Halo 3 is the final game of the original trilogy, and it provided players with some of the best missions in the entire franchise. Many of them exemplified the epic quality that a sci-fi first-person shooter can achieve, delighting fans.
However, one deserves attention for providing a terrifying experience through its design. It is the fifth mission in the campaign titled Floodgate, and to understand how it could be so scary, we need to learn a little bit about the Flood.
In Halo, the Flood is a disgusting parasitic alien species that feeds on any sentient life. Whatever it comes into contact with, it infects, mutating its victims to increase its numbers. The Flood is responsible for the deaths of even the most intelligent beings with extremely advanced technology, such as the Forerunners, meaning it's a threat that should be eliminated at all costs.
Floodgate is Halo 3's way of reminding players that the parasitic species is still around, as a Covenant ship full of them crashes onto the city of Voi in East Africa. Both the Master Chief and Arbiter are tasked with stopping the infection until it's too late, which requires the two to head to the crashed ship and overload its engine core to create an explosion that wipes out the invaders.
The objective is clear, but the process of completing it is what's terrifying, and that's because of how the mission masterfully handles introducing the Flood into gameplay. Before Floodgate, the area you were in was vibrant and even beautiful, despite the war with the Covenant going on. However, as soon as the parasite arrived, the atmosphere immediately grew much darker, devoid of the brightness characterized by the previous mission.
While slowly making your way to the crash site, you can hear the wails of the Flood units, letting you know that they're all around you, but won't be seen until they find the opportune moment to strike. This alone is scary, but what helps drive the fear home is witnessing the peril of UNSC soldiers who are stuck to help deal with the threat.
In many sections, you'll see and hear them scream for help or cry in agony during their desperate struggle against the Flood. You'll even meet one survivor who explains that he had no choice but to kill his teammates as they slowly turned, the anguish, horror, and pain clear in his voice. Those things alone can already make it clear how terrifying the enemy is, but there's still the matter of actually dealing with them.
Throughout the mission, the parasite throws many of its units at you. Despite the numerous weapons available and even some assistance from the horrified soldiers, the sheer number of them makes it feel as if they're slowly tightening a chokehold. Even when taking them on in open areas intended to help players feel safer, the speed at which they approach their targets and the unpredictability of their positions destroy any semblance of security.
And if they're terrifying when you can see them coming, it's even worse during moments where you can't, like when having to hide for cover to recharge shields or entering a tight space to progress the mission. They can come out of nowhere when you least expect them, and they'll attack hard and fast when they do, forcing you to keep your guard up at all times.
There will be a section when the mission eases up on the tension a tad, as the game provides more reassuring backup in the form of Elite soldiers, but that doesn't mean things get easier. The additional ally units can still be quickly taken down, especially on the higher difficulties. If, or when, that happens, you'll likely have to deal with them as well, as the Flood's infection can turn any friendly face against you if you let it.
If you're planning on playing Halo 3, be sure to prepare yourself for Floodgate. It is truly a horrifying mission, both in gameplay and atmosphere, and offers one of the most memorable experiences in the franchise.
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