Halo 3 Launch Date Set, Beta Begins

Attention, Halo fans: mark September 25 down on your calendar. That's when Halo 3, one of the most anticipated games in recent memory, will finally arrive in stores. And if that date sounds a long ways off, you can get your Halo 3 fill with the public multiplayer beta, which kicks off today.

There's been a flurry of activity in the Halo world in the past week. After a steady leak of videos showing gameplay in the early beta stages, Microsoft finally let the press have a some hands-on time with the Halo 3 beta last Friday. Impressions were mixed; some players complained that the graphics didn't look all that polished compared to next-generation games like Gears of War, and that the new Halo looked and played a lot like Halo 2, which debuted back in 2004. Others, however, raved about the new levels and weapons, especially the bubble shield—an impregnable force field that protects you from all manner of deadly weaponry.

Ready to try the Halo 3 beta? Unfortunately, you'll need an invite to join or a specially marked copy of the Xbox 360 game Crackdown. So if you have a buddy who's in on the beta, that's probably your best bet.

Related:
Microsoft lifts shroud off Halo 3 to mixed reviews [Reuters via Yahoo! News]
Halo 3 beta impressions: why can't I win a round? [Ars Technica]
Halo 3 page [Yahoo! Games]