halo 3 be just release . Bungie should have pay closer attention to Gears of War . First of all , let I get out of the way that I never play online multiplayer , so I can not comment on that aspect and it be totally unimportant to I in game . as to the game itself , I find it to be a shallow storyline , with a weak , undeveloped plot , that be highly linear -lrb- you do not get any choice about how to approach thing -rrb- and would have be predictable if there have be enough exposition for there to be anything to predict . but what it do well , it do really , really well , which be totally intense no-holds-barred action . 1 . the graphic , which be not terribly bright or colorful , be still fantastic . all movie do not have to be shoot in bright daylight in easily-viewed scene . nor do all game . most of this game occur under cloudy sky or underground . nothing wrong with that . in fact , it make the game more gloomy and give it a nicely-darkened feeling that impact the emotion of the game . that say , the texture , the art , be all great . the building , people , bad guy , weapon , and especially the explosion and mayhem -lrb- and I mean that literally -rrb- be very well do . it be very intense . a lot be make of graphic and people sometimes rightfully point out that the graphic do not make a great game . that be true . but good graphic can add ton of positive atmospherics to a game and really immerse a player and I think this game do as good of a job at that as any I have play . 2 . the sound be also brilliant . I love the whistle bullet , scream bad guy , etc. . what I do not like be all the gratuitous swearing . look , I be sure to the target audience 16-year old high school hooligan , swearing about evil bad guy be , like , totally awesome , or whatever kid say these day . for the rest of we , it be stupid because it mean we have to turn the volume down in we house with we wife or kid around , and it make a video game unnecessarily crass . one occassional , whisper `` oh my God '' can be a thousand time more impactful than a dozen `` s % ! t my weapon jam ! '' over and over again . anyway , just a personal thing but I wish these game company would get away from the cussing . sound otherwise be great . 3 . the gameplay be the best thing about it , though . the cover system be highly intuitive ; you run up against something and press a button and boom , the character model mold to the cover , and then can move around near it and fire over or around it , etc. . the cover system be also useful in how it jumpstart move throughout the environment -lrb- such as switching from one piece of cover to another -rrb- . running be do by hold down a button , you can not fire while run as you put you head down and just go , but it look very cool and realistic . 4 . the game be short , but other people seem to be better at it than I since it take I twice as long as some other people . I think it take I a solid 18 hour , but I regularly read about people say they beat it in 6 hour . I must just suck at these game . anyway , still feel short to I . 5 . the plot be weak not because it be not a cool plot , but because there be some gaping hole that do not make any sense . for example , why be the main character in prison ? how do that effect anything else during the game at all ? why be it interesting that he return to the family demens later on ? why do that matter ? -lrb- answer , it do not , because nothing be ever make of it in the game -rrb- . what be that mapping thing ? what be the sonar weapon ? I think these game , and it be not unique to Gears , need a very solid backstory\/comic\/short novel to be sell with the game that describe all this stuff -- perhaps to be read as you progress through the game ? because the cut scene be cool but they just leave too many hole . overall , a fine game . very thrilling and fun and intense . the weakly-explained plot detract from a five star to make it a four .