Students say 'Hello' to Halo 3

Many Princeton students relax by hanging out with friends, playing intramural sports or sneaking a quick afternoon nap. But for some, stress relief comes from using simulated weapons and grenades to wage war against aliens who threaten humanity's existence.

Such is the plot of Microsoft's latest state-of-the-art video game, Halo 3, which was released on Sept. 25.

"The team play and strategy make the game very exciting, not to mention the carnal gratification of 'owning' other people," Halo devotee Chip Snyders '09 said. "When you're playing online, it's really an anthropologist's playground. So much goes into it: group dynamics, game theory, social facilitation."

Halo 3 concludes the narrative arc of the Halo trilogy. It takes place during the 26th century as humanity struggles to survive an alien occupation of Earth. Unlike the previous two Halo games, where all players assume roles as human super-soldiers known as Spartans, players of Halo 3 can play as several different aliens, each with a unique background.

"It's a lot like Halo 2, but [it] has better, more spread-out levels that resemble Halo 1's," Phil Chacko '09 said. "I think it's awesome, and it's everything it's been hyped out to be."

Though some students have been able to set aside time to check out the game, others find that Princeton isn't exactly the most conducive environment for engaging in video-game combat.

"I like Halo, but I just really don't have time to play it," Dylan Alban '09 said. "I've played the other two, and the third one looks like something I would enjoy. But I just know that if I got it, I wouldn't be able to get any work done."

Because a single Xbox only allows up to four players, many have revved up the competition through 16-player online matches. The online matches have a rating system, ensuring that players who have won many games are pitted against those with similar rankings.

A new feature in Halo 3 is that players can lose rating points if they quit a game before it ends. This feature was installed to dissuade players from quitting matches excessively, which affects and frustrates other players on the same team.

"The maps are geared toward there being eight or more men," Chris Hepburn '10 said. "The makers are trying to expand it online. They see that they have a really large market, and they are trying to increase it. In general, there's a discrepancy between those who play it online and just 'the average Joe.' "

Hepburn, who pre-ordered the game last year, has already played the game for 12 hours and beat it in less than a week.

"I was really worried these guys [my roommates] were going to run off with it when it arrived," he said. "I grew up in a family of four boys. We all had very competitive attitudes, fighting all the time either verbally or physically. We would all come home from school at the same time and kill each other to play [video games]."

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With Halo 3 safely in hand, Hepburn and other campus thumb warriors can immerse themselves in the game.

"Halo is much more an ineffable visceral experience," Snyders said. "Basically, it's the digital version of cheesecake drizzled with chocolate strawberry sauce, preceded, of course, with a 12-ounce porterhouse covered in a thick mushroom sauce, cooked medium rare. It is known to cure depression, cancer and boils."