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While Halo 3's release may not be as far off as some have speculated, Bungie's Frank O'Connor commented about the single-player game's feel in Halo 3, which should prove interesting to hardcore fans who bicker over whether Halo 2 tops the original.

He declared:

"I have been playing through Campaign mode purely for kicks. Exploring, in fact. There's lots of the feel of the original Halo, where you'll find yourself in a huge (dangerous) and intrinsically fascinating environment and just want to go tool around and check things out."

At the same time, O'Connor is quick to dismiss that Bungie's developing a sandbox, Grand Theft Auto-inspired shooter. He also said:

"At this stage in development, the encounters are very carefully placed. Sometimes that means you're in frantic firefights (on a significantly bigger scale than in Halo 2, although all I will confirm numerically is at least one more Grunt.) but there's also time for exploratory reflection and the, "Oooh, maybe I can climb up there and check that thing out," sort of play,"

Much of Microsoft's focus will undoubtedly remain on Gears of War in the fall, but hopefully we'll hear and especially see more of Halo 3 at X06 next month.