Halo enthusiasts around the world are eagerly waiting for any details regarding the launch of the latest installment of Microsoft's top game. While the release of Halo 3 is nearly a year away, gamers are talking about trailers and even small pieces of news. It's impossible to log onto a Halo message board and not feel the excitement in the posts.

That aside, it's time to get into the latest news.

According to a report by IGN, Halo 3 will feature some new weapons for the Brutes to control. Among those will be Spike Grenades and Spike Rifles. The grenades will launch nails in all directions upon detonation (Arnold Schwarzenegger in Eraser, anyone? - It's awesome when he gets the nail through his hand and is stuck to the door) and I can only expect the Spike Rifle to do something similar.

Another new weapon will be a Spartan Laser. The weapon is supposed to be an anti-tank type of weapon that has the ability to destroy a vehicle in a single shot. To keep that power from off balancing the game, the weapon is expected to be difficult to control or highly inaccurate.

Also according to reports, the Mongoose will finally be making an appearance in Halo 3. The details are still fuzzy about the exact role of this transport vehicle in the game, but it is rumored to be a speedy way to get across terrain but will be lightly armed or completely unarmed.

Gamers can expect to potentially see some new control options and even a few new multiplayer maps. The maps High Ground, Valhalla and Snowbound should give a new feel, but will resemble some classic maps (Frostbite, Blood Gulch and Zanzibar).

There are still as many questions as answers regarding Halo 3, but you can expect to see a lot of exciting details released about this game over the next few months. I know the GotFrag staff is one of many in the media that is counting down the time towards a playable demo or a trip to E3.

Source: IGN, 1up