Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Paperback)

by Piggyback (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
·Detailed annotated maps for all levels
·Learn how to dominate multiplayer matches with information on weapon locations and expert tips
·Learn about every enemy, vehicle and weapon — their strengths and weaknesses and how you can exploit them
·Confidently navigate the huge Campaign mode with our exclusive maps and step-by-step walkthrough
·Complete list of all Achievements and how to unlock each one
Packed with tips, tactics and techniques direct from Bungie

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
EXCLUSIVE HALO 3 TIPS & TRICKS
Introduction
These tips have been written by Piggyback, the creators of the Halo 3 Official Guide. The complete 208-page guide gives you all maps for the Campaign and Multiplayer modes as well as a spoiler-free walthrough. In addition, a detailed Extras chapter reveals Halo 3’s innermost secrets! S.R.P. $19.99. Available in stores now.
Tip #01
Campaign: Unlike with other Brutes, you cannot stick grenades to the bodies of Chieftains, and they’re quicker to dive when you throw explosives. To kill them in this way, you need to aim specifically for their weapon. A Plasma Grenade stuck to a Chieftain’s Gravity Hammer or Plasma Turret can result in an instant kill – but it’s an art that few players will master.
Tip #02
With the new “sword parry” feature, using an Energy Sword against an opponent armed with the same weapon is much more tactical. In a sword versus sword fight, you can now stop a lunging duelist in their tracks and block by pressing the melee button. If your timing is precise, the parry will stun your opponent briefly, offering a window of opportunity for you to run them through with your own lunge.
Tip #03
When you attack from behind cover, take your weapons into account. If you are using a single firearm, such as a Battle Rifle or large turret, it’s better to move out to attack from the right-hand side – that way, you will present a slightly smaller target to your opponents. When you dual wield and your “lead” weapon is in your left hand – a Plasma Pistol or Plasma Rifle, for instance – the opposite applies.
Tip #04
If you press and hold the zoom button, you will return to the previous zoom level immediately when you remove your thumb. This is an interesting feature when you wield scoped weapons, particularly the Sniper Rifle and Beam Rifle. It’s almost certainly too awkward for snipers to line up a shot with the thumbstick depressed, but it’s handy if you need to briefly take a closer look at something.
Tip #05
Multiplayer: As soon as you spawn, grab the first weapon you encounter as backup to your Assault Rifle. Even if you set off with the express intention of collecting a particular firearm, it always pays to have a second gun in reserve. Rather than reloading the Assault Rifle when its clip is exhausted in a skirmish, you can switch to your other weapon to finish your adversary off.
Tip #06
Throwing grenades to soften up opponents before you launch an attack is a highly profitable tactic. The shield damage and momentary disorientation can enable you to seize the advantage against adversaries armed with far superior weapons. Grenades can also be employed to deter assailants from giving chase, especially when you run through doors, which can provide time for your shield to recharge. Spike Grenades are remarkably efficient in enclosed spaces. Not only will the spikes rebound from nearby surfaces, you can plant them on walls and ceilings to give a player in pursuit a nasty shock.
Tip #07
As in Halo 2, you can melee attack the Ghost’s “wings” to destroy them, which may enable you to squeeze the vehicle into places that it is not, at least technically, supposed to be in.
Tip #08
If you are confronted by an enemy sniper (whether human or Covenant), concentrate on keeping your adversary “descoped” – that is, shoot them in measured bursts to prevent them from zooming in and making a precision shot.
Tip #09
Campaign: You can destroy Infection Forms as they begin to burrow their way into the chest cavities of living creatures or corpses. However, you should refrain from shooting cadavers during the Flood transformation sequence – until they begin to clamber to their feet, you’re simply wasting ammunition.
Tip #10
Multiplayer: If you crouch as you walk, you will be invisible to enemy Motion Trackers. Naturally, this is only of use in Game Types and Variants that don’t reveal your position with a waypoint marker. Crouching while airborne will enable you to slightly extend the duration of a leap, and even reach heights or distances that are not possible with a standard jump.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Prima Games (September 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761556990
• ISBN-13: 978-0761556992
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #51,290 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 3 in The Halo Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars: A Good Guide Overall, September 25, 2007

By	Sean A. Rhodes (Aurora, Colorado) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

There isn't so much complexity, nor are there really a handful of secrets in Halo 3 which require you to actually use a guide. That shouldn't suggest a guide is bad, though. It's a great guide, just not one you'll find yourself in dire need of. However, for what you get you'll more than likely be pleased. It's a very well designed guide and is very well organized. There's a lot of content to swallow but at least the guide is organized and easy to use. Just don't be surprised if you spend a bit more time reading it instead of playing the game.

This guide actually begins with a foreward that explains what you'll find in the guide. Noting that it won't spend a lot of time on the basics and that they really did want to design a good guide. They succeed... almost too well because this is certainly an exhaustive guide. Don't let the size fool you, this is far more detailed than any guide I've ever seen.

Halo 3 doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel. In fact, it plays almost exactly like Halo 2 did. For that the basics section of this guide spends a little too much time reiterating what Halo fans already know. At least it doesn't spend too much time here and if you are new to Halo it'll get you acquainted with the game. In the basics it'll go over basic controls and how to control vehicles and such. Again, nothing veterans will need, but it is good for beginners to take a look here.

The Campaign is where this guide gets interesting. Many strategy guides out there simply focus on one difficulty level: Normal. That's not the case with Piggyback Interactive's guide. This walkthrough has been designed for all difficulty levels. The way they organized it is how it succeeds in doing this. Each section begins with a map. These maps are basically from a birds eye view of the level. They point out weapons, enemy packs etc. for you.

However, the layout is what's interesting. On the map they point out what you should do at each spot. It's brief and to the point. These call outs on the maps are for those going through Easy and Normal. On the facing page is where they give you a ton of detail for what to do on Legendary. Things to do on Legendary are also called out on the map but in the A, B, C format established in other guides. So if you see "A" on the map, look on the facing page at what to do. The walkthrough is designed to help with all the difficulty levels but written with the assumption that you'll be playing through Legendary. Needless to say you can easily use the Legendary tips for the lower difficult levels.

For the gamer who fears spoilers, the walkthrough in all its detailed glory is spoiler free. There's a lot of reading, but it makes sure not to tell you about the story. It also will debrief you after each chapter of the campaign.

The extras chapter is a different story. It doesn't spoil anything, but it is meant to be read only after you've completed the campaign. Here it'll tell you more about Legendary Mode and give you tips. It also talks about the skulls. However, Bungie would not let the authors of the guide reveal the location of the skulls. You know which mission it can be found in but not where in the mission. That doesn't stop them from revealing the effects of the skulls.

There's also a bestiary, info on vehicles and most useful of all, talking about the Score System and the list of achievements. For the score system they also provide great tips to reach the score needed to net yourself achievements.

There is then a huge section of the guide dedicated to multiplayer. Most of this is just showing you maps of the area and providing tips, but they talk briefly about co-op here and they also talk about all the different modes and all the weapons you can get as well. The last thing they mention here is about Forging. It's another section that is generally brief, only helping you to get the basic feel of it.

It's an exhaustive guide, but a good one. You might find yourself a little exhausted with information at times, but at least you know its all there.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful, December 29, 2007

By	C. Koll (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is very helpful for game play.I would greatly encourage the xbox live gamer to get it because it tells the respawn times for the weapons on each multiplayer map.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strategy Defined, December 21, 2007

By	Bryan M. Pavelchik "fortyse7en" (Cali) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Very detailed strategy guide. The artwork is awesome and the level of explanation from the writers is incredible. A must have for any Halo fan.