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> Results: Halo 3
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The ESRB Found:
VIOLENCE: GamerDad found constant combat - you're always trying to kill, or being killed by, aliens ranging from wicked to silly. The alien blood is about the most violent thing present and it's the only difference between Halo and the similarly sci-fi Metroid series on the Nintendo Wii. A game rated T-Teen. LANGUAGE: I heard the occasional "bastard", "hell" and "damn" BLOOD & GORE: There's alien blood, but it's bright blue or purple alien blood, and it looks like someone cut into one of those carnival glow sticks and shook it all about. There are fans of red blood on occasion, particularly when fighting the zombie-like alien Flood. Those guys are pretty scary by the way, but again, nothing compared to similarly rated TV or movie fare. Microsoft got lucky with Halo, they needed a monster hit for their new X-Box system and they got one. The sequel was an even bigger success and phenomenon and now the Master Chief's gold faceplate is almost as familiar a video game staple as Mario's moustache and Lara Croft's floatation devices. Well, Halo is back on the new Xbox 360 system and the preorders are amazing. It became a best-seller and monster hit before even hitting store shelves. We've taken it for a spin and returned to tell the tale. Halo 3 is what players presumably want. Basic, unchallenging sci-fi storytelling, decent tactical combat, good presentation, and excellent co-op and multiplayer are what developer Bungie has been churning out for three games now. Say what you want about Halo 3's quality compared to other more mature, more advanced, more interesting shooters, but you have to admit, the game delivers the goods players seem to want most, and delivers them well. In Halo 3 the aliens seem to be attacking Earth, but it really doesn't matter because little thought has been put into the settings beyond: This is the jungle level where the trees form corridors. This is the ruined city level where the ruins for corridors. This is the base level where the corridors form corridors. The alien monsters range from silly/annoying to monstrous and scary, and there are big bad boss creatures to contend with now and then. Often you have a squad of good guys fighting alongside you, but their artificial intelligence doesn't impress. They don't get caught on the scenery at least and they can actually help out in a pinch. Combat is fun, primarily, because Halo does weapons well and the basic conceit that the main character is wearing powered armor and going from "almost dead" to "ready to rock n' roll" generally means retreating and hiding for bit so you can recharge, makes for a thrilling combat dynamic.  Halo 3 features vehicles, including the infamous Warthog, and all the other good stuff from the previous two outings but beyond the graphics it barely feels like a sequel. It's really just more of the same, only better looking, and admittedly, that seems to be what most fans want. The single player game is disappointingly brief and uninspired, but the game, for some reason, excels in co-op. There's something about the combat and tactical dynamic that works better with multiple players and what was an average experience for me in single player is something I actively look forward and pine for with a buddy. The multiplayer over Xbox Live is well-balanced but given the history of the series, expect to find the absolute worst and most immature kind of player playing. The bottom line is that Halo 3 is a phenomenon, but ultimately it's only a decent shooter compared to the ample competition across all platforms. Worth picking up to see what all the fuss is about, but if you've played Halo, in many crucial ways, you've played Halo 3. 
Halo 3 is rated M-Mature by the ESRB and GamerDad.com publicly disagrees with that rating. The violence in the game is basic gunplay with only rare red blood spray with much of the blood being of the bright blue or purple alien variety. The bad language amounts to "damn" and "hell" and since this is a game your teenager is going to beg you for - parents need to know that this isn't a battle that's worth fighting. Halo 3 is basic shooter combat with none of the mature story or gameplay themes found in other M rated games. When compared with PG-13 movies or television, Halo 3 doesn't even rate as offensive - except maybe the Flood. Flood are a zombie like contagion thingie that spreads fast, kills lots of good guys, is fairly terrifying, and results in gouts of red blood as you destroy it. Despite even that, the game feels misrated at Mature. Worth a look, but not an argument, Halo 3 could always be a rental. See what you think. What's your parental age rating?
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