No jumping, no eqiupment no need to think no need to care. Who the hell said this was tactical. You are having a laugh mate. This has all the tactics and appeal of a dead baboon. Oh but wait the multip[layer rules I here you say... excellent so I get to pay more money to play the good bit of Halo 3. I also get to listen to thousands of people that I dont like crap on about how awesome they are, how many kills they got.... blah blah blah. That might be a bit unfair but somehow I could put up with that banter during GOW but i cant in this and it can only come down to gameplay ( at least there was a third button to push in GOW). I dont know what you 10/10 people see in it but at least you like the game and dont feel so bloody ripped off. 3 years for a crap one dimensional shooter. Why didnt Bungie use forge and create decent levels or just.......something then this mediocre game. Halo is a euphemism for boring.… Expand
  20. JR
    Sep 27, 2007
    4
    More of the same. I'm highly disappointed that the game in general hasn't really evolved. There is definitely a lot to improve upon so why basically no change at all? Look at all of the things Valve is doing with HL2 Episode 2 - they found a bunch of ways to innovate. Look at BioShock with the plasmids and a completely original story. Even a slightly different story the second More of the same. I'm highly disappointed that the game in general hasn't really evolved. There is definitely a lot to improve upon so why basically no change at all? Look at all of the things Valve is doing with HL2 Episode 2 - they found a bunch of ways to innovate. Look at BioShock with the plasmids and a completely original story. Even a slightly different story the second time around would be a huge value add. Anything! Come on!… Expand
  21. Jm
    Sep 29, 2007
    4
    After playing this thing, I poked at the box to see if Bungie didn't paste a #3 over the 2 in Halo 2. Apart from the mediocre 5 hour campaign and Forge, this thing is Halo 2 with a coat of new paint. Don't try to sell me a 1980 Porche with a fresh coat of paint and tell me it is a brand new 2008 model. Bungie dissapointed me with this poor effort.
  22. RatA.
    Jan 13, 2008
    4
    Multilayer leaves a lot to be desired. Not many maps, gets very repetitive. For some reason the buttons have changed around from Halo 2. No real new features to speak of. Lets hope Bungie puts more time into the Halo 4 multilayer. The story mode however is very good.
  23. kpheg5953
    Aug 20, 2010
    4
    It seems to me that the only defense that lovers of this game have for it is the fact that it has SUPERIOR MULTIPLAYER. I believe that thinking is a little too optimistic. What I mean by this is that these people have their brain trained to think that Halo games are good. Critics love them, they sell millions of copies, they are considered the best first person shooters in the business.It seems to me that the only defense that lovers of this game have for it is the fact that it has SUPERIOR MULTIPLAYER. I believe that thinking is a little too optimistic. What I mean by this is that these people have their brain trained to think that Halo games are good. Critics love them, they sell millions of copies, they are considered the best first person shooters in the business. So, why shouldn't they believe that these games are great? The answer is simple...they aren't great. They are hardly, if at all, good. Fanboys will defend (to their death) the multiplayer, but I have long considered multiplayer somewhat of a bonus when it is included in a game, not its flagship feature. For a developer like Bungie to cut the corners on a story mode just to pump out the next multiplayer sequel seems a bit like robbery to me. This game would be saved if they had taken some time to truly develop a story, and make it seem as if they cared about making a compelling video game. They've had three games to tell a good, epic, awe inspiring story, and they haven't even tried. They've just pushed out some weak crap and stamped the next number in sequence after the title.… Expand
  24. Higher_Standard
    Aug 17, 2010
    4
    So far I've played this entire series and been nothing but disappointed. The idiocy of the AI is simply painful to watch. The story.. well the story doesn't exist and many others agree with me. The entire game is a grind. All you do is move from area to area killing the same enemies with the same guns out of the Toys'r'us. The only thing halo did well was the coop. The multilayer could beSo far I've played this entire series and been nothing but disappointed. The idiocy of the AI is simply painful to watch. The story.. well the story doesn't exist and many others agree with me. The entire game is a grind. All you do is move from area to area killing the same enemies with the same guns out of the Toys'r'us. The only thing halo did well was the coop. The multilayer could be fun if it weren't so filled with hackers and the weapons were balanced. It also kills the game for me when a punch does more damage than a gunshot. The only reason I've heard people say this game is good is for reasons like "It's epic" or "It's just awesome". They can oddly never give me a real solid reason as to why the game is any good. Also if you look around the net and do some digging you'll find that Microsoft was giving out "Press packages" to reviewers.… Expand
  25. NaughtyDog
    Jun 12, 2011
    4
    I have to say that this game is the most overrated game of all time. I enjoyed Halo 2 but Halo 3 is just one big disappointment. This game was very hyped, maybe that's why I got disappointed. The story is unfortunately very dull and I was expecting something new but it's doesn't feel new at all. Halo 3 feels repetitive...boring....and I've seen everything before!
  26. wa2kool
    Dec 15, 2013
    4
    It would be fascinating to know why other reviewers rate this title so highly, as the Single-Player is one of the worst in existence, the characters are uninteresting and easily forgettable and the load-time durations are simply a war crime. Halo 3's soundtrack, multiplayer and distinctive visual style prevent this title from simply being a polished turd. Multiplayer (including Forge Mode)It would be fascinating to know why other reviewers rate this title so highly, as the Single-Player is one of the worst in existence, the characters are uninteresting and easily forgettable and the load-time durations are simply a war crime. Halo 3's soundtrack, multiplayer and distinctive visual style prevent this title from simply being a polished turd. Multiplayer (including Forge Mode) is the only plausible reason to purchase this game for entertainment value because it earns its own merit and then some. The maps are varied and offer plenty of strategy and the use of vehicles are immensely entertaining.

    Graphics 6/10 Although distinct in visual style, some of the level design does little to highlight it.
    Gameplay 6/10 Single player is atrocious, boring and forgettable but multiplayer is in a league of its own.
    Features 6/10 Removing the vacuous single player from the equation, Multiplayer has a gargantuan lasting appeal.

    Overall: 4/10 Multiplayer retains the same high standards of previous entries but the single player is simply an offence in gaming.    … Expand
  27. MathewManson
    Dec 30, 2012
    4
    Halo 3...is the worst Halo game in existence...it's extremely dull and boring. Halo 2 in my opinion is still the Halo game that defines the series, if you want the best Halo experience--Halo 2 will offer it. Halo 3 downgrades almost everything which made the previous Halo games so good. The combat is nothing new, though the duel-wielding has been taken away with a lot of weapons, whichHalo 3...is the worst Halo game in existence...it's extremely dull and boring. Halo 2 in my opinion is still the Halo game that defines the series, if you want the best Halo experience--Halo 2 will offer it. Halo 3 downgrades almost everything which made the previous Halo games so good. The combat is nothing new, though the duel-wielding has been taken away with a lot of weapons, which does balance things out for the multiplayer, though causes the single player to be much more slower than it needs to be. This brings up the general problem that the game is way too short. It can be beaten in a few hours and offers no real replay value due to the linearity and simplicity of it all. What were Bungie thinking? The X-BOX 360 was a next generation system, yet they make a game worse than what was run on the previous X-BOX? Multiplayer online seems to be ruining the single player experience...developers aren't bothered making good single player anymore due to the high demand for multiplayer, and it's a real shame considering that the first-person-shooter genre started off focusing heavily on single player. Unless you want to see what happens story-wise, there is no reason to play Halo 3.… Expand
  28. ShayneV.
    Sep 28, 2007
    3
    This game sucks. Campaign sucks and thats why i played the game. They put to much time into multiplayer then they did the story. In my opinion the halo series is one the most over rated series to ever be put onto a system
  29. BenH.
    May 13, 2008
    3
    This game is ok. But It's the same thing everytime I play a new Halo game. Half-Life is so much better. The storyline is so much deeper and more fun. Every game in Half-life leaves me hanging for the next game Halo has never done that. Halo does the some thing and some guns are not that fun to use. And it seems like you'er useing the guns each game they make. Thats why I will This game is ok. But It's the same thing everytime I play a new Halo game. Half-Life is so much better. The storyline is so much deeper and more fun. Every game in Half-life leaves me hanging for the next game Halo has never done that. Halo does the some thing and some guns are not that fun to use. And it seems like you'er useing the guns each game they make. Thats why I will own this game.… Expand
  30. BillyB
    Jun 20, 2009
    3
    Now, I am not a PS3 fanboy, but honestly there are way better Online Fps's on the 360. Team Fortress or Call of duty. Most of the online modes are complete s**t while the story is boring and uninteresting. To all who posted below me and said that "Halo 1-3 is ripped off from a book" it's not. The book is a fan fiction based off of the games.
Page:

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2007
1
#1 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2007
2
#2 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 86 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 85 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 86
  3. Negative: 0 out of 86
  1. GameSpot
    95
    It's the addition of the Forge level editor and the saved films that give the game an even longer set of legs, legs that will probably keep you running at full speed until Bungie figures out where, exactly, to go from here.
    Read full review
  2. TeamXbox
    97
    Halo 3 is the best Xbox 360 game to date. The single-player campaign and storyline are both very strong, but it's Forge and the Saved Films features that will likely go down in history as Bungie's crowning achievements. They've basically taken everything great about the series and improved upon it in every way, then added some amazing new features that we'll be using for years to come.
    Read full review
  3. GamePro
    100
    It's solid gameplay, immense replayability, online functionality and incredible production values will ensure its place in video game history, and it is, without a doubt, a satisfying and fulfilling close to the beloved trilogy[?].
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »