Modder Makes Surprise Discovery About Halo 3’s Rocks

A modder has revealed a surprising fact about one of Halo 3‘s most memorable campaign levels, which is that every single rock on it is actually the exact same one, just cleverly repurposed in a variety of ways. Appreciation for the classic Halo 3 has been on an upswing after Halo Infinite‘s multiplayer added remakes of some of its best maps.

Back in November, a Halo Infinite update added the Halo 3 Refueled playlist, which has since become a permanent staple on the game’s matchmaking page. The playlist features revamped versions of fan-favorite maps like Narrows, Construct, Guardian, The Pit, and more. While Halo 3‘s multiplayer was incredibly popular, so was its campaign, which told the final chapter in the original trilogy of Master Chief and Cortana’s story. It featured iconic levels like The Ark and Halo, but another memorable level has harbored an interesting secret until now.

Twitter user and Halo modder RejectedShotgun revealed that every single rock in Halo 3‘s The Covenant is the same one, but rotated, scaled, and moved around to make each rock seem unique at first glance. The Halo 3 developer (or developers) that was responsible for this aspect of The Covenant has definitely earned themselves some praise, as the reused rocks hold up pretty well under scrutiny. Countless Halo fans, who have likely played through Halo 3‘s campaign multiple times, expressed their surprise at this revelation after seeing RejectedShotgun’s viral tweet, which has racked up over seven million views. Others explained that this was a somewhat common tactic to help keep games’ file sizes in check, a strategy that is still used today in certain titles. However, the tactic is far from lazy, as The Covenant effectively uses the same rock in countless ways.

In case fans need a refresher, The Covenant is Halo 3‘s third-to-last mission and features many of the franchise’s most popular moments. The level sees Chief take part in a beach assault, vehicle combat, scarab takedown, and even includes a surprising twist in teaming up with The Flood. The memorable mission easily ranks as one of Halo 3‘s best levels.

Fans Want a Halo 3 Remaster

The game’s enduring popularity has led many to wonder whether a Halo 3 remaster could happen sometime in the future. It’s the only Halo game from the original trilogy to not receive one yet, and although one could argue that it holds up much better than its two predecessors in certain aspects, it seems like a no-brainer for 343 Industries to cash in on one of the 2000’s biggest hits. Similar to Halo 2 Anniversary, a Halo 3 remaster would ideally feature modernized, state-of-the-art cutscenes from Blur Studios and an in-game graphical overhaul, while hopefully preserving Halo 3‘s excellent gameplay formula. However, this is purely speculation and there has been no word from 343 on such a project.

Halo 3

Released in 2007, Halo 3 is the third installment in the mainline series of the long-running Halo series from Bungie. This title follows Master Chief and a mysterious ally called the Arbiter as they attempt to stop a Covenant leader from activating a dangerous artifact.

Released

September 25, 2007

Genre(s)

Shooter