For many Halo-fans 11 weeks is a long time, but thats where Connected Internet can help you. I’ll do my best to keep you updated on Halo 3.

At E3 Media and Business Summit, Microsoft and Bungie showed off Halo 3’s single-player campaign for the first time. The demo, held behind closed doors, showcased the graphical improvements in the sequel, which is one of the most highly awaited games of the year.

Bungie showed off the first level of the game, titled Sierra 117. Not wanting to spoil some of the plot developments revealed at the beginning, the action picked up about one-third of the way through the level. What’s interesting is that the Master Chief and the Arbiter have now teamed up, and they and a small escort of Marines must make their way through a Covenant-infested gulch to rendezvous with Sergeant Johnson and a couple of Pelican transports.

According to several sources the demo showed the Master Chief and his friends battle their way through waves of opponents that included grunts, brutes, and what looked like to be some elites. The presence of the grunts and elites alongside the brutes is a bit puzzling considering the fractured state of the Covenant at the end of Halo 2, I guess the Bungie skipped that part to avoid any spoilers.

Those blessed with an access to the demo reported that, the combat looks to be as wild and dynamic as in other Halo games. The artificial intelligence of both the enemies and your allies pretty much guarantees that each battle can unfold differently. I think Gears of War taught them something here. Second, the amount of intelligent chatter going on does a lot to add atmosphere and humour to the game. Apperantly you can hear the alien grunts cry, “What a world!” before a grenade explodes next to them, or another remark “I’ll revenge my brother!” as he throws a plasma grenade at you.

So what about the graphics? Has it improved since the multiplayer beta? Many fans were “worried” after trying Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta. Of course it was a beta, so there is always room for improvement. (Thats what betas are for). Fear not. The demo showed that the visuals are clear and crisp, as well as bright and colorful. Halo 3 makes considerable use of high-dynamic range lighting so that shadows look dark, but at the same time, sunlight looks almost saturated.

Another feature showed in Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta was the ability to record and play back gameplay movies of both multiplayer and the single-player campaign. Halo 3 records game data as you play, and then when it plays it back, it reenacts all the events. Only now, you can move the camera around anywhere to change the angle, as well as pause and slow the action. As a bonus you can upload the screens and movies to a special shard space on Xbox Live, of course you would never use that feature to rub it in to a friend about a certain kill.

11 more weeks, September 25th, and Halo 3 is ready for your Xbox 360.