Well, I also own a Wii so that doesn't really apply to me. :D

Shiny graphics are nice and all but if they hinder gameplay, I'm all for toning down the visuals. I don't need bloom effects covering half my screen to frag some poor bastard and enjoy it.

That's is why I think original Counter Strike is still one of the best FPSs out there. You don't need pretty graphics to know that the person you just headshot is shaking his head at his monitor. I've always thought the Halo series to be overrated.

The original CS will always be, in my eyes, the best multiplayer FPS to grace the Earth.

I just don't have the time to play competitively and be as hardcore about it as I was in college. Console FPS games work better for me now that I'm married. The hardcore commitment isn't expected out of me by my friends and teammates. 

but Source rocks too...

For the one who said that this isn't setting a new bar... you should watch the video of the banshee flying to space from Valhalla. The thing that really boggs down the graphics in halo 3 is the fact that they are rendering over 10 miles... and they have layered clouds and an atmosphere (and i'm not talking 'cinematic' atmosphere, i mean that as you gain elevation the sky changes until you start to see stars) I think this kind of graphical rendering will change the way the game is played... if the single player has a level where you start of earth and steal and banshee (or pelican or whatever the new covenant ship is) and fight your way up through the atmosphere to a starship while maintaining the graphics from the beta... that would be epic and I can't remember any game (outside maybe 2d scrollers) that have done this. All I need from the graphics is 4x FSAA and I'll be happy.

There is no console FPS out there that will give you the same satisfaction from scouting someone in the head as in CS. You are missing out. You should relapse for a little while. I have to warn you though, it's hard to step away from that mouse once you get going again.

Source is awesome too.

wasted my time typing this on another thread but here it goes + edits played Halo 3 about 2 days ago and was about as unimpressed as i could get..after Gears of War...halo doesnt compare. no run button? ya? lets "walk" through this "chaotic" adventure "do do do walking around and blowing shit up, oh look? chaos cometh! do do do.." HELLO DEVS???! STEP YOUR GAME UP. graphics??? talk about just throwing a shiney coat on Halo 2 with "nicer" explosion effects. physics???? definate "upgrade" from past halo's. when blowing ppl up, they be flying. weezy gives it 2, "Bungie needs to take notes from Cliffy B." thumbs down

Yeah those last-gen body physics (the windmilling deaths) are a carbon copy of Halo 2. Next-gen rag doll physics are becoming industry standard for next-gen FPS. To leave them out (as they did in the Beta) would be astonishingly poor on the devs part.

I was so sick of over-playing Halo 2 that the only thing that could have possibly got me to buy Halo 3 would have been a COMPLETELY new experience. Instead it looks as though Bungie was afraid of changing their tried and tested formula. So it looks....well....almost the same!

And the Bubble grenades! They have those in Resistance: Fall of Man! I could not belive my eyes when I saw those things.

I realize that they need to downgrade the graphics (for multiplayer anyway) in comparison to other games on 360, but it doesn't look much better than Halo 2 and that is on a much weaker system. Personally i couldn't care less, but seems like they could do better than that.

Source is fun, but a bit rediculous. Whats up with the hit boxes? i swear u get more headshots shooting at their feet than you do when you shoot at their head :P

Anyway, back to the topic. Halo 3, in my eyes, looks a bit shoddy graphics wise. Im sure its fun, Multiplayer in Halo games always was. I remember all the good lans we played 16 player on the xbox on blood gulch, and im sure they will be able to recreate this experience on Halo 3. Despite this, the single player was pretty shoddy, the flood is by far the worst and most boring enemy ive seen, hope they dont return and ruin the 3rd one!!

 About Gears of War, the big problem with that is the bullet lag. When you join a server,take out the shotgun and walk up 2 a wall and shoot and you will see what i mean. It takes an age for ur shot to actually take effect in game, thats why whenever i play the 360 at my m8s house we host because u get such an advantage.