Halo 3's playback function offers standard fast-forward, pause and rewind controls. It also allows a modest degree of editing, with the ability to trim unwanted bits. If there's a dull section in a match, you can pretend it didn't happen... or if all you want is to show off that one really sweet part where you blew up someone's Warthog so hard they flew outside the level boundaries, you can do that, too.

In the hands of someone who knows what they're doing, Halo 3's playback can be entertaining -- riveting, even. Bungie's demonstration was clearly well-rehearsed -- an impressive and effective example of the saved film feature that greatly benefited from a bit of explanation. Through deft use of the playback controls, a chaotic multiplayer match became a hilarious narrative. Sadly, the one feature that won't ship with the game is a wiseass Bungie employee; but even so, the promised in-game features should make for countless hours of dazzling playthroughs and hilarious humiliations.