Halo 3: ODST

 

It appears Master Chief isn’t the only hero in the Halo universe and the ODST’s (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) are out to prove it, Halo 3: ODST is a stunning new addition to the Halo series.

 

 

Following the story between Halo 2 and Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST follows the story of a squad of ODST’s that drop into New Mombasa.  During the drop a Covenant ship retreats using a “slip space” jump which creates a shockwave scattering the ODST drop pods throughout the city.  Waking up six hours after the drop you wake up and play as the “Rookie” finding clues throughout the city to reunite you with your squad.  As you discover these clues you flashback to an event playing as another member of the ODST squad telling their story after the drop into New Mombasa.

 

 

Playing as the Rookie you really have a sense of being alone and separated wandering around the dark streets of New Mombasa, one thing you quickly find out is you’re no Master Chief.  Your shield is a lot weaker and you now need to find health packs to rejuvenate your health much like how it was in Halo: Combat Evolved.  You can’t jump as high as Master Chief nor can you melee as hard so rushing in a fight shooting and meleeing most likely won’t work in this game.  Choosing your shots wisely or ducking in the shadows to avoid a fight altogether is a new strategy introduced in the Halo series and a good one for fans of a more realistic shooter.  Most of the gameplay surrounding the Rookie is at night so you’ll have your Night Vision on the majority of the time which is nice because the Night Vision looks great highlighting enemies and objects from afar but can seem a little one-sided or almost like a novelty of the developers showing off their cool Night Vision 90% of the Rookie storyline. 

 

 

Throughout the city playing as the Rookie you can collect “audiophiles” that tell a story of a young girl during the Convenant invasion in New Mombasa, this adds more replay value and exploration in the dark streets of the city much like finding skulls in past Halo titles.  Finding audiophiles unlocks cargo drops throughout the city which helps in the never ending struggle for ammunition.    

 

 

Playing the role as the other ODST members are more action packed because unlike the Rookie they weren’t unconscious after the drop and were in the fight a lot more.  This part of the game focuses more on fighting with other Marines in the streets including driving missions with the Scorpion Tank or the Warthog Jeep so sneaking around in the darkness isn’t much of an option anymore.  This change in gameplay keeps the game fresh and exciting. 

 

 

Although there’s a new strategy since you’re not a super powered Spartan when your shield is taken away the HUD turns a red hue and doesn’t disappear until your shield is fully rejuvenated which can get a little annoying since your shield isn’t as strong as a Spartans so players may be seeing a lot of red throughout the game. 

 

 

A new multiplayer mode called “firefight” has been added if you get tired of campaign which plays like a “survival” mode whereas the player(s) must survive as long as they can through waves and waves of oncoming Convenant.  As the game progresses the enemy gains advantages in each round such as “enemies avoid danger” which means they can almost dodge any grenade blast or “enemies have 2x health” which makes enemies even harder to take down as if they weren’t hard enough already. 

 

 

Halo 3: ODST expands the Halo series in an excellent way through the eyes of the ODST squad in New Mombasa, just as in any Halo game this game supports cooperative play in campaign and firefight although the sense of aloneness as the Rookie is best played singleplayer (at least through the first play through).  If campaign and firefight isn’t enough the second disc that comes with the game includes new multiplayer maps for Halo 3 multiplayer.  Halo 3: ODST is a must buy for any Xbox 360 owner, even for a newcomer to the Halo series introducing new gameplay variety and strategy.  

 

 

Pros:  new and dark storyline, cool night vision effects, firefight, more strategy involved, Halo 3 map pack, collectables for replay value, music sets the mood

 

Cons:  red HUD when shield is dropped can get annoying, a little too much Night Vision at times.

 

5/5