First impressions count for a lot, and Bungie certainly took that to heart when creating Sierra 117.  When I first started this level, I was immediately impressed by the amount of foliage; covering your path, hanging from the rock walls and the trees. But that might not be the first thing you notice – I believe I’ve heard Bungie refer to them as “god rays”: they’re the beams of light that stream down into the forest through holes in the canopy above.  Directly above the piece of shrapnel in the mud is a block of these beams, shining down into the forest, slowly being filtered away before they reach the jungle floor.  This piece of shrapnel is obviously what the Chief (or part of what the Chief) rode down on from the Dreadnought.

Forerunner in structure, it reminds me of the corridor doors from Halo 1.  Bungie intended for us to know, going into Halo 3, the story of how the Chief escaped the Forerunner Dreadnought that he traveled to Earth in.  Unfortunately, issues with Marvel have resulted in massive delays in the Halo: Uprising series that tells this story.  All four comics were supposed to have been released before Halo 3’s release – five months after launch, only two of the comics have been made available.  I guess we’ll have to wait and see if the Chief rode down in a capsule of some sort, or glided back down to Earth, Silver-Surfer-style.

Moving through the jungle, another thing you may notice is the jungle ambience. Marty and his team did an amazing job here backing up the rest of the developers on their “first impressions” goal; dripping rainwater, rustling leaves, and a multitude of animal cries makes for a realistic jungle experience.

Being myself a massive Firefly fan, the first exchange Johnson makes via radio was pretty unbelievable for me: acknowledging Johnson’s transmission, a man whose voice I instantly recognized says, “Roger that. Reynolds out.” That would be Nathan Fillion, who plays Malcom Reynolds on Firefly/Serenity. I thought it was fantastic that he kept the same name. Malcom lives on!

Halo fans will immediately recognize the waterfall, and Phantom flying overhead from the E3 2007 trailer.

The game’s first battle plays out quite well, even more so on Legendary. You’re introduced to Brute Captain, but being without a good long range weapon, you’re unable to immediately attack him. Pitting you against a small squad of Grunts with two ways to attack (beneath the log or head on) is a perfect example of why Halo is what it is: from the very first moment, you realize that you have multiple ways to approach this encounter.

Remember to check out the addendum for Legendary gameplay tips.

Within seconds of beginning the battle you’re reminded of another example of Halo’s high quality of gameplay: the chatter that occurs between not only your allies, but amongst the enemies as well. I have to say, I was a bit disappointed that Joe Staten brought in another voice actor to assist in the Grunt voices. I guess giving their voices a bit more variety is a good idea, but it’s still a little odd for me to hear the slightly lower, raspier Grunt vocals in addition to Staten’s high-pitched wails.

The music that started a few moments before the battle is, while an entirely new piece, still classic Halo in design: low strings with rhythmic drums, reminiscent of “The Gun Pointed At The Head Of The Universe,” from Halo 1.  As the encounter progresses, you’ll hear the higher strings also typical of Halo music come into play.

The Phantom drops that take place next are pretty staggering if you’re paying attention.  I counted a  total of 23 Grunts and 3 Captains on the screen at once, with 19 of those Grunts being dropped onto the field for battle.  You face them in two squads which should immediately tell you how Halo 3 will be handling the increased amount of enemies it sees from Halo 2.  Putting large groups of enemies on screen at once, but positioning them in a manner that gives you time to take them out in squads works well for both aesthetic and gameplay reasons.

While the A.I. in Halo 3 is still not without its faults, at times it can really shine.  Every so often, the Arbiter will whip out his sword and systematically move from enemy to enemy, slashing them down. I could watch this all day.  I particularly love the battle cries that he bellows out as he strikes down a foe.

The A.I. also shines in this first encounter since, even on Legendary, you almost always emerge from the battle with two or three marines left.  To give the Covenant some credit, you do start out with the higher ground.

The first silver skull, the Blind skull, can be found in this area.

You’ll see it on the middle-left hand side of the screen.

As you battle through the second Phantom’s troops, you’ll continue to hear the chatter among the enemies and your allies.  I thought it was great in Halo 2, and it is literally twice as good in Halo 3.  Halo 2 had over 20,000 lines of dialogue and Halo 3 is reported to have almost 40,000.  I particularly love it when the A.I.s refer to the Arbiter by name – the Covenant will cry, “heretic!” as they attack, and you’ll often hear the marines spout out lines like “glad you’re on our side, Arbiter!”

You get your first chance to use equipment during this battle, as well. The first Brute Captain will usually drop a Bubble Shield that, on Legendary,  you typically end up needing before the end of the second Phantom’s battle.  Out of all of the pieces of equipment in Halo 3, the Bubble Shield is, in my opinion, the coolest and definitely the best looking.

I love the marine’s and the Arbiter’s exchange that follows this battle.  After a marine remarks about the toughness of the Grunts, the Arbiter responds with, “the Grunts’ new-found courage is but fear. When we are victorious, all who serve the Prophets will be punished.”  I think it’s really interesting that the marines have come so far that not only will they fight alongside an Elite, but conversation can take place between the two.  The random combat dialogue is great, but scripted lines like this really put a spotlight on the marines’ and the Arbiter’s new relationship.

The next encounter starts out strongly reminiscent of “Assault on the Control Room,” where you’re given the opportunity to take out an entire squad of sleeping Grunts.  The connection between the two usually ends pretty quickly for me, however, since I’ve never been able to make it more than thirty seconds without getting caught.

This area introduces you for the first time to Halo 3’s Jackal snipers.  While not nearly as frustrating as Halo 2’s counterparts, they are still fairly formidable.  But certainly not to the extent of the ones found in Sniper Alley in Halo 2.

I can’t help but feel completely horrible when a marine gets stuck with a plasma; “get it off, somebody get it off!”

I really like the level design of this encounter. Starting out on a ridge, dropping down, and then making your way back up along the path on the left, while overlooking the area you just fought in; I think it works really well. And the jungle really shines in the area, if you think about it while you’re playing. Most people don’t, which is, I think, a testament to its immersion factor.

In this area, you can find the first of two trees with a heart and initials carved into it.

The tree directly in the center holds this easter egg.  The carving is on the right side of the tree.  It’s quite small and a little tricky to spot.

The Brute interrogating the marine as you round the bend to the next area is really fantastic. The low strings fade in right as you move into the area. I always do everything I can to save the marine, although I hate hearing him deliver his lines: “Brute Chieftain. Phantom. Pinned us down… killed my men.” His voice cracks as he says the last part. This is Nathan Fillion, again, by the way. For those of you who are Firefly fans, this part is probably as emotional for you as it is for me. The strings playing under Nathan’s lines get me every time. Bungie does a great job here setting up a subplot for this level: taking down the Brute Chieftain. Hearing the pain in Sargeant Reynolds’ voice is the beginning of the end for the Chieftain! Seeing the dead marines against the cliff wall to the left only further deepens his grave. Besides the obvious emotional ones, another reason that I always try to save Reynolds is that I love the addition of his chatter to the mix.

But wait! Before you leave the area where Reynolds was being interrogated, be sure to check out the second tree with initials carved into it.

The tree on the far right hand side of the screen holds the carving.  It’s on the branch on the left side of the tree.

As you make your way through the tunnel, you encounter a second Cortana flash (the first being in Arrival). While I halfway expected her to say, “This cave is not a natural formation. Someone built it, so it must lead somewhere,” what she does say is far more interesting, considering it’s a direct quote from “The Fall of Reach.”

Could you sacrifice me to complete your mission? Could you watch me die? [Sierra 117, Halo 3]

“Could you sacrifice him if you had to? If it meant completing your mission?” Dr. Halsey asked quietly. “Could you watch him die?” [Halo: The Fall of Reach, pg. 237]

Even though Cortana had already been created when Dr. Halsey asked her this question, it obviously still had a profound effect on the A.I.’s inner workings, since she now poses the same question to the Chief.

The only thing that I don’t like about the following encounter is the female pilot’s voice. I don’t know what it is, but her voice grates on me every time. Besides that, however, this area is amazing! Emerging from the narrow pathway, you see a battle already taking place. Johnson, manning a chain gun on the back of a Pelican, is engaged in a shootout with the Covenant, doing his best to cover the marines on the ground. The Jackal snipers across the river add a nice depth to the encounter.

For the first time, you start to see what Halo 3 on the 360 is capable of. The Pelican getting hit by the Banshee’s Fuel Rod blast and colliding with Johnson’s Pelican is an intense experience. As annoying as the female pilot’s voice is (I miss Foehammer!), she does do a good job of conveying the panic of the situation; and likewise, Johnson does a good job of showing his character by trying to keep her under control.

If you look towards the concrete pipes quickly enough, you can sometimes catch a glimpse of Grunts leaping unnaturally high into the air to get to higher ground.

As you clear out the enemies in the lower area, and begin to move towards the concrete structure, you’ll hear a very memorable tune: It went by “A Walk in the Woods,” in Halo 1, “Heretic, Hero,” in Halo 2, and it has now become “Released,” in Halo 3. I love Marty’s decision to use a large amount of classic Halo songs for the final game in the trilogy. Having this song playing while battling the Covenant brings back an enormous amount of nostalgia, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

And here are the crates. What’s Bungie’s obsession with crates? I can recall interviews, commentaries and podcasts where Bungie jokes about the gameplay calling for box-shaped blocks, and the artists getting sick of coming up with different ways to do crates.

Moving into an area slightly more reminiscent of Sniper Alley, you receive the first of Johnson’s cries for help. He seems to get himself into quite a few situations like this throughout the game; granted, it isn’t his fault in this case.

If you hug the left wall as you round the first turn in this area, you will come across something slightly odd.

Moving over the ridge into the next area, you’ll hear Johnson taunting the Brutes as he and his marines head into a nearby tunnel. Johnson’s character is definitely an integral part of the Halo series, and despite the situations he finds himself in throughout Halo 3, his “tough guy” attitude still prevails as his defining characteristic.

More great level design, here. Being able to stand back and pick off enemies with a Beam Rifle or a Carbine is always fun (and a necessity on Legendary). Again, this is why Halo shines: multiple ways to approach an encounter.

The Arbiter always seems to rush into battle before I do at this section, and I know a lot of people have a problem with his near-invincibility (he can die, but he will spring back to life at the end of that particular battle). Personally, I like the departure from the past Halo games. Never before has it felt like you have an equal battling alongside you in solo campaign play. While he certainly has his embarrassing moments, I think that Bungie did a great job with the Arbiter’s A.I. and his fighting style. Like I mentioned before, I always love seeing him pull out his sword when he gets into a tight spot. getsAnd hearing him comment on a grenade I’ve tossed or a snipe I’ve made only adds to the enjoyability. I was highly critical of Bungie when they forced the player to control the Arbiter in Halo 2, but it ultimately worked out for the best. As cheesy as people thought it would turn out to be, I think the Arbiter/Chief duo is pretty awesome.

Continuing the Chieftain subplot, you can catch him overseeing the battle from a Phantom hovering just over the cliff edge.

Downed Pelicans are nothing new to the Halo series, but the transmissions coming from the radio add a great amount of realism to the experience.

Echo five-one, this is Crow’s Nest.  Echo five-one, please respond!

Hocus, five-one is down! Divert for emergency evac. Over. [Sierra 117, Halo 3]

Emerging from the jungle into the dam area, Halo 3’s first vignette takes over. These vignettes provide the player the ability to watch a scripted sequence, or to regain control immediately and continue playing while the scripted sequence continues on its own. I like this one in particular because of the way the Chief and the Arbiter emerge from the jungle. Two extremely awesome characters made more awesome by their pairing up.

The Chieftain subplot reaches its peak here as you see him mercilessly beating Johnson. You may notice that the Chieftain’s animations are changed from the unrealistic cartoonish ones that we saw in the E3 2007 trailer.

Even more great level design here, especially in the way that you’re able to overlook the entire area before you move into it; and what a beautiful environment to overlook. I always end up gazing at the artistic qualities of this area before I start fighting. This is definitely one of my favorite encounters in the game. And if you grabbed a sniper from the downed Pelican, you can have some fun here before dropping down.

I especially like seeing the Chieftain finally moving about as a normal Brute: this means I will soon have my chance to repay him for what he did to Reynolds and Johnson. A few times, I’ve heard the Arbiter warn me, “that Chieftain has a Hammer!” Not for long! …just give me a few seconds to run in terror as his invincibility wears off.

While killing him is reward enough in and of itself, I love that I can pick up his Hammer to use against the rest of the enemies. It’s like picking up nice loot in an RPG. And if you’re really quick with the kill, you can sometimes grab his invincibility before he uses it. I can’t count the amount of times, however, that I’ve found myself trying to sneak through the underground tunnel beneath the Brutes and ending up running head-on into an invincible Chieftain.

Rescuing Johnson is a satisfying experience. I always bring in the Hammer so he’ll know what happened to the Chieftain.

I love the final section to this level. Battling it out with the dropped-off enemies while Hocus takes down the Phantoms above you is a great way to end things. This is also (usually) the first time we get to see a Phantom explode, and the HDR lighting is spectacular. That, along with the seeing the remains of the Chieftain’s Phantoms slowing sinking beneath the water, certainly helps seal the deal for this encounter being a memorable one.

Don’t forget to pick up the first Gold skull of the game, Iron, before you hop on the Pelican.

You’ll see it in the top left hand corner of this screenshot.

An interesting piece of trivia: the designation of the two marines shown in the final cutscene, “kilo two-three,” is the same as the marines from the Halo 2 E3 demo, as well as the marines in Outskirts in the final version of Halo 2.

By the way, if you were curious where the Chief’s Pelican actually goes, I found it. It’s a hole in the ground near where Johnson’s Pelican gets shot down.

Check out the addendum for the Legendary saved film and a few gameplay tips; and stop by the Ascendant Justice Halo 3 forum to read discussions regarding various aspects of Halo 3’s campaign.