OK, so while I might not have been first on the new Halo 3 beta that came out this week, I certainly beat most of my friends (to their great annoyance) at getting my hands on the three brand new maps, seven new weapons, a new vehicle and some of the new equipment used with the X-Button on the much-anticipated Halo 3. This is all thanks to Bungie, who had invited me (along with the other Frag Dolls and 100 PMS Clan members) to play a week earlier than those who will start this week by qualifying by the “Rule of Three” contest Bungie held, buying a special edition of Crackdown and/or other limited promotions they held. (Yes, this means we are special and I am rubbing it in, in typical Valkyrie mode.)

It all started with this email:

Welcome to the Bungie Friends & Family Halo 3 Beta!

In order to play the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta, you will need an Xbox 360 with a hard drive and an Xbox LIVE Gold account.

Your beta download code is: (Yeah...I removed this, sorry guys!)

This code will allow you to download the Halo 3 Beta to one Xbox 360 console, one time. Etc, etc, etc.

So I jumped online and went into the fray unknowing of what was about to occur.

Firstly, I was quite surprised by how big the three maps were and all the outdoor play with wide open spaces that they offered. This is a sniper’s paradise, and I am a crappy sniper, so I must say that I was a little scared (and still am) to think about all the guys and gals that covet those long range weapons and use them 24-7. There is not a doubt in my mind that whoever obtains this weapon and is good at using it, will control a map. That should make all you pansy guys that like to hide back and pick people off quite happy…

The three maps - Valhalla, High Ground, and Snowbound - had some underground tunnel areas and some awesome energy shield doors that players, but not bullets, can pass through. I noticed a lot of people camping these areas, simply poking their gun out to shoot but staying behind the shields...smart, but I still hate camping with a passion so I won’t support it. However, these places will certainly come in handy when you need a quick energy shield charge!

It took me a while to figure out the button changes, especially the reload which is now the bumpers, so I was running around quite a bit without any ammo loaded in my gun. (Yes, I am a noob, but I finally figured it out about half way through the first map.) After getting most of my buttons in order, I then went around to play with all the new stuff.  Here are my experiences with everything I found that I had never seen before:

Gravity Lift
The first time I hopped on this, it was like Chutes & Ladders at three years old all over again. I soared across half a map and was quite amazed at the distance. This thing will most certainly be an integral part of all game types, so look around for these glowing white pads and take the free sky ride.

Bubble Shield
OK, I am bad and don’t read a lot of previews so I didn’t really know what to expect with this. I found one and used it and was like “WTF!” I couldn’t really see through it and it wasn’t till later that I found out you can’t shoot through it or be shot in it.  Immediately, I could see the implications this would have on objective-type games (i.e., throwing it down in key areas to protect your entire team when you are trying to secure or take a flag). Of course, it will be possible to use it for other purposes, but seriously, sit on this and use it when you need it (don’t be like me and use it for giggles and waste such an amazing thing).  Simply use it, then poke out and shoot, then jump back and giggle as the opposing team wastes all their bullets on you. “Oops, is that a reload I see?"- jump out and BAM! Headshot...they’re dead!

Power Drainer
Eh...I wasn’t all the impressed with this, but I guess I haven’t figured out how to use it effectively. I pretty much got myself killed using it as the small blue ball drained my shield, but hey, what’s a noob to do? I know that people spawn around their teammates anywhere on the map, so I can see this being useful after you see some people die and get around their existing teammates where you know they will be spawning. Just run away yourself and pick them off for a Killtacular! (Although the only special announcement I got was, “Killjoy!” when I finally got a kill off someone that had been pwning us.)

Trip Mine
I didn’t see this too much, but it is a glowing yellow, metallic square that is easily viewable and very deadly in objective games or areas where a lot of enemies are hanging out. Like a normal mine, it blows up by proximity, so tell your teammates where you set it down so you don’t turn into a lunatic team killer.

Spartan Laser
This and a couple of the other new weapons really threw me for a loop, and I just couldn’t get the hang of it - any kill I got was pure luck.  Essentially, you charge it and make sure your aim is dead on before it auto-shoots about 2 seconds later. Quite lethal with instant kill if you hit something, but that charging time really takes some effort to control.

Brute Spiker
These were a lot of fun, but I didn’t do too well with them. They are pistol-type guns you can dual-wield and they shoot like big revolvers (or very miniature turrets). Seemed decent close- and mid-range, but I would use them only in the same instances that dual pistols should be used - rarely - especially on these big, outdoor maps.

Missile Pod
This thing was another that I couldn’t get down just right. It is enormous and you carry it like you’re pulling a refrigerator. You move extremely slow and switch to third-person view, but it does lock on to vehicles (which I finally figured out). It is very powerful but, like some of the other new weapons, only useable in certain situations. You can’t switch weapons and still carry this as it will automatically drop on the ground.  However, it’s useful for teammates to keep nearby, when there’s lots of action, and take turns using when they need to switch their guns.

Turret
Pull this baby off its brackets and, although you may move slowly, you will rip people to shreds. Your movement and speed are the same as with the Missile Pod, and shooting feels the same as any turret. Another one of those, “use in the right situation” weapons.

VIP Mode
This was a neat mode - basically both teams have one player who is designated VIP, noted by the icon on his head, that the rest of the guys have to protect. If the VIP dies, another player is designated, but whoever is VIP certainly gets a neat trick - a non-stop overshield - which makes him LETHAL. Basically, one superman on each team - a similar concept to some other games that have modes like this, but with a major Halo twist! The only problem is I can just see some of the little jerks on Live killing their own VIP in hopes of getting this overshield.

Theater Mode
In homage to all the kids that love to wallow in their own ego by watching the playbacks of their matches, this is quite a feature that will be spectacular in the world of montages. I am not sure about all the features this includes - I simply played back one of my matches - but I can say that it will be an awesome feature, as you can record your battles on your Xbox, THEN use your video-capturing software to pick out your highlights instead of keeping all that worthless data on your PC hard drive. I think this will make it much easier to see some great highlights and cool moves from people and can’t wait to see what else will come of this. There is some file sharing on Xbox that is viewable by your friends, but I don’t believe you can edit it as of yet.  Maybe that can be the next feature Bungie can work on!