First of all, if you're expecting to get into the Halo 3 Beta via Crackdown, you'll have to wait until 5 a.m. PDT. [UPDATE: The download was delayed until 7-10 p.m PDT and beta period extended to June 10.] Apparently, the only players downloading the beta at midnight won a random drawing (and those who earned it playing Halo 2 got invites over the weekend). Here's what to expect:
- 911MB download
- Three maps: Highground (large, like Zanzibar), Valhalla (2 bases, like Blood Gulch) and Snowbound (tight, slayer map)
- New weapons: Spartan Laser, Machinegun Turret, Missilepod, Brute Spiker gun, Brute Spike Grenade and a reconfigured Assault Rifle
- New vehicle: the fast but weaponless Mongoose ATV
- New gear: the Bubble Shield (deflects fire but can be walked through), Grav Lift (aka the infamous "Man Cannon"), Trip Mine and Power Drain
- A new party system lets you stick with the same group across multiple game sessions
- Rating Points and ranks to help with matchmaking
- Limited support for saving and viewing films (aka playback of your online battles)
- Graphics aren't anti-aliased yet, so expect jaggies - particularly on HD sets
- Gold account is required to play, though you can download it with Silver
- Two-player split-screen enabled (though no local only or system link - you MUST play online)
- You won't be able to select custom games and, based on early feedback from the "friends and family" beta, they're currently favoring Capture the Flag over Team Slayer (though this might shift over the course of the beta)
- Beta runs until 11:59 p.m. PDT on June 10
- Full game releases on September 25, so get those vacation requests in early
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