Originally, this was going to be a "Wii" beginning of the week that started with my Wiisearch article.  Things change. After reading the Halo 3 cover in the new EGM, the Wii's gonna have to take a back seat to Master Chief.  Here is a small chunk of the info in the article. I've listed a nice chunk of the info in the new EGM on Halo 3, but for the full story ya gotta pick it up.  It is a really, really well written magazine and also features stuff on Heavenly Sword, Metroid Prime and Tony Hawk.
 If any of this sounds interesting, pick up the magazine for yourself to get all the info. I have left out quite a bit about Halo due to time so pick it up!!!

The article is excellently written by Dan Hsu and Jeremy Parish.  A must read indeed.

So here is my take on EGM's take of Halo 3....along with some random bits we've learned from Bungie themselves...

Single Player:
What's new? What's different? Why is this not Halo 2.5?
 Jeremy goes into great detail that I won't steal from him about how the campaign advances the series. What I do want to discuss is the overall feel it seems he got.  Right off the bat, he says the game looks "gorgeous".   But this beauty is subtle and "welcome" compared to Halo 2's constant knights in very shiny armor and bare levels.  From his description the game sees very much pretty in the details: the armor of a Brute, the wood on a door, the sun shining through the jungle...very subtle beauty that catches you in amazement.

Enemies, enemies and more enemies.  At the end of the second mission you encounter more enemies at once than the first mission of Halo (CE).  "And that's not even the largest encounter in the game".  From the sound of it, the game seems huge on enemies being in larger groups and overall, smarter.  Jeremy goes on to say that the Covenant is "brilliant" even on Normal.  For example, the Brutes will often stand in the back and order the lesser aliens around appropriately, but if they see an opportunity will use their new jet packs to fly straight into the air and then straight back down right in front of you to stop your advancement.  Cool stuff.
One more note on the size of encounters...In one instance you will finish a huge battle with a much harder breed of Brutes (and randomly large numbers of swarming Drones) and then suddenly be swept in a huge vehicle battle.  You will fight with 12 other vehicle ATV mounted Marines all armed with Rocket Launchers attempting to take out a swarm of Banshees, Ghosts and a Scarab.  Although this Scarab isn't scripted, it is a full blown AI that will hunt you down if you escape. Not to say every single level will be this huge, although from what EGM has seen, it will definitely be prevalent.

Sound is AMAZING again...no need to get into that ;)

Next, the META GAME!  This is something I've never seen before...When playing through the Single Player game whether by yourself or with a friend, the game tracks points based off your kills.  For example, "if you kill a Grunt you may receive 100 points, but if you shoot him in the head you might get double."  Bungie also says that shooting a Brute with overcharged plasma to drain his shields and then finishing him off with a shot to the head will boost your points significantly.  Of course, these points can be viewed via the game and Bungie.net just like your multiplayer stats.

What makes Halo 3 different?

We all know there are a wealth of games coming out that will put Halo 3 to the test.  So what is something that truly sets it apart? Saved Films. While I know other games have used this feature for years, none have expounded on it like Halo 3 will.  The game automatically saves all your single (and multiplayer) footage and will then ask you if you want to keep it.  If so, you can simply go into a lobby and edit what angles you watch it from, how long the clip is, which area to focus on...you literally are a flying camera in a futuristic war between Humans and the Covenant.  Wanna see what those Brutes were doing before you snuck up on them?  Go to the tape and fly to their position.  Wanna hear that Grunt say that funny line over and over?  Go to the tape.  Saved Films will be a open wealth of your adventure through Halo 3, and you're not forced to watch it alone.  
Because the lobby system is the same in online single player co-op, multiplayer, and watching saved films, you can take your group of friends straight from an intense multiplayer match into your "theatre" to watch you "accidently" stick your buddy with a grenade in co-op (or whatever shenanigans you've saved).  All seamlessly through the lobby system. On top of this, screenshots can be taken at any time during a saved film.  Then, unlike the film itself, this screenshot can be uploaded to Bungie.net to share with anyone over the internet.  I'm thinking you will all be able to submit a "Screen of the Week" to be posted on the front page of GearHeads after Halo 3 launches...;)

Single Player: Why will you be playing this?

Overall, the Single Player alone is packed like crazy.  Tons of replayability with the huge battles and meta game alone.  But, my friends there is one more aspect (and probably more left unannounced) that will keep you playing hours and hours of Halo 3 on end:  4 Player Co-op.  I certainly believe this will take off in a big way, the way 2 player co-op did with Gears. The ability to go from a saved film or multiplayer game straight to Single Player co-op with your friends will be very attractive.  Experiencing what Jeremy called "Quite possibly the best Halo game yet" with 3 friends online will be a blast and hard to pass up.  From the size of the battles to competing against each other in the Meta Game, I can see me and a lot Gearheads going for hours on the same levels and having a blast each time.  

Friendship FTW.

Multiplayer:

What's new? What's different?  Why is this not Halo 2.5?

Vehicles:  At the top of my list is the Brute Chopper, but we've known about that for a while.  My new favorite has to be the Elephant.  This is a mobile, indestructible base that can house 12 soldiers, an ATV, mounted turret, can respawn troops and hold your flag.  Imagine a typical capture the flag match, then throw in this vehicle and the wealth of options in Halo 3 multiplayer comes alive.  Also in the EGM article is a human attack vehicle called the Prowler, a Marine aircraft (right now not confirmed for multiplayer) both looking very sweet.  There may be another one, but I'm exhausted and apologize for the mistake!

Custom Games. Instead of going in depth about this feature I'm just going to use an example Bungie did in talking with Dan Hsu from EGM.  "Hamster Crack".  This user created gametype is a free for all, 300 percent speed, 50 percent gravity and the only weapon...the new gravity hammer.  Custom games allows  you to make just about whatever Halo experience you want- from only playing with a few favorite weapons to ramping up the speed settings to a ridicules level sending everyone flying through the air helplessly. EGM says these options are just the "tip of the energy sword" in terms of the different experiences you could have.

FORGE.  Now, imagine that if turned on, at the touch of the D-Pad you could turn into a Monitor (flying camera-ball thing) and hover around throwing in new vehicles, guns and objects with at least 7 other friends...sound boring?  Ya I didn't think so either, but apparently EGM doesn't think the written word can do it justice until you actually play with it.  As the monitor you have the ability to pick up, erase, add or move any object in the level (apart from buildings, rocks, etc.)  You do have some sort of point limit though that is being determined as to how much you can add to the level as an individual.  Then, again at the touch of the D-Pad you go back into your character ready for action.   (and then back and forth at your will)
According to Bungie, this feature isn't a map designer, as in you can't recolor walls or add  structures, but you can alter what's in the level and add more of it.  For example, you could create a game where each team has one monitor with a certain amount of points to spend on certain objects. The game then turns into a C&C variant as the two monitor duke it out to equip their team with vehicles/guns etc. to counter the enemy.
Or, a more playful example is stacking Scorpion tanks and playing Jenga with them by dragging one out one by one.  As the monitor you have the ability to pick up, erase, add or move any object in the level (apart from buildings, rocks, etc.)

I can only imagine the ideas GearHeads will have as this pans out.  This has truly taken user content to the next level, perhaps striking the console space with user content before UT could?  The options in Halo 3's map editor are truly awesome as your creations from Forge and custom game types can be saved and uploaded to Bungie.net. So, for example while I'm in class this semester I could log into Bungie.net and search for "zoso's shenanigans'" and tell my 360 to download his creation the next time I'm on my 360 and pop in Halo 3.  I can also browse the top creations including "Bungie's top picks" and the top community game creations and have them sent to my 360 immediately.

And so here we are.  Just 2 months away from one of the biggest launches of entertainment in history and we are in the front row, popcorn ready, ready to pounce at a misstep but applaud genius.  The success of Halo 3 will ultimately be determined by the fans, but from the constant glowing praises from EGM will help me rest easy in determining the quality of Halo 3.  

But one thing is certain: There is no other game available now or in the very near future that is delivering this much content day one.  I have yet to mention any of the new weapons, the entire idea of equipment, or the custom armor in multiplayer.  And again, this is without discussing the probable 11 multiplayer maps with more on the way shortly after launch through DLC.  I have left quite a bit of the EGM info out and that's not mentioning whatever else Bungie tells us about at the last minute.

With the huge battles and 4 player co-op in Single Player to the EGM proclaimed "gorgeous" graphics" to the endless hours of fun and content in multiplayer, anyone trying to make an argument that Halo 3 is Halo 2.5 may have a rough fall ahead of them.  

And so, now after 2 hours of reading and writing, 2 lightning strikes taking out the power and one very happy Halo fan later, I rest.  In just 2 months we will all be playing the finale of one of the biggest games of all time...and if the final experience is anything like what we've seen, I will be spending a lot of time in the "shade" this fall...me and the 300!