D
DArtagnan
Guest
For me 89% is very well done mediocre game or excellent game with flaws (rough edges, bugs etc). Since halo3 is a very smooth experience without rough edges or bugs it must be mediocre.
In this case, it's the score you get when an absurdly over-hyped and marketed game drops from the pedestal of mass hysteria into the hands of a few people who actually think before they rate the game. Without the hype, I estimate it would have nestled nicely at 75-80% by now - where it belongs. That's probably where it'll land in a few years when the hypnotic effects have fully subsided.