Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)
Manufacturer: Microsoft Corp. Part number: 5EA-00001
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Gamespot editors' review
Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360) price range: $50.00 - $59.99
- Reviewed by: Tom Shea
- Reviewed on: 09/21/2009
- Updated on:09/28/2009
- Released on: 09/22/2009
You wake up all alone in a hostile city. Pockets of enemies are hiding in the nearly pitch-black environment and your allies are nowhere to be found. In the opening moments of Halo 3: ODST, you are vulnerable and aimless--two elements that have never been explored in a Halo game before. These quiet, moody scenes flow into the spirited, high-energy battles the franchise is known for, but this feeling of desolation never fully dissolves. ODST is an awesome entry in the franchise because it not only showcases the elements that have made previous games in the series so explosively fun, but it also introduces a handful of new ideas that add a unique spin on the classic formula. The most exhilarating of the new features is the Firefight mode, a cooperative battle against a never-ending swarm of covenant soldiers that is as intense and rewarding as anything that has appeared in the series. Whether you love the solitude of the single-player campaign, the camaraderie of cooperative encounters, or the blood lust of multiplayer competition, Halo 3: ODST is a fantastic package.
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ODST takes place before Halo 3, but you do not get to play as Master Chief this time. Rather, you take on the role of an orbital drop shock trooper dubbed "The Rookie," and your job is to extract important data located far below the ruined city of New Mombasa before the Covenant gets its hands on the prize. As you can imagine, things do not go as planned, and you wake up from a horrible crash landing six hours after your allies hit ground. The city is bathed in darkness, with burned-out cars littering the streets and sharpshooting enemies hiding in deadly gangs waiting to ambush anyone who wanders near them. The story itself is nothing special, but the manner in which it is told is quite engaging. As you wander around this hostile environment, you will find pieces of equipment that your fellow soldiers left behind. When you pick up these items, you are transported to the past and get to play through the events that took place while you were knocked out.
Your time spent as The Rookie is far different from what you might expect in a Halo game. It is slow-paced and largely silent. Your only companion as you methodically wind your way through these streets is a symphonic musical score that adds to the atmosphere and builds upon the loneliness of your situation. Your goal in these sections is to locate glowing beacons that will whisk you to the next chapter, but these areas are more than just a hub to take you from level to level. Even though these sections take place on Earth, the areas are as hostile and sterile as an alien planet, and exploring them has their own rewards. There are audio logs scattered all over the place, and piecing together events from the perspective of an innocent bystander during the invasion adds emotional depth to the situation. There are still enemies waiting to pounce, and you'll have to don your night-vision goggles so you aren't caught unaware. This view is rather jarring at first and casts the city in high-contrast light that is off-putting. This required overdependance on night-vision goggles dampens the moody ambience a bit, but these sessions are still an overwhelming success because of the strong feelings they evoke and the sharp contrast they provide to the main combat.
The majority of the game plays out in the memories of your allies, and these levels strongly resemble the classic Halo action. The whole campaign can also be played with up to three friends. The explosive weaponry and industrious vehicles make their return from Halo games of the past, and they are doled out in tantalizing increments so that you always have a new toy to play with just before you tire of the last. Your abilities have been scaled back, which makes the action feels closer to Halo: Combat Evolved. You don't run as fast or jump as high, you cannot dual-wield weapons, and you can get hurt when you fall from too high. The health system has gone through the most impactful change. When you are attacked, your shield starts to dissipate, and when that is completely gone, your health begins to fade. Your shield can be recharged just by standing outside of combat for a few moments, but restoring your health requires medical packs. Because you can die much more easily in ODST than in Halo 3, you will have to approach combat in a more tactical way by skirting around the outside of the fray instead of rushing in guns blazing. Having to be constantly mindful of your own vulnerability in a Halo game is a welcome change of pace, and is a key element in some of the most thrilling situations in the game.
The silenced submachine gun is one of the new weapons, though being quiet is rarely necessary.
The early levels of ODST take place along the city streets of New Mombasa, and the buildings towering overhead give deadly hiding places for your many attackers. Every so often, a squad of enemies will ambush you, and you will have to fend off every last one of those Covenant assassins to progress through the level. These situations are intense and satisfying, placing enemies in optimal positions to make your life miserable. Snipers perching on balconies, sharpshooters dotting sky bridges, and kamikaze grunts flooding out of doors will constantly torment you. Trying to find cover when you're completely surrounded is a challenge in itself, so you'll need to make quick decisions and hope your aim is true.
From the city streets, you make your way to wide-open plains, and this affords you a chance to test out the excellent vehicles once more. There are only a few levels that let you go on a joyride for a prolonged period of time, and the rarity of these occasions, coupled with the many ambushes and blockades you encounter, make these some of the best sections in the game. During one early stage, you hop on board a Ghost and tear through the Covenant alongside the ocean. This is an exhilarating sequence and gives you plenty of room to turbo down straightaways, crashing into anyone stupid enough to stand in your way, and there's just enough challenge sprinkled in to keep you on your toes. The most intense of the vehicle sequences occurs a little later in the game onboard a fleet of Banshees. The maneuverability of these agile flyers is on full display here, forcing you to wind around obstacles and strafe deadly attackers if you want to survive. What makes this section extra special is that it takes place at night, and your limited visibility adds a bit of fear to the excitement.
User reviews
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The worst of the HALO series... only worth about $30.00
by willc4201 on September 26, 2009
Pros: As always, HALO has the smoothest gameplay for any first person shooter. Multiplayer is unmatched on any system. Musical score is significantly improved.
Cons: Story is garbage as in the other 4 HALO games however the multiplayer more than made up for it in HALO 1, 2 and 3. In ODST, there are only 4 new levels. Still tons of lag in the multiplayer. Graphics unchanged.
Summary: ODST is nothing more than an expansion pack. I would give this game 4 stars if it was downloadable as an expansion pack and cost between $25.00 and $30....
Summary: ODST is nothing more than an expansion pack. I would give this game 4 stars if it was downloadable as an expansion pack and cost between $25.00 and $30.00 however this is not the case, please allow me to voice my frustration... Yes the gameplay is fluid just as in the other Halo FPS titles and yes the multiplayer is superb. The faults of this game come from the price. $60.00 buys you an average storyline with marginally improved visuals over Halo 3 and a bunch of multiplayer levels you already bought when you purchased Halo 3. The game comes with two discs... disc one has the newest edition to the Halo franchse called Firefight. At first i thought this was great but in reality the bad guys are predictable and thus my crew got bored and longed for a trash talking multiplayer game so we switched back over to the multiplayer. Disc two contains the online mulitplayer levels. By my estimates i, along with the majority of other Halo players, already purchased 21 of the 25 levels when we purchased the expansion map packs online and when we purchased halo 3 originally. Therefore, i think Bungie and Microsoft owe a ton of Halo faithful at least a $25.00 refund. Bottom line... this is the kind of stuff that makes people hate Microsoft products. I guess we should all be used to this though as it is the Xbox 360 is a piece anyway. If your reading this and are a gamer then i'm sure you know all about the "red ring of death," that plagues the 360 hardware. Most people i know who are gamers are on their 2nd or 3rd 360. In contrast, my original Nintendo, Sega, Sega Saturn, PS1, PS2, PS3 and Atari all still work. I am a Tier 3 network engineer and i fix Microsoft garbage all day long for a living and i know garbage when i see it and the 360 sure looks and smells like it to me. The one thing that Microsoft did flawlessly is build Xbox Live. Xbox Live is the reigning king. Until there is a true competitor in the market, Microsoft and Bungie will continue to pump out crap like ODST because they know that the Halo faithful will buy these games largely due to the success of the multiplayer in the first three titles. Once again the game is not bad but it is really only an expansion pack. Oh yea, and when you purchase ODST you get a postcard that says HALO Reach. Apparently you get to play the beta when it comes out in 2010. After having purchased ODST i will make sure I RENT the next Halo release before i decide to buy it just in case Microsoft and Bungie decide to pull another fast one.
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Not a must-have, but a nice add-on
by Ptto911 on December 8, 2009
Pros: New "Firefight" mode allows for co-operative multiplayer play, Halo 3 multiplayer disc with all map packs and addons + 3 new maps
Cons: Short campaign
Summary: While it may not impress veteran Halo players, Halo 3: ODST gives more insight of the story of Halo 3, and brings a new arsenal of weapons and features to ...
Summary: While it may not impress veteran Halo players, Halo 3: ODST gives more insight of the story of Halo 3, and brings a new arsenal of weapons and features to the campaign, such as the new co-operative mode "Firefight" where you can kill enemies and build your score.
ODST also comes with a Halo 3 multiplayer disc that includes every map released for Halo 3, plus 3 new maps. The disc has the options; Matchmaking (online play), Custom Games (online or offline play with maps and gametypes of your choice), Forge(online or offline object editor that gives you the ability to create your own map), and Theater (online or offline play of films of Halo 3 gameplay).
Overall, Halo 3: ODST is a great addon for your game collection, but don't expect an entire new Halo game. -
i actually thought it was a pretty good.
by xXDADDYXx on November 13, 2009
Pros: i like firefight alot and gettin the halo 3 multiplayer with all the DLC (which i didnt have) was a good deal to me./
Cons: they could have done a lil better with the story line.
Summary: its good i enjoy playing it,
but now i have MW2 MOFOS SO IM GOOD TO GOOOO,
add me! on XBL! "THAT 1 C00L GUY" the o's are zeros!!Summary: its good i enjoy playing it,
but now i have MW2 MOFOS SO IM GOOD TO GOOOO,
add me! on XBL! "THAT 1 C00L GUY" the o's are zeros!! -
Worst HALO sequence
by ommelo on October 15, 2009
Pros: Nice graphics are not a good excuse to buy a game.
Cons: Short, nothing new, no real adventure, misleading advertisement. Microsoft should be ashamed of such game, but it is not the first time Gears of War 2 was a terrible sequence too. I'm looking for ward to move to PS3.
Summary: Even Hollywood learned that a good sequence means good money. Microsoft still believes that a sequence is just a cheap way to rip the fans.
Summary: Even Hollywood learned that a good sequence means good money. Microsoft still believes that a sequence is just a cheap way to rip the fans.
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This should have been DLC not worth $60!
by kenwilfy on October 5, 2009
Pros: More Halo story and a new version of multiplayer game.
Cons: Too short, too dark, and navigation too confusing.
Summary: People who bought this game most likely are rabid fans of Halo and already have all of the multiplayer maps. So they are paying $60 for a short campaign and ...
Summary: People who bought this game most likely are rabid fans of Halo and already have all of the multiplayer maps. So they are paying $60 for a short campaign and one new version of multiplayer. Ridiculous! I am a Halo fan and I would feel cheated if I had shelled out $60 for this "game". They should have charged $15-30 for it to say thanks to all of the fan support they have received over the years instead of trying to milk Halo fans one more time. Bungie said that Halo 3 was the end of the story. Please let Halo RIP. Do not pull a Lucas on us and dig Halo up every couple of years to see if it still has some loose change in it's pockets. Instead, how about a new IP from Bungie? What a shocking idea! Prove you are not a one trick pony!
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Fun but short
by nnewbrunswick on October 1, 2009
Pros: -Game play we all love
-New human element to the Halo story
-Really slick night visionCons: -This game is short. It's been said before but this should of been a cheaper add-on.
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A great story that shows a more human side of the plot.
by JohnnyInterwebs on September 25, 2009
Pros: Firefight, pistol zoom.
Cons: Silenced weapons don't mean a thing, short main plot.
Summary: A great buy, despite the plot being so short.
Summary: A great buy, despite the plot being so short.
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So much hype, but not much delivery...
by kaiijez on September 19, 2009
Pros: The firefight option was really fun! The new vision mode is awesome, helps in dark areas. The pistol is back!
Cons: You never turn off the new vision mode!! Though you don't have a shield, you still can jump in the middle of a group and come out alive with ease. The very little bit of coop I played was very open, and was a change, but was too open.
Summary: The game felt like it didn't live up to the hype that was presented about it. Seemed more like a game that was designed to hold you over until ...
Summary: The game felt like it didn't live up to the hype that was presented about it. Seemed more like a game that was designed to hold you over until the next Halo game, Reach. Seems like every time I turn around, there's another game out there that has a survival mode, but Halo 3 ODST definitely is different from the rest. You get that Halo feel that everyone is just so accustomed to, but yet, they preached on how it would be a different game, and it wasn't. Very fun with a second third or fourth player, but I just can't seem to get that feeling of constantly checking the time until I get off work so I can go back home and play some Halo!
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Microsoft Corp.
- Part number: 5EA-00001
Product Basic Spec
- Platform Xbox 360
- ESRB rating Mature -
- Genre Action
- Number of players 1-4 Players
- Connectivity Online,Voice Chat
- Customization Downloadable Content
- Offline modes Competitive,Cooperative
- Online modes Competitive,Cooperative
Game
- Developer Bungie Software
- ESRB Mature
Manufacturer info
- Microsoft Corp.
- Manufacturer profile
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- Website: http://www.microsoft.com/
- Address:
One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052 - Phone: 1-425-882-8080
- Fax: 1-425-706-7329
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