Examining Halo 3's True Beginning

[@BenPlaysGames]

✅ Subscribe: kzbin.info 🖱 Support the channel: www.patreon.com/ben_plays_games I cannot overstate just how good I think The Storm's scarab set piece is. A remarkable achievement when you consider its scale and the 360's relatively limited specs.

[@evablouseblanche112]

I'd argue the first 3 levels, while not the best in their execution, gave Halo 3 a greater sense to "finishing the fight". seeing the efforts deployed just to recover chief, the resistance humanity put in and the push on Tsavo highway gave this game a tone like no other, and made me fall in love with it's ambiance.

[@burge117]

Agreed and if anything I wanted more levels on Earth to build up the sense of desperation and of preparing to truly finish the fight...not less.

[@Freelancer837]

Yeah, they are necessary. I think another thing ignored in this video is that we go through that beginning of the game thinking that that artifact on Earth IS the Ark that we need to stop. Having only one or two missions before that doesn't build up the beginning part of the game enough as it does in the game

[@burge117]

@@Freelancer837 That's a very good point.

[@natahndolar2142]

@@Freelancer837I always felt like Truth’s ship going through the portal was the “plot twist” of the mission where you thought it was the end but you were just getting started

[@Seriona1]

It found it weird they have The Arbiter help at certain parts and then leave. I really wished Bungie had the time to do the Campaign for The Arbiter as they planned.

[@toxenzz]

Always felt so lonely after he left

[@BenPlaysGames]

Some Arbiter centric levels would have been great, crazy how much of a backlash there was after Halo 2 compared to how beloved he is now haha.

[@Seriona1]

@@BenPlaysGames Yes seeing as Bungie forced The Arbiter on Earth by himself and he still continues to not use UNSC weapons until the Alliance is official so I always wondered if he had his own unit with him with supplies or he is running around doing other objectives with what he has. The lore is kind of wishy washy with The Covenant army using UNSC weapons.

[@Seriona1]

@Nexus_Stuff Elites in lore refused to use UNSC weapons and the Arbiter was alone as far as we know.

[@nagger8216]

I always figured he was off doing other stuff to help the UNSC. If he stuck around with Chief the whole campaign, like in co-op, it'd degrade him into being Chief's sidekick even more than the game already does. I honestly feel like Arbiter got cucked hardcore by Shipmaster in Halo 3, he should be the one leading the Elite's fleet and negotiating with Lord Hood instead of running around with Chief.

[@Ben-ik2bb]

Something you didn't touch on is the variety of ways you can take on the scarab too. There are missile launchers on the side of the building you can use to take down the legs, a ladder on the silo to get up to its height, or using the elevators and cranes next to the building to board it that way too. That variety has kept that encounter fresh for me all these years.

[@BenPlaysGames]

This is an excellent point and something I didn't think of at all - I go straight to the Mongoose, so might have tunnel vision a little.

[@nagger8216]

Jumping on the Scarab using the crane and a Mongoose is the most badass and canon option, sorry not sorry.

[@SkywardShoe]

This is why that Scarab fight is my favorite encounter in the whole series.

[@callumr3440]

I’m so glad someone else has this opinion. I do love Halo 3’s campaign but I’ve always believed the Ark and the Covenant rescued it entirely in terms of replayability. If the front end was condensed it would have left room for so many options, like revisiting flood vehicular combat and making better use of Gravemind as a final antagonist. Halo 3’s weaknesses are often overlooked because it’s a very satisfying ending, but I find its campaign less replayable than 2, CE and Reach.

[@daddyhammer]

I enjoy the calm before "the storm" in the first 3 levels. They are also a good introduction, speaking first hand as this was the first fps I ever played. The storm would have been way too intense for me back then.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Calm before the storm, nice. Also, I made the mistake in this video of perhaps not explaining that there would need to be some introductory areas added to The Storm so that it's doesn't throw you straight into the action. The point I was trying to make was when looking at things from a narrative perspective but a lot of people, quite reasonably too, have interpreted it as being as much about about gameplay as well.

[@daddyhammer]

@@BenPlaysGames Yeah I understand. Maybe at the start there could've been levels where we look for Master Chief as the Arbiter or something. Then we find the Chief and his story begins in the storm, maybe, I don't know, just a quick thought while writing an essay for uni. And It clearly isn't a big thing but just a small nitpick in gamers minds. I feel like Reach fits even more the "calm before the storm" but it fits here too and I saw the chance for a pun and I took it.

[@fireskull66325]

I think Crow's Nest, maybe with some tuning, is actually very important for the game. It has been a lot time since the covenant is here and being at the center of the resistance, talking to the guy in charge on comms, only to have the Prophet of Truth pop on and have this last (Of more, sure) bastion attacked actually made me feel what I wouldn't if we skipped to The Storm. I think the first two levels merging and then leaving off tsavo highway is A-ok but I don't know if enough is done in the storm to before switching straight to flood and then a new world. Just my two cents

[@adriclonmx930]

That and also the backlash bungie received in H2 for not having many levels on Earth when the marketing was all about defending it against the covenant, is probably the reason why they included several levels on earth in H3

[@happy-composer]

This exactly! The solution you proposed was the one I thought up as well, too.

[@burge117]

Exactly I wanted more Earth levels...not less. Imagine just skipping straight to The Storm..doesn't really build up how screwed humanity is at present and does nothing to build up you fighting back. Plus Crow's Nest is actually amazing and one of my favourite levels and probably the only time I don't miss fighting the Elites in favour of the Brutes as the close quarters works so well for them.

[@OneOnOne1162]

Agree completely. You need the time to experience the earth's resistance.

[@Ben_Jammin94]

The slow burn from the first two or three levels makes The Storm all the more exciting. You go from engaging in small skirmishes against a few patrols in the jungles to a full on offensive with squads of marines and even a few unlucky factory workers who got caught up in the mess. I also rather like Crow's Nest. It's nice to see the tattered remains of the UNSC rallying around the Chief and feel a sense of hope to actually make it through the upcoming battle. While I don't hate Tsavo Highway, it's open area and focus on vehicle combat is a lot of fun, I think the level could either be cut out entirely or maybe put before Crow's Nest. If you put it before, you could have an action filled cutscene of the Chief's, Johnson's, and the Arbiter's pelican getting attacked by a Covenant air patrol and they have to make their way to the Crow's Nest on foot. It'd basically be in complete reverse of how the level plays in game and maybe a night filter to recreate the Truth and Reconciliation level from Halo 1 as you snipe a few baddies from various vantage points. You could also add a few lines from Johnson and the Arbiter as they talk about the Prophet of Truth excavating the area like a mad man and Hood's big counter offensive to tie things together.

[@BenPlaysGames]

The mistake I made in this video was speaking from a narrative perspective without proper clarification regarding gameplay - there would definitely need to be concessions made if The Storm were to become the first level. I just think the story doesn't really do anything a good while, which is a shame when the game is so short.

[@OneOnOne1162]

I 100% agree. I think that's one of the biggest aspects of storytelling that this video misses. In order for the pay-off to work, you have to have a good build-up. In order for the highs of action to shine, you need dips in excitement and action. If you don't have at least some of the levels leading up to "The Storm" then that level wouldn't be nearly as effective as it is.

[@thelvadam8474]

Definitely a great level, I particularly enjoyed the large arenas and vehicle fights in this level...the scarab fight is really well done too, seeing this huge machine swooping into the arena from behind the building, all around its majestic terror is a memorable and terrifying experience, a great introduction to the scarab without a doubt. But for me, the best thing about this level (besides the encounters) is the atmosphere: The light rain that wets the battlefield, the unsc and covenant ships fighting in the sky above the still inactive ark while the storm rages on the desolate wastes of the city of Voi.... It all ends in an epic climax when, after destroying the anti-aircraft gun, the portal to the ark is activated and a flood infested ship crashes into the war-torn city. .. Then with that divine soundtrack behind it, that moment was Solemn and epic, memorable to say the least.

[@ppodders]

Seeing as H3 was initially planned to be H2's third act, a lack of solid continuity between Chief getting on the Forerunner Dreadnought in 2 and being deployed to stop Truth at the Ark in 3 would've been pretty dissatisfying. The invasion of Earth is something we didn't get to see much of in 2, and the Flood's arrival in the following mission would've immediately overshadowed the Covenant's grip on the plant, as, once Floodgate concludes, Truth is already gone, and only the Human-allied Covenant remain in any significant number. Sure, you could show most of this in cutscenes, but H3 is already a very cutscene-heavy Halo Additionally, I feel like dumping you into bombastic action is actually the worst way to show the full capabilities of the new engine and hardware. I'll never forget how blown away I was by the dense and reactive foliage in Sierra 117. The new water effects and shading made the scene all the more believable. The slow crawl through the jungle, a linear path dotted with open arenas and connected by long, snaking trails, offered the perfect pace to adjust to the new weapons and mechanics while really soaking in the atmosphere of one of the generation's most finely crafted games

[@ppodders]

Sorry if this sounded a bit critical! I loved the vid and can definitely see where you're coming from, especially for today's audience. I think an H3 remaster would have to pull off nothing short of an absolute miracle to inspire the same awe today as the original did in 2007

[@BenPlaysGames]

Ah no mate, be as critical as you like, reason I started doing KZbin was that most of my friends aren't gamers and this gives me an outlet to debate the minutiae!

[@BenPlaysGames]

There are definitely plenty of people who are bigger fans of 3's early stages than I am. As I mentioned in the video, I don't hate any of the three levels with a burning passion or anything, I just think in ideal world the resources dedicated to them could have perhaps been used later in the story when things got really interesting. The back half of 3 is amazing gameplay wise, but I can't help but feel like Bungie rushes through the story a bit too quickly. It needed a little more space to breathe. On a separate note, I remember also being blown away by the water effects back in the day, it and BioShock both nailed that side of things.

[@Sniper5875]

i feel as if the fluff they added to how the arbiter fights with you on those previous levels gives a bit more insight instead of the levels that couldnt be made for him he shows how he has taken to fighting not just along side humanity but for humanity as well. my favourite part of the crows nest, (though its not the best mission) has to be the dialog between arby and the chief. he comments on the units still in the barracks and how he shows care for their lives gives such a nice moment where we see how much the arbiter has changed since that ending back on delta halo

[@Ralph-yn3gr]

Always loved the ending cutscene of The Storm. Watching what's left of the Home Fleet fly in right overhead and unleash hell on Truth is never not satisfying, regardless of how ineffective their fire might be. It also marks what I find to be a turning point in how the series feels. Prior to it I always felt like I was on the defensive fighting a hopeless delaying action against an overwhelming alien force. That changes during the Storm. Suddenly it's the Covenant who are on the back foot. You're not running from them anymore, they're running from you.

[@seansnyder3215]

I adore that final push you have with Arbiter, the marines, and the construction workers towards the anti air gun.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Me too dude, it's odd as it's a pretty standard set of encounters but I think the backdrop and the sky box add so much to them.

[@nagger8216]

I still don't get how or why those construction workers were still around, all the civilians should've been evacuated, left Voi on their own or have been killed at that point.

[@Brannon1009]

I always felt like we never got enough time with Cortona in H3

[@BenPlaysGames]

100%, she's barely with you at all which is crazy considering how important to the story and how good a character she is.

[@Brannon1009]

@@BenPlaysGames you can feel it too. She really brought MC to life

[@HotDogTimeMachine385]

It would be really interesting to take Halo 2 and 3's story and restructure it the way they wanted. Add back the Arbiter's campaign and Halo 2's planned ending. A remake that remakes the entire story from the ground up.

[@sillentgamer64]

You forget that Bungie has historically used the first level as a tutorial of sorts for new players. Even in CE and 2, it was infantry-exclusive with mostly tight corridors. So the way I see it, Sierra was necessary for this reason. You don't want to dump most of the sandbox and enemy types on the player in mission 1 like Storm does (especially the Scarab, that is definitely not mission 1 material) The way I see it, most of 3's levels mirror the first two games: Sierra: Traditional infantry tutorial level for Halo (much like CE's Pillar of Autumn, 2's Cairo) Crow's Nest: Narrative catch-up (Structured more like CE and 2's first levels than Sierra is, but the purpose of this level was to fill in the player on the plot and reintroduce Truth after 2's notorious cliffhanger ending) Tsavo: Level that opens up for world building (think Halo from CE and Outskirts from 2) Storm: Rising action level (CE's Assault on the Control Room, 2's Regret) Floodgate: Flood introduction level (CE's 343 Guilty Spark, 2's Sacred Icon - Oracle was an early/soft intro) Ark: Continued rising action (CE's Two Betrayals, 2's Gravemind/Uprising) Covenant: Climax level (CE's Keyes, 2's Great Journey) Cortana: Obligatory awful Flood level (CE's Library, 2's Oracle) Halo: Finale/falling action (CE's Maw, 2's High Charity) Yes some of these are out of order due to Halo 3 being structured differently, but for the most part it mirrors the first two games fairly closely.

[@blaketindle4703]

Yes finding Cortana definitely should have been the halfway point of Halo 3! Not having Cortana for with you for 90% of the game is the one thing I dislike about 3. Oh and those Cortana hallucinations are so awful I close my eyes when they appear because I feel like I’m gonna have a seizure!

[@BenPlaysGames]

The more I think about it, the crazier it is to me that Cortana features so little in 3 beyond the terrible hallucination things. As a character, she's near as important as Chief, and yet we barely get to spend any time with her during the final part of the trilogy. If there was one thing I could change about 3, the amount of screen time Cortana gets would probably be top of my list.

[@TheFacelessStoryMaker]

Arbiter: What is it? More brutes? Chief: Worse. The Paramount+ Halo series.

[@HelpIdkAGoodUser301]

Honestly they could change up the opening a little bit then yeah, you can start H3 with the storm. It might feel rushed so they might need a mission or 2 to pace things a bit, but not in the way the 1st 3 did where it was kinda boring.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Definitely, maybe just even stick part of Tsavo Highway on to the front of it to bed people in before the spectacle really begins.

[@jezzamcwaffle8391]

I think they could of combined the first 3 missions into 1 longer starting mission, or at most two missions. Bringing the chief to the crows nest should of been a very short section in my opinion. They could of replicated Halo CE with having a short mission at the start whereby the chief gets to crows nest, then the base gets invaded and they have to evacuate. Then either conclude a long first mission with the highway mission, or have it a second short mission being the prelude to the storm. I would of preffered to witness more destruction of earth after the covenant fleet invades during the highway mission. Would of presented a great way to introduce what happened between Halo 2 & Halo 3 rather than relying on The Storm.

[@HelpIdkAGoodUser301]

@@jezzamcwaffle8391 YES! EXACTLY LIKE THAT!

[@michaelguernsey1206]

I don’t mind the first 3 missions because for me, sierra 117 kinda gives this very cinematic and dramatic reintroduction to the world your playing. Like the whole speech at the beginning from Cortana, the music, and chief falling from the sky. Then meeting the previous characters and stuff. I think it all fits as a sort of “alright guys, we’ve come a long way since halo CE. This is it. This is the ultimate climax of this journey. Let’s get everyone together”. It kinda gets you hyped for what’s to come but gives you the time to ramp up to it. It’s almost like paying respects and reverence to the journey you’ve been on before you finish it. The next two levels kinda re immerse you in the conflict on earth and kinda like “okay everyone, what is the situation?” More for the audience and player than the characters in the story. Then we get to this mission in on where the game hits the throttle. Idk weird little ramble. Anyway good video my guy!

[@connormarlin6429]

I see what you mean but I appreciate the stronger connection between H2 and H3 those missions provide. It's an improvement over the jump between CE and 2, not perfect but better

[@devilmingy]

You’re not really wrong. Halo 3 suffers a lot from Halo 2 having to cut so much out, that I’m convinced the Halo 3 we got was just a modified Halo 2 outline reached to completion (after all, Halo 2 was at one time cited to be the end of the war with the Covenant). Still, while the story spins its wheels a bit, the gameplay is robust as ever, especially with reintroducing the Brutes.

[@agonefire]

@7:15 it’s boggling how no Halo game since-from either Bungie or 343-has brought back these dynamic Scarab battles

[@BenPlaysGames]

I'd have loved an extended stretch fighting a few in Reach's final level. Feels so weird to drive around/under them but not actually fight any.

[@yincimaster8530]

I highly agree with you. While obviously needing some altering to match the little amount of starting context, a good cutscene at the start could solve most of that anyway. Boosting the morale of those workers and the radio transmission, I've never noticed that. Goes again to show how much detail Bungie was able to cram into the game. The only thing I never understood was why the Arbiter asks if it's Brutes in the ship, like he himself doesn't know it's the flood. On the other side, if they had done something along these lines, then they'd definitely have to have the Tsavo Highway in some other form. The way you approach the Ark is just awesome, with the overflying carriers and the great amount of vehicular combat.

[@jdapaul1351]

I remember the frustration of trying to steal an anti-air Wraith because if you take out the driver, it automatically destroys the AA Wraith instead of allowing you to operate it (which is in normal Wraith). I had to search for a way to operate the AA Wraith and I found it. I'll share it here for those who don't know: 1. Eliminate the turret gunner of the Wraith. 2. Melee attack the driver's cover until it is removed. 3. Remove the driver's helmet by a melee attack 4. Crouch while holding RB (make sure the text "Hold RB to board enemy Wraith" doesn't show up) on top of the driver 5. Fire your Battle Rifle at the driver's head and you can be able to drive the AA Wraith. Note that the AA Wraith gets destroyed when you decide to get out of it.

[@OloNadTrolo]

The Storm (+its reverse) -> The Ark -> The Covenant, holy trio of Halo missions and peak moment in video games for me.

[@lozg1985]

It’d be hard to explain chief just being there at the storm. The firsts 3 levels puts you back in a more believable position, and the slow burn start for me is perfect. The cortana flashes are the only bad point to halo 3.

[@maraudershields283]

I always felt like Crows Nest (slightly shortened to remove replayed spaces) and Tsavo Highway could have been one mission, and Floodgate could have been the Rallypoint Charlie of The Storm. 2 extra missions could have been added later to bulk out the second and third act of the game, which to me felt kind of short in comparison to act 1. I’d have added the Guardian mission as the first touchdown on the Ark, finding the crashed/abandoned Dreadnought, before heading to the cartographer to find out where Truth was hold up. Then I’d have Library mission on the Halo due to Cortana not having the Index and needing to find the new one for the new halo. It would be a nice callback to the previous games, but it would be freshened up by it being only half constructed, Arby with you, and the new flood variants 3 introduced.

[@joshfoustcommunity8928]

I think the Cortana moments where she comes out of nowhere gives Cortana some really good character development that is unique to Halo, that no other game did at the time! Those moments in the trailer show what the main theme of the game is going to be, which is a spiritual bond with Cortana that only master chief has!🙂

[@BenPlaysGames]

That's true - I would have liked one or two more missions with her though, just to relive the glory days haha.

[@blaketindle4703]

Love this level! The atmosphere is so cool! Fighting scarabs and for the first time being able to destroy them was amazing!

[@the-arbiter-has-returned]

Thank you for the video I love halo and your content make me fill like I was playing it for the first time again and that a hard felling to reproduce

[@BenPlaysGames]

That's really kind of you mate, thank you!

[@SK-zi3sr]

There was 3 cut missions which were actually pretty good, and I’m sad when I heard about them and saw concepts and prototype images and people making parts of ideas of what could have been

[@PotatoFi]

I'd never thought of this as the first "true level" of Halo 3, but after hearing your argument, I completely agree with you.

[@Simplypurple117]

Funny that alot of the time when I need to scratch a halo 3 itch I will play the game starting from the storm through the ark and sometimes also the covenant. When commiting to a full halo 3 playthrough I do find the first three the biggest hurdle to recapture my interest.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Second half of Halo 3 is so good, The Ark and The Covenant back to back insane.

[@ugipse]

Completely agree the first few levels don’t do enough in terms of story. I personally think the levels should have been: 1. Forerunner Dreadnaught 2. Landfall (a variation on Tsavo Highway) 3. The Storm 4. Floodgate 5. Perhaps a level destroying a covie ship (the level cut from 2). 6. The Ark 7. Guardian (to help explain how the covie fleet was destroyed, rather than the elites winning in a battle which Chief took no part in). 8. The Covenant 9. Cortana (but a better version with vehicles and forerunner constructs) 10. Halo (also including Covie enemies)

[@tommymaxey2665]

Yeah I do agree with you. Whenever I go back the 3 I always start with The Storm and go to Covenant. When I get to the start of Cortana I loose interest and stop playing. But that 4 mission stretch of The Storm, Floodgates, The Ark, and the Covenant is amazing

[@pheonix940]

Huh. Never noticed that they actually mentioned the flood ship before it popped in. I always assumed that it just jumped directly there from out of system. That's a really nice detail!

[@DeeonleeCobb373]

I do agree to an extent that the first 3 missions of Halo 3 doesn't really move the plot along that much. However, Crow's Nest does provide exposition that allows players to catch up what happened between Halo 2 and 3. My ideal scenario would've been 1. The First mission should've been set in space (like the 2 previous Halos) in the Forerunner Dreadnaught. You play as Chief attempting to fight the Covenant in order to stop Truth, but ultimately has to retreat, and then you get the cutscene of him falling into space 2. The Second mission will have you play as The Arbiter attempting to rescue Chief with Johnson, set 1 month after Chief's landfall. 3. The Third mission would've been split between a shortened Crow's Nest/Tsavo Highway, leading to The Storm.

[@devoidofvoltz2562]

If im entirely honest, this feels like a very biased take by someone who is already previously familiar with Halo 3. Storm is a great mission, dont get me wrong but there has to be at least a brief acclimation period and introduction to general gameplay. Halo 3 felt the need to establish its design to the player and it's not hard to see why. When it released it was played by many people had never touched a Halo game before (it sold almost double the copies of 2). Throwing someone into a combat sandbox with no indication how to best interact with it breeds frustration as there simply isnt the background skills and knowledge available. The Storm is a culmination level in which all previously introduced aspects are brought together and taking all the previous levels away removes a very important part for new players. Without the previous levels the Storm becomes a potato salad thrown at the players face Did halo 3 need 3 whole levels before the Storm? Probably not, it could have been condensed into 2 or one longer level. But looking solely at the angle of "third game in trilogy" to the detriment of "largest game that came out that year" seems like a misunderstanding of game design.

[@BenPlaysGames]

I mean, of course, there would need to be concessions made if it were to in fact be the first level. As you say, there would likely need to be a stretch of quieter time before things really got going. Narratively speaking, the game very much treads water for the first few missions and I think they could absolutely be condensed.

[@Loch_Ness_Lachster]

Great video Ben, just one thing to let you know, Tsavo is pronounce more like ‘savo’ with a very very light ‘t’ sound

[@BenPlaysGames]

Yeh few people have said this, it's my bad. Have remedied the issue since, promise!

[@archiwumkloc]

I remember when the scarab showed up for the first time and i was thinking: wait i have to destroy it? I had so much fun in this level.

[@Sonof_DRN2004]

It would make the whole “how did chief get from the forunner ship to earth?’ issue even worse

[@OneOnOne1162]

I have to admit, I disagree on this one. The scarab battle is clearly something which "ups the ante" so to speak. It doesn't fit in a first level. It's something you bring in after the "normal" encounters of the game have been acclimated to in order to throw your player off. I don't think it would've worked nearly as well if it were a first level. Then you also have fewer new places to go in the levels afterwards. Bungie first has this scarab battle, then the scarab-tank battle as part of a huge assault to up the epicness even further and then finally ups the ante again with fighting two scarabs. If you change this to the first level then you either have to move these events further from each other or you have to come up with a fourth scarab battle which is even more epic, which would be hard to do. I don't think either solution would've been great. In addition, you're forgetting about new players. Yes, this is the third game in a trilogy. But there will always be new players. And also players who hadn't picked up a Halo game since Halo 2 first came out. They need some time to acclimate to Halo again. The original Combat Evolved did this as well. First allowing you to meet the covenant with no weapons, then pitting you against some grunts, then a small amount of grunts and elites, eventually getting grenades in the mix, etc. You don't have that on "The Storm." Whereas "Sierra 117" does have some of this build-up where you don't immediately have a million vehicles and scarabs you're up against. And, in fact, you get a fair bit of time just walking, seeing the phantom fly overhead, etc. The same for "Ciaro Station" btw. Where you have a long introductory sequence first. Then a first relatively easy encounter with the covenant where you have machine guns on your side. No vehicles throughout this entire section either. Also, from a narrative perspective there hasn't really been time yet to build up what Truth is doing with the arc and the situation humans are in within the game if you just start with "The Storm." You need to do that for the whole thing to have the proper impact. As part of this, why is the final scene of the ships attacking Truth's ship so epic? Part of it is of course just the cutscene itself, the music, etc. But part of it is also that you've just spent three whole missions (Crow's Nest, Tsavo Highway and The Storm) preparing and building up to this assault. So it's extremely satisfying once it happens. Without the previous levels you don't have nearly the amount of build-up and so you wouldn't feel the pay-off as much. Without the previous levels you also don't have much time to take in the devastation the covenant has wrought on earth. We're meant to be on our last legs, after all. And while I'm not a huge fan of Crow's Nest, that's a level which does get that across pretty well. Especially when you first arrive and the soldiers are all like "Holy shit, a spartan!" If anything I think they actually should've given us MORE time to appreciate this devastation. You also need an introductory part of the game for the Chief and to set up the Chief and the Arbiter's relationship. "Sierra 117" has Cortana's dialogue, it explains how Chief got back to earth, it shows how Chief feels about the Arbiter, etc. "The Storm" doesn't have that. In other words, "The Storm" would need to be redesigned and rewritten quite significantly to work as an introductory level. Including scrapping the scarab and most of the vehicles. That's not to say I disagree with all of your criticisms. The Cortana segments are not the best. And there probably could've been more story covered within the first part (though you still have to remember part 1 covers how the Chief got to earth, how he rejoined the UNSC and the build-up to the plan itself). "Crow's Nest" is also, incidentally, one of my least favourite levels in the game. But I think the best solution is to start at "The Storm" in order to make this work. I think just rewriting the previous three levels to some degree (and maybe getting rid of "Crow's Nest" altogether) would've fixed this. And coming up with a better way to integrate Cortana.

[@joshfoustcommunity8928]

I honestly didn’t know that there was a radio broadcast of Lord Hood! Every time I got to this point of the game, I would get so excited, that I would end up rushing through this section, and be battle ready for the ending! I honestly think this was a smart move, given the player the option to get a sneak peek, or being completely off guard!🙂

[@BenPlaysGames]

Same with me and realising the factory workers could be made to help you. Someone told me about that a while back and I legitimately had no idea, despite playing the level goodness knows how many times.

[@flyingdoggo9887]

great video, also at around 9:51 i felt the need to point out that for some reason chieftains don't take damage from the needler

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers Dogg, and wait do they not? Never knew that!

[@flyingdoggo9887]

@@BenPlaysGames apparently not, i learned it from a video called "can you beat halo 3 with only the needler"

[@dracodeath40k94]

To be honest, I think one of the biggest things I don't see mentioned about Halo 3's begining is how the initial four levels feel like two massive levels broken up by loading screens. Admittedly, that might just be my own take, but I'll put it here anyway. Sierra 117 to Crow's Nest felt like it was just Halo's "going into a building" progression seen in so many other places, and it just feels like one level in it's own right. It doesn't help that Sierra 117 is over so quickly and just after what feels like a mid-boss. Together, the levels give you all the introductory nonsense that was needed. Then we have Tsavo Highway to The Storm, which feels the first proper level, with Tsavo Highway being act 1 of The Storm. It's to the point where I often forget that they're seperate levels at all. Still, I feel like starting in The Storm, even if it had some stuff added to the front end, would feel a bit much for a starting level. If I were to put forward a solution, I would suggest fully combining Sierra 117 with Crow's Nest, the slowness of the jungle sections leading into a military base already under seige. Afterwards, shave Tasvo Highway down a bit and just fuse it fully into the opening of The Storm. I feel like that'll help keep the slow, atmospheric start with an intial ramp into intense action. I feel like that would also bring the _feel_ of the levels more in line with the others. The second set of four levels (Floodgate, The Ark, The Covenant, Cortana) all feel longer and more seperate from eachother, each with it's own identity.

[@kinghoodofmousekind2906]

Your opening comment: it is something I kind of agree; the latter half of Halo 3 felt too rushed, and while I love the early missions, I would gladly see them trimmed down or even erased to have a more interesting final defeat of the Covenant (who sort of vanishes after the death of their last prophet)...

[@carbitt]

Ive recently finished bungies halo, and, as the algorithm does, got your channel recommended on my feed, have to say your commentary is very pleasant to listen to, earned a sub.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers dude, appreciate the support! First time playing through the series?

[@carbitt]

@@BenPlaysGames Not at all actually, ce was the first game i can remember playing on my first ever computer, just had to wrap up the story with reach and 3 so I picked up mcc to play the campaigns chronologically.

[@BenPlaysGames]

@@carbitt Ah okay cool. There's never not a good time to play more Halo!

[@Orinslayer]

All games are designed to have an easy way for a complete beginner to learn the setting and get acquainted with the controls and difficulty. Even as a trilogy, there are going to be players who don't care about that and decide to jump into whatever. That's why the first 3 missions are important.

[@logarhythmic6859]

Was going to comment the same thing. It may have been a stronger start if you've played the Halo 1 and 2 campaigns countless times, but it would've been overwhelming for somebody just getting into the series (which is gonna happen, even if it's clearly the third game in a trilogy). Plus, even for seasoned Halo fans at the time, Siera 117 and Crow's Nest still introduce new enemy types, weapons, and tools.

[@whiteasian3636]

Slightly off topic but I always wondered why the scarabs walking animation looked so sticky. It yanks it’s leg out, hovers for a bit and then steps back down really quickly which I always thought looked a bit unrealistic. I now think it was done so that the marines (and the player) would find it easier to hit its legs with the rocket launcher. Since it’s more of a jerky movement, the legs often stay in one place making it a more predictable target

[@generose5187]

In most videos I feel like the recap of the game is unnecessary. Only time I’ve seen that I think there’s a point in doing it. Enjoyed the video

[@BenPlaysGames]

I like to include them just in case people watching haven't played the games and need context, as unlike a retrospective or a full game analysis, they very much start in the thick of things. Thanks for the kind words too Gene!

[@gietpudemee9155]

This Level was my first glimpse of the entire series, and it did it's job perfectly

[@ErikLosLobos]

I always loved ALL the different ways to take on the scarab...or using that sniper rifle to take out the huge gun at the end nice and easy with no fight

[@BenPlaysGames]

You're the first to mention this and a few have since - and you're spot on. Definitely something I should have discussed which makes the scarab encounter all the more entertaining.

[@SZRLM]

So I just replayed Halo 3 this week having basically not played its campaign since release and I have quite a few issues I'll get to in other videos, this one I kind of felt let down by, primarily with the Scarab. I remembered that there was the thing in the back to kill it, but in the moment the marines make a point about hitting its joints. This was already an issue as on Legendary the Scarab constantly was moving around to target me instead of anything else (including when they say they are going to draw fire) but also with 8 rocket hits not being enough to 'drop' it, meant I'd have to somehow recover more ammo on then to find that dropping it usually didn't matter because it was still too high up to climb on board. Only after a dozen or so exhausting attempts did I notice the elevators and so the Scarab just played ball and walked over for me to jump aboard, which feels underwhelming when the AI does something like this. On later levels when I was able to bombard the Scarabs with Scorpion fire I was disappointed again to see that all damaging the Scarab does it eventually stall it out. There's not a way to disable one of its weapons or permanently stall it by breaking off a leg or something. At the end of the day you have to hit the weak point inside or break off it's cover and hope you can line up a shot. This is not to even talk about how the Scarab flings everything it touches off map. Yes it's cool that you can interact with it more, but honestly it makes me appreciate the simplicity of Halo 2's Scarab.

[@theneoreformationist]

Crow's Nest would have probably made the best first level due to it's design (quite similar to Cairo Station) and simple combat, as well as a good introduction to the brute Chieftain. I think they mainly chose Sierra 117 because it shows off the graphical upgrade from the previous game. It would have worked better as a simple tutorial, like "The Armory" in Halo 2. So I would start the game like this: Crash land, learn basic controls, enter a pelican and fly to Crow's Nest, skip Tsavo Highway entirely, and make the Storm the second full level. And good grief, please let us have more than two levels on the Ark.

[@torb-no]

Gonna be one of those who disagree here (finally). I really like the lush jungle level of H3, even more so than this level. I also like the journey of Tsavo Highway (they both feel like journeys). This level to me feels more like a set of smaller arenas that I don't always find that interesting. One huge exception: the Scarab. That part is really cool and to this day… I'm not sure I've seen anything like it in any FPS ever? In fact, in terms of game play, modern FPS seem to have less of stuff like this in general. Really makes you appreciate Halo 3. It's not only great for it's time, it's still just plain great. Granted, even as a bit more midling level of Halo 3, it's still a level in Halo 3 and they're (sans Cortana maybe) excellent, this one included. Anyway, always love to hear your thoughtful analysis. Thanks for making the video!

[@Dorian_Kellum]

Tsavo Highway and Crow’s Nest could be merged together, but they would both have to be shortened. You could turn Tsavo into a semi-Warthog run level like the second half of Outskirts from 2. Crow’s Nest could get to the self destruct faster and have you get into a Warthog faster. This would be a long ass level. Probably as long or longer than the Ark

[@ghastlyanarchy1720]

I agree. I loved Halo 3 but these days when I go back to it I just start at The Storm and play from there.

[@Arinisonfire]

You have to remember that Bungie originally planned for Halo 2 to conclude with a climactic final fight on earth. So the first few levels in Halo 3 are effectively the last part of what was supposed to be Halo 2. If we started with The Storm, we'd only spend an extremely brief period of time on earth, which would feel a bit anticlimactic and disappointing. Remember we were only on earth for 2 levels in Halo 2 despite it being heavily advertised in the game's marketing and it was heavily advertised in 3's marketing as well. Nearly every trailer for Halo 3 took place on earth. Showing the UNSC resistance's struggle to the invading covenant in those missions is important too. The last time we were on earth, there was just one carrier and a few thousand covenant occupying New Mombasa, but by Halo 3 the entire covenant armada had arrived and launched a massive planetside invasion. Giving us a few missions where we fight in more of a lowkey guerilla style(Sierra 117), a desperate defense of one of our last bases(Crow's Nest), a reorganizing of stragglers into a new force ready to keep up the fight(Tsavo Highway) and finally the culmination of all that effort into an all out assault on the enemy(The Storm) gives the entire first half of the game a really great sense of build-up and payoff with Floodgate and the rest of the levels all raising the stakes consistently from there. I'd say if anything, what the first half of Halo 3 could have used is more scenes that showed us how the invasion was effecting civilian life, thankfully ODST gave us a glimpse of that and later Reach did an excellent job of conveying the war's toll on civilians. I will say though, you're right that the second half of the game could have used another level or two. Halo 3 was noticeably shorter than Halo CE and 2 with only 9 levels compared to 10 and 13 respectively. With how fun and addicting Halo 3's gameplay loop is, I doubt anyone would have objected to another level on The Ark or even on the rebuilt installation 04.

[@PotatoFi]

Great points, all around. When I played this back in 2007, the game felt like it ended one level too soon - I would have thoroughly enjoyed one or two more missions on Installation 04B before the finale.

[@DarkPhoenix268]

One of the biggest criticisms of 2's campaign was that there wasn't enough time spent on Earth. Hence, the first half of the game in 3 is set on Earth. Cutting the first 3 missions would have resulted in the same criticism.

[@Moxymury]

I generally agree with your point that the preceding levels aren't necessary. However, I do think the opening cutscene(s) do(es) a lot to get the player emotionally invested, and the game would be less poignant without it. Including an appropriately revised version of the intro would have been a must in this scenario.

[@olly123451]

That’s a hot take, I don’t disagree though. At the same time, it feels like Sierra 117 needed more time in the oven, and I think combining S117 and Crows Nest, and Crows Nest and Tsavo Highway might have been a better way to pace the beginning of the game. And yeah, H3 definitely needed more work towards the back of the game for the pacing. Only spending a single level with Cortana was tough, and I would have liked to have seen Bungie’s interpretation of her mental decay from her time with the flood play out more. She spends the first bit of Cortana traumatised by her experience, and it makes her feel so much more alive. But by the end of that level, she’s back to her normal witty self. I would have liked a level between Cortana and Halo to explore that more.

[@aidansmith7524]

I have always wanted to have more gametime with the arbiter. To me, he make you feel that you have power that can never be taken away.

[@dylanmckenna4760]

I always thought the T in Tsavo Highway was silent, so you'd just pronounce it 'Savo'.

[@sandman8920]

Probably is.

[@Seriona1]

It is. They say it throught the mission.

[@Satorotas89]

This guy pronounces it incorrectly (and says it many many times throughout the video) because people find it hard to not correct. Comments = engagement. It’s been pointed out that he says it wrong many times.

[@dylanmckenna4760]

@@Satorotas89 I wasn't trying to be negative and correct him, moreso I was just wondering if I've been saying it wrong all my life.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Yeh this is my bad haha, got a really mental block around it for some reason!

[@castleguard_of_xbox360]

The storm was always my favorite level as a kid. Always looked forward to it

[@happy-composer]

Honestly, not to sound like a hater (because typically I love your work), but I could not disagree more about cutting the first three levels. The establishment of controls, enemies, gameplay, story, and mood are VITAL and that’s where all of this is done - throwing the player into the action and telling them “good luck!” seems like a very poor decision. Sierra 117 establishes the controls, setting, and situation your allies are in. It also allows the player to experience what the Chief goes through after jumping and how he rendezvouses with the rest of the UNSC. The only issue is that the conflict gets drawn out a little too much. Crow’s Nest is the least consequential of the three, with really only the cutscenes and final push being relevant to the pacing of the game. Tsavo Highway is really where we start putting Chief inside the central conflict and get him into the action, and it also introduces the player to vehicle combat in a controlled environment. The only issue is that there isn’t a direct and clear objective other than a sequence of “go here, do this.” So, a better solution than cutting all three levels is to shorten the conflict in Sierra 117 and insert the important story beats and escape from Crow’s Nest in the end of it. After that, either give Tsavo Highway a more clear goal or shorten and combine it with the Storm. Still though, that’s a pretty long level, and that only gives us 3 earth missions, which Bungie had to deliver on.

[@BenPlaysGames]

It's all good dude, critique away! I started this channel to chat about this stuff as the majority of my mates don't play a lot of games, so this is sort of my haven for discussing this kind of thing. In retrospect, I think I could have done a better job in this video of explaining that The Storm would need to change to accommodate it being the first level in the game. There would definitely need to be some introductory sequences to bed people in before everything goes bonkers added. I just think narratively, the game mostly treads water for its first three missions where Bungie's time would have been better spent perhaps having more happen around Voi before the Flood arrived or after Cortana was rescued to give her a bigger role. Your solutions too make a lot of sense, can't argue with them too much!

[@austinhinton3944]

I always felt like the first portion of Halo 3 was just sorta filler. A holdover from when 3 was meant to be the final act of 2 before the plot got cut short and it was reworked into its own game.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Definitely this - the story moves at such a rapid pace during 3's back half that I think cutting the early levels and fleshing out the narrative post The Storm with extra levels would have worked far better. Would have to delay the arrival of The Flood a little maybe, but no reason that couldn't be done.

[@austinhinton3944]

@@BenPlaysGames Inwosh we had gotten to see more of the Ark (both game play and visually as unlike the Halos it doesn't got a full-shot when we first see it) as for being such a pivotal point in the story we don't spend comparatively long on it. You hit the ground running and don't ever stop until Truth is dead. Which, yes, makes sense from a story perspective, means alot of the Ark levels run by lightning quick (not helping is that alot of them are vehicle segments) and kinda bleed together.

[@BenPlaysGames]

@@austinhinton3944 More Ark and maybe one more mission in Voi before the Flood turned up. Just more time with Cortana in general too.

[@thecosmicentity5597]

The Storm is probably my favorite level in H3

[@BenPlaysGames]

For me, it's really only behind The Ark and The Covenant, with Halo giving it a good run for its money. Such a great level.

[@andrewdent8087]

Never commented on a KZbin video before, but I just wanted to let you know your doing a great job and I hope you keep the videos coming. Keep up the good work!

[@BenPlaysGames]

Appreciate you bucking that trend to say hello here Andrew. Cheers for the awesome feedback dude!

[@TheKiltedGerman]

This is effectively the same argument as taking Jabba's palace out of Return of the Jedi, which I'm vehemently against.

[@ThinsofWheat]

Sierra 117 and Crow’s best should have been one mission. You end Sierra 117 and instead of being pelican'd off to crow's nest you enter at the dam, light the bomb, and exit at the hanger (instead of doing all that crow's nest back and forth nonsense)

[@davidzamora4891]

Examining floodgate would be great

[@BenPlaysGames]

It'll 100% happen - plan is to have one day done a video on every Halo level. Well, definitely the Bungie ones at least.

[@PallyKalhi]

I very much disagree with this video on the grounds that at least cries nest and tsavo highway do world building to show how dire the situation is. Sierra 117 could've been axed but I don't know. Also, to introduce the flood and scarab fights so early into the game would have top ended it a bit too much. All this being said, I still love your videos and I love listening to you talk about Halo stuff even if I disagree. Thank you for the content!

[@mrbrocephus3849]

I’m replaying these games again on Legendary. Starting with Reach. 😅😢😂❤

[@OGRScintilla]

You mentioned siera 117 is too short, so what if Tsavo Highway was adapted to become the back half of the opening mission and then the storm became the second mission? That way new players would get a chance to get the hang of the shooting and driving controls before taking on the bigger challenges of this mission

[@OGRScintilla]

I also think that would feel like a pretty epic opening mission when compared to others in the trilogy, as you would get to feel the scope of the covenant’s invasion of earth

[@LegataireS117]

Joe Staten admited that the original ending of Halo 2 was cut to became what the begining of Halo 3 now is. So no, you are right :)

[@gabe1298]

From a gameplay perspective, I agree The Storm could have been the first. But Tsavo Highway at least would be necessary from a story perspective.

[@NitroNEXT]

I don't agree that the Cortana interludes are annoying and make the game worse. They add to the story in a unique way, help remind of Cortana's absence and add to Halo 3 tone and identity. The game would be more bland without them as Chief is a protagonist of few words and isn't going to talk about Cortana all the time (at least not until 343 games I suppose). The only argument in favour of getting rid of them is if you're replaying the Campaign many times but that's a poor argument as they work well for a first time player at establishing Chief's internal struggle and building mystery and anticipation for what could happen next.

[@Interphased]

Hey Ben, another great video as per usual. Just a quick note - I notice you don't promote your patreon very much in your videos. Definitely worth reconsidering! I subscribed recently, and it's criminal that you don't have a bigger following on there. Don't be afraid to self-promote!!

[@nicos1097]

Man Halo 3 is a masterpiece

[@BenPlaysGames]

I agree, along with Reach its the most consistently campaign quality wise in the series, with two of its best levels as well.

[@maluse227]

I feel like narratively this works, but bungie needed to introduce the new brutes, the new items you could use, the new weapons, the new vehicles and the new types of encounters before they could make the storm. Without that lead up and without that familiarity this being the first mission would have felt really overwhelming at the time. The storm hits as well as it does now because we were given a chance to become familiar with Halo 3s new systems

[@HYDRAdude]

Halo 3 should have started right where Halo 2 ended, with Chief fighting on the Forerunner Dreadnought.

[@PotatoFi]

I agree. This would have kept the tradition of having the first level be on a spacecraft or space station, even if it was a Forerunner craft.

[@blaketindle4703]

Puzzling why between 2 and 3 the Covenant changed the design of the Scarab to include a weak point you can shoot or smash to destroy the whole thing! 😂

[@burge117]

Apparently from a lore perspective they were different types of scarabs I believe...the one's in two are for excavation...and three are assault platforms. Though your question is still valid...why is the assault version more vulnerable haha

[@bakebeansbussin1830]

The storm is by far one of the best halo missions ever

[@Promethion]

I don't necessarily hate Crows Nest, but it's a little bit of a stinker imo.

[@BenPlaysGames]

I could take or leave it and Sierra 117 honestly. Tsavo Highway I'm more fond of.

[@gargravarr2]

@@BenPlaysGames The game needs an on-foot level at the start to teach the player the basics. Both of the previous Halos started with an interior level followed by a Warthog level. Using the same formula, Sierra and Nest should be combined into a single level, with Highway after it.

[@WastedPot]

All the alterations made to 1 and 2 through anniversary plus 343s misunderstanding of what Halo is for the release of 4, 5 and Infinite I’m actually all good with 3 starting as it did. You almost won me over with the idea of further developing the back half of the game which would obviously have been great. After seeing the cut end of 2 and different direction 3 had to take because of it there is clearly a huge amount of story not depicted in the way Bungie had hoped. I’ll always wish we saw more of Bungie’s vision but I played all of their games for a decade and am as happy with them now as I was back then. I wish I felt the same for 343s releases but instead I’m here reminiscing about the franchise’s first ten years. Not the last. I worry Moneysoft is the real root of all the issues. Whether it’s cut content from the original trilogy or 343s troubled decade I don’t think Moneysoft has helped the issue whatsoever.

[@burge117]

I'm so far behind on your videos, Ben. Must catch-up. But damn man, even before I watch what is I am certain a banging video...that is a hell of a bold claim. I actually think we needed more levels on Earth, not less. Since we got short changed so bad in Halo 2. The first free levels are fantastic in their own right. Sierra 117, perfect introduction level. Crow's Nest is arguably my favourite level. It is the only level I don't miss fighting the Elites...the Brutes really come into their, probably because of the amazing level design and tight quarters. A giant annoyance for me for the rest of the levels that contain The Covenant is how shallow an enemy the Brutes are in place of the Elites. A terrible carbon copy for the most part. So for a level to not have that feeling. It is GOLDEN. Tsavo Highway is solid. I think the only reason it is a bit lacking is they don't give you enough human vehicle variety, being stuck with the Gatling Hog for so long, a Gauss would have made the last canyon section easier and a lot more fun. There are too many vehicles to deal with when having just a Gatling. As for The Storm, I actually think it is one of the weaker levels, probably bottom three. Cortana, Tsavo Highway and then The Storm. That's not a knock on anything but Cortana mind you, just a testament to Halo 3 and its fantastic design..outside my issue with the Brutes that is. The Storm is a great level for sure, but to start there...probably not. There should have been at least six maybe seven levels on Earth. To help really show the desperation and gathering allies to finally strike back.

[@BansheeNT-D]

Very good Level, but the ending is meh. The trailer was so much better. This felt like an low budget version.

[@BenPlaysGames]

I remember that trailer being revealed like it was yesterday! So exciting at the time, was desparate to see next gen Halo footage though so had to wait a bit longer.

[@PotatoFi]

Agree - I remember feeling very letdown that the scene from the announcement trailer was not present in the game. What we got instead felt shoehorned in. On it's own, it would have been fine... but the announcement trailer was just so, so perfect.

[@BenPlaysGames]

@@PotatoFi Halo 3 has some unbelievable trailers, the Starry Night one was incredible too.

[@dawsonjenkins4403]

For me I feel like I don't necessarily think the storm should be at the beginning of halo 3 but I do agree that it should've been put a little bit earlier than what it is like sierra 117 is a level that could've been scrapped the level crows nest is a level that is decent the level savo highway and the storm I feel is a bit of a part 1 part 2 level which I feel is a bit of a waste like your in basically the same area on savo highway your are moving into the section of the storm so I feel you could've made them one level all together there are some bits on the storm that could've been improved like your mission is to destroy the covenant aa gun but there wasn't much defence of the gun by the covenant you had a scarab battle which is all good but the arrival of the scarab was pointless because it arrives when all the covenant are dead in that section of the level even though there wasn't much there to begin with all there were was 2 wraiths are few ghosts and choppers with the levels that follow all could've been improved a bit like floodgate is fine the way it is the ark I feel could've been changed a bit like you are going from one end to the other in the battle with the scarab again the arrival isn't until everyone is dead the scarab in halo 3 are pretty easy to take down so you could've included them earlier in the battles instead of waiting until the end of the battle for it to arrive the level the covenant I feel the way it ends is a bit of a let down like towards the end you kill the prophet them after that there is no more covenant for the rest of the game I feel like that could've waited until the end of the game the level cortana is all flood level so there isn't much to change and the level halo there isn't much to it and the warthog run is ok but then final cut scene I think could've been replaced with something a bit more like the end cutscene of halo combat evolved the maw like at the end after the ring blows up the chief asks did anyone else make it and cortana says scanning just does and echo's where all that's left we did what we had to do for earth an entire covenant amada obliterated we had no choice halo it's finished] and basically everything in that dialogue basically happened at the end of halo 3 the ring gets destroyed the flood and the covenant are done for good well the flood is anyway everyone else is basically dead to like captain keyes and miranda keyes, johnson there all dead

[@sandman8920]

I have recently played through halo 3 and yes I’d agree the first missions aren’t very fun especially. I do enjoy tsavo highway though. It feels to me like the game was a bit rushed for example there’s a mission or two you can complete in just a few minutes on legendary.

[@clydemactavish3457]

you could make the same argument about halo 2... The first three levels are for campaign pacing. It's the first main Halo game like 3 years at that point. Not everything is super fresh so it gives time to build up the plot. Nice video idea if the channel has been a bit slow, I guess

[@NATO94]

Don't you think Tsavo Highway is pronounced the way Sergeant Johnson says it? Savo Highway. T-Savo?

[@BenPlaysGames]

No. Yes. Possibly.

[@wtfsalt]

It would improve the pacing of the story but i don't think it would improve the game overall. good video though

[@Xpwnxage]

My man

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers for watching dude!

[@sandman8920]

You can easily mess up in halo 3 as well if you’re playing one of the vehicle missions and it gets blown up or something and it saves it’s like 🤷🏻‍♂️ what am I going to do now? Especially since the maps have bigger open areas.

[@BaconLover100]

storm is fun.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Agreed!

[@BeardySnorelax]

Erm you’re ditching chief waking up and being found by the UNSC

[@edux54]

another one for the algorithm

[@llliwwille]

I find halo 3 to honestly be one of the most disappointing campaigns. I was so so so fkn excited for the story after H2. Halo 3 barely has a story and butchers most characters truth, Miranda, and underutilizes others Arbiter, cortana, Rtas Vadum

[@woodsyjones]

I agree man. The beginning of Halo 3 seemed strangely boring and anticlimactic! A bit of a disappointment to be honest

[@BenPlaysGames]

There was a lot of talk about finishing the fight pre release, but you don't do a whole lot of that early doors haha. I'd have loved to have seen an extra urban mission or two in the vein of Exodus from Reach before the Flood arrived, plus a couple more missions once you're reunited with Cortana. She's quite underutilised in 3, I think.

[@woodsyjones]

Definitely, an Exodus style of mission would have been great! Great video man, can’t wait for the next 💪🏻

[@BenPlaysGames]

@@woodsyjones Cheers Woodsy!