Halo 3 (Xbox 360, 2007)

Halo 3’s visuals hit me so hard back in 2007, even on my dinky little SD Toshiba CRT, that I was convinced I’d never need an HDTV. Many Halo games since have surpassed 3’s graphics, but its use of light and color, particularly in the opening, was simply engrossing. The game’s ability to feature larger gameplay spaces made moments like the landing of the Forward Unto Dawn on Installation 00 feel like I was on the set of a Star Wars movie. And the thrill of fleeing a Scarab tank, only to turn back and watch it explode with an unforgettable shower of particles and light, never gets old (and I’d argue few Halo games since have featured explosions that match it in quality).

And Halo 3’s visuals translated well to the multiplayer, where tools like Forge and Theater mode granted the ability to pause the action and see the spectacle from any angle. Slowing it down to drive the camera through an exploding Warthog never failed to impress. I’d often just hang out in these spaces with friends in Forge mode, just to take in the ambience of levels like Epitaph, with its cryptic architecture and seemingly endless desert surroundings.

Halo 3’s wonderful explosions, large environments, and excellent lighting easily sold the power of the 360…and yeah, they did get even better when I got an HDTV. — Claire Jackson