The sound design in the Halo games has always been great - the music, the ambient, and the effects. Even though Halo 3 raised the bar in many ways, it does have one major flaw... The volume levels are the same for almost everything. The wepons fire is the same volume as most of the ambient sound effects, and the Marine chatter. Even the volume of the bullets hitting the watter is the same as the weapon firing. It's as if it has all been over balanced. The weapons and explosions should be the loudest sounds in the game, and this is not the case. As a result, the weapons you're using in the game feel like they were made by Mattel. The game has lost a certain visceral feel most 1st person shooters have. I'm surprised Bungie let this go - given how Bungie is known for their attention to detail.