Halo 3: ODST Review
October 1, 2009 by Daniel Wise
Filed under Events, Reviews & Interviews
Get set, it’s time to drop.
Overview:
Halo 3: ODST follows the exploits of a Marine ODST squad in the city of New Mombasa. The Covenant have brought a few party boats to earth and they’re having a good night at the expense of those pesky humans. The story begins with a botched drop when one of the Covenant ships goes into slipspace causing a massive EMP explosion that rocks all the human troops of course. It’s a futuristic version of the night-time air raid on Normandy and nearly everyone has been dropped quite a ways away from their intended landing zones. The ODST squad has been separated and their number one priority becomes survival.
Meet The Rookie:
Halo 3: ODST puts the player in the shoes of “The Rookie” a silent, but capable trooper who is a new addition to the team of Bucky, Dutch, Micky, Romeo and Dare (is anybody else reminded of Top Gun by this?). The game opens six hours after the botched drop with Rookie waking up with the Covenant occupation at full effect. Squads of brutes, jackals and grunts are searching the city for stragglers and Rookie is just happens to occupy the description of the stragglers. The night-time segments of the game is drastically different from the day-time as Rookie must make haste to get from point A to point B in New Mombasa, quickly moving between lights and shadow. This gameplay mechanic is vastly different from other versions of the Halo franchise as it’s more prudent to avoid fire fights than to actually engage the enemy. Rookie must schour the streets and find clues to the disappearance of his squad with the aid of the city’s Superintendant.
Meet the ODSTs:
The ODSTs are vulnerable as opposed to the ridiculously over-powered Master Chief. Players find that bullets and lasers tear very easily through their armor and flesh and death can come very siftly. Moreover, ODSTs are prone to take damage from long falls, and collecting healthpacks are a must. ODSTs are outfitted with a VIZR feature that allows them to have a tactical advantage on the battlefield. The darkness becomes illuminated and the player can easily spot enemies before they themselves are spotted. Players then have the ability to use a map (a la Ghost Recon: AW) that gives them a definitive lay of the land. The down side is that the VIZR is utterly useless during the day. Upon activation, the player will enter a world of blinding pain that makes eye gauging What’s more is that the player is now outfitted with new weapons that take advantage of the silent nature of the ODSTs.
The Game:
In stark contrast to the night-time sequences are the daytime sequences. These are triggered when Rookie finds artifacts belonging to his missing squad mates. During the day-time, the essence of Halo truly shines with frantic, non-stop action. The day-time sequences are easily digestible as each mission shouldn’t last more than 30 to 40 minutes on Normal difficulty. That all changes on Heroic and Legendary which showcases the power of the Covanent and the frailty of the ODSTs. The day-time sequences are extremely hard to go solo in the high difficulties, so the first run-through should be on Normal. The campaign is strictly meant to be played solo, but co-op is available.The story of Halo 3: ODST is a bit of a let-down compared to the hype that was manufactured. I came into this expecting to be blown away by the voice acting, setting and themes, but I came away from it disappointed. This game is similar to last summer’s Transformers 2, in which you have a story that tries way too hard, mixed with action sequences that are over the top and yet very satisfying. Bungie doesn’t deliver on the surface, but for those that become dedicated to searching for a deeper meaning to the game will find that Bungie has provided just that. A couple play-throughs and a knowledge of literature or mythology are required to get the full effect of the story of this game, but the Hollywood delivery was a major turn-off.
With that said, this is the best campaign in the series for the fact that no single part of the game undermines another. The action sequences are digestible and frenzied and stalking the streets of New Mombasa is a brilliant change of pace. Finding health-packs, supply chaches and audio logs gives the player much to do and explore.
Multiplayer:
As for the multiplayer, the game includes Firefight mode, which is comparable to COD 5’s Nazi Zombie mode, horde mode on Gears of War 2 and Survival mode on Left 4 Dead. The game has 5 rounds in a set and 3 sets. This mode provides hours of co-op action outside of the campaign and the inclusion of Skull modifiers adds a unique twist to the gameplay. A second disc is included which comes with the complete Halo 3 multiplayer experience. This includes original and all DLC map packs plus 3 maps exclusive to Halo 3: ODST owners. There’s a bit of an issue with this, as owners of Halo 3 and all the map packs will have very little use of the additional disc. There are 3 exclusive maps, but that isn’t nearly enough to justify the full $60 price tag of the game. For people who are late to the party the two discs are absolutely worth the price of admission.
The Verdict:
Loved: The unique story telling is a step in a new direction for Bungie. The VIZR is extremely helpful and provides the best tactical advantage for the night-time segments, but it’s useless during the day. The frailty of the ODSTs gives a sense of mortality and I am no longer controlling the hand of God Himself. The soundtrack is stellar, takes a new approach to the established Halo theme and expands on it to great effect. The complete multiplayer experience, plus co-op and fire fight mode will keep this disc in my 360 for some time to come.Hated: The over done Hollywood approach was a big turn-off and nearly made me lose faith in the efforts of Bungie from a story telling perspective. Owners of Halo 3 are getting a little bit short-changed with this effort. The battles can become overbearing at some points and I felt like I wanted to get back to being in the boots of Rookie. This game includes the lamest
Gade: (B) This game is innovative, but certain aspects holds it back from true greatness and originality. You’ll get plenty of bang for your buck in the area of gameplay, but some may find the story to be cliched and cheesy. Bungie steps over bounderies with this effort, but certain conventions keep the game in the realm of pandering to frat boys and 13 year-olds.
For more info: Halo 3: ODST (Metacritic) | Wiki
Tom Kerkhof
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