Halo 3 Talkback (Spoilers)

[peacebyanymeans]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b4/Halo_3_final_boxshot.JPG


Halo 3
Release Date: September 25, 2007 (U.S.)
System: Xbox 360
Developer: Bungie Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
ESRB Rating: M for Mature (17+) - Blood and Gore, Mild Language,
Violence
Multiplayer: Yes (4 player vs. Split screen, 2 player co-op split screen, 16 player vs. Online/LAN, 4 player co-op Online/LAN)


--------------------------------------------------



Well, tonights the night!

After three years of being subjected to one of the most despised and cruel endings ever, the Master Chief petty officer John 117 finally returns to make his triumphant, final stand.

When we last left the universe of Halo, we found that the Elites have been betrayed by the Prophets in favor of the brutes. Those who were once old enemies, are now bitter allies.

The actions on Delta Halo have triggered all other Halos into an emergency state, ready for activation via the Arc. The Arc, a mysterious and ancient forerunner construct, much like the Halos, which is located in the ancients sands of humanity's past.

Cortana, the UNSC's most sophisticated A.I., has been left on the abandoned Covenant ship, High Charity, alone with the Flood, a life form that attaches itself to any sentient life, and takes over it's body, and the Gravemind, the seemingly leader of the Flood.

And, of course, the Covenant's last religious leader, the Prophet of Truth, has launched a full assault of Earth. Not only does he want humanity extinct, but also the activation of the Arc, and the firing of the Halos. Thinking this is the way to the "Great Journey", little does he realize that the activation of the Halos only means death for the Flood. Death by starvation, and that means the death of every sentient being in the galaxy.

But hope still remains, the Master Chief is on one of those ships returning to Earth. And now all the stakes seem higher than ever.

So now, as the most popular sci-fi trilogy of the decade comes to a close, will you be there along for the ride?

Will you believe in a hero?

And most importantly,

Are you ready to finish the fight?

[Kinel Ozoa]

Long long time coming, getting my legendary editon tonight. People see me as insane spending over 100 bucks on a game, but what can I say? Extras are my weakness. Oh, and I've got to give props to bungie, somehow in 3 years not a thing about this game has been spoiled for me. Breath of fresh air.

[Keiichi]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/KamenRider/Ohyeah.gif

God the anticipation for this game is killing me. I would have gotten the legendary editon if you could wear the MC helmate but the collecters will suit me just fine.

[Tanooki]

i'm currently wondering if getting a x360 just for halo 3 is worth it... and possibly rock band. lol

[Keiichi]

Nothing else on the 360 interest you all? Its got the most diverse collection of games right now.

[Tanooki]

Nothing else on the 360 interest you all? Its got the most diverse collection of games right now.
can't say anything does. but that can be saved for a different thread. how are they updating the multiplayer experience for halo 3?

[ShadowGUN]

BELIEVE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWw1xNISHe4)

Yes! The day is finally here. I will be getting the regular version since the other ones are too expensive. Btw has anyone pick up the Halo: Uprising mini series prequel from Marvel Comics? Is it any good?

[BackLash]

Me and my brother are camping out at EB, to get the pre-order I got for him Last Christmas. This will be a blast!!!

[Waylaid]

I won't look at all the spoilers about Halo 3, but at least care to spoil me this one bit?

Did Master Chief & Cortana make out? Do they finally reveal their feelings & love for each other?

[Shawn Hopkins]

The guy who sells games from the trunk of his car behind the Stuckey's broke street.

My review?

Just another Halo.

[Captain Zechs]

Wow. It feels like just yesterday we all finished Halo 2, outraged by the ending, and excited for a whole new game. And now, the day has finally come to finish the fight, and what an exciting one it will be.

This game is guranteed to be a huge hit, and I am very excited.

2 Hours.

[Punisher]

Never been much of a Halo fan, but I was offered to attend a Halo 3 party that'll last till 4 in the morning on Friday so I'm defintley going to be there. Should be fun.

[DonkeyKongSnes]

My roommate just picked up this game about an hour ago and from what I can tell after playing it for most of that hour is that it is pretty solid. It is much of the same with some good improvements. However, i was disappointed by the opening CG due to it being devoid of any type of action.

The only thing that is bugging me is that BioShock will now be forgotten by the mainstream appeal of Halo.:sweat:

[email2003]

So anyone beat it yet!? I know theres some hardcore Halo gamers that actually complete the game in less than 24 hours.:eek:

[RAINMAN]

So did anyone watch G4 5 hour special? I heard of hypeing things up but could they have hype this thing up more then it already is? Just what you gonna do for 5 hours on a series that only has 2 games to it name?:sad:

[Sigma]

My roommate just picked up this game about an hour ago and from what I can tell after playing it for most of that hour is that it is pretty solid. It is much of the same with some good improvements. However, i was disappointed by the opening CG due to it being devoid of any type of action.

The only thing that is bugging me is that BioShock will now be forgotten by the mainstream appeal of Halo.:sweat:
Never! Bioshock is too good for anyone who played it to ever forget.

I had a very interesting Halo Day, yeah it's a national holiday. First it started at 1 PM when I was at work (Gamestop) and putting up Halo merchandise and setting up for our big launch event all night. We cooked out, had drinks, and had a Halo 2 tournament on the side of the store via a projector. About 160 people showed up, which is amazing for the small town the store is located. I have pictures of the whole event and I'll post them in this thread as soon as I upload them.

After the Halo event a group of my friends went to my apartment and played Halo 3 on 3 screens online till about 4:30 A.M.

Multiplayer is an absolute blast the new refinements and maps are just amazing. I also love the vehicles like the Elephant, which is essentially is a moving base, think of it as Halo's version of a Sandcrawler. Nothing is more fun than playing with a group of friends and brawling it out on the two Elephents while other players frantically try to get onto the vehicles with their own vehicles be they Brute Choppers, Warthogs, or the long awaited Mongoose.

All in all I've had a blast with Halo 3 and it was already worth the $60 just for the amazingly robust multiplayer. I'll post my thoughts on the campaign after I get the chance to play it.

[DBZALLSTAR]

BELIEVE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWw1xNISHe4)

Yes! The day is finally here. I will be getting the regular version since the other ones are too expensive. Btw has anyone pick up the Halo: Uprising mini series prequel from Marvel Comics? Is it any good?

So far, I believe that the first issue has been released, and in my opinion, the comic is pretty good. Brian Michael Bendis writes a good Halo comic, and his partner in crime, Alex Maleev, really delivers on the artwork. The story doesn't focus on just Master Chief/Spartan-117/John. It also focuses on the civilians living on Earth who are currently dealing with the invasion of the planet by the Covenant. I can't wait to read the next issue. If you can find a copy of the first issue, pick it up. It's definitely worth reading. If you haven't read any of the novels, I would recommend it. The Fall of Reach fills you in on the origin of the Spartan-II's and details their first missions. The Flood is partly an adaptaion of the first game but does fill in spaces and gives the reader a chance to meet some of the marines who are on Halo fighting for their lives while Master Chief is fighting the Covenant. First Strike acts as a bridge between Halo and Halo 2. You find out how Sergeant Johnsn survived Halo's destruction and how he and Master Chief made their way back to Earth. The last book to be released so far is The Ghosts of Onyx, and it tells the story of the other Spartan-II's and the creation of the Spartan-III's. There is a fifth book that releases next month that is supposed to give us the origin of Sergeant Johnson. I hope it reveals that he was one of the original Spartans for the UNSC .

As for Halo 3, I'm picking up my three copies, one regular, one limited, and one legendary in just a few hours. I'm probably the only person picking up three copies. My name is Steve, and I'm a Halo addict.:D I've got my Covenant and Spartan controllers ready to go, along with the three soundtracks that are currently available.

I heard that several 7-11s were selling Halo 3 early. That's a big no-no. I don't care what type of retailer you are. For a game this big, you should follow street date. I was told that it's a million dollar fine for selling it early, and I want to see results. I'm a compassionate person, but Best Buy once got fined for selling Eminem's Curtain Call early. It was later removed since everyone had broken street date to avoid bootlegs (like that will ever happen), but still. Fair is fair.

For those who have played it far enough to comment on the new features: how are they?

[TKnHappyNess]

So anyone beat it yet!? I know theres some hardcore Halo gamers that actually complete the game in less than 24 hours.:eek:

I don't have it, and I'm not getting it (no 360), but those are either insomniacs, or people who slept until it was time to line up for it. The real question is how many of them beat it on Legendary?

[DBZALLSTAR]

I have yet to beat it, but I am playing through it on Legendary. So far, it's a great game, even better than the first two.

The weapons are great. The gravity hammer is one of the best new weapons in the game. It's the Brute version of the energy sword and kills just as easily. The needler problems from Halo 2 have been fixed, and it definitely has some kick to it not. The assault rifle and the pistol make a welcome return, and the battle rifle and SMG remain a part of your arsenal. The new needler style grenade is pretty cool, and the equipment you can throw down makes things interesting, too.

The story so far is great, but I won't spoil any of it. The graphics are even better than Halo 2, and I had doubts about how they could improve upon them.

I'm going to go back to playing it now.:D

[Joe]

I was told that it's a million dollar fine for selling it early

Somehow, I doubt it.

[Charlie]

There is one question that begs to be answered. I cannot do this myself, since I only just received my 360 back from repair yesterday so I have a backlog of games I need to go through (Eternal Sonata, Stranglehold, Sonic 2, Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo, Bioshock (again, for the achievements), etc.)) before I go buy and commit myself to Halo 3.


Is it really worth the $10,000,000+ advertising budget?

[Draft]

My Best Buy has about 200 copies of Halo 3 on the front table when i went 2 buy Dethalbum today. That surpised me a lot, i tohught this thing would've been sold out...

[Jin Kazama]

I was one of those lovely many that fell prey to the Collectors Edition jinx. I grabbed mine, came home, and the discs were rattling around. The case was pretty banged up (the second side wouldn't open), but that was just my copy, not all. The replacement one I got after going back and exchanging it rattled around a little. When I opened it, there were some tiny scratches. Nothing major, and it's yet to impede gameplay, so I don't know if I'll take up Microsoft on their exchange program. I didn't spend $70 to go a month without playing it this soon.

Went by Circuit City to get the free wall graphic with it. Tried to go to K-Mart, since they were giving away free posters. They got a whopping three copies of the regular edition, which were already sold, and that was it. No wonder people don't shop there anymore.

So far so good on the game. I've not touched multi-player yet, but campaign is very solid.

[Captain Zechs]

With some technical difficulties, I finally got to play today, but I am still having some issues.

I got Halo 3 after school, went home, played a bit, but the sound kept cutting out, so I had to Save, and then restart for it to come back, it did this 3 or 4 times, enough for me to take the disk back before practice and get a new one just in case, only to find out that it did it again when I came home after practice. Is it the end of the world? No. Is it annoying? Yes. I am gonna go out on a limb and assume it is my Xbox 360, so I guess I will have to get a new one, no big, considering I wanted an Elite anyways.

However, I have gone through levels 1 and 2 on Legendary.

The opening scene is just...breathtaking, I was just caught in a moment of awe, and the bits and pieces with Cortana are just amazing, I really want to know what happens to her.

But yeah, more on that later.

[Dogasu]

Is it really worth the $10,000,000+ advertising budget?

I've been in Japan for a month now, and I've only seen one TV commercial for the game. Commercials for Mario Super Strikes (which just came out over here, apparently) are a LOT more common.

[DBZALLSTAR]

Somehow, I doubt it.

It's just what I was told. For a high profile game like Halo 3, it wouldn't be unusual to hear about some sort of fine in that area. If we were to sell a copy of a DVD from Universal before street date, it's supposedly a $25,000 fine. True or not, there's no way they're going to get away without some sort of consequence.

I am now on what I think is the second-to-last or maybe even the last level. I have enjoyed playing the game up until this point and hope to continue to do so. Legendary Mode is great. It really keeps you on your toes with the new enemy AI.

As for the game no being sold out yet: I'm sure it will sell out at our store within the first few days. We had sold all but three of our pre-order boxes, and we had filled a whole four foot section with them. Our line for pre-order pick up this morning reached to the back of the store. It was something to behold.

[BigLouMan20]

I believe the reason why Halo 3 is not selling as well is because most gamers, (including myself), bought the game at the midnight launch. At my job, we recieved 50 copies of the game and six of the legendary edition. Within two hours we sold out of all the legendaries, and for the 50 copies by closing we are down to 10.

[David Lucas]

Gather around children, it's high time 'ye heard.

In the course of my lifetime, the total amount of hours that I have dedicated to Halo and/or Halo 2 playing would, with no exaggeration, probably be about 6.

I don't like FPS. I didn't like the original X-Box. More importantly, I hated playing a game with my friends and getting my ass whooped because in Halo, you have to play the game for like 7 hours just to be DECENT at it with multiplayer.

However, after Bio-Shock, I'll give FPS a chance. I hated the original but I loovvveee my 360. And I could no longer get my ass whooped on all the online insanity that I will probably finally jump on the bandwagon of.

With absolutely no bias, here is what I think of Halo 3:

I just beat the game and I have absolutely no f'ing clue what the hell I just saw but I know I loved it.

I never played 1 or 2, so I don't really know much about the story. I know who the Covenant are, I have no idea why they're against us. I know the Flood is the little creepy crawly things that make crazy zombie things. Chief is the bad ass super-soldier, Cortana's the AI broad. Halos are insane-to-comprehend space station/artificial planets that are somehow also a weapon created by some guys called Forerunners.

That's the extent of my knowledge of the Halo Universe, and after completing the game just now, I am so very confused, which I expect I deserve.

Regardless of which, I realized why Halo's storytelling works so well when it really doesn't. The grandure of everything going on. The stages where things take place are so enormous and well detailed, along with the actual spaceships and so forth themselves, that you just lose yourself in it much like Shadow of the Colossus.

Which brings me to easily my favorite part of the game, the stages. Jesus Christ these things were breathtaking. At the beginning of the game when you look into the sky and all you can see is a dark cloudy ring forming, or after that, seeing the most beautiful and awe-inspiring sky in the next world (The Ark, I believe?) Or how the Sandtrap stage seemed to just go on and on forever, but you could actually see the forever part. About halfway through the game, the story just got too confusing to follow and my hatred of FPS started kicking in. I sucked it up and kept going just to look at all the new stages alone.

The second to last stage, I'm telling you all now, is the biggest pain in the ass I've ever dealt with in a video game. I must have gone down the same "hallway" into the same "room" at least 467 times. And that's just the ONE "room". The little arrow that shows you where to go picks random times to pop-up, and on that 2nd to last stage, you're just so in desperate need for it.

I've heard people mention that the final 10 minutes is cliche and been done before. Yeah, well, it is, and it has, but it's still amazing to watch, not to mention who's alongside you and knowing what's about to happen.

I haven't even touched multiplayer yet, but as a whole, from someone who hates Halo, I'd have to give Halo 3 a 4.5/5. It would have a perfect score if it wasn't a FPS.

Oh, and the Theatre section of the game will easily be my favorite thing ever once I get good at the game and can actually pull off some cool moves.

People are going to spend weeks and months creating little plays and reenactments and making movie-style productions with this particular feature. You're gonna see movies on YouTube, you're gonna see movies on websites and MySpaces, it's going to be ridiculous.

Bungie was genius for adding it, the amount of detail that they put into this world is mind blowing when you detatch from Chief and explore the world you're in while all the action is going on.

An amazing game, and as soon as someone can explain to me what the hell happened in the series (I'm not playing one or two, sorry.), I'll love the game a lot more.

[peacebyanymeans]

Halo 1 cut scenes: http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/cutscenes/halo.html
Halo 2 cut scenes: http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/cutscenes/halo2.html

Get caught up.

[Draven]

So anyone beat it yet!? I know theres some hardcore Halo gamers that actually complete the game in less than 24 hours.:eek:

*raises hand* That would be me. Me and two other friends on system link went through Campaign on Heroic difficulty. Are me and David Lucas some of the first people here at TZ to see the end of the game?

By the way, David Lucas, if you knew Halo and Halo 2's story better the later parts of Halo 3's story would make more sense. Check the links peacebyanymeans provided.

A note to EVERYBODY when you beat Halo 3's Campaign... Watch the credits, there IS a cut-scene afterwards.

I think I'll wait to talk about the story for awile until it seems like more people have beat the game.

Not story related but...

The last two level are pure chaos and insanity! Get ready for some fun and memorable levels!

[peacebyanymeans]

*raises hand* That would be me. Me and two other friends on system link went through Campaign on Heroic difficulty. Are me and David Lucas some of the first people here at TZ to see the end of the game?

By the way, David Lucas, if you knew Halo and Halo 2's story better the later parts of Halo 3's story would make more sense. Check the links peacebyanymeans provided.

A note to EVERYBODY when you beat Halo 3's Campaign... Watch the credits, there IS a cut-scene afterwards.

I think I'll wait to talk about the story for awile until it seems like more people have beat the game.

Not story related but...

The last two level are pure chaos and insanity! Get ready for some fun and memorable levels!

I heard the second to last level was one of the most frustrating and horrible levels ever conceived in a FPS.

Still, very excited. I had no money so I had to wait until today, so I should finally be getting it. :)

I'm still amazed by the Bungie.net features in this game. I already have some downloads waiting for me, and I haven't even played the game yet.

Edit: Heh, post # 2,222...

[Draven]

I heard the second to last level was one of the most frustrating and horrible levels ever conceived in a FPS.

I wouldn't call the level "horrible". Frustrating? Eh, maybe a little. I feel the point IS to have an element of chaos, and that comes across WELL I feel. There's also a sense of "HURRY-UP" due to the story that unfolds there. Even with 3 people all three of us died in there a few times. ESPECIALLY in the last section. But we never got overly-frustrated. We made it through in under an hour.

During the section where we had to climb up the tower to the Control Room, there was an endless army of Flood, one of us hung in corner half way up for a spawn point, that worked well.


Edit: Heh, post # 2,222...

Congratulations!

[DBZALLSTAR]

I completed my first run through the game with the Legendary difficulty yesterday evening, and I can say that the ending did not disappoint. I already cannot wait for another game. Sad, I know.:D Now I can at least enjoy the multiplayer, which I've been hearing is nonstop fun and mayhem. In my book, this game gets a 10 out of 10, and it definitely has a shot for game of the year. I'm looking forawrd to Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but there is no way that it can match the intensity of Halo 3.

[Kinel Ozoa]

The second to last level was annoying and repetitive, but totally worth it for that cutscene. Couldn't of handled that any better, very moving without being corny. Easilly one of the highlights of the game. Plus one of the most amusing lines to ever come from the Cheif.

"Thought I'd try shooting my way out....mix things up a little."

[Punisher]

Just got back from the Halo 3 party...and it was a blast. I played co-op campaign with a friend and it was absolute madness. We probably killed each other more than anything else. I'd block his path, so he'd use the gravity hammer to get through me, and I'd shoot a rocket at him for revenge. And all the times we'd drive our vehicles off cliffs completely on accident...crazy. But after a mysterious incident where every 360 in the room shut off but nothing else, we decided to just hold a a huge LAN match, which was awesome. It's extremely hectic with seven people running around everywhere.

Overall though, while a very good game, this defintley isn't game of the year. It's bound to be overrated by some and complained of being overrated by many. But whatever anybody says, the gravity hammer is amazing.

[Beefy]

Was that Ron Perlman and Steve Blum I heard?

Bungie also seems to like Firefly, as voices for the marines include: Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, and Alan Tudyk.

[Keiichi]

Finally finished the fight

Over all I really enjoyed the game though they seemed to rush things at times. I gotta say I hated the flood levels. Its was both boring and tedious to blow away these lifless dull zombies. At least the conviant kept things interesting with the great dialouge they were given. I was surprised to see some characters die. While Johnsons death was handled well I think Keyes was totally unessary. "hey I'm gonna crash into this tower all by myself just to get killed". Finally I gotta say the ending left me with mixed feelings. I would have liked to see the cheif return to eath a hero but it looks like fate is taking him else where and perhaps a new game.

[Draven]

Is it really worth the $10,000,000+ advertising budget?

If you are talking about those "Believe." commercials, and the magazine ads I'd say YES.

Those commerchals with the old veterns are excellent, and really convey a sense of emontional connection we as Gamers (Halo fan or not) have for our favorite characters and game titles.

That Diaorma ad is chilling.

But in the end, it's up to YOU. If you enjoyed the first two Halo games, Halo 3 won't disapoint.

[ShadowGUN]

So is there a reason why they remove dual wielded Needlers? I mean that was the funnest part of Halo 2, shooting at your enemy and then watching a lot of the needles explode. Anyway, I am enjoying the game so far. The Flood are as deadly as they were in Halo 1. The story is intriging. The graphic look great too.

[DBZALLSTAR]

So is there a reason why they remove dual wielded Needlers? I mean that was the funnest part of Halo 2, shooting at your enemy and then watching a lot of the needles explode. Anyway, I am enjoying the game so far. The Flood are as deadly as they were in Halo 1. The story is intriging. The graphic look great too.

I don't know if there is a good reason for removing the needler dual wielding. I know that you need to use two needlers in Halo 2 just to kill someone, due to the drop in power. In Halo 3, one needler has more than enough power to take comeone down, depending on the difficulty level. You get more out of one needler in Halo 3 than you do with two neeedlers in Halo 2.

[DBZALLSTAR]

After all that hard work, my Halo 3 information is gone. My brother has deleted it from the 360 hard drive. He gets to keep the achievement that were added to his Gamertag (I don't have one yet), but all that gameplay was for nothing.

I feel as empty as the Master Chief after watching Sergeant Major Johnson die .

My advice to you gamers out there is this: if you're playing through a game that is extremely difficult at times to play through, and if there is even the slightest chance that you could lose you game saves, use a memory unit just in case. I know it's just a game and not the end of the world, but it really disappoints me.:(

Only another Halo game could make this better.:D

[peacebyanymeans]

Only another Halo game could make this better.:D

Halo Wars. It's an RTS, but it's Halo, none-the-less.

(BTW, there isn't going to be a Halo 4)

Oh, and for hardcore Bungie fans, not only wait after the credits for an extra scene, but beat the game on Legendary and...

you get an extra 15 seconds that hints at Halo being the prequel to the Marathon games... or to me it does... ;)

[DBZALLSTAR]

I know about the Halo Wars game, but thanks. I meant the next regular Halo game, that is rumored to have Peter Jackson involved. A new season of Red VS Blue using Halo 3 would help ease the pain, too.

[SNS]

I know about the Halo Wars game, but thanks. I meant the next regular Halo game, that is rumored to have Peter Jackson involved. A new season of Red VS Blue using Halo 3 would help ease the pain, too.

That isn't a rumor, it was confirmed that Peter Jackson is working on some Halo project that will be a trilogy.

[peacebyanymeans]

Yeah, it's a new trilogy, but it's not a continuation on the original Halo trilogy, it's not Halo 4, 5 and 6 or anything.

[DBZALLSTAR]

I can't wait. I honestly don't care if it's a continuation since they wrapped up everything so neatly with Halo 3. It would be nice to have Master Chief in the game, and I think that's what the ending after the credits was setting up. I can't wait to see where Peter Jackson decided to take this franchise. If he somehow manages to ruin it, though, may he feel the wrath of Halo fans everywhere.:evil: :D

[peacebyanymeans]

I wouldn't expect the Master Chief in the front-line of any other Halo game. I'll never say never, but I wouldn't count on it.

[PickHut]

Enjoyed the majority of the game, except for the early, quick Flood level, and the second to last level, which was very annoying. If it weren't for the moment I knew was about to happen when I got deeper into the level, I don't think playing through it wouldn't have been a decent experience at all.

[SNS]

Anyone hate how they put restrictions on where you can take vehicles in campaign? One of my favorite things in the past Halos was seeing how far I can keep using the Warthog. Now even if I get it in doors, the Warthog becomes uncontrollable & spins to the side (like if it's getting pulled out of the area). :(

[Kinel Ozoa]

Just want to note the kick assery of it, I'm playing the 3rd mission. Driving a warthog with Jayne Cobb on the turret and Malcolm Reynolds as my gunner. :D

They say the Peter Jackson games are going to play more like an interactive movie, but time will tell.

[Naruguy94]

i finished this game about a week ago. It's the best game ever. I'm playing online now and it's just as fun as the campaign.

[Beefy]

I haven't played Halo 3 on heroic or legendary yet so I don't know if this still applies.

On Halo 2 I didn't like the harder levels. The AI's weapons did not have the same limitations as your weapons. For example: when you fire a plasma pistol/rifle or beam rifle too rapidly, it will overheat. But when the AI fires the same weapon at you, they can shower you with a constant stream of fire and their weapons will never overheat. They also seem to never run out of ammo.

If the enemy AI were simply good shots and had stronger shields, I could live with it, but the weapons not having the same limitations is just cheap. When you do finally manage to kill the enemy and take their weapon, it's the same as normal with the overheating and the running out of ammo.

They probably did the same thing in Halo 3, but I'll have to see. At least in Halo 3 you can do 4-player co-op to have people help you with the harder difficulty settings.