Player footsteps, dropped weapons, and explosions all kick up snow from the surface of snowbound-- even if they are in large, placeholder-particle sized chunks in this early alpha footage.

Another of the VIDOC's many melee attacks, this one from up close and way too personal.

This blue spartan appears to have turned his back on an opponent, much to his detriment. The de-emphasis on dual wielding seems to have sparked an increase in melee attacks, which was part of Bungie's stated purpose for the change. The video includes a significant number of melees.

This Foreunner bridge structure, hanging high in a snowy valley, is seen several times in the VIDOC; at least once from a great distance while in a map editor.

The public beta is slated to include only Higher Ground, Valhalla, and Snowbound. This would not appear to be any of these levels. So which level is it?

A spartan on Snowbound prepares to swap his default spawn assault rifle for the presumably punchier battle rifle.

No animation is shown for picking up the weapon; it merely appears in his hand. Afterwards, the secondary weapon appears slung on his back.

The inevitable downside to using the mancannon: being sniped out of the air. The red spartan, top, has sniped this blue spartan who launched himself out of the mancannon. He is not the sniper's first victim, apparently, as there is another blue corpse in the stream as well.

A blue spartan takes off from the man cannon, used to launch players and equipment through the air and across the map.

Bungie stated that mancannons are preferable to teleporters because they present the player with more danger, as well as give opponents an opportunity to attack you in transit and for you to defend yourself. More combat, less camping. What's not to love?

The question of who will inspire us with their shiny pole is answered as a red spartan makes away with a very, very shiny blue flag.

Various weapons and equipment litter the battlefield: several frag and spike grenades, as well as a Covenant carbine.

A Custom Games menu from an alpha build of Halo 3.

The text on the left screen is:

CUSTOM GAMES

SWITCH MODE
NETWORK: System Link
GAME: Escort
MAP: Warthog Inc.
START GAME

Ready to start the game
Party is open to System Link

Start
Edit Options

On the screen to the right is a post-game CARNAGE REPORT with players names.

Mayhem on Higher Ground as the defending red team loses their spartan laser wielder to an unseen attacker to the left. The tracer effects here, such as the spartan laser beam, also appear to be relatively low-quality placeholders, as Bungie mentioned this footage is quite old.

From its appearance, this would be the same early design of High Ground that featured multiple turrets and a perpendicular barrier wall. There is nothing where the 3d diagram indicated "big ass mortar gun".

A three dimensional diagram of the High Ground level, although this appears to be an early version. The VIDOC refers to an initial design that featured a fortified wall perpendicular to the valley, as well as multiple automated turrets. In the final design, the wall is turned 45 degrees, and there is only a single turret.

A diagram of the defensive structures of the High Ground multiplayer level. The right side indicates the red base flag position, as well as a "defender spawn" point.

Concept art of the High Ground multiplayer level. As mentioned in more than one Bungie Weekly Update, the resemblance to the overhead view of the level itself is striking.

A bird's eye view of the multiplayer level High Ground, slated to be included in the multiplayer public beta on May 16. The level seems to be asymmetrical and built for attack/defense roles, as base defenders have a turret and a height advantage over attackers.