With any new game release there has to some new features to get gamers interested in their game. For Halo 3 multiplayer that mean new maps and new weapons. It has been said that the single player game in Halo 3 will emphasize the Brutes from Halo2 much more so we should not be surprised to see more of they weapons in the game. The most notable will be the new spike grenade. This weapon is a bottle shaped grenade with spikes that can stick into any surface and shoot out spikes when it explodes. It's a really nice weapon to throw at a wall or roof near an enemy in cover. The second Brute weapon is the new dual wielding brute hand guns. This gun is very similar to the SMG but has a blade on the under belly of the weapon. So far I've ignored this weapon in match making since it's really only efficient being dual wielded.

Of the human weapons in the game the assault rifle from Halo 1 is back and is still a bit under whelming. This will be your default weapon and used properly it will get you a lot of kills. Problem is you are still toast if someone with a battle rife comes upon your. The battle rifle is back and should me your main weapon on any of the medium to large maps. I have yet to see the human pistol in multiplayer so I'm not sure if they brought that back as well. Rumor has it most of the Halo PC weapons will be in the final game so get ready to flame throw some fools.

Probably the largest change to the Halo 3 arsenal is the addition of deploy ables. These items are the bubble shield, energy drain and the trip mine. The bubble shield was shown in the Halo 3 commercial last fall and will shield you from grenades and gun fire but anyone can enter the shield once deployed. Vehicles will bounce off the shield and even flip a worthog if the drive is not careful. The energy drain will not get you many kills but is useful when being chased by a worthog. The land mine is also nice for times you are being chased and can be launched at Ghosts from man cannons. Overall these should be fun to use in the single player but I tend to never use them in the multiplayer.

The beta comes with three multiplayer maps for you to play:Valhalla, Snowbound and High Ground. Valhalla seems to be a variation of Blood Gulch since it's a large map placed in a valley with two large multi level bases on either end. The map features a stream, waterfall, lake, a rock formation and a crashed ship. Each base is equipped with "man cannons." This is Unreal Tournament's launch pads that shoot you across the maps. It's a great way to get into the action fast since it shoots you almost to the middle of the map. On Valhalla I tend to grab the battle rifle as my secondary so I can use the scope to find the other team and attach from a distance.

Snowbound is at the base of a large cliff and an open plain of snow. Instead of placing an invisible wall at the open side of the level there are AI controlled guns. Any player that wonders off into that area will be shot down by the guns. Overall the map is good with plenty of above ground and underground tunnels to battle on. You will find the shield doors on this level when entering the bases. These shield doors can come in handy when be pursued and with a shotgun you can get a lot of kills against overly aggressive opponents.

High Ground is a smaller version of Zansabar from Halo 2 where one side starts at an opening by the water and goes up a hill to a base where the other team starts. There is nothing special about this map and is perfect for single flag capture the flag or bomb capture. Whenever I see this map come up I veto the map.

These new maps and weapons will give you a nice feeling of change for Halo 3 multiplayer as you get used to the new maps and weapons. The starting weapon is much better than it was in Halo 2 where i often found myself hunting for something else or something to dual wield. I hope the deploy ables will make more of an affect on the single player version of Halo 3 than the multiplayer. As for the maps, I found them too large for slayer but a good size for team games. Hopefully we will be getting several new maps once the game ships.