Halo 3 ODST Review

Halo 3 ODST began as an idea for a simple expansion to Halo 3. It would be just a few hours long and help tide the fans over until Halo: Reach is ready in late 2010. That little idea grew to be so much more. The end result is a package that no Halo fan should be without, as it is the definition of fan service. You get a six hour campaign that expands the boundaries of what to expect in a Halo game, an excellent new cooperative mode called Firefight, and an entire second disc filled with adversarial maps. This isn't a full-blown sequel, which might disappoint some people, but you'd do well to take it for what it is: another great game from Bungie.

In many ways, Halo 3: ODST is a return to the roots of the Halo franchise. Master Chief -- with his magical healing Spartan armor, mockery of gravity, and dual wielding ways -- is sitting this one out. Instead, you'll take the role of the Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, or ODST. These highly-trained, but not quite super, soldiers don't have all of the strengths of the Chief. They can only aim one weapon at a time. They have a health bar that requires health packs to restore once their light overshield is depleted. They can't jump as high or fall as far or take as many bullets without stumbling into Death's open arms. They handle quite like Master Chief did in Halo: Combat Evolved, and they have a powerful scoped pistol to complete the throwback feel.

Though the ODSTs handle like the Halo of yore, the rest of the campaign is as fresh and exciting as you could hope for. With Master Chief on the sidelines, Bungie has scrapped its traditional galactic romp in favor of a focused, character driven tale. The result is one of the most satisfying Halo storylines yet and a great step forward for the franchise.

I rate it 9.8/10

Yours sincerly MarkZ0R