'Halo 3' release gets rave previews

Satdude

'Halo 3' release gets rave previews

Halo 3, the highly anticipated videogame from Microsoft, won high praise on Sunday from game reviewers who gushed over the lush settings, cinematic feel and array of multiplayer features.

The game, the final chapter of a trilogy that began in 2001 with the launch of Microsoft's original Xbox, is a key part of the company's strategy to take a bigger share of the console gaming market from Sony.

Gaming news Web site GameSpy gave Halo 3 five stars, its highest ranking, saying it was so good that it was worth buying an Xbox 360 just to play it. The Xbox 360 costs £95 to £450, depending on features.

"Quite simply, Halo 3 is the reason the Xbox 360 exists," GameSpy said.

Since Halo 3 is the game industry equivalent of a new Harry Potter book or Star Wars film, few expected it to be a flop. Specialty gaming retail chain GameStop Corp said the title set a record for advance orders while Microsoft has said it expects initial demand to surpass that for 2004's Halo 2, which racked up $125m (£62m) in its first 24 hours.

The game is set to go on sale on Tuesday.

Reviewers did voice a few complaints. Some said the game's graphics, while impressive, fell short of titles such as Take-Two Interactive Software's BioShock and Gears of War, also from Microsoft. Others said the behaviour of computer-controlled enemies wasn't very realistic.

Regards Satdude.