Halo 3 Mongoose details

Details of Halo 3's Mongoose ATV have emerged on the Bungie website.

It bills the two-person vehicle as an ultra-light, all-terrain vehicle, both fast and vulnerable; ideal for quickly securing an important location or for attempting a wild snatch-and-grab operation for the enemy's flag.

However, the 'Goose won't be for everybody. While it would be a rookie error to overlook the versatility of the machine, its virtually non-existent armour and demanding handling make it a challenge to utilise effectively - as remarks on the site point out.

"Speed is the only protection this vehicle provides; it is unarmored, noisy, and prone to roll over. It demands a level of skill from its operator that is impossible to expect from the rank and file during combat conditions. Those not qualified as expert need not apply."

Examples of strategies when racing around multiplayer maps Valhalla and High Ground are offered further down the page. Elsewhere on the site you can catch up with how the game's designers and community team faired against each other in recent head-to-head battles.

Open beta-testing for Halo 3 multiplayer begins in the spring. Those of you in the US have already been offered various ways to take part, whilst us Europeans will have to wait for details on our participation (unless we all want to buy Crackdown, that is).