I’m pretty happy 343i made OG Halo 3 backwards compatible, playable along with the MCC version. Because of that its taking a trip down memory lane - ten years ago, when it took the world by storm, and became the biggest entertainment launch in history at its time. Colossally successful. Yeah…ts not everyone’s favorite game. But it sure as heck is mine. To this day Halo 3 has remained my all time favorite game, the best game I’ve ever played - one of three games I give a perfect 10/10 score, and the most visually beautiful game I’ve ever played (old character models aside). However, the door is open for a new experience to take that mantle. Yes, pun intended.
But man! Ten years of the masterpiece that defined mine, and millions of others’, childhoods and adulthoods. Makes me so nostalgic. I was 14, almost 15 when it launched. I remember asking my dad several times, “Are you gonna get it??” He gave me my copy on the 27th or 28th. Oddly Waypoint says that while my Service Record on Reach says the 28th (remember you can check a few old stats while in Reach’s menus). But that doesn’t matter. My life was filled with it; all the late night multiplayer sessions, watching MLG tournaments (Str8 Rippin H3 montage - GOAT), Finishing the Fight, epic comebacks, struggling in Ranked, clutch CTF or BTB victories. You name it. It was so worth it. In fact Halo 3 was my first online console multiplayer game.
I’m gonna try hopping on for the ten years, then again on Wednesday for ten years since I first played it. As I get older I’ll probably not come back to it that often, like I do now. But there’s no mistaking how huge of a game it was and how many people it impacted. So Thank you Bungie! You made an incredible game! Thanks 343i for keeping it alive for a little longer!
Decade count of playtime is nearly 900 hours, or at that mark when I calculated it recently. Over 70,000 multiplayer kills (not counting Custom Games). Campaign beat probably 5 times, more or less.
Lets share our fondest memories!
For a game I find my least favorite, I will agree it did bring the greatness of fun customs and Forge.
I remember the giant boxes stacked at gamestop and thinking,one of those legendary editions is mine! And seeing a really awesome MC costume for the first time! And lastly,theatre and forge blew my mind!!!
Halo 3 was a game I played before Xbox Live. And damn. I played the heck out of that campaign. Over and over again for weeks, months even not even turning the difficulty up and avoiding the mission ‘Cortana’ at all costs. Dang it was fun.
“Sorry for the right squeeze. Tell the commander her ace is in the hole.”
A line spoken in a cutscene. You know someone had to be perverted by writing that.
While Halo 3 was sadly my first chapter of the fiction I experienced (I wish I had started with Halo: Combat Evolved), it definitely got me hooked in. And such a great finish to a terrible war.
“It’s finished”. So satisfying for humanity to know that. The war was finally over. And now we can all start to rebuild.
-Ryan
My oldest friend on Xbox I met through Halo 3 when I got Xbox LIVE back in 2008, a year after it came out. So many memories. I remember working with friends to get all the Vidmaster Challenges, the thousands of Customs we played (Fat Kid, Sky Castle, Jenga, Drive or Die) and most of all the friends I made through Halo. From 2008 to now, Halo has always been with me and I’ve never given up on it. Sadly, I haven’t taken to the forums all that much but that’s going to change too. I was never much of a forum person but, like I said, that’s changing. I think I’m going to go back and play Halo 3 today for the memories and nostalgia.
Happy birthday Halo 3. The game that perfected the Halo formula and provided me with endless online and local multiplayer. There hasn’t been a Halo like it since and probably never will be one like it again.
Remember to add your thoughts to ske7ch’s thread here: https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/82841d11296340069f6b8e3ccbfcee11/topics/reflecting-on-10-years-of-halo-3/419bea39-d25b-4062-8426-ce087e9c0030/posts
Despite missing out on this game (and its MCC iteration) entirely, I cannot help but hold some respect for this groundbreaking title.
Halo 3 is tied with Halo CE for my favorite Halo title. Happy anniversary!
Happy birthday halo 3! 
Happy birthday halo 3 it was my 1st halo I ever played and how I met my step brothers and step sisters before they were brothers and sister my step mom was my babysitter and my oldest step brother had it and we played it nonstop while we were at his house I was a natural and kicked everyone’s butt at it (that is the only memory’s I would like to remember the rest were me losing horribly) and being only 7 years old (im 13 now) I was very confused about campaign and what was going on but happy birthday halo 3!
Not my favorite halo but definitely one of the best in the franchise