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Unless it' s not Halo 3 at all and actually from the planned Halo 2 content that will be available only for Xbox 360. They do look like Halo 2 + hi-res textures...

It cannot be Halo 3, mst be what you said, Halo 2 with High-Res. Looking at the screens, aren' t those the multiplayer maps of Halo 2?

Though I thought the previous Halo 3 screens looked bad, they didn' t look THAT bad!

Those are halo 3 screen shots but they are from a very early build of the game.

When they design the levels they leave out all of the detail until the end. Once the map is balanced the way they want it and the engine is near final performance standards they know how much they can add and do it.

But I don' t think it will end up quite as good looking as GoW, probably close though.

It won' t look as nice as GoW because Bungie has already said Epic was aiming for Detail they aren' t. I actually don' t mind those screens, but then again that is because I know it is an earlier build and will get better.

Yeah, Halo 3 is still around pre-Alpha, from what I' m hearing.

Any game in pre-Alpha would/will look bad.

I think people are missing the point slightly (but only slightly) Bungie have to be careful about maintaining continuity between the franchise, as fans of the game it is easy to look at a title this early in production and make assumptions, but personally considering it' s due date I think (all part form the first image) it looks like it is headed along the right lines. The models both MC and the vehicles are more than up to the task, and it is the environment / weapons etc.. which will be part of the polishing htey do once they have the mechanics right.

Looks rubbish nah, most of the environment looks placeholder to me, but the models, they have got me wanting to see more. Even at hte E3 trailer they said they hadnt implimented the hdr etc..and I wouldnt want hte game not to " feel" like Halo... so bring it on I say...

The whole pre-alpha/alpha thing is bullshit. Bungie have been working on Halo 3 since they finished Halo 2 (and that shipped in November 2004), and they will obviously have had devkits well before anybody else.

You' re telling me that a game they' ve been working on for 2 year already, a game that' s supposed to ship in less than 12 months is still pre-alpha/alpha and is still using placeholder textures?!

Ok, so what was he point of showing what is essentially Halo 2 online HD?!

^^ Those ^^ look awful, and look very much like (looking at geometry and models) Halo 2, with higher resolution textures. The polycount doesn' t even appear to have changed for gods sake.

If that' s Halo 3, even an alpha build then i' m worried.

But look at those trees... they HAVE to be placeholder!?

They all look the same! I must say im confused about the whole including Halo2 content thing, kinda like the GT stuff, it' s a new game it gets completely new content ok devs?

I hated what they did to the blood gulch concept in Halo2 anyways, I think perhaps I just prefer cleaner less cluttered arenas perhaps.

Don' t attack halo3 one more time,or i find you...

Bleh, once again I have no faith in this game at all.

ORIGINAL: QuezcatoL

Don' t attack halo3 one more time,or i find you...

I didn' t! I think ya mean Makik right?!

ORIGINAL: musashi

But look at those trees... they HAVE to be placeholder!?

They all look the same! I must say im confused about the whole including Halo2 content thing, kinda like the GT stuff, it' s a new game it gets completely new content ok devs?

I hated what they did to the blood gulch concept in Halo2 anyways, I think perhaps I just prefer cleaner less cluttered arenas perhaps.

In March-ish, when they release the Halo 3 online beta they' re also (separately) making additional Halo 2 (for Halo 2) content available through XBLM, for 360 owners only. My take on that is that it' s being made available on 360 only because there will be graphical improvements and it' ll be optimized for 720p proper.

Higher resolution textures and more detailed models would be involved, ...surely?

It' s all a bit strange, and if i was asked what engine ^^ the above ^^ was running on i would say Halo 2.5. For a game that' s already 2 years in development, and after the grief PDZ got because of it' s sub-par retard graphics, i can' t see Bungie, or Microsoft no less give us anything less than a masterpiece.

Why oh why didn' t they just use UE3.0???

I' ve never been blown away by the graphics in either of the previous Halo games. Aside from the obvious pop-in issues with textures in Halo 2, I thought the normal mapping in general was overdone on peoples' faces. I do like the consistent art direction and architectural styles they' ve established. But I' m not worried about them not going for gritty realism. Their animation has always been top-notch. The thing that keeps me playing is the solid controls and the depth of multiplayer gameplay, in which new situations can continue to arise even after having played for months and months.

My take on that is that it' s being made available on 360 only because there will be graphical improvements and it' ll be optimized for 720p proper.

Nah, it' s so they can twist the arms of people like me who haven' t been excited about getting a 360 yet.

Oh, the idea of charging people to beta test? That' s rubbish! But people will do it. Look at all the clones walking around wearing clothing with brand name logos on it. They' re basically paying to do advertising work for those clothing companies.

ORIGINAL: Majikdra6on

The whole pre-alpha/alpha thing is bullshit. Bungie have been working on Halo 3 since they finished Halo 2 (and that shipped in November 2004), and they will obviously have had devkits well before anybody else.

You' re telling me that a game they' ve been working on for 2 year already, a game that' s supposed to ship in less than 12 months is still pre-alpha/alpha and is still using placeholder textures?!

Ok, so what was he point of showing what is essentially Halo 2 online HD?!

^^ Those ^^ look awful, and look very much like (looking at geometry and models) Halo 2, with higher resolution textures. The polycount doesn' t even appear to have changed for gods sake.

If that' s Halo 3, even an alpha build then i' m worried.

Now I' m not a fanboy, nor did I like Halo 2 much, but geeze slow down a bit.

This is why I don' t think developers should release any early screenshots. People seem to go ape shit and make wild accusations because they take everything at face value.

Those screenshots are of an alpha build. There isn' t some big conspiracy or bullshit story behind it. Going by the usual three year development cycle, and couple this with the fact that Microsoft is not rushing them at all, Bungie seem to be on track. Alpha stages just get the general layout and look/feel established. The programmers still have quite a bit of work ahead of them and very little artistry work is done, most of that is done in the next stage (interim beta/second alpha). Remember, most of the game usually comes together and looks like a " Game" in the later stages. Right now it' s just bits and pieces.

What you' ve said is just as stupid as going over to a construction site and say to the builders " The house looks like shit, the whole thing is crap, you suck."

H3 will look nothing like that upon release, i reckon it will be on level with GoW, just a different artistic style instead of the super attention to detail, though the levels do need a bit more detail IMO

I find it hard to believe these pics is Halo 3. When Bungie released the Halo 2, many didn' t even think that was possible on a xbox. These pics aren' t Halo 3, of that I' m certain.

A bit early to say so, is it not? The game is still in the early stages of development and most probably will look significantly better come its release.

Theres no way that is halo 3. it has to be a realy early form

who cares how it looks Halo has never been about graphics.

aslong as the gameplay is tweaked and polished im sold

with the money microsoft is throwing behind halo. it' s flagship game, I highly doubt there is any chance this game will look any less than spectacular. This is halo remember, the game that put xbox on the map, microsoft knows it' s importance, so i wouldn' t worry