gears of war wasnt all cramped corridors dude...it had some really, really nice looking outdoor environments. plus, the announcement trailers definately did not have as good as graphics as the unreal engine is putting out right now. the biggest problem i have with the screenshots is..well...there's nothing mindblowing here like halo 1. halo 1 surprised everyone. halo 2 was more of the same, but introducing halo 2 to xbox live was huge. now, at least based on the screenshots, we only seem to get a new vehicle, some new guns, and a cannon that basically does the same thing a glitch in halo 2 did. of course there's the issue of the graphics..i was one that initially thought it was a halo 2 screeie for an expansion or something- besdies the different vehicles/weapons/map. sure, its not in the final stages, but im saying even now, it just doesnt look like it will even compare to its (what i consider) main competitior, gears of war. and dont speculate what you *think* halo 3 will look like- i'll believe it when i see it. so bottom line...screenshots seem subpar. graphics dont have to be uber stellar, but surprising gamers much like halo 1 did with solid, new and refreshing gameplay should be a priority. [Edited on 12/4/2006]