Thankfully, frame interpolation is a non-issue in Halo 3. TheyвЂ™ve always been there, but on PC we can truly appreciate how much work went into Halo 3's graphics.

Surfaces and objects showcase dense and detailed textures, such as veins in a leaf, scratches in walls, and pockmarks in soil. This is no longer the case on PC, so the game's visuals really pop and give the world a shocking amount of life and personality. Many of Halo 3's assets are surprisingly high resolution, but they couldn't be adequately displayed due to the Xbox 360's hardware limitations. It runs at a native 4K/60fps, and with the option to unlock the frame rate to reach staggering smoothness. Halo 3 on PC is quite a different beast compared to its console predecessor. The Xbox 360 version was a good looking game for sure, but it ran at 640p resolution and 30 frames per second (with its visuals capable of being upscaled to 1080p). Halo 3 is the first game in the collection that is significantly improved over the original game by being on PC. On the visual front, Halo 3 is a breath of fresh air when compared to the flat textures, odd lighting, and altered artistic flourishes seen in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Halo 2 Anniversary. It doesnвЂ™t always happen, but 343 is aware of the matter and working on a fix. Sometimes shots seem to connect, yet do not properly register.

Halo 3's greatest multiplayer flaw is its wonky hit detection. These aren't the game's fault, though it would be nice if developer 343 Interactive patched in a way to join in-progress matches. AFK players grinding for XP are all too common, as are quitters who drop matches for whatever reason and handicap their team. Halo 3's multiplayer is much more lively than the past few releases, but it comes with a few downsides. You can relive the original game's multiplayer madness once again, though you'll need to grind for your cosmetics again. Halo 3 launches with all of the original game's maps, as well as the map-editing Forge tool, so nothing is amiss. I never thought I would be nostalgic for dual-wielding Needlers, but the inability to do so in Halo 3 made me miss it dearly. Dual-wielding has its moments, such as when you face swarms of fodder Grunts and bug-like Drones, but I leaned much more heavily on singular weapons this time around. In Halo 3, dual-wielding is limited to light weaponry, such as pistols, SMGs and plasma guns, which heavily limit the mechanic's usefulness. Halo 2 let you double-fist damn near anything that wasn't a large rifle, but at the cost of restricting your grenade lobbing. Factor in Halo's penchant for hiding powerful weaponry throughout each level, and you have many ways to tackle missions.Дual-wielding returns in Halo 3, too, albeit with some limitations. These additions, while seemingly minor, radically change how you tackle certain situations, as these boons embolden advances or strengthen defense. Only one personal equipment item can carried at a time, but they are reasonably abundant and prove incredibly useful during intense fire fights. One creates bullet-screening bubbles, for example, while another drops a rapid shield-regeneration zone. A new gameplay mechanic comes in the form of personal equipment, one-time use items strewn across each map that grant defensive effects. Instead, Halo 3 introduces new weapons to keep the experience interesting, including the fiendishly powerful Gravity Hammer, adhesive Spike Grenades, and vehicle-piercing Spartan Laser. The Arbiter fights alongside you during most of the game, but the story never switches to his perspective as it did in Halo 2. Master Chief is your playable character throughout Halo 3's campaign.

Cortana is still missing after she and Chief parted ways during Halo 2вЂ™s climax, and the parasitic Flood's machinations are an unknown, looming threat to all parties involved. Master Chief and Earth's UNSC forces scramble to defend themselves from the Covenant invasion, while also pursuing the Covenant leader to prevent him from activating the Halos. Halo 3 picks up immediately after Halo 2's cliffhanger ending, with Master Chief and the Covenant landing on Earth. Plus, Halo 3's action holds up shockingly well, making it easily worth the meager $9.99 asking price if purchased as a standalone PC game. Halo 3 is easily the best game released in the MCC, one that retains the same visuals and assets from the Xbox 360 original while pushing the resolution and frame rate. Halo 3's release begs the question: What's wrong this time? The answer, quite surprisingly, is very little. The compilation's many games have been released piecemeal since late 2019, and every title thus far has had its share of problems. It is no exaggeration to say that the $39.99 Halo: The Master Chief Collection has been fraught with issues.

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