In Bungie’s first Next-Gen console FPS, the player is thrown into a fierce battle between rivaling aliens and desperate humans. Action packed game play and immersive tactics have been the hallmark of all previously released halo games, and Halo 3 didn’t disappoint. But, in order to succeed in an industry where sequels must outshine their predecessors, Bungie had to raise the bar for this latest installment.
The graphics in Halo 3 are undoubtedly the best seen in any Halo game thus far. That’s the benefit of releasing a game on a console: an even playing field in terms of the available hardware. But incredible graphics are less than half of what makes Halo 3, and its forbearers, such immersive experiences. The design mechanics and, to a lesser extent, the story-line provide the player with experiences that draw them into the Halo universe, suspend their disbelief, and hold them there tightly until they emerge victoriously on the other side.
Level Design
An enormous degree of Halo’s success can be attributed to the dynamic level design which drives the player’s progress into the game. There are 3 main elements with which the player interacts in the game (by and large): the level, the enemy, and the weapons/vehicles. This section will focus on the level design itself and how it supports the player’s immersion by the game.
The level design can be broken up into a basic set of archetypal areas which the designers then merged, in a series, to form each of the massive linear levels through which the player advances. These areas can be broken into 3 basic types: The arena, the choke point, and the corridor. Much like art and basic geometric shapes, all the level designs in the game can broken into these basic elements(excepting the unique vehicle level design, which I simply call ‘the road’). By employing these level design elements in interesting dynamic ways, such as driving the player through a choke into an arena, the game can induce various emotional responses from the player.
First I’ll talk about the arena. Typically, the arena is a wide open area enclosed on all sides. There may or may not be a way out immediately, and it is common-place for the player to face grand challenges in this area. The level designers on Halo use this to stage epic battles in these areas, often accompanied by very difficult opponents. The player doesn’t come across what you’d call bosses through the game (except rarely). Rather he encounters very difficult combinations of enemies or, in the case of the large walking tanks, a challenge that requires a series of smaller tasks.
Because the game lines up the player with human allies who are fighting alongside him, the arenas are often in a state of fierce battle when the player gets there, or sometimes they become a trap. In the case of the trap, the player must be mindful of when things are too easy or an area seems too inviting. In either case they serve the useful purpose of staging battles that say to the player, ‘stand and fight’.
The arena helps the game feel a bit less restrictive. After all, the arenas range in size from the size of an elevator, to a lake bed. Within the arena the player is free to roam around in an open environment, often with a vehicle. But, at times it is necessary to make the player feel restricted, or to give him the impression that he must go a certain way. For these reasons there is the corridor.
In Halo 3 it’s often deadly if you don’t have an escape. Especially on the higher difficulties, strategies like kiting become key. So, by decreasing the player’s movement the designer may increase the tension on that player. This is where corridors come in handy. For example, in the bowels of the flood-ridden ship, movement is very tight. Often you find yourself with you back against a wall, and several powerful enemies on your other side. This is, I believe, what makes the flood ship so intense.
In terms of the game’s progression, using corridors in the flood ship was the perfect mood setter. The player has been fighting brutes and ants most of the game in jungles. Now the player, clearly near the end of his campaign, is thrust into the belly of the beast. If I may borrow a musical term, it is like the bridge which connects the body of the game to its conclusion.
A game simply wouldn’t be a game without choke points. It becomes necessary, in any design, to bring the player to a certain area where he might witness events, or be forced into confrontation. Choke points serve the purpose of facilitating these events by narrowing the scope of the player’s movement near, and sometimes right to, zero.
In Halo 3, where cut scenes act as keynotes to the player’s mission objectives, the use of choke points serve a primary purpose of bringing the player the story. The designers do a good job of telegraphing these events by populating the choke points with obvious signs. For example, a group of soldiers is waiting by a door as if preparing to burst through. Or a couple vehicles are idling as the player nears an open road. These points help guide the player to key elements as well as tell him, visually, that something important is going on here.
Choke points serve another valuable purpose as well. While fighting through the levels the player goes through states of tension and release. The careful attention paid to these states is what the designers use to push the player further into their game. For example, a common level design tactic is to place a corridor leading into an arena. The player is fighting through the corridor with medium resistance. After traversing the corridor the player enters the arena. There he faces a greater challenge. And, conveniently placed, is a choke point on the other side of the arena. In effect the player is given his mission without words: Master the arena to gain access to the choke on the other side. Once you have made it there, you can assume that your back side is safe.
Perhaps the simplest, and most important mechanic in Halo 3 is the idea of cover. From the very first level it becomes blatantly obvious to all but the densest of players that cover is key. The design of the levels center around the 3 basic areas, and within each of these areas there is some type of cover. The designers provide cover to both the player and the aliens to create and drive the confrontations.
Without getting too deep into the idea of cover, it’s important to note the effect it has on the player has he fights. If Halo is to be judged based on its ability to draw the player into itself, the designer’s use of cover in the levels is certainly one of its accolades. During battle, the player is trying to deal damage to the enemy while mitigating damage to himself. Using cover helps the player accomplish both of these goals. By moving form cover area to cover area, which the designers have made intuitive, but not contrived, the player will feel excited as he muscles the aliens out of position and kills them.
The last level design construct I want to cover is the use of tactical vantages. Through the game there are areas provided to both the player and the aliens that give them clear advantages. For example, in arenas where the player is forced into a corner, some of the aliens may use jet packs to jump onto the walls, thus giving them un-barred access to the player’s only refuge. Here we see that vantage points can be used to create near impossible situations for the player.
Another, more specific example, occurs when the player is riding up the elevators to deactivate the pillars of the shields. At the top of each elevator, the player faces a large force of difficult enemies. When the player reaches , he is shielded by a wall of glass. This allows him to survey the corridor area in front of him, at the head of which is the most powerful enemy he’ll have to face. I liken this area to the scene in Star Wars where Obi Wan is faced with the Sith behind impenetrable walls of energy. It’s like a face off in which the hero/player may formulate his attacks without immediate fear.
It is implementations like these that allow Halo 3 to drive the player further into its levels. Like a good book that keeps leading the reader on, the levels’ designs urge the player on. This may be why the franchise has been so successful, aside from the popular multiplayer experience. Of course the levels would be boring were it not for the primary opposing force within them: the enemies.
Enemies
Halo 3 utilizes high energy combat to drive the player deeper into its universe. During the campaign, the player will face horde after horde of aliens, some more powerful than others, and their technology. The enemy aliens in Halo 3 are the primary source of challenge for the player. It is the clever use and proper balance of these enemies that render the game such a success.
From the first Halo, the most striking feature of the alien forces has been their teamwork. By giving so much attention to the realism of enemy decision making, the designers were able to provide a richer experience to the player, who may be jaded by the predictability typical AI responses. The teamwork element of the enemy’s design provides appropriate challenge to the player b y causing him to think about his strategy, rather than simply running and gunning.
With the player’s experience in mind, the Halo 3 designers carefully crafted enemy confrontations that would challenge the player. Each confrontation is custom tailored to the given area in which the player faces the enemies and takes advantage of the landscape and enemy tactics to create a challenging experience.
By using a combination of scripted events and programmed AI the aliens appear to intelligently combat with the player. It must have been difficult to design an experience where the player feels like a one man army fighting a vastly more numerous opponent. But, with the proper mix of cowardice, brutish stupidity, and tactical positioning the enemy feels natural and menacing.
The most memorable enemy tactic for me was the enemy charging when they had the advantage. I remember one particular instance, once again, at the top of the elevators as the player is attempting to de-activate the shields. I discovered the ambush as I carefully moved toward the back of the room. As I left the platform and journeyed into the room I noticed the enemy getting much more aggressive, and the big guy in the back with the gravity hammer start to approach. Scared, I jumped back onto the platform and hid behind the glass. After that I noticed all the enemies take cover again where they could take pot shots at me.
This is a perfect example of the episodic type of combat in Halo 3. First the player is introduced to his enemy, overtly in this example, where he will either notice his goal, or be told it through story elements. Next, the player encroaches on the enemy up which he is introduced to the initial resistance, usually little guys who will run in circles and scream. Sometimes, as in this case, the player is immediately ambushed. It’s right about here that the player will have discovered the tactics that will win the battle through observation and experience. Usually, near the end, the player is lured into an open area in which he must simply fight well. And finally, the player makes his way through whatever area he was fighting through and reaches his goal. It’s almost like a mini story each time the player encounters the aliens, with an intro, build, climax/twist, resolution.
An important design consideration for Halo 3 must have been the strength of each individual enemy. It’s pretty obvious which enemies have the most hit points from their size and brutish appearance. But there are so many different ways in which the enemies are given strengths that the player must never let down his guard. For example, the sniper enemies are absolutely deadly when they have the advantage of range and/or the high ground. Forcing the player to consider his enemies’ strengths causes him to become more invested in the situation, A simple design tactic, but nonetheless effective.
It’s almost never enough to simply leave the enemy lineup to chance. While doing so may increase the supposed reality of a game, you have so much more opportunity to craft and control the player’s experience through careful consideration of which enemies to use. In accordance with its confrontation patterns, Halo 3 usually has a very challenging and relevant lineup of enemies for the player.
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