By: Drew Sykes
Introduction
As many of you have probably guessed, Halo 3 was going to come to the PC eventually. Fortunately we were able to get the early scoop and all the juicy details on one of the most popular games of all time coming to the PC.
When is it Coming?
As with Halo CE and Halo 2, the port from Xbox 360 to PC won’t be happening for a little while and as we all know, Bungie is one of the most secretive developers ever. Their site has constantly been crowded with all these “projects” they’ve been furiously working on. Apart from Halo 3: ODST it seems one other project is adapting Halo 3 to the PC. There’s no doubt that fans are excited to see what new things happen to the famed Halo 3 as it rises up to the PC.
Online Play
The people who spoke about this port were very tight lipped (as always) but they gave us plenty of goodies to think about for the upcoming port. Expect online play to be much more concrete and accessible than Halo 2 or the dreadful Halo CE PC online play. When asked about the possibility of cross platform play all we got was a smile and no comment. I personally doubt the chance of cross platform play but never underestimate Bungie’s ingenuity.
Halo 3 ODST
As we know Halo 3: ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) is supposed to ship with another three brand new maps to finalize the “completion” of Halo 3 for Bungie. Nonetheless, we still asked what kind of content would be added to a PC version of the game and how ODST would be involved in the game. They didn’t give us much except to look for a possible crossing of forge and the map making abilities of Halo 2 PC. There was no comment on ODST.
Gameplay Details
We asked further about any other additions to gameplay such as maybe a Horde or Nazi Zombie-type wave mode for Halo 3 I know many of us would love. Unfortunately, the guys know how to keep their mouths shut and only told us that Halo 3 PC would come with all that’s good in the Halo franchise; they were looking to use the PC as a way to reinvigorate the game and take it to new heights.
The last thing we were able to learn, and it is quite substantial, is that an unknown developer would be working with Bungie on the port. Perhaps a plethora of maps will emerge a la Halo CE PC. We also learned that the theater would receive many needed updates and would make streamlining between the site and the game much better.
Graphics
As a last little teaser we were able to watch a small sample of how the graphics would be beefed up on the PC. It is obvious that Halo 3 will keep its shine and get a few boosts to areas where many complaints, such as player models outside of the Spartans. Apparently, Bungie will be working closely with this yet-to-be revealed studio to make use of the current advancements the PC has been able to accomplish. Therefore, look for Halo 3 to be less a straight port but more a realization of what the game can truly accomplish.
The game will also supposedly be available in different editions, one of which is said to include a few more entries into the story and some possible foreshadowing to what is to come of the franchise. This was perhaps the most enticing news as gamers everywhere want to know: is there going to be Halo 4? Halo 3 PC may provide some answers, it seems.
Conclusion
I don’t know about the rest of you but this was definitely a treat for the fans and PC gamers alike. There is no release date yet but from the interview and the looks of the project expect Halo 3 on the PC early next year.
Forum Discussion