giant_bomb 0.0.1

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  1. data/.document +5 -0
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  3. data/LICENSE +20 -0
  4. data/README.textile +27 -0
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  7. data/lib/giant_bomb/game.rb +26 -0
  8. data/lib/giant_bomb/search.rb +28 -0
  9. data/lib/giant_bomb.rb +6 -0
  10. data/test/fixtures/search.json +233 -0
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  12. data/test/giant_bomb_test.rb +104 -0
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data/test/fixtures/search.json ADDED
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+ "number_of_page_results": 9,
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+ "error": "OK",
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+ "results": [{
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+ "date_last_updated": "2009-10-20 04:18:52",
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+ "expected_release_quarter": 3,
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+ "description": "<i>Halo 3: ODST</i> is a standalone expansion pack of <i><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-3/61-9993/\"> </a></i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-3/61-9993/\"> <i>Halo 3</i></a> developed by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/bungie-studios/65-476/\"> Bungie Studios</a>. The single-player campaign has been estimated to contain around seven hours of game play and supports four-player online co-op, both in the campaign and in a new survival mode called firefight.&nbsp;All the original <i>Halo 3</i> multiplayer maps and DLC packages through Mythic are included on the second disc, along with three new maps that will launch with <i>ODST</i>. Full integration between <i>Halo 3</i> and <i>Halo 3: ODST</i> online is available, with the exception of the <i>ODST</i>-exclusive maps, which may or may not be made available as downloads at some point in the future.<br /><br /> <h2>Overview</h2> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"1056734\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3507/1056734-954261_20090531_screen020_super.jpg\" title=\"The new protagonist, known as 'The Rookie'.\"><img id=\"1056734\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3507/1056734-954261_20090531_screen020_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"The new protagonist, known as 'The Rookie'.\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">The new protagonist, known as 'The Rookie'.</div></div></div></div><i>Halo 3: ODST</i> does not feature <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/master-chief/94-175/\"> Master Chief</a> as past installments of halo games have. It will feature a nameless <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/odst/92-641/\"> Orbital Drop Shock Trooper</a> referred to simply as, \"<a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-rookie/94-11077/\"> the Rookie</a>, the silent protagonist of ODST.\" The game is set during and after the Halo 2 campaign level of Metropolis, as ODSTs' fight in <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/new-mombasa/95-12/\"> New Mombasa</a>, which has been ruptured by the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/prophet-of-regret/94-1299/\"> </a><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/prophet-of-regret/94-1299/\"> Prophet of Regret</a>'s carrier jumping into slipspace.<br />Missions are presented as flashbacks, triggered by visiting certain points in the game's main hub.These flashbacks are the rookies squadmates trying to regroup and recouperate.The game requires players to employ more stealth and discretion than in other <i>Halo </i>titles, although it is still \"a Bungie <i>Halo </i>game,\" as Bungie's Community Manager <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/luke-smith/72-76210/\"> Luke Smith</a> puts it; but the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/one-man-army/92-771/\"> one-man-army</a> feel of the <i>Halo</i> games will be lessened due to the ODSTs' weaker armor and abilities in comparison to the Master Chief. However, the city's municipal AI, the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/superintendent/94-11142/\"> Superintendent</a>, looks to provide aid to the ODSTs in their fight, via manipulation of electronic billboards and other methods.<br /><br />The game's multiplayer component is identical to Halo 3's, with the exception of the new Firefight mode and three&nbsp;<i>ODST</i>-exclusive maps. The game will sell for $60, a $100 edition will have a Halo-themed controller. The game does have a lower RRP of \u00a340 in the UK, as opposed to the normal RRP of \u00a350.<br /><br /> <h2>Story</h2> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"723127\"><div class=\"wiki-img-left\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/723127-h3recon4_super.jpg\" title=\"Mombasa destroyed\"><img id=\"723127\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/723127-h3recon4_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Mombasa destroyed\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Mombasa destroyed</div></div></div></div>In the ending cut scene for \"Metropolis,\" the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/prophet-of-regret/94-1299/\"> Prophet of Regret</a> performs a slipspace jump inside the city of New Mombasa, almost destroying it. The trailer for <i>Halo 3: ODST</i> shows this explosion affecting massive numbers of orbital drop pods, including the one containing the Rookie. The Rookie's pod crashes into a dark alley, knocking him unconscious for six hours. Covenant forces arrive in the area, but the Rookie wakes up and avoids detection. He observes the Covenant presence, loads a silenced variant of the series' traditional <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/m7-smg/93-126/\"> submachine gun</a>, and begins to leave the area. A nearby sign flashes a message from the Superintendent, New Mombasa's municipal AI, showing the Rookie which direction to take and advising him to proceed with caution.<br /><br />Because of the tremendously hard landing of his pod (the Superintendent, watching through municipal surveillance cameras, estimates a 99.99% chance of fatality), the Rookie remains unconscious for six hours after the initial drop; while he is passed out in his drop pod, the rest of his squad is out fighting the alien invaders in the city. The Rookie wakes up at night, and sets out in search of his lost squad mates in New Mombasa. Whenever the Rookie discovers a \"beacon\", an object related to a specific squad member, a playable flashback occurs, which will detail the story that happened while the Rookie was out of action.<br /><br />&nbsp;The Superintendent serves as your guide and AI companion through the campaign, but in a far more passive way than <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/cortana/94-315/\"> Cortana</a> has appeared in past Halo games.<br /><br /> <h2>The Squad<br /></h2> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"1043433\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5150/1043433-newhero_super.jpg\" title=\"The gang's all here.\"><img id=\"1043433\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5150/1043433-newhero_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"The gang's all here.\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">The gang's all here.</div></div></div></div>The player is a member of a 6-man ODST squad, dropped on New Mombasa right before Regret's carrier jumps to slipspace. The player's character, the Rookie, will be attempting to discover what happened to his teammates after their drop went wrong. Four times throughout the game, the Rookie will discover objects that hint as to what his teammates have done. Whenever one of these objects is encountered, a playable flashback occurs, with the player taking the role of another man in the squad, for a thirty-minute or so scene detailing what happened to that particular squad-member. The December Game Informer issue detailed two of these characters, and gave the names of the other two. Bungie has also released an article on its forums entitled <a href=\"http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&amp;link=Halo3ODSTsquad\" rel=\"nofollow\"> Meet the Squad</a> which gives a more personalized run down of the squad members and the character you play. <br />&nbsp;<br /> <h3><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-rookie/94-11077/\"> <b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b></a><b><u><a> </a></u><a> The Rookie</a></b></h3>&nbsp;The Rookie is the silent protagonist of Halo 3: ODST.&nbsp; Little is known of the rookie, all the player knows is that he is newcomer to the squad and everything that precedes after that that.&nbsp; The rookie is knocked unconscious for six hours after his drop and seems to to be the only human left in the city.&nbsp; The rookie moves around the city looking for clues of his lost squad mates and learns of their fate through the eyes of the Superintendent.&nbsp; <br /><br /> <h3><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/dare/94-10969/\"> <b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b>Dare</b></a> <br /></h3>Captain Dare is the only female member of the mission, and wears Recon armor as opposed to standard ODST gear. It is implied that Dare had a romantic relationship with Buck as some point. She isn't actually an ODST--instead she's coming along as part of the secretive Office of Naval Intelligence,&nbsp;better known as ONI.&nbsp;She is voiced by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/tricia-helfer/72-78356/\"> Tricia Helfer</a>, of <i>Battlestar Galactica</i> fame.<br /> <h3><br /></h3> <h3><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/dutch/94-11078/\"> <b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b>Dutch</b></a> <br /></h3>Dutch is a large character who carries heavy weapons to take on vehicles and stronger enemies. Rockets and Spartan Lasers are the sorts of equipment Dutch loves wielding. Dutch\u2019s former life as a road-train driver on Mars did well to prepare him for the arduous tasks of a heavy weapons specialist and driver in the ODSTs. Behind the death\u2019s head rictus, jolly roger, and layer upon layer of black and gray armor is a man of deep spiritual convictions and respect for those he serves alongside. He is voiced by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/adam-baldwin/72-89735/\"> Adam Baldwin</a>.<br /><br /> <h3><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/romeo/94-11075/\"> <b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b>Romeo</b></a> <br /></h3>Romeo is the squad sniper, whose attitude is said to get on the squads nerves at times. Bungie's <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/joseph-staten/72-36662/\"> Josef Staten</a> describes Romeo as \"kind of a dick\". Romeo believes his true vocation is to be a ladies\u2019 man. But just because he\u2019s a lover doesn\u2019t mean he can\u2019t be a fighter\u2014and a damned fine one at that. He keeps his gear clean, his suit looking sharp, and his body lean and strong. He may not be a shining example of the UNSC off the battlefield, but on it he is a consummate professional.&nbsp; He is voiced by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/nolan-north/72-80008/\"> Nolan North</a>.<br /><br /> <h3><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/mickey/94-11076/\"> <b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b>Mickey</b></a> <br /></h3> Mickey <i>loves</i> being an ODST. More than he did being a pilot. More than he did being a crew chief on a Pelican gunship. He is no stranger to battle and has a fair number of notches in his belt, but he is unique amongst his ODST brothers in that he has never seen absolute ruination visited upon a human colony-world by the Covenant. He is voiced by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/alan-tudyk/72-80822/\"> Alan Tudyk</a>. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <h3><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/buck/94-11074/\"> <b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b>Buck</b></a> <br /></h3>Buck is the squad leader. His rank in the UNSC is Gunnery Sergeant (E-7) or GySgt or Gunny. Buck is a career Marine that has seen more than his fair share of this war. He has had the dubious honor of participating in many of the wars\u2019 most vicious battles; including both the liberation of Harvest and the fall of Reach. That he has survived at all speaks volumes. Truly, if he was any better he\u2019d be a <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/spartan/92-666/\"> Spartan</a>. He is voiced by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/nathan-fillion/72-89657/\"> Nathan Fillion</a>.<br /><br /> <h2>Gameplay<br /></h2> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"1042375\"><div class=\"wiki-img-left\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/1042375-h3odst_campaign_1stpersonvisr02_super.jpg\" title=\"VISR mode in action\"><img id=\"1042375\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/1042375-h3odst_campaign_1stpersonvisr02_screen.jpg\" alt=\"VISR mode in action\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">VISR mode in action</div></div></div></div><i>Halo 3: ODST</i>'s single-player campaign will play quite differently than the other games in the Halo franchise. The game sets the players in a partially open city with the goal of finding and investigating the last known locations of your four ODST squad mates and fighting off the Covenant forces in the area. Once you reach one of the last-known waypoints of your four teammates you will find an object related to your teammates or evidence of their presence--such as a sniper rifle hanging from a street light--and enter a <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/flashback/92-226/\"> flashback</a> to earlier that day, where you'll control the squad member for an entire level. Through the 30 minute flashback, which is said to play more like a traditional, linear, Halo level, you will discover the fate of your teammate and unravel the mystery of the events that occured in New Mombasa. The game will continue after you activate all four waypoints, but how it will progress is unknown. The New Mombasa \"open world\" is comparable in function to the hub world from a platformer; although the city in<i> Halo 3: ODST</i> will be fairly large, its design and structure is not to be compared with that of <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/liberty-city/95-15/\"> Liberty City</a> from <i><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/grand-theft-auto-iii/61-3724/\"> </a></i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i>Grand Theft Auto III</i> or other traditional sandbox-style <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/open-world/92-207/\"> open world games</a>.&nbsp; Even though the scale may not be the same, the impact the city's look has and the time difference between flashback sequences and the rookie's current situation are big parts of the game.&nbsp; Because the Rookie is shorter than the Master Chief's towering 7' height, all enemies and vehicles will seem slightly larger. The <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/heads-up-display/92-180/\"> heads-up display</a> will be different from previous games since the player views the world from inside a standard-issue ODST helmet instead of a suit of <a href=\"../../mjolnir-armor/93-33/\" rel=\"nofollow\"> Mjolnir armor</a>,<br /><br />In addition to the new progression method, players will have some new tools at their fingertips:<br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li>ODSTs have access to a silenced M7 SMG and a silenced magnum pistol, allowing them to move about the city surreptitiously. Both of these new weapons have distance scopes.<br /></li> <li>ODSTs have access to VISR Mode, a kind of night vision that outlines friendlies, hostiles, and points-of-interest in glowing neon.</li> <li>ODSTs have access to a PDA, which can provide them a 3D map of the city at all times, and allows them to set personal waypoints.</li></ul><br />However, with the switch to a non-Spartan protagonist, some abilities that were previously Halo staples are now gone:<br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li>ODSTs do not have a motion tracker.</li> <li>ODSTs use stamina rather than shields and must use <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/first-aid-kit/93-1285/\"> medkits</a> to heal their injuries.<br /></li> <li>ODSTs are slower, shorter, and less agile than the Master Chief.</li> <li>ODSTs cannot dual-wield weapons.</li> <li>ODSTs are unable to throw grenades as far as Master Chief.<br /></li></ul>&nbsp; <br /> <h2>FireFight</h2>Firefight is a survival mode that resembles the horde mode in <a href=\"/gears-of-war-2/61-20662/\"> Gears Of War 2</a>. <br />FireFight mode has a total of 10 maps; these maps are as follows: <br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li>Crater</li> <li>Lost Platoon</li> <li>Rally Point</li> <li>Security Zone</li> <li>Alpha Site</li> <li>Windward</li> <li>Chasm Ten</li> <li>Last Exit</li> <li>Crater (Night)</li> <li>Rally (Night)</li></ul><br />FireFight mode utilizes the unlockable skulls found in Halo 3, so they do not need to be unlocked in ODST. As you move through the waves of a FireFight match, more skulls will automatically turn on.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br />At launch, FireFight mode does not feature a matchmaking option for online play, meaning players can only play via system link or online via friend's lists <br />&nbsp;<br />Firefight has no matchmaking system,Instead you will need to play via system link or friend's list. <br /><br />&nbsp; <h2>Multiplayer <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"838849\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/1/13797/838849-131140_f260_super.jpg\" title=\"Recon Armor\"><img id=\"838849\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/1/13797/838849-131140_f260_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"Recon Armor\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Recon Armor</div></div></div></div></h2><i>Halo 3: ODST</i>'s online multiplayer is exactly identical to that of <i>Halo 3</i>. Players playing multiplayer on <i>ODST</i> will be able to play with people on <i>Halo 3</i>. After many rumors and speculation as to what the mysterious Vidmaster achievements would reward players with, Bungie confirmed in an article with Game Informer that players who achieve all of the seven Vidmaster achievements will be rewarded the Recon armor permutation. All of the multiplayer maps from the Halo 3 disc and all three DLC packs will be included on the <i>ODST</i> disc, as well as three new maps: Heretic, Longshore, and Citadel. Once players have finally completed all of the 7 Vidmaster achievements, they must actually visit bungie.net and 'turn Recon on' via a button on their stats page.<br /><br />Access to the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-reach/61-26786/\"> Halo: Reach</a>&nbsp;multiplayer beta will also be included on the <i>ODST</i> disc. The date for the start of the beta has yet to be announced.<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp; <h2>Mythic 2 <br /></h2>Alongside all of the previously-released Halo 3 DLC maps, ODST features three new maps (collectively known as \"Mythic 2\") that are exclusive to the game and not available in downloadable form.&nbsp; <br /><br /> <h3>Citadel </h3>&nbsp; <br /> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"1140478\"><div class=\"wiki-img-left\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5758/1140478-h3_citadel01_super.jpg\" title=\"&nbsp;Citadel\"><img id=\"1140478\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5758/1140478-h3_citadel01_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"&nbsp;Citadel\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">&nbsp;Citadel</div></div></div></div>Set in the same <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-forerunner/92-80/\" rel=\"nofollow\"> Forerunner</a> structure as another <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-3/61-9993/\" rel=\"nofollow\"> Halo 3</a> map, <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/epitaph/95-1026/\" rel=\"nofollow\"> Epitaph</a>, this mid-sized arena features a handful of tight peripheral corridors that converge in a large with an exposed central platform. A symmetrical map with a focus on close-quarters combat, Citadel is best suited to games with smaller team sizes of 2v2 or 4v4.<br />&nbsp;<br /><br /> <h3>Longshore<br /></h3> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"1140479\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5758/1140479-h3_longshore01_super.jpg\" title=\"&nbsp;Longshore\"><img id=\"1140479\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5758/1140479-h3_longshore01_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"&nbsp;Longshore\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">&nbsp;Longshore</div></div></div></div><br />An abandoned Fish Processing Plant in the heart of Old Mombasa is the staging ground for the large-scale asymmetrical map, Longshore. The map features large buildings and an extendable bridge that provides some variety to the combat when activated. With similarities to past maps such as Hang 'Em High, <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/last-resort/95-515/\" rel=\"nofollow\"> Last Resort</a>, <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/high-ground/95-1214/\" rel=\"nofollow\"> High Ground</a>, and Headlong, Longshore provides a familiar style of Big Team carnage. Due to the asymmetrical geometry of the map, one-sided gametypes such as 1-Flag or 1-Bomb Assault are ideal. <br /><br /> <h3>Heretic </h3><br /> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"1140486\"><div class=\"wiki-img-left\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5758/1140486-h3_heretic01_super.jpg\" title=\"&nbsp;Heretic\"><img id=\"1140486\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5758/1140486-h3_heretic01_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"&nbsp;Heretic\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">&nbsp;Heretic</div></div></div></div>A remake of the classic <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-2/61-7110/\" rel=\"nofollow\"> Halo 2</a> map <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/midship/95-1997/\" rel=\"nofollow\"> Midship</a>, set within the bowels of the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-covenant/92-81/\" rel=\"nofollow\"> Covenant</a> ship <i>Pious Inquisitor</i>. Heretic is a nearly perfect re-creation of Midship in terms of actual geometry and design, but the aesthetic appearance of the map has been given a large upgrade to take advantage of the new Halo 3 engine. Dedicated Midship fans from Halo 2 will be happy to find some classic elements from the map have been faithfully carried over to Heretic, including the ability to reach \"P3\" at the top of Pink Tower. Also, players spawn with <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/plasma-grenade/93-103/\" rel=\"nofollow\"> Plasma Grenades</a> by default (instead of <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/m9-fragmentation-grenade/93-1222/\" rel=\"nofollow\"> Frag Grenades</a>) just like in Halo 2. Heretic, being a re-make, is suited for all of the same gametypes as Midship -- small team games of 2v2 or 4v4 work well, as do Free-For-All gametypes. <br />&nbsp; <br /><b> <h2>Similarities to Firefly</h2></b>The majority of the main characters in <i>Halo 3: ODST</i> are voiced by the cast members of Firefly a television program that was aired on Fox back in 2002. <br />&nbsp;<br />Nathan Fillion voices <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/buck/94-11074/\"> Edward Buck</a>, Alan Tudyk voices<a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/mickey/94-11076/\"> Michael Crespo</a> and Adam Baldwin voices <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/dutch/94-11078/\"> Taylor Miles</a>. All of these characters show striking similarities to the characters that these actors played on the television show Firefly. Such as personality traits and back story.<br />&nbsp;<br />Such as Nathan Fillion's character <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/buck/94-11074/\"> Edward Buck</a> for example. Nathan Fillion describes his character in a interview saying that he is \"a bit hardened and a bit cranky \", that is a dead on description of the character he played in Firefly.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br /> <h2>The Score&nbsp;</h2>The Musical Score was once again composed by <a href=\"/martin-odonnell/72-1741/\"> Martin (Marty) O'Donnell</a>, however it has a very unique sound. The game abandons the previous halo themes almost completely, there is no choral music.&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />The Music is a quieter more jazz-influenced sound. The \"smoky jazz\", as it's referred to, can be heard during The Rookie segments of the game as he investigates <a href=\"/new-mombasa/95-12/\"> New Mombasa</a> at night.<br />&nbsp;<br />O'Donnell said that since the game tells \"a human story, not a cyborg story (The score should be) \"more intimate and personal. Two of the game's three hours of music are packaged in a two disc soundtrack releasing September 22nd. &nbsp;&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br />Most of the music was recorded in the late winter and spring of 2009. Orchestra sessions were led by <a href=\"/stan-lepard/72-33143/\"> Stan LePard</a> and performed by the Northwest Sinfonia, at studio X in Washington State. &nbsp;<br />&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<h3>ODST Soundtrack </h3>&nbsp;<br /><b>Disc 1: </b><br />&nbsp; <br />01. Overture (5:39) <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"1148403\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/23286/1148403-halo_3_odst_super.jpg\" title=\"Halo 3 ODST OST\"><img id=\"1148403\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/23286/1148403-halo_3_odst_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"Halo 3 ODST OST\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Halo 3 ODST OST</div></div></div></div>&nbsp; &nbsp;<br /><ol><li>Yet Alone (1:53)&nbsp; <br /></li><li>These Darkened Streets (:51)</li><li>Time to Dance (:33)</li><li>Key to the City (:33)</li><li>Replacements (1:47) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li></ol>02. The Rookie (7:30) <br /><ol><li>Strong Silent Type (3:08)</li><li>PostPartum (1:51)</li><li>Proceed with Caution (2:28)<br /></li></ol>03. More Than His Share (5:49) <br /><ol><li>Into the Breach (3:14)</li><li>Becomes the Hunted (1:54)</li><li>Lost and Unfound (:38)<br /></li></ol>04. Deference for Darkness (6:39) <br /><ol><li>Rain (3:07)</li><li>Trailhead (1:40)</li><li>Guiding Hand (1:48)<br /></li></ol>05. The Menagerie (6:10) <br /><ol><li>Ground War (1:02)</li><li>Oscar Mike (1:47)</li><li>Unleashed (1:11)</li><li>On the Prowl (2:10)<br /></li></ol>06. Asphalt and Ablution (6:03) <br /><ol><li>Still Grounded (1:44)</li><li>Island of War (1:02)</li><li>Hardboiled (1:38)</li><li>Sneaking Suspicion (1:40)<br /></li></ol>07. Traffic Jam (5:52) <br /><ol><li>Look Both Ways (:48)</li><li>Street Sweeper (3:24)</li><li>Rally Point (1:38)<br /></li></ol>08. Neon Night (5:37) <br /><ol><li>Where One Road Ends (1:27)</li><li>Block by Block (:48)</li><li>Perception is Reality (:48)</li><li>Pounding the Pavement (2:32)<br /></li></ol>09. The Office of Naval Intelligence (8:50) <br /><ol><li>A Heavy Toll (1:04)</li><li>Strong Medicine (1:27)</li><li>Uphill, Both Ways (1:37)</li><li>Access Denied (2:08)</li><li>Infestation (1:02)</li><li>Clean the Air (1:31)<br /></li></ol>&nbsp;<br /><b>Disc 2: </b><br />&nbsp;<br />01. Bits and Pieces (7:05) <br /><ol><li>From the Ashes (2:32)</li><li>Dead or Gone (:56)</li><li>Premonition (1:29)</li><li>Something Like Sorrow (2:04)<br /></li></ol>02. Skyline (7:02) <br /><ol><li>No Response (1:23)</li><li>Pick a Target, Any Target (1:33)</li><li>Love at Long Range (1:39)</li><li>Air Traffic Control (2:23)<br /></li></ol>03. No Stone Unturned (3:23) <br /><ol><li>Cast Aside (1:33)</li><li>Nox Aeterna (1:06)</li><li>Marching On (:42)<br /></li></ol>04. One Way Ride (6:51) <br /><ol><li>Borrowed Time (1:49)</li><li>Anywhere but Here (1:29)</li><li>The Calm Before (1:18)</li><li>Let it Burn (2:12)<br /></li></ol>05. The Light at the End (7:52) <br /><ol><li>Another Rain (2:32)</li><li>Through the Divide (1:34)</li><li>All That Remains (1:50)</li><li>Heart and Mind (1:53)<br /></li></ol>06. Data Hive (6:04) <br /><ol><li>We All Got Secrets (1:33)</li><li>Only One Way In (1:39)</li><li>Core (1:34)</li><li>This Way Up (1:16)<br /></li></ol>07. Special Delivery (10:23 <br /><ol><li>From Bones (1:18)</li><li>Still Strong (1:10)</li><li>Extra Firepower (1:39)</li><li>Mercy Plea (3:11)</li><li>Hell of a Night (3:03)</li></ol>08. Finale (8:12)&nbsp; <br /><ol><li>From the Ashes (reprise) (1:12)</li><li>Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (3:43)</li><li>Old Friend (1:07)</li><li>Reborn Relic (:51)</li><li>Prepare to Drop (1:17)<br /></li></ol><b>&nbsp;<h2><i>Halo 3: ODST</i> Special Edition</h2></b>In addition to the standard $60 package, <i>Halo 3: ODST</i> will also be available in a $100 Special Edition. The Special Edition contains no extra game content and has the same boxart, but instead comes with an exclusive <i>Halo 3: ODST-</i>styled controller. Along with the special edition, as a bonus, if you pre-order the game from selected retailers, you unlock <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/sergeant-major-avery-junior-johnson/94-964/\"> Sgt. Johnson</a> as a playable character in Firefight mode. <br /><b><br /></b> <h2>Development and Announcement<br /></h2><i>Halo 3: ODST</i> began development and production only a few months before its official unveiling at Tokyo Games Show 2008 where it was unveiled under the more pleasing, but less explanatory title <i>Halo 3: Recon</i>. <i>ODST </i>was finished in approximately a year and a half, as opposed to the three-year development cycle that characterized previous <i>Halo </i>titles. According to <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/brian-jarrard/72-51874/\"> Brian Jarrard</a>, <i>Halo 3: ODST</i> is slightly smaller in scale than Bungie's usual products, due to the fact that it wasn't intended to be a full game.&nbsp; It started out mostly as an expansion but grew into a full scale game as time went on.&nbsp; After <i>Halo 3</i>, Bungie had several concepts for expanding the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo/62-2/\"> Halo universe</a> past the story of <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/master-chief/94-175/\"> Master Chief</a>, one of which was to play as an ordinary soldier in a slightly darker, grittier setting. Bungie self-admits that it is \"a risk\" to step away from the Master Chief, but they felt that they could do so in an expansion. This concept was eventually settled on and became <i>Halo 3: ODST</i>, which, while not a true sequel, Bungie compares to traditional expansion packs like <i><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/warcraft-iii-the-frozen-throne/61-14073/\"> </a></i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/warcraft-iii-the-frozen-throne/61-14073/\"> <i>Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne</i></a> in terms of content and changes from the original. Because of the inclusion of the full <i>Halo 3</i> multiplayer (including all map packs) and Forge, as well as the new Firefight mode, <i>ODST </i>will go for the full title price of $60.<br /><br /> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"732006\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/732006-superintendant_super.jpg\" title=\"An image similar to the ones featured during the Superintendant promotional campaign.\"><img id=\"732006\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/732006-superintendant_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"An image similar to the ones featured during the Superintendant promotional campaign.\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">An image similar to the ones featured during the Superintendant promotional campaign.</div></div></div></div><i>ODST</i> has proven to be a contested subject among Microsoft and Bungie before. In the days leading up to E3 2008, Bungie promised a \"big reveal\" to their fans by running a small-scale alternate reality game on the Bungie.net website and forums featuring \"the Superintendant\", a small, cartoonish figure holding a plunger, who was later revealed to be the municipal A.I. of New Mombasa, who will figure prominently into the story of <i>ODST.</i> In addition to cryptic news and forum posts, roughly a week before E3 2008, a countdown timer appeared on Bungie.net's homepage, superimposed over an image of the Superintendant. The countdown clock was supposed to end during the Microsoft press conference, but a day before E3 a message appeared from studio head <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/harold-ryan/72-9800/\"> Harold Ryan</a> apologizing to fans, saying that their announcement was canceled due to their publisher pulling the plug on them. This is highly speculated to be because Microsoft had secured <i><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/final-fantasy-xiii/61-20664/\"> </a></i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i> </i><i>Final Fantasy XIII</i> for the Xbox 360, and they did not want two big announcements in the same press conference. Bungie was quite incensed about the cancellation of their announcement, and no further information was had until September 25th, 2008, the one-year anniversary of <i>Halo 3</i>'s release.<br /><br />A teaser trailer was released on Bungie's website, hinting at the involvement of orbital drop shock troopers and a setting in New Mombasa. A date was found in this trailer of January 20th, 2009, which many speculated to be the release date of the new project. This has been since proven false, and the date was either a deliberate red herring or something yet unknown. Speculation ran rampant until Microsoft's press conference at Tokyo Game Show 2008, where an extended version of the teaser trailer was unveiled, and the project was officially announced as <i>Halo 3: Recon</i>, with details provided.<br /><br /> <h3>Name Change</h3>After the unveiling at TGS 08, Bungie released only a small amount of information on <i>Recon</i>. The December issue of Game Informer ran a cover story on <i>Halo 3: Recon</i>, further detailing the game. However, on November 25th, 2008, Bungie suddenly put a release up on their website saying that <i>Halo 3: Recon </i>had been renamed to \"<i>Halo 3: ODST</i>\", along with assets for the game being updated. According to Bungie,<br /> <blockquote> <p>\"This new title is a more straightforward account of the experience that awaits and the role you will assume as you explore the streets of New Mombasa.\"</p></blockquote>Bungie has stated that the<i> Halo 3: ODST </i>expansion will be the last element in the Halo trilogy that they are developing, although being technically the fifth game in the <i>Halo </i>series, Bungie's language does seem somewhat notable. The exact statement from the October 10, 2008 Weekly Update is: <blockquote> <p>\"We're not ready to discuss the other projects underway within the studio right now but Halo 3 : Recon does represent the final basket of goodness that we will be delivering for the Halo trilogy.&nbsp; There are no more offshoots or side stories in the works.\" </p></blockquote>With the announcement of <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-reach/61-26786/\"> <i>Halo: Reach</i></a>, it is clear that Bungie meant <i>ODST</i> would be the last game in the time frame of <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-combat-evolved/61-2600/\"> <i>Halo: Combat Evolved</i></a> through <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-3/61-9993/\"> <i>Halo 3</i> </a>they would be developing, with Reach being a prequel to the original <i>Halo</i>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br /> <h2>Advertising Campaign&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;<br />Prior to the release of ODST, Bungie created a short film featuring the story of one particular trooper. The film was split up into smaller pieces that were then used as short commercials for the game online or on television.The clip begins at a funeral, which is followed by a flashback detailing the exploits of the trooper, named Tarkov. The video moves on to boot camp, where Tarkov gets his hair cut and is forced to crawl through mud while being screamed at in what seems to be Hungarian.&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />The clip then moves forward to the Tarkov dropping in from above, and landing in a war zone. After running through a realistic representation of a battle in the Halo universe, Tarkov fights a brute and receives several gashes in his face. The movie then flashes forward to an older Tarkov, performing a funeral service for a fallen trooper, and proceeding to move out in formation with the rest of the squad.<b>&nbsp;<br /></b><br /><h2>Xbox 360 Install Size </h2>&nbsp;Installing Halo 3 ODST on your hard drive takes up about 3.5 GB of space. Installing ODST will not adversely affect performance like installing Halo 3 did. The multiplayer disc, being the exact same engine as Halo 3, will still suffer from performance issues when installed.",
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+ "description": "<h2>Overview</h2>Halo 3 is a critically acclaimed first-person shooter (FPS) developed by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/bungie-studios/65-476/\"> Bungie</a> and published by&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/microsoft-game-studios/65-340/\"> Microsoft</a>. The central focus is again on the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/master-chief/94-175/\"> Master Chief</a>, a surgically/genetically augmented <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/super-soldier/92-90/\"> super-soldier</a> who fights against an alien army known as the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-covenant/92-81/\"> Covenant</a> and the parasitic <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-flood/92-645/\"> Flood</a>. Said to be the \"final chapter\" in the story arc that began in the first <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-combat-evolved/61-2600/\"> Halo</a> and which continued in <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-2/61-7110/\"> Halo 2</a>, Halo 3 was released on September 25, 2007, and quickly became one of the Xbox 360's first system-sellers, making an astounding $300 million during the first week of its release and going on to eventually sell over 8 million copies.<br /><br /> <h2>Story</h2> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"396334\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/1/12809/396334-masterchief1_super.jpg\" title=\"Master Chief in Halo 3\"><img id=\"396334\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/1/12809/396334-masterchief1_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"Master Chief in Halo 3\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Master Chief in Halo 3</div></div></div></div>Halo 3's single player campaign contains nine missions which complete the storyline begun in <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-combat-evolved/61-2600/\"> Halo: Combat Evolved</a>. The game picks up immediately after the cliffhanger at the end of <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-2/61-7110/\"> Halo 2</a>, with the Master Chief crashing into a tropical forest on Earth. The Covenant has splintered into two factions: <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/prophet-of-truth/94-1218/\"> The Prophet of Truth</a>, with his army of <i>Jiralhanae </i>(<a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/brutes/92-1638/\"> Brutes</a>), and <i>Unggoy </i>(<a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/grunts/92-1331/\"> Grunts</a>), <i>Kig-Yar </i>(<a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/jackals/92-3379/\"> Jackals</a>), and even <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/hunters/92-3376/\"> Hunters</a>; against the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/arbiter/94-58/\"> Arbiter</a> and his race, the <i>Sangheili </i>(<a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/elites/92-470/\"> Elites</a>), who have allied themselves with humanity. After recovering from the fall, the Chief first escapes Covenant patrols in the jungle and goes to a nearby base. He then escapes again as the base is attacked by a large Brute force, followed by yet another escape to the town of Voi, destroying all <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-covenant/92-81/\"> Covenant</a> resistance in his path. After regrouping, the combined Elite and Human force launch an assault on Truth's main base of operations where he is excavating a huge <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-forerunner/92-80/\"> Forerunner</a> structure under the ruins of&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/new-mombasa/95-12/\"> New Mombasa</a>. After providing a hole in Truth's anti-air defenses, the last remaining human ships began a devastating bombardment of Truth's main ship (a highly advanced Forerunner ship). However, just as the bombardment commences, Truth activates a portal to the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-ark/95-125/\"> Ark</a>; a mysterious Forerunner structure of immense size. After receiving a message from <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/cortana/94-315/\"> Cortana</a> hidden in a crashed flood ship hinting at a permanent solution to the Flood problem, the Chief and a large Human/Elite force give chase through the portal in a desperate attempt to end the war once and for all.<br /><br /> <h2>Gameplay</h2> <h3>Mechanics </h3> <h3> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"483947\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5978/483947-carzy1337_super.jpg\" title=\"A Multiplayer Armor Permutation\"><img id=\"483947\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5978/483947-carzy1337_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"A Multiplayer Armor Permutation\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">A Multiplayer Armor Permutation</div></div></div></div></h3>The gameplay in Halo 3 has undergone some significant changes compared to its predecessors, including simple tweaks to make it more cohesive. You may now carry \"equipment,\" which can range from a <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/gravity-lift/93-1068/\"> gravity lift</a>, allowing the player to lift himself into the air, to a <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/bubble-shield/93-1066/\"> bubble-shield</a>, which will spawn a clear, protective bubble around whoever decides to throw it down, as well as deployable cover, which projects a small blue defense shield, as well as many others. Bungie has assigned these special abilities to the \"X\" button, which was previously used to reload. Players now use the RB (right bumper) to reload the main weapon and LB for the secondary weapon if they are dual-wielding, although they can decide to use a different, pre-made control scheme.<br /><br /> <h3>The Load Out</h3>Bungie has added a different version of the original <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/ag36-assault-rifle/93-616/\"> Assault Rifle</a> (it has about half the clip size of the version in <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-combat-evolved/61-2600/\"> Halo: Combat Evolved</a>, but it deals a little more damage and has better accuracy), strengthened the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/needler/93-135/\"> Needler</a> (though it can no longer be dual-wielded), and also included some new weapons like the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/brute-spike-rifle/93-139/\"> Spikers</a> (Brute sub-machine guns) and the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/gravity-hammer/93-128/\"> Gravity Hammer</a> (the Brute counterpart of the Elite <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/energy-sword/93-115/\"> Sword</a>). There are also 2 new grenade classes: The <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/brute-spike-grenade/93-849/\"> Spike Grenade</a> and the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/incendiary-cannon/93-1302/\"> Incendiary Grenade</a> (AKA the firebomb grenade). The former is a Brute-themed grenade that sticks to objects, and the latter a UNSC weapon especially useful against the zombie-like Flood. Bungie also reduced the load out on each grenade from the previous four, to two, allowing players to carry a total of eight grenades and switch between the types with the left bumper (when not dual-wielding). A player may also pick up turrets and flame-throwers, but&nbsp;by using them he/she will switch into a 3rd person view, in which movement will be slightly restricted and ammo will become limited. There are also a few new vehicles like the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/mongoose/93-803/\"> Mongoose</a>, a quadbike with two seats, the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/hornet/93-534/\"> Hornet</a>, which is the human equivalent to the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/banshee/93-374/\"> Banshee</a>, and the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/brute-chopper/93-801/\"> Chopper</a>, which resembles the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/ghost/93-371/\"> Ghost</a> in that it has only one seat and can fire front-mounted cannons.<br /><br /> <h3>Multiplayer</h3> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"843770\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/7438/843770-halo3_mythic_packthumb800x800_3131039171_27d38dab76_o_super.jpg\" title=\"Multiplayer gameplay on the Mythic map, 'Assembly'\"><img id=\"843770\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/7438/843770-halo3_mythic_packthumb800x800_3131039171_27d38dab76_o_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Multiplayer gameplay on the Mythic map, 'Assembly'\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Multiplayer gameplay on the Mythic map, 'Assembly'</div></div></div></div>Halo 3's campaign can be played cooperatively and over System Link and Xbox Live with up to 4 players, although only 2 players may play on a single Xbox 360. In addition, Halo 3 can also be played competitively through a matchmaking service or in custom, user-created games. In matchmaking, players&nbsp;are matched with up to fifteen other players based on their rank and skill level in&nbsp;the individual&nbsp;\"playlists\", which are categorized into two groups&nbsp;depending on&nbsp;their overall purpose. Ranked playlists are used to match players based on their Trueskill rating. Social playlists allow players to play with others with no ranking system involved for each playlist, although Experience and overall skill still determines player match-ups.&nbsp; Few of the original achievements work in social matches, but the DLC achievements all are unlockable in social playlists. One can also still earn Experience for the playlists, as well as global and playlist-specific Experience points (EXP). Finally, every weekend, Double Experience Weekend begins that focus on a very specific playstyle or gametype, including Grifball and Infection. The playlists are:<br /><br /><u><b>Ranked</b></u><br /><br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li><b>Lone Wolves-</b>Matches include 6 players and use free-for-all game modes, like Slayer, Swords, Slayer BRs, Crazy King, and Oddball. </li> <li><b>Team Slayer-</b>Matches are team-based and usually include 6 or 8 players in 3-on-3 or 4-on-4 games. Modes played are Team Slayer, Team BRs, Team Snipers, and Shotty Snipers. </li> <li><b>Team Doubles-</b> 2-on-2 matches with both Slayer and Objective gametypes, including Team Slayer, Team BRs, Team Snipers, Team Oddball, Team Crazy King, Multi-Flag CTF and One Flag </li> <li><b><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/major-league-gaming/92-1858/\"> MLG</a>-</b> A playlist using MLG-created maps and MLG versions of Team Slayer, Team Ball, Team Hill and Multi-Flag. </li> <li>Squad battle 6-on-6 matches with slayer and flag variants<br /></li> <li><b>SWAT-</b>A hardcore playlist involving the use of no energy shields and no motion trackers,&nbsp;and using only Battle Rifle/Magnum combos, just Magnums, or just Shotguns. Most games are simply SWAT, SWAT Magnums, or ShWATguns, but as of an&nbsp; update, SWATball and 2-flag CTF are also used as gametypes. </li> <li><b>Team Snipers-</b>3-on-3 and 4-on-4 games in Slayer-based gametypes such as Team Snipers, Shotty Snipers and Team Splasers.</li></ul> <p><br /><b><u>Social</u></b></p> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li><b>Rumble Pit-</b>Much like Lone Wolves, but in&nbsp;a social&nbsp;setting. Uses Slayer and \"Fiesta\" variants such as Slayer, Hammerzeit, Swords, Juggernaut, Oddball, Crazy King, Ninja Ball and Mosh Pit. </li> <li><b>Social Big Team-</b>Uses 5-on-5 and 8-on-8&nbsp;matches. Gametypes played include Team Slayer, Multi-Flag CTF, One Bomb, VIP, Territories, Big Splockets, Land Grab, and 2 Flag Heavy CTF. </li> <li><b>Social Slayer-</b>5-on-5 and solo gametypes, such as Team Slayer/Slayer, Team Rockets/Rockets, Team Duals/Duals, and Team BRs/Slayer BRs. </li> <li><b>Social Skirmish-</b>4-on-4 and 5-on-5 non-slayer matches. Gametypes are One Flag CTF, Multi-Flag CTF, One Bomb Assault, Neutral Bomb Assault, VIP, Territories, and Land Grab. </li> <li><b>Multi-Team-</b> Uses four teams of 2 in gametypes like Team Slayer, Team Hammers, Team Swords, VIP, Team Oddball, and Team Crazy King. </li> <li> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"183166\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/1595/183166-h3_avalanche04_super.jpg\" title=\"Gameplay of multiplayer map, 'Avalanche'\"><img id=\"183166\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/1595/183166-h3_avalanche04_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Gameplay of multiplayer map, 'Avalanche'\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Gameplay of multiplayer map, 'Avalanche'</div></div></div></div>Action Sack- Random 8 player matches offering 0 EXP</li></ul> <p><br />In custom mode players can play multiplayer matches using custom game modes, settings, and maps. All modes and maps are available to play on and can be changed between matches by the party leader. Players must invite friends to play these games, however.</p> <h3>Ranks</h3> <p>Reaching different ranks requires the player to gain certain amounts of EXP and, for officer ranks, reach different skill levels. Skill levels are increased when the player wins ranked games. EXP is gained from simply winning games which can be either ranked or unranked. One EXP is gained from winning a game, zero is gained from loosing a game and one EXP is lost for quitting out of a game early. The Ranks in increasing order are:<br /></p> <ol style=\"list-style-type:decimal; \"> <li style=\"list-style-type:decimal; \">Recruit grade 1 </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:decimal; \">Apprentice Grade 1, Apprentice Grade 2 </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:decimal; \">Private Grade 1,&nbsp;Private Grade 2 </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:decimal; \">Corporal Grade 1, Corporal Grade 2 </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:decimal; \">Sergeant Grade 1, Sergeant Grade 2, Sergeant Grade 3 </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:decimal; \">Gunnery Sergeant Grade 1, Gunnery Sergeant Grade 2, Master Gunnery Sergeant </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:decimal; \">Lieutenant Grade 1, Lieutenant Grade 2, Lieutenant Grade 3,&nbsp;First Lieutenant </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:decimal; \">Captain Grade 1, Captain Grade 2, Captain Grade 3, Staff Captain </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:decimal; \">Major Grade 1, Major Grade 2, Major Grade 3, Field Major </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:decimal; \">Commander Grade 1, Commander Grade 2, Commander Grade 3, Strike Commander </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:decimal; \">Colonel Grade 1, Colonel Grade 2, Colonel Grade 3, Force Colonel </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:decimal; \">Brigadier Grade 1, Brigadier Grade 2, Brigadier Grade 3, Brigadier General </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:decimal; \">General Grade 1, General Grade 2, General Grade 3, 5 Star General</li></ol><br /> <h3>Competitive Popularity</h3>Halo 3 is widely accepted to be one of the most popular competitive games to date. Halo 3 has a huge competitive fanbase and is the flagship game for most gaming tournaments and leagues. Many people adore this game for its balance, fun factor, and overall longevity. Leagues like Major League Gaming have used Halo 3's <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/forge/92-1929/\"> Forge</a> abilities to make their own gametypes and maps for the game. There is even an MLG playlist (see above) in Halo 3 for all the competitive players out there. MLG maps can be downloaded from the Gamertag MLG Gametypes. In MLG Halo 3 players start out with a Battle Rifle instead of an Assault Rifle, have no radar, and they are a bit faster and stronger. MLG has currently 7 maps to play on (Guardian, Construct, Narrows, The Pit, Onslaught, Amplified and Lockdown) and use only 6 weapons (<a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/br55-battle-rifle/93-132/\"> Battle Rifle</a>, <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/covenant-carbine/93-137/\"> Carbine</a>, <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/plasma-pistol/93-119/\"> The Plasma Pistol</a>, <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/srs99d-sniper-rifle/93-113/\"> Sniper Rifle</a>, <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/m41-rocket-launcher/93-134/\"> Rocket Launcher</a>, and <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/mauler/93-649/\"> Mauler</a>).&nbsp; These changes were made to make it more competitive.<br /><br /><b><br />Battle Rifle Frustration&nbsp;</b><br />The Battle Rifle has a 66% random spread. Although gamers have contacted Bungie, asking for a change to the spread, Bungie has responded that they will not be fixing what they do not consider to be broken.<br /><b><br /></b><br /> <h2>User-Generated Content</h2> <h3>Forge</h3>With the addition of Forge any Halo 3 owner can completely customize every Halo 3 multiplayer map. From vehicle and weapon placement to fusion coils and equipment placement, just about everything the player can use and interact with on a map can be moved, tweaked, and adjusted to the player's liking. Once completed, all forged maps can be put on the player's file share and uploaded to&nbsp;Bungie.net were other players can download, comment, tag, and share their creations over the Internet. The recent maps Foundry (From the Heroic Map Pack) and Sandbox (From the Mythic Map Pack) were made specifically to cater to users of Forge. Many forging communities have arisen in the wake of these two maps releases, creating a massive number of user-generated maps. Bungie has recently taken notice of this user-generated content and has incorporated several Forge maps created in Foundry and Sandbox into both Ranked and Social matchmaking. Bungie has also regularly featured maps created by the community in their weekly updates and included interviews with their creators. A few special features of the Forge have been included in recent map packs as well, from different color affects to the Killball.<br /><br /> <h3>Theater</h3>The Theater is a powerful tool allowing the viewing and saving of previously played campaign missions and multiplayer matches. The system used to create the video allows the video to maintain a size of mere kilobytes. The Theater can be used to take screenshots, save film clips, and save whole films. The camera in the Theater is not limited to a body either. The camera can be moved to any player or free-floated anywhere in the map, allowing for interesting angles and screenshots.<br /><br /> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"197338\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5978/197338-32619830_full_super.jpg\" title=\"User Created Screenshot\"><img id=\"197338\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5978/197338-32619830_full_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"User Created Screenshot\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">User Created Screenshot</div></div></div></div> <h3>Screenshots</h3>With the use of theater mode, users can take screenshots of their favorite moments and upload them to Bungie.net. There players can also comment, rate, and download other users' screenshots. Bungie has used screenshots uploaded to Bungie.net in their Weekly updates.<br /><br /> <h3>Saved Films</h3>While watching a match in Theater, people can save entire custom and matchmaking games or cut out specific parts to make video clips. These videos can then be watched through Theater by anyone who has downloaded the file from the user's File Share. Plus, as the Theater records gameplay information and not video, matches can be viewed from any angle. <br /><br /> <h3>File Share</h3>The File Share is available for every Halo 3 user and allows them to upload their files for others to view and download at no cost. These slots can include Films, Film Clips, Screenshots, Map Variants, Gametypes or any combination.&nbsp; The standard capacity for the File Share is six slots and 25MB, although this can be upgraded to 24 slots and 250MB via Bungie Pro (see below).<br /><br /> <h3>Bungie Pro</h3>Bungie Pro enables a number of premium features to the Halo 3 user, including an expansion of storage for your Halo 3 File Share (see above) and the ability to use Bungie Pro Video (see below). A 12-Month Bungie Pro subscription can be purchased over Xbox Live for 750 MS Points. At the end of the subscription, you'll be asked to whether you want to renew or your subscription or not. For a limited time, a trial of Bungie Pro was given as a gift to people who downloaded the Legendary Map Pack or Mythic Map Pack. The trial lasted roughly 4 months.<br /><br /> <h3>Bungie Pro Video</h3>As of now Bungie Pro comes bundled with Bungie Pro Video. Bungie Pro Video allows you take your game film clips (which, as they are purely game data, require Halo 3 to be viewed) and turn them into videos you can watch on your computer using the wmv format. Users are allowed 5 render minutes a month, which expire at the end of the month. Bungie has stated that users will soon be able to buy render minutes using the File Share menu at 10 minutes for 100 MSP ($1.25).<br /><br /><br /> <h2>Skulls</h2><br />Skulls have various effects on the Halo 3 campaign. Bungie has expanded the original skulls Easter egg from Halo 2. Now when you find a skull &nbsp;you can turn it on and off at <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"428990\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/319/428990-26998835_medium_super.jpg\" title=\"A Halo 3 Skull\"><img id=\"428990\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/319/428990-26998835_medium_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"A Halo 3 Skull\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">A Halo 3 Skull</div></div></div></div>&nbsp;will as opposed to having to start a new save to turn it off. There are 4 silver skulls which don't give an achievement but go towards unlocking the Hayabusa armor, and 9 gold skulls which each have their own achievement and go towards unlocking the Hayabusa armor.<br /><br /> <h3>Silver Skulls</h3><br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\" style=\"list-style-type:none; \"> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Cowbell Skull - Makes explosions larger. </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Grunt Birthday Party Skull - When grunts are shot in the head their head explodes and confetti flies out. There is also the sound of children cheering.<br /></li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">IWHBYD Skull - Opens up new, often humorous dialogue in the game.<br /></li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Blind Skull - Removes your reticule, shield bar, ammo count, etc. from your HUD.</li></ul><br /> <h3>Gold Skulls</h3><br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\" style=\"list-style-type:none; \"> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Catch Skull - Makes enemies use grenades more often and also drop more when you kill them. Friendly units will also throw grenades more often. </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Iron Skull - If playing the campaign single player, death will send the player back to the beginning of the level. In co-op, the death of a single player takes all players back to the last checkpoint. </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Black Eye Skull - Your shields don't recharge unless you melee attack enemies.&nbsp; </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Tough Luck Skull - Enemies are better at dodging explosions and vehicles. </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Fog Skull - Removes your motion sensor. </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Famine Skull - Makes dropped weapons supply you with less ammo. This does not include weapons on weapon racks or certain weapons \"planted\" by Bungie for the player to use. </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Thunderstorm Skull - Enemies ranks are higher. Higher ranked enemies take more damage. </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">&nbsp;Tilt Skull - Enemies are more resistant to certain weapons. Shielded enemies will take dramatically less damage from bullet weapons and unshielded enemies will take dramatically less damage from plasma weapons. This includes vehicle weapons, such that a Plasma Rifle can take down a Brute's shields before a Warthog LAAG turret can, but this is much less noticeable in a tank. </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Mythic Skull - Enemies have double health.</li></ul><br />Look at the guide section to find out where to find them. Additionally, 6 more skulls will be added with the release of the Mythic Map Pack and the 3 maps to be packed in with Halo 3: ODST, with one skull per map. These skulls do not affect the Campaign, and their only benefit is the Vidmaster achievement for finding all of them (and are therefore required to achieve the coveted Recon armor).<br /><br /><br /> <h3>Multiplayer Map Skulls</h3><br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\" style=\"list-style-type:none; \"> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Assembly Skull - This skull is located in the center of the map, up top, in between the big purple arm and the middle post. As with all the Mythic skulls, you must be in Forge to obtain it. </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Orbital Skull - This skull is located above the pit in the middle of the map, it is a few floors up and hidden under and overhang. As with all the Mythic skulls, you must be in Forge to obtain it. </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Sandbox Skull - This skull is located at the back of the dunes, in between the guardians towers. There are many custom maps you can download with the towers shut off so you can just fly out and grab it. As with all the Mythic skulls, you must be in Forge to obtain it. </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Citadel Skull </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Heretic Skull </li> <li style=\"list-style-type:square; \">Longshore Skull<br /><br /></li></ul><br /><br /> <h2>Downloadable Content<br /></h2><br />Halo 3 has seen four Map Packs released for the game&nbsp;since it's September 2007 launch, which are&nbsp;the <b>Heroic Map Pack</b> (free), <b>Legendary Map Pack</b> (600 MS Points), <b>Cold Storage Map Pack</b> (free), and the first half of the <b>Mythic Map Pack</b> (800 MS Points).<br /><br /> <h3>Heroic Map Pack</h3>The Heroic Map Pack was released on December 11th, 2007 and included 3 new maps:<br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li><div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"899857\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3425/899857-foundrymini_super.jpg\" title=\"Foundry\"><img id=\"899857\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3425/899857-foundrymini_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Foundry\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Foundry</div></div></div></div> <b>Foundry</b> <br />A medium-sized map with a focus on team-based gametypes, made from the ground up for Forge, as every object in the level can be deleted and rearranged in innumerable combination's. <br /> <br /> </li></ul>&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"899858\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3425/899858-ratsnestmini_super.jpg\" title=\"Rat's Nest\"><img id=\"899858\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3425/899858-ratsnestmini_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Rat's Nest\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Rat's Nest</div></div></div></div> <b>Rat's </b> <b>Nest<br /></b> Based on Crow's Nest, the second level in Halo 3's campaign, Rat's Nest is a medium-sized symmetrical map with a focus on vehicular combat and large-scale objective gametypes.&nbsp; </li></ul>&nbsp;<br />&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li><div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"667863\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/6733/667863-h3_dlc_standoff_super.jpg\" title=\"Standoff\"><img id=\"667863\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/6733/667863-h3_dlc_standoff_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Standoff\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Standoff</div></div></div></div> <b>Standoff</b><br /> A medium- to large-sized map, set near a Satellite Base in New Mombasa, ideal for medium-sized objective games. </li></ul><br />&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><h3>Legendary Map Pack</h3>The Legendary Map Pack was released on April 15th, 2008 and included 3 new maps:<br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li><div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"899859\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3425/899859-avalanchemini_super.jpg\" title=\"Avalanche\"><img id=\"899859\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3425/899859-avalanchemini_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Avalanche\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Avalanche</div></div></div></div> <b>Avalanche</b> <br /> A large, heavily vehicle-based map inspired by Halo: Combat Evolved's Sidewinder, Avalanche is set on a snowy shelf of the partially completed Installation-04. <br /> </li></ul>&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li> <b>Blackout</b> <br /><div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"899860\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3425/899860-blackoutmini_super.jpg\" title=\"Blackout\"><img id=\"899860\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3425/899860-blackoutmini_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Blackout\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Blackout</div></div></div></div> A small, asymmetrical map that is a remake of Halo 2's Lockout. Made, like Lockout, specifically for FFA and small team-based gametypes. Bungie took great efforts to make Blackout an exact recreation of Lockout, even going as far as to recreate the ability to launch the Sniper Rifle across the map via shooting the nearby fusion coil.&nbsp;</li></ul>&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li> <b>Ghost Town</b><br /><div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"899863\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3425/899863-ghosttownmini_super.jpg\" title=\"Ghost Town\"><img id=\"899863\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3425/899863-ghosttownmini_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Ghost Town\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Ghost Town</div></div></div></div> A medium-sized base-assault map, set in the jungle of Sierra-117, the first level in Halo 3's campaign.</li></ul>&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br /><br /> <h3>Cold Storage Map Pack</h3>The Cold Storage Map Pack was released on July 7th, 2008 and included only one single map. It was a gift for Bungie to it's fans for Bungie Day '08 (July 7, 2008). Cold Storage is technically considered Legendary tier, meaning to play it in matchmaking you must have the Legendary map pack also.<br /> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"899861\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3425/899861-coldstoragemini_super.jpg\" title=\"Cold Storage\"><img id=\"899861\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3425/899861-coldstoragemini_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Cold Storage\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Cold Storage</div></div></div></div> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li><b>Cold Storage</b> - A faithful remake of Halo: Combat Evolves Chill Out, Cold Storage is a small, claustrophobic map used primarily for Slayer and Oddball gametypes. </li></ul><br />&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><h3>Mythic Map Pack (First Half)</h3>First alluded to in the achievements Title Update 2 added, the Mythic Map Pack consists of 6 maps, with 3 bundled in with the Halo Wars Limited Edition and released onto Xbox Live Marketplace April 9th, 2009, and 3 to be bundled with Halo 3: ODST, along with every other map. Unlike with all other multiplayer maps, the Mythic Map Pack will contain 6 hidden skulls, with 1 per map. The skulls go toward u nlocking the \"Vidmaster\" achievement. Bungie has said that once all the Vidmaster achievements are unlocked, Recon Armor will be unlocked. The last Vidmaster Achievement will be achievable when the other 3 maps of the \"Mythic\" Map Pack release with Halo 3: ODST.&nbsp;<br /><br />The first half of the Mythic Map Pack, which first shipped with the Limited Edition version of Halo Wars and came to Marketplace April 9th, 2009 consists of:<br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li><div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"873532\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/28231/873532-h3_mp_assembly_env_02_super.jpg\" title=\"Assembly\"><img id=\"873532\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/28231/873532-h3_mp_assembly_env_02_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Assembly\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Assembly</div></div></div></div><b>Assembly</b> <br />First shown off at PAX '08, Assembly is a small, symmetrical arena-style map made to cater to small, team-based gametypes and FFA. Previously known as Purple Reign internally, Assembly has been one of the longest referred-to maps by Bungie, via their Bungie Weekly Updates.<br /> </li></ul>&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"873534\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/28231/873534-h3_mp_orbital_env_03_super.jpg\" title=\"Orbital\"><img id=\"873534\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/28231/873534-h3_mp_orbital_env_03_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Orbital\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Orbital</div></div></div></div> <b>Orbital</b> <br />A close-quarters, asymmetrical map, tailored for 8 player, 1-sided gametypes. The map takes place aboard the Quito space tether, an orbital docking station used as an Earth-based space port. First referenced as Moonbase Alpha, Orbital, along with Assembly, have been the longest referenced DLC maps by Bungie.&nbsp;</li></ul>&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li><div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"876647\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/28231/876647-halo3_mythic_sandbox_environment_01_super.jpg\" title=\"Sandbox\"><img id=\"876647\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/28231/876647-halo3_mythic_sandbox_environment_01_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Sandbox\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Sandbox</div></div></div></div><b>Sandbox</b><br />A map made from the ground-up with Forge in mind, similar to Foundry. Sandbox is unique as it features 3 separate \"planes\" of play. The ground level, made completely from Forge objects and using a floor of sand. The \"sky bubble\", a free-floating level hundreds of feet from the ground, uses&nbsp; an invisible \"kill-barrier\" to allow the creation of maps similar to \"Guardian\" or \"Blackout\". And the \"crypt,\" an underground room, accessible via the ground level, made to accommodate Grifball matches, though it, like the ground level, can be completely customized via the level's almost endless array of Forge objects.<br /></li></ul><br /> <h3>Mythic Map Pack (Second Half)<br /></h3>First referenced to in the achievements Title Update 2 added to the game, the Mythic Map Pack's latter 3 maps will be bundled in with Halo 3: ODST as maps exclusive to that package. Little to no information is known about these maps other than that, along with Halo 3: ODST, they will be the last additional content added to Halo 3. On Bungie Day '09, Bungie revealed the first screenshots and descriptions of Citadel, Longshore, and Heretic. <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li><b>Citadel</b> <br /> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"1085495\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/9699/1085495-inline_h3odst_citadel_env_01_super.jpg\" title=\"Citadel\"><img id=\"1085495\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/9699/1085495-inline_h3odst_citadel_env_01_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Citadel\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Citadel</div></div></div></div> \" Citadel may be a long abandoned Forerunner stronghold, but its small, symmetrical confines are far from secure. Two opposing bases offer little safety for players looking for solace. Instead, Citadel forces small squads to stay in constant communication, keep their heads on a swivel, and be prepared to adjust combat tactics in close quarters.\" - Bungie.net</li></ul><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li><b>Longshore</b> <br /> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"1085494\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/9699/1085494-inline_h3odst_longshore_env_01_super.jpg\" title=\"Longshore\"><img id=\"1085494\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/9699/1085494-inline_h3odst_longshore_env_01_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Longshore\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Longshore</div></div></div></div> \"Longshore lacks the commercial ships that once made it a lucrative port for Old Mombasa, but it still bustles with activity. Designed for large scale combat and well suited for smaller affairs, Longshore\u2019s multitude of industrial buildings, elevated walks, and open inlets conspire to create a complex battleground tailored for multiple combat scenarios.\" - Bungie.net </li></ul><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li><b>Heretic<br /></b><div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"1085496\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/9699/1085496-inline_h3odst_heretic_env_01_super.jpg\" title=\"Heretic\"><img id=\"1085496\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/9699/1085496-inline_h3odst_heretic_env_01_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Heretic\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Heretic</div></div></div></div> \"Heretic returns players to familiar ground as the Halo 2 arena \u201cMidship\u201d makes its long-rumored debut in Halo 3. The stark interior of the Pious Inquisitor might appear austere on first glance, but Heretic\u2019s symmetrical spaces require players to execute complex strategies in order to outplay their opponents.\" - Bungie.net<br /></li></ul><br /> <h3>Halo 3:ODST</h3>A standalone campaign expansion to <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-3-odst/61-24035/\"> Halo 3: ODST</a> (formerly known as Halo 3: Recon), will be available as a disc-based product Fall 2009. The game will be bundled with the second half of the Mythic Map Pack (Citadel, Longshore and Heretic) and will feature every multiplayer map from the retail Halo 3 as well as every DLC map up to and including the Mythic Map Pack.<br />For more information, check out the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-3-odst/61-24035/\"> ODST</a> game page.<br /><br /> <h2>Recon Epidemic</h2> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"874123\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/28231/874123-04reconchestshot_super.jpg\" title=\"Full picture of the Recon armor\"><img id=\"874123\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/28231/874123-04reconchestshot_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"Full picture of the Recon armor\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Full picture of the Recon armor</div></div></div></div>With the addition of armor to Halo 3's multiplayer fans would be able to customize their online characters to their liking. All armor is acquired in game via achievements, completion of levels, and the capturing skulls, except for Recon armor. Once community members found out they could not unlock Recon armor a full scale epidemic started on the forums. People contently spammed threads asking for \"Reconz\" when they finally figured out only Bungie could unlock it for them. Bungie finally had to put a stop to all the Recon madness by posting this thread on the pinned topics list, saying this \" <b><u>Any thread about Recon Armor will be met with a stern ban.</u></b>\" The full thread can be found&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=17206655\" rel=\"nofollow\"> here</a>. The topic went on to explain that the only way to acquire Recon armor is to&nbsp;do something that makes a big enough impression on Bungie and/or the Halo Community to \"make us think 'Hey, this guy deserves Recon.'\"&nbsp; However, this will all come to an end with the release of Halo 3:&nbsp;ODST which will provide a chance at unlocking recon armor by unlocking the Vidmaster achievements in it as well as those found in Halo 3.<br /><br /> <h2>Development, Release, and Reception<br /></h2><br /> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"451396\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/183/451396-halo_3_launch_super.jpg\" title=\"Halo 3 launch event at the NASDAQ building in New York City\"><img id=\"451396\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/183/451396-halo_3_launch_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"Halo 3 launch event at the NASDAQ building in New York City\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Halo 3 launch event at the NASDAQ building in New York City</div></div></div></div>Halo 3 was officially announced at E3 2006 with the first cinematic trailer, and Bungie continued to throw the groveling masses bits of information on its weekly updates up to the games release. Halo 3 was developed using an in-house engine commonly referred to as the Halo 3 Engine. The engine utilizes advanced graphics tech including High Dynamic Range, Global Lighting and depth of field effects in the cutscenes, Motion Blurring was added in the main game but wasn't in the beta. Halo 3 uses normal, bump, and parallax mapping to increase the detail of models but keeping the number of polygons down. Halo 3 has over 50,000 pieces of audio (40,000 of them being NPC dialogue) a drastic improvement over the previous two games (Halo 2 having about 15,000). In fact, separate recordings for both distant and near gunfire were made and if the player were to hear distant gunfire it might actually be an NPC shooting and not just ambient noise.<br /><br /><br /> <h3>Voice Actors</h3> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li><a href=\"/steve-downes/72-51836/\"> Steve Downes</a> as Master Chief </li> <li><a href=\"/jen-taylor/72-39054/\"> Jen Taylor</a> as Cortana </li> <li>David Skully as Sergeant Johnson and the Elites </li> <li><a href=\"/keith-david/72-81910/\"> Keith David</a> as the Arbiter </li> <li><a href=\"/tim-dadabo/72-44095/\"> Tim Dadabo</a> as 343 Guilty Spark </li> <li><a href=\"/ron-perlman/72-89573/\"> Ron Perlman</a> as Lord Hood </li> <li><a href=\"/robert-davi/72-63973/\"> Robert Davi</a> as Rtas Vadum</li></ul><br />Along with several voice acting cameo appearances from Red vs. Blue and Joss Whedon's Serenity characters.<br /><br />Halo 3 was advertised using every marketing technique imaginable, including viral ads, game trailers, pre-rendered CGI, four Developer Diaries, real-time cinematics, Beta tests, product tie-ins, even live action film. Also, before and after the release, many interviews with Bungie personnel were conducted by the gaming press along with&nbsp;many&nbsp;magazine stories.&nbsp;In addition to the astounding amount of advertising money poured into the launch, Halo 3 was plagued by leaks, including a leak of the games test Beta before it's gold release (confirmed to have been 99.99 percent complete), Microsoft has responded by banning the gamertags of people caught playing it until the year 9999. In the weeks leading up to the game many pre-release (pirated) copies were seen for sale on E-bay, and a catalog retailer accidentally released copies of the game for sale a little early - this was confirmed as an honest mistake, and Microsoft is not punishing Argos (the retailer)&nbsp;for the error.<br /><br />Halo 3 received favorable reviews from many critics, and with an average of 94% in reviews - the sixth best reviewed game on the 360 - according to <a href=\"http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/halo3?q=halo%203\" rel=\"nofollow\"> Metacritic</a>. The single player aspect though, had mixed reviews, some saying it was too short, others going so far as to say certain levels left a rotten taste in their mouth, while others saying it was anything but disappointing. The favorable reviews along with multiple record-breaking sales numbers fueled the games popularity as sales skyrocketed all the way up to the release of the map packs. Halo 3 has received several awards from several sources, including game of the year awards, runner ups for best shooter, best multiplayer, most addicting game of the year, and several more.<br /><br /><br /> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"467438\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/4810/467438-fuel_super.jpg\" title=\"Mountain Dew Game Fuel\"><img id=\"467438\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/4810/467438-fuel_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"Mountain Dew Game Fuel\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Mountain Dew Game Fuel</div></div></div></div> <h3>Promotion</h3>The summer prior to Halo 3's launch, Pepsi released a new Halo specific Mountain Dew called Game Fuel. The flavor was a mix of Code Red and Live Wire, and the drink was discontinued early November. This may be due to the fact that the drink had a reputation for a horrible taste. Halo 3 also had an ad campaign in association with Burger King prior to the game's release. <br /><br />In addition to these promotional tie-ins, 7-11 stores across the United States were equipped with a variety of Halo themed merchandise including three collectible Slurpee cups and posters. The game was also sold in 7-11 stores for a limited time, even featuring a pre-order program. There were a variety of problems with this initiative, however, including the fact many staff members were unaware of the promotion as well as shipping issues on launch day.<br />Soundtrack The soundtrack to Halo 3 was once again composed by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori and was released a few months after the game in a 2 CD set.<br />&nbsp; <br /><br /><h3>Versions of Halo 3<br /></h3>&nbsp;H<i>alo 3</i> was released in three separate versions. The Standard Edition contains the game disc, manual, and a small poster with the game's control-map and artwork. <p>The Limited Edition, contained in a metal case, contains the game disc, manual, poster, interactive Xbox 360 bonus disc with several featurettes, and a hard cover bound \"Bestiarum\", which is a collection of information and art covering the species, cultures, and civilizations of <i>Halo 3</i>.</p> <p>The final version was marketed as the \"Legendary Edition\", which contains the game disc, manual, poster, interactive bonus disc, Bestiarum (on one of the DVD discs), Legendary DVD containing special content exclusive to the Legendary Edition, and a scale replica of the Master Chief's helmet as a case for the three discs. The slip-cover packaging unfolds into a large heavy-stock poster of Master Chief. The helmet that came along with the Legendary Edition could not be worn by a person, but some noted that it could fit on the head of a cat. Many journalists coined the Master Chief helmet as being the \"Halo Cat Helmet\". <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Upon release, some of the Limited Edition versions of <i>Halo 3</i> were found to have a defect in the hub that kept the discs in place, which could lead to scratched discs. Microsoft confirmed the problem and offered to replace scratched <i>Halo 3</i> Limited Edition discs free of charge until the end of January 2008.This was not a problem in either the Legendary Edition or the Standard Editions &nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br /></p><h3>Tracklist</h3><p> </p><div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"955235\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/3/33856/955235-halo_3_original_soundtrack_super.jpg\" title=\"Soundtrack Box Art\"><img id=\"955235\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/3/33856/955235-halo_3_original_soundtrack_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"Soundtrack Box Art\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Soundtrack Box Art</div></div></div></div> <h3>Disc 1</h3> <ol> <li>Luck </li> <li>Released </li> <li>Infiltrate </li> <li>Honorable Intentions </li> <li>Last of the Brave </li> <li>Brutes </li> <li>Out of Shadow </li> <li>To Kill a Demon </li> <li>This is Our Land </li> <li>This is the Hour </li> <li>Dread Intrusion </li> <li>Follow Our Brothers </li> <li>Farthest Outpost </li> <li>Behold a Pale Horse </li> <li>Edge Closer</li></ol> <h3>Disc 2</h3> <ol> <li>Three Gates </li> <li>Black Tower </li> <li>One Final Effort </li> <li>Gravemind </li> <li>No More Dead Heroes </li> <li>Keep What You Steal </li> <li>Halo Reborn </li> <li>Greatest Journey </li> <li>Tribute </li> <li>Roll Call </li> <li>Wake Me When You Need Me </li> <li>Legend </li> <li>Choose Wisely </li> <li>Movement </li> <li>Never Forget </li> <li>Finish the Fight<br /></li></ol><br /><br /> <h2>Title Update 1<br /></h2><br /> <h3>Melee</h3>In Bungie's first mandatory Title Update they fixed what many players where complaining about at the time, the melee system. Previously, if both players melee'd each other at the same time, the player with the more shielding would die and there was a two second window that the system considered \"same time.\" Due to the high level of complaints, Bungie came up with a new Melee system. The \"same time\" window was closed to about a second and the kill would often go to would hit first, but if the game determined that both players hit at the same time, both players would die, ending in a somewhat humorous death as both players flopped backwards.<br /><br /> <h3>Armor</h3>Prior to this update the there was an issue with the Elite shoulder pieces of the armor permutation \"Commando\" not unlocking, even after players had gotten the required \"Overkill\" achievement. The update granted every player the ability to use the \"Commando\" shoulders regardless if they had the achievement for it or not.<br /><br /> <h2>Title Update 2</h2><br /> <h3>Ranking</h3>In their online Weekly Update for August 1st, 2008, Bungie unveiled a new addition to the online ranking system to be implemented in the second mandatory Title Update for Halo 3. The post included a chart illustrating EXP progression in various matchmaking playlists. The update offers players another visual representation of their progress in the online game, and serves to display precisely how many victories they have earned in any given matchmaking playlist.<br /><br />This is achieved by adding a new layer of specificity to the tracking of player EXP (EXP is a value that serves to illustrate how seasoned a player is in matchmade games). While a player's online Service Record still reflects their total EXP value, under the new ranking system, the player also has a visual EXP value (in the form of the same military ranks that previously existed in the online game) for each individual playlist. To clarify, this means that as a player wins more games in a particular playlist their overall EXP value responds as it normally would, but they also progress through the Halo 3 military ranks specific to that playlist. An example: A player may fancy the Team Slayer hopper over all others, and after some time and enough wins, obtain an EXP rank of General in the playlist -- however, if said player has only been competing in the Team Slayer playlist, they will have a playlist military rank of Recruit in the other playlists that they've been ignoring.&nbsp;<br /><br />A common misconception among Halo fans after the announcement of this news was that the hard-fought rankings that they had toiled away for since first setting foot online would be made meaningless after the release of the update, because now any player who invested enough time in a certain playlist would reach the esteemed upper ranks in a much easier fashion. This concern was later proven to be immaterial, because no aspect of the previous ranking system was being modified, and the individual playlist rankings were not to be reflected in a player's Service Record.<br /><br /> <h3>Back-End</h3>Aside from the addition of the new ranking system, the second Title Update adds several \"under-the-hood\" fixes and updates. The details of these \"invisible\" changes were not explicitly fleshed-out, but the general overview given of the modifications indicate that they increase the functionality for auto-detecting malicious behavior and cheating over Xbox Live.<br /><br /><br /> <h3>Map Variants</h3><br />The Title Update also introduced four new variants of existing maps, out of Epitaph&nbsp;came Epilogue, and out of Snowbound&nbsp;came Boundless. While Epilogue is entirely without shield doors, Boundless still has those in High and Low base middle entrances (to counter the possibility of grenade spamming). &nbsp;These new maps will replace the existing ones; they will appear in matchmaking simultaneously, however in the long run Bungie hopes to have these maps become the dominant set. &nbsp;In addition to these two, Sand Tarp is now a version of Sand Trap without the Elephant vehicle and with new flag capture spaces. &nbsp;Pit Stop is a new version of The Pit with the upper spawn areas now inaccessible. &nbsp;These same matchmaking policies apply to these two as well. These maps are treated as Forge variants by the game, and can therefore be played normally and saved to an Xbox 360 Hard Drive.<br /><br /> <h3>Rumors</h3>While initial rumors and speculation ran wild with the release of Bungie's Edge acceptance speech, they have calmed the outcries of bots and campaign forging by definitively stating that these things will not be appearing in multiplayer or Forge. <br /><br /><br /> <h2>Xbox 360 Game Installation</h2><br />Halo 3 requires 6.3GB of space to be installed on an Xbox 360 HDD. However, Bungie has asked players to not install the game to the HDD. Due to the optimizations made to the game so that it can be played without a hard drive, installing to the HDD actually causes longer loading times when playing multiplayer.",
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+ "description": "<h2>Halo Wars Overview</h2> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"728043\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/26/728043-campaign2_super.jpg\" title=\"Larger scale battles than have been seen in Halo before\"><img id=\"728043\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/26/728043-campaign2_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Larger scale battles than have been seen in Halo before\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Larger scale battles than have been seen in Halo before</div></div></div></div><b>Halo Wars</b> is a real-time strategy game set in the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo/62-2/\"> Halo universe</a>. The game was developed by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/ensemble-studios/65-1360/\"> Ensemble Studios</a>, the development unit best known for the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/age-of-empires/62-22/\"> Age of Empires series</a>. The game is being developed exclusively for the Xbox 360, and the development team took extra care with the game's controls to ensure that the often-complex actions of an RTS are easy to deal with on the Xbox 360 controller. The developer also worked very closely with <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/bungie-studios/65-476/\"> Bungie</a>, the creators of the Halo series, to ensure the game retains the proper look and feel. Halo Wars is set 20 years prior to the first game in the series, around the year 2531. The game will focus on the beginnings of the war between humanity and the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-covenant/92-81/\"> Covenant</a>, which erupts after Earth's UNSC stumbles upon an ancient <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-forerunners/92-80/\"> Forerunner</a> artifact. The campaign mode focuses on the UNSC side of the conflict, specifically the crew of a ship called the CFV-88 Spirit of Fire. A group of <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/spartan/92-666/\"> Spartans</a> is aboard the Spirit of Fire and can be called into battle and used as units in the game. Mission objectives are delivered by the ship's AI, <a href=\"/serina/94-8610/\"> Serina</a>. <br /><br /> <h2> <b>Plot<br /></b></h2>Halo Wars is set in 2531, prior to the events of <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-combat-evolved/61-2600/\"> Halo: Combat Evolved</a><i> </i>(which is itself set in 2552). It follows the story of a UNSC ship, CFV-88 <i>Spirit of Fire</i>, under command of Captain Cutter, and their command to liberate the planet Harvest from the Covenant. The player will be allowed to control the forces aboard this massive warship, and receive instructions and commands from its AI, Serina. The UNSC sends a massive force to retake their colony planet, Harvest, from the Covenant who have occupied it. The Covenant have been digging in the polar regions of Harvest, and have uncovered an ancient Forerunner artifact. What this artifact is is unknown, but the humans decide it is worth investigating and dispatch a force. It was revealed during Microsoft's TGS 08 press conference that <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-flood/92-645/\"> the Flood</a> will be in the Halo Wars campaign in some capacity, although whether or not they will be playable remains unknown. This revelation appears to present a massive hole in the continuity of the series, as both humanity and the Covenant's first contact with the Flood was on Installation 04, <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo/95-58/\"> Alpha Halo,</a> during the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. How this new story thread will be woven into the overarching canon has yet to be seen.<br /> <h3><br /></h3> <h2>Gameplay<br /></h2><br /> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"205968\"><div class=\"wiki-img-left\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3484/205968-935835_20080715_screen007_super.jpg\" title=\"A covenant base is hit with a MAC cannon blast.\"><img id=\"205968\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3484/205968-935835_20080715_screen007_screen.jpg\" alt=\"A covenant base is hit with a MAC cannon blast.\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">A covenant base is hit with a MAC cannon blast.</div></div></div></div>When asked whether it would be possible to play as the Covenant, Ensemble's official response was affirmative, although there will not be a covenant campaign so you can only use the covenant in skirmishes. <a href=\"http://1up.com/\" rel=\"nofollow\"> 1UP.com</a>&nbsp;has published an article that mentioned the inclusion of <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-flood/92-645/\"> The Flood</a>&nbsp;but Ensemble has avoided confirming or denying the inclusion. Forerunner structures and <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/sentinel/92-1663/\"> Sentinels</a> will appear in the game as a neutral party that can be captured and used as units, as well as other life forms. It is now shown in their FAQ section of their website that it is possible to play as the Covenant. As of E3 2008 it has been confirmed that the Covenant will be a playable faction. It has also been confirmed that the UNSC and the Covenant will be the only two playable factions. Ensemble studios has said that the game will have everything an RTS needs, with loads of units, buildings and brilliant well thought out maps. <br />&nbsp; <br /><br /><h2>Abilities<br /></h2>Like most RTS games, Halo Wars features character abilities. Ensemble studios have said that every character will have special abilities although not all will be game changing. Only some units abilities have been confirmed but <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/dave-pottinger/72-9694/\"> Dave Pottinger</a> (Halo Wars lead designer) has gone in to great detail about the spartans ability on the official halo wars website. In short the spartans hijack enemy vehicles upgrading them and making them their own with a couple of back flips for effect. Although most units special abilities won't be as good as the spartans they should provide a certain amount of additional strategy. Although this makes spartans look over powerful Ensemble studios has clearly said that with the right strategy and focus spartans can be killed.<br /><br /> <h3>UNSC Leaders</h3><br /> <u><b><a href=\"/captain-james-gregory-cutter/94-9817/\"> Captain Cutter</a></b>:</u><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>Leader Power: MAC Blast - Magnetic Accelerator Cannon blasts an enemy target.</li><li>Unique Unit: Elephant - A mobile infantry trainer</li><li>Super Upgrade: Marines can upgrade to Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODSTs) and then drop from Orbit anywhere on the map.</li><li>Economy Bonus: Cutter's bases start with more building sites.</li></ul><br /> <u> <a href=\"/john-forge/94-9816/\"> <b>Sergeant Forge</b></a>:</u><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>&nbsp;Leader Power: Carpet Bomb.</li><li>&nbsp;Unique Unit: Cyclops - A multipurpose powered exoskeletal suit.</li><li>&nbsp;Super Upgrade: Grizzly - A superior version of the Scorpion tank.</li><li>&nbsp;Economy Bonus: All Supply Pads on Forge's bases start as Heavy Supply Pads.</li></ul><br /> <a href=\"/ellen-anders/94-9815/\"> <b>Professor Anders</b></a><u>:</u>&nbsp;<br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>Leader Power: Cryo Bomb - Freezes enemies in place.</li><li>Unique Unit: Gremlin - Uses an EMP to stun enemy units.</li><li>Super Upgrade: Hawk - a laser beam upgrade to the Hornet.</li><li>Economy Bonus: Cost and research time for unit upgrades reduced by half.</li></ul><br /> <h3>Covenant Leaders</h3><br /> <a href=\"/prophet-of-regret/94-1299/\"> <b>The Prophet of Regret</b></a><u>:</u><br /> The Prophet starts with a Plasma Cannon attack and the Cleansing ability (which calls down an enerfy beam for an orbiting vessel).<br />&nbsp; <br />Special Unit: Elite Honor Guard.<br />&nbsp;<br /><i>Combat Upgrades:</i><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>Blessed Immolation: Upgrades to fuel rod cannons for damage increase.</li><li>Ancestral Perversion: Dual protector units hover near Prophet and defend him.</li><li>Divine Absolution: Upgrades chair so Prophet becomes a full-fledged flying unit.</li></ul>&nbsp;<br /><i>Special Upgrades:</i><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>Regret's Sentence: Medium cleansing beam which does more damage.</li><li>Regret's Doom: Large cleansing beam for even more damage.</li><li>Regret's Condemnation: Increases damage of beam.</li></ul><br /> <u><b>Brute Chieftain</b>:</u><br />The Brute Chieftain starts with Gravity Hammer and Vortex ability (a damage field that can further explode for additional damage). <br />&nbsp;<br />Special Unit: Brutes and Brute Chopper<br />&nbsp;<br /><i>Combat Upgrades:</i><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>Inheritance: Adds passive stun ability to normal attacks.</li><li>Birthright: Chieftain can pull enemies to him during combat.</li><li>Destiny: Adds an area of effect (AOE) stun to Gravity Hammer.</li></ul>&nbsp;<br /><i>Special Upgrades:</i><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>Tsunami: Increases Vortex damage and AOE.</li><li>Hurricane: Increases Vortex damage and AOE.</li><li>Singularity. Increases Vortex damage and AOE.</li></ul><br /> <a href=\"/arbiter/94-58/\"> <b><u>The Arbiter</u></b></a>:<br />The Arbiter starts with dual energy swords and Rage special attack.<br />&nbsp;<br />Special Unit: Suicide Grunts.<br /> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"211515\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5910/211515-halowars_super.jpg\" title=\"&nbsp;The Arbiter\"><img id=\"211515\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5910/211515-halowars_screen.jpg\" alt=\"&nbsp;The Arbiter\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">&nbsp;The Arbiter</div></div></div></div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><i>Combat Upgrades:</i><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>Fiendish Return: Arbiter armor reflects a portion of incoming damage back to attacker.</li><li>Vicious Blades: Adds damage to attack and increases damage reflected.</li><li>Ghastly Vision: Permanent cloak enabled and damage reflection increased.</li></ul>&nbsp;<br /><i>Special Upgrades:</i><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>Defiant Rage: Health partially restored with every inflicted fatality.</li><li>Spiteful Rage: Rage mode costs less to maintain.</li><li>Blinding Rage: Rage damage massively increased, also increases the attack power of surrounding allies.</li></ul>&nbsp; <br /><br /><h2>Controls</h2> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"223705\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3808/223705-emag_halowarsqa_2_f9c70_super.jpg\" title=\"Halo Wars will allow you to play as the Humans or the Covenant.\"><img id=\"223705\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/3808/223705-emag_halowarsqa_2_f9c70_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Halo Wars will allow you to play as the Humans or the Covenant.\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Halo Wars will allow you to play as the Humans or the Covenant.</div></div></div></div> In the past, real-time strategy games have been ported to consoles, examples being <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/starcraft-64/61-3467/\"> StarCraft</a> for the Nintendo 64 and recently <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-battle-for-middle-earth-ii/61-4867/\"> Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth II</a> and <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/command-conquer-3-tiberium-wars/61-17551/\"> Command &amp; Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars</a> for the Xbox 360. While controls have been steadily improving, particularly with <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/electronic-arts/65-1/\"> Electronic Arts</a>' recent <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/command-conquer-3-kanes-wrath/61-20494/\"> Command and Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath</a> stand-alone expansion, Halo Wars promises to revolutionize RTS on console controls, much the same way the original Halo did for First-Person Shooters.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li>Left-stick - Moving around </li><li>Right-stick - Zooming In &amp; Out </li><li>A button - select a Unit (hold down to select with a circle) </li><li>A button (Double click) - select all units of the same type </li><li>X button - target enemy, move units&nbsp; </li><li>Y button - Alternative Fire </li><li>Right Bumper - select all units on-screen </li><li>Left Bumper - select every unit on map </li><li>D-Pad- Each direction on the d-pad is mapped to a somewhere with one direction cycling through your bases, one cycles through your troops, another shows you all known enemy units, and the last calls brings up the&nbsp;leader powers menu or if playing as Covenant goes directly to your command unit.<br /></li></ul>&nbsp; <br /><br /><h2>Halo Wars Maps </h2>There will be 14 maps available in Skirmish, and likely more to come out sometime after the release of the game. The maps are as followed:<br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li>Chasms (available to play in the demo of Halo Wars as of 2.5.09) {1v1} </li><li>Blood Gulch {1v1} </li><li>Pirth Outskirts {1v1} </li><li>Release {1v1} </li><li>Tundra {1v1} </li><li>Beasley's Plateau {2v2} </li><li>Crevice {2v2} </li><li>The Docks {2v2} </li><li>Labyrinth {2v2} </li><li>Repository {2v2} </li><li>Terminal Moraine {2v2} </li><li>Exile {3v3} </li><li>Fort Deen {3v3} </li><li>Frozen Valley {3v3}</li></ul><br /> <h2>Halo Wars Limited Edition</h2>In addition to the standard edition of the game being sold in stores, a limited collectors edition will also be available. The package, which will retail for $79.99, includes:<br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li>The Mythic Map Pack for <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-3/61-9993/\"> Halo 3</a>, which contains the maps Orbital, Sandbox, and Assembly </li><li>Halo Wars: Genesis, a graphic novel about the <i>Spirit of Fire's</i> campaign against the Covenant </li><li>A unique, in-game Honor Guard Wraith </li><li>Six \"Leader Cards\" with pictures and information about major characters in the game </li><li>A <i>Spirit of Fire crew</i> patch... which is more of a rubber coaster.<br /> <a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/794880-halowarsle_super.jpg\"><img src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/794880-halowarsle_icon.jpg\" /></a> <a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/794881-halowarslebox_super.jpg\"><img src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/794881-halowarslebox_icon.jpg\" /></a>&nbsp; <a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/794883-halowarslespread_super.jpg\"><img src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/794883-halowarslespread_icon.jpg\" /></a>&nbsp;<br /></li></ul><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/794882-halowarsleclean_super.jpg\"><img src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/794882-halowarsleclean_icon.jpg\" /></a><br /> <h2>Announcement and Release<br /></h2>Halo Wars was officially announced on September 27th 2006 at Microsoft's X06, and was released in Japan as well as Australia on February 26th 2009, in PAL territories on February 27th, and in North America on March 3rd; contrary to when Robbie Bach misspoke during CES keynote 2009, saying that Halo Wars would be released on February 28th. Microsoft closed Ensemble Studios before the games release, but Robot Entertainment(founded by former Ensemble employees) continues to support Halo Wars through updates and DLC.<br /><br /><br /> <h2>Playable Demo</h2><br /> During CES Microsoft announced that a playable demo of Halo Wars would be coming out before the general release of the game. &nbsp;During late January and early February 2009 codes to allow the demo to be downloaded were given out through gaming blogs and as prizes in competitions. &nbsp;On Febuary 5th the demo was released to the public via Xbox Live and <a href=\"http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8024D530808?cid=MajorNelson&amp;partner=MajorNelson\" rel=\"nofollow\"> Xbox.com</a>. The demo includes two campaign missions, where you and a band of UNSC soldiers fight the Covenant forces to rescue your stranded troops, a Tutorialm and a Skirmish mode. In Skirmish you can play as either the UNSC (Captain Cutter) or the Covenant forces (Prophet of Regret) on Easy, Normal, or Heroic difficulties. Only one map is available in the demo, which is a snow map called \"Chasms.\" There is no online multiplayer available in the demo. The demo set a Xbox Live record for having 2 million downloads. The previous record was set by the Resident Evil 5 demo with 1.8 million downloads.<br /><br /> <h2>Downloadable Content for Halo Wars<br /></h2> Despite the fact that Halo Wars is the last game by Ensemble studios, <a href=\"/robot-entertainment/65-6592/\"> Robot Entertainment</a> have confirmed that they will continue to support the game and have DLC planned for release.&nbsp;The first DLC for Halo Wars is the \"Strategic Options\" pack which includes three new Game Modes and four new Achievements. The Strategic Options DLC was released on May 19th, 2009.&nbsp;<br /> <b> <br /></b><br /> The three new <b>Game Modes</b> are:<br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\"><li> Keepaway Mode: In this adaptation of &nbsp;Capture the Flag, teams battle it out to capture and hold a free-roaming Forerunner Sentinel to score points before the other team. The number of Sentinels needed to win scales with the number of players.<br /></li><li> Tug of War Mode: Players must build a stronger army than their opponents to succeed. Defeating enemies is essential, but success is determined by a combination of the army, buildings and resources left standing in the end.<br /></li><li> Reinforcement Mode: Players must adapt their tactics and use the ever changing set of units to outwit and outlast the enemy, all the while facing successive waves of incoming enemy units.</li></ul><br /> The four new&nbsp; <b>Achievements&nbsp;</b>are:<br /><ul class=\"plain-list\" style=\"margin:0px; padding:0px; list-style-type:none; \"><li style=\"margin:6px 0px 0px 25px; padding:0px; list-style-type:square; \">One and Done (30 points): Score the winning point on a game of Keepaway against the Legendary A.I.'s</li><li style=\"margin:6px 0px 0px 25px; padding:0px; list-style-type:square; \">Pull Hard, Pull Deep (20 Points): Win and never trail in a Tug of War game</li><li style=\"margin:6px 0px 0px 25px; padding:0px; list-style-type:square; \">Freak on a Streak (20 points): Gain at least 15 population from a single wave in a Reinforcement game</li><li style=\"margin:6px 0px 0px 25px; padding:0px; list-style-type:square; \">Living Loving Bug (30 points): Obtain a Scarab during a Reinforcement game</li></ul><br /><br /> <h2>Halo Wars Soundtrack <br /></h2>A <b>Halo Wars</b> soundtrack is available to buy. It contains a soundtrack CD, and a bonus DVD. The CD contains the following songs:<br /> <ol><li>Spirit Of Fire <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"921972\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/1099/921972-9078522x_super.jpg\" title=\"&nbsp;Halo Wars OST\"><img id=\"921972\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/1099/921972-9078522x_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"&nbsp;Halo Wars OST\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">&nbsp;Halo Wars OST</div></div></div></div></li><li>Bad Here Day </li><li>Perspective </li><li>Money Or Meteors </li><li>Flollo </li><li>Just Ad Nauseum </li><li>Unusually Quiet </li><li>Flip And Sizzle </li><li>Put The Lady Down </li><li>Six-Armed Robbing Suit </li><li>Action Figure Hands </li><li>Staus Quo Show </li><li>Part Of The Plan </li><li>Work Burns And Runaway Grunts </li><li>Freaked Out </li><li>Rescued Or Not </li><li>Best Guess At Best </li><li>One Problem At A Time </li><li>De Facto The Matter </li><li>Part Of The Problem </li><li>Fingerprints Are Broken </li><li>Out Of There Alive </li><li>Through Your Hoops </li><li>Under Your Hurdles </li><li>Insignificantia (All SloppyNo Joe)</li></ol>",
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+ "deck": "Halo Wars is a real-time strategy game for the Xbox 360. Join the Halo Wars crew on the UNSC ship CFV-88 Spirit of Fire and engage the Covenant head-on in an attempt to hold on to the recently taken human colony of Harvest.",
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+ "description": "&nbsp;<br />Halo: Reach was announced by means of a teaser trailer at the end of a segment during Microsoft\u2019s 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo media briefing dedicated to 2009\u2019s Halo 3: ODST. The brief trailer, not to mention the title, implies that the game will depict the destruction of the human colony world \"Reach\", a pivotal event in the history of the Halo franchise.<br /><br /> <h2>Overview</h2> Halo: Reach is a project from Bungie Studios that will be a prequel to the original <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-combat-evolved/61-2600/\"> Halo: Combat Evolved</a>. It will take place on the planet <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/reach/95-571/\"> Reach</a>, a human fortress world and the base of the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/spartan/92-666/\"> Spartan-II</a> program. The trailer shows the colony on Reach being attacked by Covenant battleships orbiting the planet.<br />&nbsp;<br />Reach will be built on completely new technology, not reusing the Halo 3 engine like <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-3-odst/61-24035/\"> ODST</a> did. In addition, Reach has been worked on since the completion of Halo 3 and, if released in 2010, will have a full three-year production cycle. <br />&nbsp;<br />Halo: Reach will also be the last Halo game Bungie develops before working on a new, unannounced IP. Future Halo games will be developed by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/343-industries/65-6753/\"> 343 Industries</a>.&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />Storywise, it is clear that the fall of Reach is the main focus, but no specifics are known, making anything stated at this point to be empty speculation. One of the more popular rumours implies that the game will focus on a squad of Spartan supersoldiers with each character fulfilling a specific role (sniper, heavy weapons, explosives expert, etc.). This is taken solely from the game's logo, which features the silhouettes of several decidedly differently-shaped armoured figures. Others have interpreted this as meaning the game will be a multiplayer-only class-based shooter, shades of <a href=\"/team-fortress-2/61-18162/\"> Team Fortress 2</a>. As stated, however, until Bungie reveals the true nature of the game, anything put forward is simply a guess.<br /><br /> <h2>Multiplayer</h2><br />Buyers of <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-3-odst/61-24035/\"> Halo 3: ODST</a> will receive an invite to the <i>Halo: Reach</i> multiplayer Beta at a later date. The game will have its own unique multiplayer, separate from that of <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-3/61-9993/\"> Halo 3</a>. The Halo: Reach beta is set for early 2010.&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <h3>Release</h3>&nbsp;<br />Halo: Reach is currently set for a Fall 2010 release date.",
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+ "deck": "A prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo: Reach characterizes one of the most cataclysmic events in the Halo universe - the destruction of the planet Reach.",
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+ "description": "<h2>Overview <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"224772\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/224772-halo2vista_super.jpg\" title=\"An example of the game's multiplayer mode.\"><img id=\"224772\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/224772-halo2vista_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"An example of the game's multiplayer mode.\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">An example of the game's multiplayer mode.</div></div></div></div></h2>Developed by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/bungie-studios/65-476/\"> Bungie</a> and published by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/microsoft-game-studios/65-340/\"> Microsoft</a> on November 9, 2004, Halo 2 went on to become the best selling game for the Xbox, selling 6.3 million units in the United States and 8 million around the world. In this installment, the player splits time between two roles: the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/master-chief/94-175/\"> Master Chief</a> and the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/arbiter/94-58/\"> Arbiter</a>, a disgraced Covenant Elite. The two protagonists have minor differences. The game opens with two simultaneous story threads. The Master Chief and <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/sergeant-major-avery-junior-johnson/94-964/\"> Sergeant Major Johnson</a> are receiving a commendation for their actions in the original Halo. Meanwhile, the Arbiter is answering for his failure to defend <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo/95-58/\"> Halo</a> from Earth's attack. During all this, the Covenant attacks Earth and the Master Chief is called into battle once again. <br /><br /><h2>Editions </h2>&nbsp;<br /><b>Ordinary</b><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>Standard box art (MC dual-wielding SMG's)<br /></li><li>Standard game disc</li><li>Standard Manual (With MC on cover)<br /></li></ul><br /><div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"954707\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/3/32160/954707-halo2limitedcontent_super.jpg\" title=\"Limited Edition Halo 2.\"><img id=\"954707\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/3/32160/954707-halo2limitedcontent_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Limited Edition Halo 2.\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Limited Edition Halo 2.</div></div></div></div> <b> Limited Edition Halo 2</b><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>Tin Halo 2 box (Plain silver with Halo 2 symbol)<br /></li><li>Standard game disc</li><li>Extra making-of DVD</li><li>Standard Manual (with Arbiter on cover)<br /></li></ul><br /> <h2>Plot </h2>&nbsp;<br />The game is the sequel to <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-combat-evolved/61-2600/\"> Halo: Combat Evolved,</a> and takes place in the same universe. The first cut scene is of a Covenant Elite's trial and judgment by the <a href=\"/the-covenant/92-81/\"> Covenant hierarchy</a>. &nbsp;It then cuts to the <a href=\"/master-chief/94-175/\"> Master Chief</a> on one of the newly built planetary defense platforms (the Cairo to be specific). &nbsp;After receiving a new suit, the Mark VI, the Chief is led by <a href=\"/sergeant-major-avery-junior-johnson/94-964/\"> Sgt. Johnson</a> to an award ceremony. As the honors are presented, it cuts back to the Elite, as he is publicly tortured and branded. As the brand is applied, the scene cuts back to the ceremony as the station is attacked by a small Covenant fleet. After fighting his way through the station to help <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/cortana/94-315/\"> Cortana</a> disarm a bomb brought on board by the Covenant, the Chief follows the last remaining Covenant ship to the surface of the Earth (specifically New Mombasa) to capture the Prophet of Regret reportedly aboard. However, the ship jumps away, taking the player's ship and part of the city with it to another Halo, where the player lands and continues to pursue the Prophet. This installment also has a second story path in which the player takes control of the Arbiter, the disgraced Elite from the opening cut scene. At first the Arbiter continues to serve the Prophets' whims, but soon discovers their lies and betrays them in order to prevent the activation of the Halo and save all life in the galaxy. <br /><br />&nbsp;<h2>Gameplay<br /></h2>&nbsp;<br />Halo 2 has a lot of updates over <a href=\"/halo-combat-evolved/61-2600/\"> Halo: Combat Evolved</a>. Under the new system, once shields have been depleted, the player can only take a few hits until death, but once shields recharge, health resets. This is explained through the new Mark VI suit, which injects bio-foam directly into the wearers wounds. Active Camo has been removed as an item. Instead, the Arbiter has a rechargeable version of Camo, instead of a flashlight like the Chief. Another new addition is dual wielding certain weapons, including the pistol, the new SMG, the needler, the plasma pistol, and the plasma rifle. When dual wielding, weapons take longer to reload and the ability to throw grenades is taken out. Another newly added mechanic is the ability to board enemy vehicles when they are near the player and traveling at low speeds. <br /><br />The most noticeable change in the weapons is the absence of the iconic assault rifle. It is replaced by the new battle rifle; a three shot burst weapon with a 2x scope. The Covenant equivalent of the battle rifle is the carbine; a semi-automatic weapon that also has a 2x scope (the carbine uses ammo instead of battery power). In addition to the battle rifle and carbine, there is now the SMG (a small compact fully automatic weapon), a new pistol with no scope, the brute shot (Covenant grenade launcher), a brute plasma rifle (which fires faster), an improved rocket launcher (which locks onto enemy vehicles), and the energy sword (which can now be used by the player). <br /><div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"224766\"><div class=\"wiki-img-left\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/224766-h2screen_super.jpg\" title=\"The change in HUD.\"><img id=\"224766\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/118/224766-h2screen_screen.jpg\" alt=\"The change in HUD.\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">The change in HUD.</div></div></div></div><br />Halo 2 is supported on <a href=\"/xbox-live/92-1404/\"> Xbox Live</a> and was one of--if not the most--popular game played online, all the way until the release of the 360 and Halo 3. Instead of the players picking the map and game type, a new matchmaking system was introduced in which the player chooses a playlist, which then generates random games under set criteria. This system also attempts to match only players of similar skill, to keep games fair. Certain aspects found in the campaign have been removed to keep things fair; for example, the fuel rod cannon is not found on normal maps, and the Banshee's fuel rod cannon is removed. <br /> <b><br /><br /><h2>Mulitplayer</h2></b>&nbsp;<br />Halo 2 was the first Halo game on Xbox to feature online play through Xbox Live. The game had many advanced features including matchmaking, voice chat, and rankings. There was also some customization implemented into the game as well, which created a lot of user created content.&nbsp; Many games came out of these customization options, such as Tremors, Troy, Vehicle Wars and the most popular being Zombies which grew so popular Bungie saw fit to put it into Halo 3. Players really enjoyed the customization options and kept many players sticking around even after getting their fill of matchmaking.&nbsp; The match making games were very competitive in Halo 2 due to the intensive ranking system .&nbsp; The way the ranking system in Halo 2 works is when you first start of playing the game you start with the level 1 and as you win matches your level increases. If you lose enough matches you can drop levels. These ranking were taken very seriously by the Halo 2 community. The color of the level a player had was very important to most Halo 2 fanatics.&nbsp; You can see what the levels look like in the picture below.&nbsp; <br />Levels 44-50 were \"secret\" levels -- they were picture of various things, such as the moon or the halo ring.<div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"942468\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5758/942468-h2ranks_super.jpg\" title=\"The Halo 2 ranks.\"><img id=\"942468\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5758/942468-h2ranks_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"The Halo 2 ranks.\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">The Halo 2 ranks.</div></div></div></div> <br />Halo 2 had 24 maps the people could play online and was the most played game ever on Xbox Live. Even after the Xbox 360 was released Halo 2 still remained the most popular. The first game to top the amount of online players Halo 2 had each month, was the original <a href=\"/gears-of-war/61-12231/\"> Gears of War</a>.&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<u><h3>Matchmaking Playlists<br /></h3></u>&nbsp;<br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>Rumble Pit </li><li>Double Team</li><li>Team Slayer</li><li>Team Skirmish</li><li>Team Training</li><li>Team Snipers</li><li>Team Hardcore</li><li>Big Team Battle</li><li>Team SWAT</li><li>H2 Challenge</li></ul> <br /><u><h3>Clan</h3></u><b> <u><br /></u></b>Halo 2 is one of the few Xbox games ever that supported \"clans\", which are basically a group or team of players that play games against other \"clans\".&nbsp; This was a huge part of Halo 2 and it was very successful at it the idea of clan matches and ranking up your clan. Clans on console games have never really worked that well and Halo 2 introduced a quick ,and easy, way to make them without having the dedication PC clan members have. To check out your clan you press the Y button and bring up the friends list, you can scroll right, which will bring you to the clan page. If you are not in a clan, you can join a clan (if you were invited to a clan). You must receive a \"clan invite\" to be able to join a clan. If you have not been invited to a clan, you can create your own clan. If you decide to go down this route, you will be asked to create a unique name for your clan. This name can not be changed and must be appropriate, or Bungie will reject the name. After creating a name, you must invite people to join your clan. Players are only allowed to be in one clan at on time. When members join, they will first be at the level of member, but the Overlords of the clan are allowed to change their status. <br /> <u><br /></u><br /> <u><h3>Clan Status Levels</h3></u><br /><ol><li><u> </u><u>Overlord</u>- The creator of the clan is the Overlord and has complete control over the clan. The Overlord can elect other trustworthy clan members to also be&nbsp;an Overlord.</li><li> <u>Staff</u>- Staff members are important respected members of a clan. Their level of power can vary by the amount of power the Overlord gives Staff members. </li><li> <u>Membe</u>r- When someone joins a clan, they are a Member. This is&nbsp;the middle class in a clan. Most clan members are Members. Members do not hold much power. </li><li> <u>Peon</u>- The level of Peon is the lowest level of status. Peons hold no power.<br /></li></ol><h2>Multiplayer Maps<br /> </h2>&nbsp;<ul class=\"plain-list\"><li> <a> Ascension</a></li><li> Beaver Creek</li><li> Burial Mounds</li><li> Coagulation</li><li> Colossus</li><li> Foundation</li><li> <a> Headlong</a></li><li> Ivory Coast</li><li> <a> Lockout</a></li><li> <a href=\"/midship/95-1997/\"> Midship</a></li><li> Waterworks</li><li> <a> Zanzibar</a></li></ul>&nbsp; <br />Halo 2 has had four map pack releases the Bonus Map Pack (the Containment and Warlock maps), the Killtacular Map Pack (the Sanctuary and Turf maps), the Maptacular Map Pack (the Backwash, elongation, Gemini, Relic, and Terminal maps), and the Blastacular Map Pack (the Desolation and Tombstone Maps). All of these are now free and mandatory downloads for online play on Halo 2. <br />&nbsp; <br />Additional multiplayer maps were released as expansions to the game.<br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li><a> Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack</a></li></ul>&nbsp;<br /><br /><h2>Multiplayer Glitches</h2>&nbsp;<br />Several weeks and months after Halo 2's release, players began to discover and take advantage of several relatively major glitches in the game. As players began to practice these glitches and become well-versed in executing them they gained a much more significant place in the <a href=\"/meta-game/92-905/\"> meta-game</a>, with some of the weapon-based glitches becoming essential for success against the higher ranking players. While game creator <a href=\"/bungie-studios/65-476/\"> Bungie</a> officially decreed on several occasions that a player's use of glitches for personal gain, in a Matchmaking setting, was a form of cheating, the developer had no way of tracking the use of such glitches by players. Ultimately, there were no widespread punishments or repercussions handed-down to players who utilized these glitches.<br /><br />Some of the most noteworthy glitches:<br /><br /><h3><a href=\"/bxr/92-2751/\"> <b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> BXR</b></a> -</h3><br />Commonly used in conjunction with the <a href=\"/br55-battle-rifle/93-132/\"> Battle Rifle</a> (though possible to execute with any reloadable weapon) the BXR was a weapon animation glitch that allowed for a nearly instantaneous close-ranged kill. The glitch became very widespread among the highest ranks of players as the meta-game progressed.<br /><br /><h3>Quick Reload (YY) -</h3><br />Another glitch commonly used among higher-caliber players, the Quick Reload glitch was a weapon animation glitch that shaved precious seconds off of a player's reload time, allowing them to fire their weapon again sooner than they normally would with the default reload. The glitch was only possible when a player was carrying a secondary weapon. The move was executed by the player pressing the Y button twice in quick succession as soon as the reload animation reached the point where the in-game character began to insert a new clip into the weapon. If done properly the player will quickly switch to their secondary weapon and then back to their primary, eliminating the rest of the reload animation while still giving the player a full clip.<br /><br /><h3>Double Melee (BXB) -<br /></h3><br />A third weapon animation glitch, the BXB was used to give players a significant advantage in close-range combat. Executed by pressing B, X, B in quick succession (under the default controller settings), the glitch allowed players to melee twice in a much shorter time span than if they were simply to press the melee button two times. Contrary to the BXR, which required a full clip of ammo to execute properly, the BXB required the player to have a partially depleted or empty ammo clip in their primary weapon. As with the other weapon glitches, the BXB saw very widespread use among the top-tier players.<br /><br /><h3>Double Shot (RRX) -<br /></h3><br />One of the most popular glitches among <a href=\"/major-league-gaming/92-1858/\"> MLG</a> fans and players, the Double Shot was a glitch that was used primarily with the Battle Rifle that allowed players to fire two of the weapon's 3-shot bursts in one shot, resulting in 6 bullets being fired at once. The downside to this glitch was that after successfully firing a Double Shot, there was a significant span of time (roughly two to three seconds) where the player could not fire their weapon, and could only attack if they threw a grenade, used a melee attack, or switched to a secondary weapon. For this reason players would often hold off on using a Double Shot unless they were one or several \"shots down\" in a BR fight, or had a secondary weapon that they could \"YY\" with to cancel the long delay after a successful double shot.<br /><br /><br /> <b> <h3>Quad Shot (RRXYYRRX) -</h3><br /> Similar to the double shot the quad shot, if done right, can shoot 4 shots out of the BR in half the time it normally would take. To do this you need two weapons, first you start out with your double shot then you press \"YY\" really fast in order to cancel the reload, if you double shot correctly you will notice the the reload animation isn't playing but it is still reloading in the background this is normal so don't worry, now after pressing \"YY\" do another double shot, and with much practice you can do&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCEZz1zS3aQ\" rel=\"nofollow\"> this</a> .<br /><br /><br /></b><br /> <a href=\"/super-bouncing/92-401/\"> </a> <h3><a href=\"/super-bouncing/92-401/\"> <b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> </b><b> Super Bouncing</b></a> (also known as Super Jumping) -<div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"908232\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5758/908232-superbounce1_super.jpg\" title='A first-person view from a player who \"super-bounced\" to the top of the map Ascension.'><img id=\"908232\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5758/908232-superbounce1_screen.jpg\" alt='A first-person view from a player who \"super-bounced\" to the top of the map Ascension.' /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">A first-person view from a player who \"super-bounced\" to the top of the map Ascension.</div></div></div></div></h3><br />A glitch in the game's <a href=\"/havok-physics/92-502/\"> Havok</a> physics engine that makes it possible for players to \"bounce\" to extreme heights, enabling them to reach previously inaccessible and out-of-bounds regions on a multiplayer map. The glitch was used quite frequently in a Matchmaking setting to give a player or team a significant advantage through an unreachable hiding spot or unfair vantage point.<br /><br /><h3>Sword Canceling (Butterflying)<br /></h3><br />Sword canceling is a glitch that takes advantage of the \"lunge\" effect that the Energy Sword provides for the player. By aiming at an opponent with the Energy Sword at a close enough proximity for the reticule to light up red, then pressing the Right Trigger and X in quick succession, a player can achieve the normal Sword lunge without in any way damaging their opponent. The glitch is most commonly used to give players a means of reaching previously inaccessible ledges or areas of a map. The glitch earned the nickname \"Butterflying\" due to the strange, butterfly-like motion of the character model's arms when performing the sword cancel.<br /><br /><h2>Cheating</h2>As with most online games, Halo 2's online environment featured some players who manipulated and modified certain aspects of the game to provide themselves with an unfair advantage over their opponents. Players cheated most commonly in matchmaking playlists, so that they could more easily obtain a matchmaking rank that players would see associated with their gamertag. The highest-level matchmaking ranks, that featured symbols in place of numbers (ranks 44-50), were the most desirable and most sought after ranks to cheaters; therefore, non-cheaters often found it very difficult to play a legitimate, cheat-free match at the highest ranks. There were several different methods of cheating, each with different effects on gameplay.<br /><br /><h3>Modding</h3><br />Achieved through the use of cheat-devices such as Action Replay, Modding was fairly uncommon, yet was the most game-changing form of cheating. \"Modders\" manipulated map files and gametypes to create gameplay that was well-outside the normal limits placed by the game engine. Common modded elements were changes in player speed and gravity, changed weapon properties (such as <a href=\"/plasma-rifle/93-122/\"> Plasma Rifles</a> that fired <a href=\"/wraith/93-531/\"> Wraith</a> projectiles), and changed vehicle properties (flying <a href=\"/m12-warthog/93-193/\"> Warthogs</a>, flying turrets, faster <a href=\"/scorpion/93-760/\"> Scorpions</a>, etc.). Due to the dramatic, game-changing effects of modding, it was fairly easy for Bungie's automated banning tool -- notoriously dubbed the \"Banhammer\" by players and Bungie staff -- to detect and ban players who used modded files in matchmade games. Most \"modders\" had only a few hours, at most, to rise through the matchmaking ranks before being faced with a permanent ban, and a vast majority of modders were inevitably banned.<br /><br /><h3>Standbying</h3><br />The second most game-changing form of cheating, behind Modding, was known as Standbying. Making use of the game's host-based server system, standbying was achieved by having the \"host\" player manipulate their internet connection to cause problems for the other players in the match. When the host managed to successfully tamper with their connection, it would cause all of the other players in the game to experience enormous amounts of lag. The host's Xbox was immune to the lag issues, and could travel around the map killing enemy players or completing game objectives without much, if any, opposition. Though the Standby glitch was originally achieved by players manually pressing the \"Standby\" button on their router, modem, or switch, eventually players used various computer softwares so that they could throttle the connections of only the opposing team, giving all of their teammates a reprieve from the negative effects of the glitch. Eventually, Bungie improved the banhammer to better detect and control \"standbyers\" in matchmaking, but the problem was never completely eliminated in the way that modding was.<br /><br /><h3>Bridging</h3><br />Bridging was a method of controlling \"host\" in a matchmaking game, and, more specifically, a way of ensuring that a certain player in the game always received host. Unlike modding and standbying, though, bridging was not a very detrimental form of cheating on its own. Bridging was accomplished through the use of specific Firewall software that controlled the ports and incoming IP Addresses for a player's router or switch. By using the program with the correct settings, a player could be ensured of being host for every game they played. Also, due to the nature of the glitch, bridgers could not be matched with or against other bridgers, so the bridging player always decided who received host. While Bridging was used in conjunction with Standbying or Modding to ensure that those forms of cheating worked as efficiently as possible by giving a certain player host, it was also used as a preventative measure against cheaters. Some players used bridging to make sure that no nefarious players could obtain host, therefore ensuring a quality match experience. As of the 1.6 update for Halo 2, the most common methods of Bridging were no longer effective or possible in matchmaking.<br /><br /><h2>In Pop Culture </h2>In season 20, episode 19 of <a href=\"/the-simpsons/62-283/\"> The Simpsons</a>, Homer and Marge teabag Homer's kill. <br /><br /><b><h2>Soundtrack</h2></b>Composed by <a href=\"/martin-odonnell/72-1741/\"> Martin O'Donnel</a> and <a href=\"/michael-salvatori/72-1742/\"> Michael Salvatori</a>. The disc was released on April 25, 2006.<br /> <ol> <li>Halo Theme </li> <li>Blow Me Away - Breaking Benjamin </li> <li>Peril </li> <li>Ghosts of Reach </li> <li>Follow&nbsp; (1st Movement of the Odyssey) - Incubus </li> <li>Heretic, Hero </li> <li>Flawed Legacy </li> <li>Impend </li> <li>Never Surrender - Nile Rodgers </li> <li>Ancient Machine </li> <li>2nd Movement of the Odyssey - Incubus </li> <li>In Amber Clad </li> <li>Last Spartan, The </li> <li>Orbit of Glass </li> <li>3rd Movement of the Odyssey - Incubus </li> <li>Heavy Price Paid </li> <li>Earth City </li> <li>High Charity </li> <li>4th Movement of the Odyssey - Incubus </li> <li>Remembrance </li> <li>Connected - Hoobastank</li> </ol><h2>System Requirements</h2><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>Windows Vista Operating System</li><li>2.0 GHz computer processor</li><li>1 GB of RAM</li><li>7 GB of Hard Disk space</li><li>ATI X700 or Nvidia 6100 display adapter with 128 MB of RAM with Pixel and Vertex Shader 2 or higher.</li></ul><br /><h2>Live Traits</h2><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li><a href=\"/online/92-559/\"> Online Multiplayer</a> 2-16</li><li><a href=\"/achievements/92-29/\"> Achievements</a></li><li>Friends</li><li><a href=\"/voice-chat/92-648/\"> Voice</a></li></ul><br /><h2>Vista Experience Index</h2><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>Game Recommended Rating - <u><b>5.0</b></u></li><li>Game Required Rating - <u><b>3.0</b></u><br /></li></ul>",
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+ "deck": "The sequel to the beloved Halo: Combat Evolved continues the epic story of humanity's last and best hope - the super soldier known as the Master Chief.",
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+ "description": "<h2>Overview</h2>Halo: Combat Evolved is a first-person shooter, created by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/bungie-studios/65-476/\"> Bungie Studios</a>, a subsidiary of <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/microsoft-game-studios/65-340/\"> Microsoft Game Studios</a> at the time. It was released as an&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/xbox/93-1228/\"> Xbox</a> launch title on November 15, 2001. It is one of the most popular video games for the Xbox, with over five million copies sold. Its sales are rivaled by its sequel, <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-2/61-7110/\"> Halo 2</a>, and later by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-3/61-9993/\"> Halo 3</a>. It has been available as an <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/xbox-originals/92-2345/\"> Xbox Original</a> title since December 4th, 2007, allowing users to download the game on Xbox Live Marketplace for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15).&nbsp; <br /><br /> <h3>Story</h3>&nbsp;<br />Halo: Combat Evolved takes place primarily on an artificial ring world called <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo/95-58/\"> Halo</a> or Installation-04, created by an extinct, technologically superior race known as <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-forerunner/92-80/\"> the Forerunners</a>. You play as <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"206607\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/1550/206607-ss_b_12_super.jpg\" title='\"Into the belly of the beast\"'><img id=\"206607\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/1550/206607-ss_b_12_thumb.jpg\" alt='\"Into the belly of the beast\"' /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">\"Into the belly of the beast\"</div></div></div></div>Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/master-chief/94-175/\"> John-117</a>, a super soldier, with both genetic and surgical enhancements, created by the UNSC (United Nations Space Command).&nbsp; The game begins with your ship, The Pillar of Autumn, exiting \"Slip Space\" near the Halo. However, you soon find out you were followed by a genocidal race of alien fanatics known as <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-covenant/92-81/\"> the Covenant</a>. These aliens have declared war on humanity, moving from world to world eradicating the human race. You crash land in an escape pod carrying the ships A.I., <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/cortana/94-315/\"> Cortana</a>, given orders to protect her at all costs. You later discover your C.O., <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/jacob-keyes/94-1580/\"> Commander Keyes</a>, has also survived the crash, but was unfortunately captured by the Covenant and is being held prisoner on one of their ships, The Truth and Reconciliation. So, Master Chief, Cortana, and some of the marines that survived board the ship and rescue him. Afterwords, Keyes orders Master Chief to find the map room, also known as the Cartographer, and discover the Halo's purpose while he searches for a cache of weapons. Meanwhile, the Covenant releases <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-flood/92-645/\"> the Flood</a>, a parasite that devours everything in its path, both Covenant and human. As you fight a two front guerrilla war on the Halo, its purpose is revealed as a giant weapon to eradicate all possible Flood hosts, eliminating all sentient life in the galaxy. You spend the rest of the game trying to find an alternate solution while being assailed by the Covenant, the Flood, and even the robotic keepers of the ring who wish to activate it to contain the outbreak of the Flood. After the game came a book whose main contents were the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, which was called \"Halo: The Flood\", and is the second book in the Halo book series. <br /><br /> <h2>Gameplay</h2>&nbsp;<br /> <h3>Mechanics</h3>Halo is a pretty standard first person shooter, in the controls department, on the console you use the two joy sticks to move and aim, while on the PC you use the keyboard and mouse. It differs from most others at the time in the damage system, you have the standard health bar with eight bars which decrease if your hit while your shields have failed (can be replenished with health packs). As opposed to picking up an \"armor power up\" the player always has shields which slowly take damage when hit like a secondary health bar, if hit enough they fail and your health begins to decrease, and if you keep your head down long enough they recharge.&nbsp; Halo made this style of health regeneration popular within many games made today, and this reason is one of many of why Halo was so revolutionary.&nbsp; Along with popularizing health regeneration Halo also popularized restricting the player to only carrying two weapons at a time. It is also remembered for it's extremely tight controls which made it the first great feeling FPS, on the console.<br /><br /> <h3>Weapons</h3> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"204106\"><div class=\"wiki-img-left\"><div class=\"wiki-img-screen\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/1326/204106-w_rocketlauncher_super.jpg\" title=\"SPNKr Rocket Launcher\"><img id=\"204106\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/1326/204106-w_rocketlauncher_screen.jpg\" alt=\"SPNKr Rocket Launcher\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">SPNKr Rocket Launcher</div></div></div></div>The weapons are separated into two categories, Covenant and Human. The human side is fairly standard, with futuristic looking versions of the classics (<a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/ma5c-assault-rifle/93-116/\"> assault rifle</a>, <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/m90-shotgun/93-127/\"> shotgun</a>, <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/srs99d-sniper-rifle/93-113/\"> sniper</a>, etc.). The covenant technology is all energy based weaponry that fires charged bolts of plasma, or needles/crystals. The <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/plasma-rifle/93-122/\"> plasma rifle&nbsp;</a> and <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/plasma-pistol/93-119/\"> plasma pistol</a> both make use of the bolts of plasma, which you never reload but your gun does over heat and run out of plasma.&nbsp; The <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/needler/93-135/\"> needler</a> uses the plasma type crystals to hit and stick&nbsp; to the enemy doing average damage, but when many are stuck to the target it causes them to explode causing heavy damage. The <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/plasma-grenade/93-103/\"> plasma grenade</a> is much like the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/m9-fragmentation-grenade/93-1222/\"> frag grenade</a> except it sticks to an opponent if they're hit with it. The final weapon is the awesome&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/energy-sword/93-115/\"> energy sword</a> which in this game cannot be wielded by the player. Power ups include over-shields (essentially just extra armor), health packs, and active camo (invisibility).<br /> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"1099806\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/5/50089/1099806-ma5b_ar_super.jpg\" title=\"MA5B Assault Rifle\"><img id=\"1099806\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/5/50089/1099806-ma5b_ar_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"MA5B Assault Rifle\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">MA5B Assault Rifle</div></div></div></div><br />In the PC port of the game, done by Gearbox Software, two additional weapons were added to the multiplayer arsenal, the UNSC <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/flamethrower/93-45/\"> Flamethrower</a> and the Covenant <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/fuel-rod-cannon/93-923/\"> Fuel Rod gun</a>. Both of these weapons did not make a major appearance in Multiplayer until Halo 3. <h3><br /></h3> <h3>Multiplayer</h3>Halo: Combat Evolved's multiplayer, gameplay-wise, is&nbsp;arguably&nbsp;the best of the entire series by many of the veteran Halo players who have been with the series since its debut in 2001. While Halo 2 and Halo 3 each had seamless online play, a multitude of custom options, and additional new features, Halo: CE's multiplayer component was a culmination of excellent design decisions and all around balanced gameplay. With a truly enormous skill gap separating new players from the battle-hardened pros, an abundance of maps that rewarded player movement and inventive decision-making, and a weapon sandbox that was uniquely well-balanced, Halo: Combat Evolved was not only a fun game to play with a large group of players in a casual environment, it was also an extremely deep, competitive experience.<br /><br />Since the platform did not exist at the time, Halo: CE did not have online multiplayer. This \"issue\" was resolved with the PC port, adding full on 16 player online multiplayer to the game, multiplayer Banshees, and additional maps created from scratch by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/gearbox-software-llc/65-1615/\"> Gearbox</a>. (Danger Canyon, Death Island, Gephyrophobia, Ice Fields, Infinity and Timberland) <br />&nbsp; <h2>Development/Production</h2> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"331750\"><div class=\"wiki-img-left\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/183/331750-first_official_halo_screenshot_super.jpg\" title=\"First Official Halo Screenshot\"><img id=\"331750\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/183/331750-first_official_halo_screenshot_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"First Official Halo Screenshot\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">First Official Halo Screenshot</div></div></div></div>The first known iteration of Halo&nbsp;was a <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/games/?sort=release_date&amp;filter_type=genre&amp;filter_value=12\"> Real Time Strategy </a>game (Something that was later achieved by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-wars/61-20521/\"> Halo Wars</a>) cited by Bungie to be \"basically<a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/myth/62-521/\"> Myth</a> in a sci-fi universe\". \"E3 2000 featured the first trailer for Halo, which was well received and even before this some journalists had seen previews for the game under a non disclosure agreement and were amazed by it. At this point halo was intended to be a third person action game, in which a ship crash lands on a ring world and early versions of the covenant aliens appear simply to loot what they can, and the humans resort to guerrilla warfare. Microsoft announced on June 19th, 2000 that it had acquired Bungie Studios; Halo had become an Xbox exclusive and Bungie rewrote the game's engine, turning it into a first person shooter. Playable demos carried mixed reactions up to it's release simultaneously with the Xbox on November 15th, 2001.<br /><br /> <h2>Post Release</h2>Halo: Combat Evolved gained a large community of fans through the internet and in the gaming media. It also inherited the Bungie fan community that already existed and gained many new fans due to its fantastic campaign mode and multiplayer matches. By connecting up to 4 Xbox consoles through System Link (with Ethernet cables and a router if necessary) Halo LAN parties made Halo: Combat Evolved a phenomenon. Players could play up to 16 player multiplayer matches while all being in the same location to trash talk and berate each other. A year after release Halo: combat Evolved was already being played competitively in tournaments and online using legal tunneling software such as <a href=\"http://www.xbconnect.com/\" rel=\"nofollow\"> Xbox Connect</a>. While Halo: Combat Evolved's gameplay was simple and straightforward, it has spawned a highly successful series with fans all over the world.<br /><br /><b> <h3>Halo Custom Edition</h3></b><br /> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"1140282\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/7464/1140282-picture_1_super.png\" title=\"Halo: Custom Edition\"><img id=\"1140282\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/7464/1140282-picture_1_thumb.png\" alt=\"Halo: Custom Edition\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Halo: Custom Edition</div></div></div></div>Halo: Custom Edition is a free expansion that requires a key code from Halo: Combat Evolved to be played. Custom Edition was made by Bungie Studios, which was ported to the PC<a href=\"http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/PC_(realworld)\" rel=\"nofollow\"> </a>by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/gearbox-software-llc/65-1615/\"> Gearbox Software</a>. <i>Halo CE</i> was released by Gearbox as an unsupported&nbsp;version of the original game. However, users do not need to pay to play it, as it is downloadable from selected websites. Halo Custom Edition has the ability to load and play user-created content and maps created with the<i> Halo Editing Kit</i>. Many custom levels have been created by dedicated members of the modding community and have been posted for download at a large number of websites.<br /><br /> <p>Custom Edition's Halo Editing Kit let people create many things including: </p> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li>Level geometry </li></ul> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li>Bitmaps </li> <li>Player Character </li> <li>Weapons</li> <li>Vehicles</li> <li>Sounds</li> <li>Game Interfaces </li> <li>Level Scripts and Interactivity </li> <li>Objects </li> <li>Special Effects </li> <li>Animations </li> <li>Single Player Modifications </li> <li>HUDS</li><br /></ul> <h2>Soundtrack</h2><a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/martin-odonnell/72-1741/\"> Martin O'Donnell</a> &amp; <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/michael-salvatori/72-1742/\"> Michael Salvatori</a> created the now famous soundtrack for Halo 1. The soundtrack was released on CD shortly after the release of the game.<br /><br /> <h3>Track listing </h3> <div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"1140284\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/7464/1140284-halofad5_super.png\" title=\"The Halo Original Soundtrack\"><img id=\"1140284\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/7464/1140284-halofad5_thumb.png\" alt=\"The Halo Original Soundtrack\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">The Halo Original Soundtrack</div></div></div></div> <ol> <li>Opening Suite \u2013 3:33</li> <li>Truth and Reconciliation Suite \u2013 8:25</li> <li>Brothers in Arms \u2013 1:29</li> <li>Enough Dead Heroes \u2013 3:00</li> <li>Perilous Journey \u2013 2:26</li> <li>A Walk in the Woods \u2013 1:52</li> <li>Ambient Wonder \u2013 1:57</li> <li>The Gun Pointed at the Head of the Universe \u2013 2:26</li> <li>Trace Amounts \u2013 1:51</li> <li>Under Cover of Night \u2013 3:41</li> <li>What Once Was Lost \u2013 1:40</li> <li>Lament for Pvt. Jenkins \u2013 1:14</li> <li>Devils, Monsters \u2013 1:30</li> <li>Covenant Dance \u2013 1:57</li> <li>Alien Corridors \u2013 1:48</li> <li>Rock Anthem for Saving the World \u2013 1:17</li> <li>The Maw \u2013 1:06</li> <li>Drumrun \u2013 1:01</li> <li>On a Pale Horse \u2013 1:35</li> <li>Perchance to Dream \u2013 1:00</li> <li>Library Suite\" \u2013 6:47</li> <li>The Long Run \u2013 2:12</li> <li>Suite Autumn \u2013 4:22</li> <li>Shadows \u2013 0:59</li> <li>Dust and Echoes \u2013 2:49</li> <li>Halo \u2013 4:22</li></ol><br /> <h2>PC System Requirements</h2><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP -- 128 MB RAM</li><li>Processor - 733Mhz</li><li>Hard drive - 1.2 GB</li><li>Video Card - 32&nbsp;mb/ 3D T&amp;L capable</li></ul><br /> <h3>Online/Multiplayer Requirements:</h3><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>56.6 kbps modem or LAN; broadband to run a server</li></ul><br /> <h3>Other:</h3><br /><ul class=\"plain-list\"><li>8x CD, sound card &amp; speakers/headphones </li></ul>&nbsp; <br /><br /><h2>Mac System requirements<br /></h2>&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<u>Minimum</u> <br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li>macintosh computer with 800 mhz or faster processor</li> <li>Mac OS X v10.2.8 or higher</li> <li>256MB RAM</li> <li>32MB AGP Video Card (GeForce 2MX/ATI 7000 or better)</li> <li>1.4GB hard disk space</li></ul> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li>Internet or LAN connection required for online play</li></ul>&nbsp;<br /><u>Recommended</u> <br /> <ul class=\"plain-list\"> <li>1GHz G4 or faster processor</li> <li>Mac OS X v10.3</li> <li>512MB RAM</li> <li>64MB AGP Video Card (GeForce 4ti-ATI 9000 or better)<br /></li></ul>",
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+ "description": "<b>\n<h2>Halo: Custom Edition</h2></b><br />\n<div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"445148\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/7619/445148-h02_super.jpg\" title=\"Gameplay screen\"><img id=\"445148\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/7619/445148-h02_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"Gameplay screen\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">Gameplay screen</div></div></div></div>Halo: Custom Edition is a multiplayer expansion to the <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/pc/60-94/\">PC</a> version of <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-combat-evolved/61-2600/\">Halo: Combat Evolved</a>, ported to the PC by <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/gearbox-software-llc/65-1615/\">Gearbox Software</a>. It is a free expansion, but it requires the use of a key code from Halo: Combat Evolved. It was released as an unsupported version of the game by Gearbox Software. It allows players to play with user-generated content created in the Halo Editing Kit. Halo: CE, as it is commonly referred to, also added a different net-code. This helped to reduce lag for players, but for some it made it worse. Custom content ranged from maps, new weapons and even drivable vehichles such as the Transport <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/pelican/93-1038/\">Pelican</a> or <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/the-covenant/92-81/\">Covenant</a> Tank which featured in Halo: Combat Evolved but could not be piloted in both the campaign or multiplayer.<br />\n<h2>Halo Editing Kit</h2><br />Halo: Custom Edition allow players to create custom content through the use of the Halo Editing Kit. Available, from many Halo community sites, the Halo Editing Kit is essentially the development tools that Bungie used to create the original Halo. The kit includes various tool such as, a resource and tag editor, mapping and object placement editor, and a map resource compiler. Original content must be modeled in 3D Max, or Gmax, and then converted to a&nbsp;compatible&nbsp;format. It can then be added to the map. With these tools, users are able to make completely original maps. Later, the Halo Editing Kit Plus was released. It allow users to completely rip everything from a map and mod it entirely.&nbsp; <br />\n<h2>Legacy<br /></h2>&nbsp;<br />As of today Halo: Custom Edition continues to involve an active community of both players and content creators, with websites such as Halomaps.org as a place for content download and community discussion. <br />&nbsp; <br />\n<h2>PC System Requirements</h2>Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP -- 128 MB RAM<br />Processor - 733Mhz<br />Hard drive - 1.2 GB<br />Video Card - 32&nbsp;mb/ 3D T&amp;L capable<br /><br />\n<h3>Online/Multiplayer Requirements:</h3>56.6 kbps modem or LAN; broadband to run a server<br /><br />\n<h3>Other:</h3>8x CD, sound card &amp; speakers/headphones <br />(as of custom edition 1.08, the cd rom is not required to be in the drive to start the game once installed.)",
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+ "deck": "Halo: Custom Edition is an expansion of Halo: Combat Evolved for the PC. It allows players, to create, load, and play user-generated content.",
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+ {
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+ "description": "<p>The Halo Triple Pack&nbsp;is a three-case pack, containing <a href=\"/halo-combat-evolved/61-2600/\"> Halo: Combat Evolved</a>, <a href=\"/halo-2/61-7110/\"> Halo 2</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp; <a href=\"/halo-2-multiplayer-map-pack/61-10706/\"> Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack</a>. It was developed by <a href=\"/bungie-studios/65-476/\"> Bungie&nbsp;</a>and published by <a href=\"/microsoft-game-studios/65-340/\"> Microsoft </a>for the <a href=\"/xbox/60-32/\"> Xbox</a>.&nbsp; The outer card packaging shows an overall BFFC rating of&nbsp;<strong>12</strong>, which relates to the rating of the Map pack contents.&nbsp; However, the ratings for the other games still apply to their cases.&nbsp; The pack was released just after the Multiplayer Map Pack was released, approximately July 5, 2005.</p>",
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+ "deck": "The Halo Triple Map pack contains Halo, Halo 2, and the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack.",
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+ "description": "The Halo 2 Multiplayer map pack was a map pack for <a href=\"/halo-2/61-7110/\"> Halo 2</a>. It included nine multiplayer maps that had been added as <a href=\"/downloadable-content/92-329/\"> DLC</a> post-launch and were available for download over <a href=\"/xbox-live/92-1404/\"> Xbox Live</a>. The disc was provided for people who wanted to play the maps but could not download them. The disc included three map packs, comprising nine maps total, along with some bonus videos for people who bought the disc. The contents of the disc include:<br /><br /><h2>The Bonus Map Pack</h2><h3>-Containment</h3>A large snowy area set near <a href=\"/delta-halo/95-476/\"> Delta Halo</a>'s Library. The largest map in Halo 2, very conducive to big team and objective games.<br /><h3><br /></h3><h3>-Warlock</h3>A remake of the <a href=\"/halo-combat-evolved/61-2600/\"> Halo: Combat Evolved </a>map Wizard. This map is 4-way symmetrical, making it perfect for multi-team games.<br /><br /><h2>The Killtacular Map Pack </h2><div class=\"js-item-cage\" rel=\"image\" title=\"image\" id=\"1140291\"><div class=\"wiki-img-right\"><div class=\"wiki-img-thumb\"><a href=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/7464/1140291-halo2maps_super.jpg\" title=\"&nbsp;One of the several maps included on the disc.\"><img id=\"1140291\" src=\"http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/7464/1140291-halo2maps_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"&nbsp;One of the several maps included on the disc.\" /></a><div class=\"item-caption p-4\">&nbsp;One of the several maps included on the disc.</div></div></div></div> <h3>-Sanctuary</h3>A smallish symmetrical map, set amongst scenery highly reminiscent of the campaign level \"Delta Halo\"<br /><br /><h3>-Turf</h3>A small asymmetrical map set in the back alleys on Earth. Notable features of this map include a downed <a href=\"/scarab-tank/93-936/\"> Scarab</a> walker and catwalks that can be lowered.<br /><br /><h2>The Maptacular Pack</h2><h3>-Relic</h3>A medium-sized asymmetrical map, designed for <a href=\"/capture-the-flag/92-25/\"> Capture the Flag</a> and assault matches. Includes a teleporter that can be unlocked with a switch, and a Jackal sniper tower, the only one in Halo multi-player.<br /><br /><h3>-Terminal</h3>A medium sized map set in an Earth train station. At random intervals, a speeding bullet train will pass through the stage, instantly killing anyone or anything on the tracks.<br /><br /><h3>-Elongagtion</h3>A remake of Halo: Combat Evolved's multiplayer map Longest, Elongation features two conveyor belts moving crates through the area.<br /><br /><h3>-Backwash</h3>A map set in a foggy swamp. This map had to be removed from matchmaking due to problems with the 360's backwards compatibility engine on this map, which caused undue lag for all players.<br /><br /><h3>-Gemini</h3>A small map set in a Covenant city, with a giant statue of a Covenant prophet in the center of the map. This map is loosely based upon the level \"Duality\" in <a href=\"http://www.giantbomb.com/marathon/61-20232/\"> Marathon</a>.<br /><br /><h2>Bonus content</h2>The disc also featured a documentary about the process of making all nine maps, recorded at <a href=\"/bungie-studios/65-476/\"> Bungie Studios</a>. It also included a small <a href=\"/cutscene/92-22/\"> cutscene</a> that told a side-story on the level Outskirts, of what happened to the marines in the <a href=\"/pelican/93-1038/\"> Pelican</a> that is shot down in the intro cutscene. Trailers for both Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 were included, as well as a humorous sound test feature.<br /><br />The disc also included the first three Xbox Live Auto Updates, which significantly changed the gameplay of the game, most noticeably increasing the power of the <a href=\"/br55-battle-rifle/93-132/\"> battle rifle</a> and decreasing the potency of <a href=\"/dual-wielding/92-135/\"> dual-wielded</a> combos.",
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+ "deck": "A map pack containing 9 multiplayer maps that were released on Xbox Live, allowing players without Xbox Live to enjoy the new multiplayer maps as well. ",
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+ "aliases": "Map Pack",
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+ "number_of_user_reviews": 0,
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+ "original_release_date": "2005-07-05 00:00:00",
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+ "original_game_rating": null,
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+ "expected_release_month": null,
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+ "date_added": "2008-04-01 15:56:09",
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+ "id": 10706,
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+ "name": "Halo 2: Multiplayer Map Pack"
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