So I know this is long overdue, but it hasn’t peaked my interest enough. I’ve never been a huge FPS fan, mainly because I suck. Halo has never been any different. I’ve always enjoyed games with friends, but it’s something I’d sit down with for hours on end.

With that said, I spent a lot of time with the Halo 3 beta the past couple days, mostly getting my ass handed to me. It was still pretty fun though. Most importantly, I wasn’t called any racist names, which is a huge plus for Halo.

The controls are terrific, as per usual with Halo. It took me a bit to get used to the button changes, but once I did, I think they’re more intuitive. Using the RB to pick up weapons and reload works well and I like it better than using X, since you don’t have to take your finger off the right analog stick.

The graphics are good, but nothing extravagant. Some textures look great, while others looks like a high def version of Halo 2. I’m assuming Bungie will tweak everything before the final release this fall. Each map in the beta has it’s own unique characteristics, depending on the gameplay type. My personal favorite, capture the flag, isn’t in this beta.

The gameplay seems much more balanced than in Halo 2. There weapons are all pretty fair and there’s plenty to choose from. The vehicles currently in the beta are about the same as in Halo 2, so there’s nothing huge yet. There will be some new vehicles coming soon, and more in the final game, which should make things more interesting.

The film feature is great, although I wish they would add the ability to choose your view. I’d love to get a third person perspective on how stuff happened in a match, or see it from someone else’s point of view. Maybe that will be added down the line.

Overall, the beta is pretty fun. I’m sure I’ll spend a lot of time with it while I still can, splitting my time between Halo 3 and Warhawk. I think the final polished version will be terrific.