One word. Halo. Oh, the killing, the carnage, the splosions (yeah I said splosions). One of the best games ever made is rearing its ugly head again, and this time for the XBox 360. At least in part, the full game isn’t due out quite yet, but thanks to an advanced offering through the XBox Live feature some players will set their sites on a few multi-player maps, as well as new weapons and vehicles. How can you be one of these gamers? Well, that’s the strange part. Just how bad do you want it? Would you be willing to buy a game just to play a few levels of Halo 3? Well, that’s what Microsoft is hoping you’ll do. By purchasing specially marked copies of their latest action game ‘Crackdown’ you get to be a part of this semi-exclusive beta test. The only other way into the test was through Microsoft’s ‘Rule of Three’ promotion that ended in February. You also must have an XBox Live ‘Gold’ membership. Now come on, would you expect anything less from Microsoft, who have been forcing people to buy something they might not want in order to get a taste of what they do want for years? They’ve practically made that practice into an art form.

This reminds me of the time people went to go see Wing Commander just to watch the Star Wars preview (and then promptly left, avoiding a terrible movie thanks to the force). How many copies of Crackdown are going to come right back to the video game store in just a few months? Which wouldn’t bother Microsoft much, but still, it seems like a lot just to play a few multi-player levels. What concerns me most now is how good the story will be. Will I get to check out some of that by purchasing Crackdown? It just doesn’t seem worth it. But I guess it’s not really about the solo campaign now is it? It’s about me and my boys against you and yours. When put that way, then maybe it is worth checking out, if anything, just to get a leg up on the competition.

Well, if you want to get a crack at either Snowbound, High Ground, or a level called Valhalla. Or get a chance to roam around dispensing death in brand new vehicles like the all new Mongoose (think ATV of death), and destroy your enemies in new and different ways with the ‘Brute Spiker’ (sounds gruesome doesn’t it?), then get a specially marked copy of Crackdown by May 16^th. Because at 5 a.m. PST, the slaughter will officially begin.

Dante Maddox shout’s “Hold This!” whenever he throws a plasma grenade.