This fall, Master Chief continues the fight against the evil Covenant in the highly anticipated Halo 3, the latest and presumably final chapter in the critically acclaimed Xbox franchise. Built from the ground up for Xbox 360, the game promises to deliver phenomenal visuals and audio. With Microsoft's financial backing, developer Bungie's commitment and millions of rabid fans, the Halo 3 hype train continues to pick up speed.

Halo 3 picks up where Halo 2 left off, with super soldier Master Chief (MC) returning to Earth to deliver a smack-down to the Covenant, aliens hell-bent on extinguishing the human race. MC also goes face-to-face with The Flood, a parasitic organism that uses its hosts to create powerful (and ugly) monstrosities. Armed with a myriad of weapons including the new Bubble Grenade, which creates a temporary shield (essentially a bubble) around him, Master Chief leaps into battle, the goal to not only annihilate his adversaries, but also save Earth.

At this point, the single-player campaign remains under wraps, tightly guarded at Bungie Studios. The first Halo 3 trailer has the Master Chief in Africa, eyeing a miles-long Covenant ship slowly gliding past. In addition, his artificial intelligence companion, Cortana, speaks off screen in a stern, possibly evil voice, suggesting something awful occurred (SPOILER: at Halo 2's conclusion, she meets Gravemind, The Flood's leader.). Past that, the adventure remains a mystery.

Bungie promises to create an improved multiplayer experience that will stay true to Halo and Halo 2. Gamers will have the option of muting other players on Xbox Live, using a feature called (as of this writing) "The A-Hole Button." Also look for the return of the assault rifle from the original Halo, allowing players to unload countless rounds of ammo into enemies, while delivering a well-placed melee strike to their heads.

The Bubble Grenade makes its way into multiplayer, along with new additions, such as the Man Cannon and M274 Mongoose and Trip Mine, which lets people drop a mine across their path, killing anyone that touches it. The player using it also dies, but at the very least, the device grants them the opportunity to get the last laugh.

The Man Cannon launches characters across chasms and other obstructions. The launch pad provides a quick means of transport, but also exposes gamers to the enemy, most notably snipers, who will most likely pick off flying targets in mid-air. Still, it allows for quick getaways, though at this point, Bungie hasn't revealed whether it can be used in Capture the Flag. Surely, someone holding an enemy flag would want to avoid walking across a map in exchange for a two-second ride.

Continue...