Halo 3: ODST - Gamefreaks Review

Halo 3: ODST started as an expansion to Halo 3, something for developer Bungie to fill the time before the upcoming Halo: Reach. Along the way it has ballooned into a fully formed title of its own, and has come out all the better for it. The game is set between the events of Halo 2 and 3, following the Covenant attack on the Earth mega-city, New Mombasa. As a nameless, faceless, rookie ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper), you are briefly introduced to your unit of likeable soldiers, before being shot out of the bottom of a spaceship. Chaos ensues, and the rookie wakes up six hours later, alone in a dark city under alien control. The game has you wandering the streets in an attempt to understand what happened and where your squad is. As you find clues to the past, flashback sections will let you play through the events experienced by the other shock troopers.

At first glance it will look suspiciously like any other Halo game. There is the same first-person perspective, roughly the same arsenal, and the same enemies after your blood. ODST sets a very different mood to the original trilogy, however. You immediately feel like the last man on Earth, alone in an occupied city. The game has a film noir quality to it, with neon signs and dark streets, coupled with a predictably beautiful soundtrack filled with melancholy horns and strings.

The biggest change comes with the ODST himself. The Master Chief was a bullet-absorbing super soldier, who could wade into mobs of enemies and crush some skulls, but Troopers are only puny humans wearing armour - and they bleed. You do have regenerating stamina in the game, but you can only take a handful of hits before you're in real danger. If you try to play the game like Halo 3 you will die fast and often. A more considerate approach is necessary, thinking through your tactics and taking enemies out strategically instead of mindless killing.

To help you do this there are a few tricks. ODSTs are equipped with some additional weaponry, including sticky grenades and a pistol that will bring back fond memories of the first Halo. Most importantly there is the VISR system, providing the player with a compass and a way to scan the visible area – yellow for normal objects, red for threats. There is also a three-dimensional map to help navigate the open-world of New Mombasa.

Outside the main campaign (which is quite short at around six hours) there is a cooperative multiplayer mode called Firefight. Firefight is bloody good fun, with you and your squad up against wave after wave of Covenant forces. The game also includes a second disc which contains all the Halo 3 multiplayer maps as well as the ability to customise your own.

ODST isn't a groundbreaking game, but it does take the beloved franchise in an interesting direction, perhaps making it a little more considered than its parents. Bungie have managed to maintain the big, explosive parts of Halo that fans love, while adding new perspectives and new experiences.

SUMMARY:
It's Halo, Jim, but not as we know it. ODST will easily satisfy any fan of the series, once they get used to the different play style. For those who haven't played Halo, it still offers a solid, engaging experience that is worth checking out.