This is not a drill. 13 years ago, Bungie released Halo 3, one of the most successful first-person shooter games of all time, and now it has finally landed on PC ahead of schedule. This came as a welcome surprise for long-time fans of the series, as well as players who never got the chance to play the original version on Xbox.

Fans were welcomed this morning to an exciting release of the remastered title, which was originally expected to arrive later in the year for its anniversary. Halo 3's re-launch has been highly anticipated since the release of the Master Chief Collection on PC, featuring stunning graphics and updated models, breathing a breath of fresh air into a game that is already so beloved. Even old developers from Bungie are excited, with Brian Jarrard, the Marketing Lead from Bungie's Halo days tweeting out: "It's Halo 3 launch night again. Here I am last time we did this, Sept. 24, 2007."

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The game was intended to release later in the day, but the developers at 343 Industries clearly had other plans, and the game does not disappoint. Even from the early footage of the game, the graphical fidelity looks stunning, as well as the developers taking advantage of the Saber3D and Unreal 4 engines. Fans have been jumping into the nostalgia trip of the multiplayer mode, now with a refreshed player population, and early reviews of the gameplay have been positive, one fan tweeting out: "So Halo 3 is delightful... enough said."

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This release comes ahead of Microsoft's Xbox Series X event, where Halo Infinite gameplay is confirmed to be shown. Original Halo Trilogy players are excited for this next-gen release, as the story is set to see a return of some of the series' most infamous enemies. In a leak from Mega Construx, of all places, the game is seeming to feature The Banished, a formidable enemy from Halo Wars 2. Not only that, but the game will join the long list of titles launching for Xbox Game Pass owners on both Xbox and PC, which is fantastic news for players looking to jump in on day one.

With an abundance of Halo announcements this year alone, it is hard not to be excited for what is to come. 343 seems to be on the right track after its controversial Halo 4 title rubbed some players the wrong way. What we will see from them on the Series X is yet to be revealed, but for now, enjoy the nostalgia of Halo 3.

Halo 3 is available now as a part of the Master Chief Collection on Steam and Xbox Game Pass

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Source: Brian Jarrard, Twitter