Halo 3 developer Bungie has hit back at critics who say that the next-generation first-person shooter's graphics are little more than "Halo 2 in HD." Speaking to Pro-G at the UK launch of the game in London's Waterloo IMAX cinema last night, Lee Wilson, cinematic director at Bungie said the team was delighted with Halo 3's appearance:

"It's completely immersive. The art direction is immaculate. It's not trying to be incredibly photo realistic or painting this grimy world. It's vibrant and it's fun and it's accessible," he said.

Some of the harshest digs have been at the Halo 3's water effects and character models, but the firm's multiplayer producer Joe Tung was also having none of it:

He added: "We think it's a beautiful game at Bungie. Folks who have complained about the graphics in the large part have said 'I don't like the way it looks' then they pick it up and they play it for half-an-hour and then four hours later they're still playing and that's the last time you hear them saying anything about the game."

You know what? He's probably right.