3 months ago
It's Halo time again. The two-disk Halo 3 ODST marks the fifth installment in Microsoft's flagship franchise for its Xbox and Xbox 360 video game systems. Before you point out that ODST couldn't possibly be the fifth since it's got the number "3" in the name, we'd like to remind you that Halo Wars, which was released earlier this year, is technically a Halo game and Halo 3 (sans the ODST) was released in 2007.
In promoting the game, Microsoft make sure to mention that ODST returns to the roots of the franchise. Any questions as to what that means are quickly answered soon after firing up the game as many drastic changes are apparent in contrast to the hugely successful Halo 2 and 3. For beginners, you don't play as the infamous Master Chief. Rather, you are a specialized soldier called an orbital drop shock trooper (hence the title ODST). ODSTs are elite soldiers who simply aren't as cool or as handy as Master Chief. Not as cool means that a lot of the abilities that Halo gamers have become accustomed to from Master Chief have been "nerfed", if they even exist at all.
For example: ODSTs do not have an overshield, rather they have a stamina mechanic where the soldier can take a small amount of damage without much worry before it inflicts permanent damage. That's right, permanent damage. Permanent as in can't be regenerated by resting. Needless to say, if enough permanent damage is taken it's "game over".
Also, if an ODST falls from to high of a height he takes damage. They apparently don't have the ability of dual-wielding weapons nor can they jump quite as high as a Master Chief can. All of these differences and limitations do affect gameplay, but it's not exactly something that negatively affects its. Then again, that assessment probably differs depending on who you ask. In our view, it looks like Microsoft decided to return Halo 3's gameplay to something that related closer to the original Halo game rather than its sequel.
There are some new toys to play with, though. ODSTs are equipped with a nifty visor. What that means to you is you can freely toggle between normal and "special" vision (called VISR), which allows you a different way to see the world. In VISR-view, your cohorts are outlined in green, enemies in red, etc. It also helps with seeing in low-light conditions.
When it comes to in-game controls, ODST does give players much in the way of surprises. The button layout is pretty standard compared to other Halo titles (and other FPS games in general): Right-trigger fires the weapon, "A" Jumps, the left-bumper cycles through the different weapon choices, and so on. One ODST-specific change is the "X" button, which toggles between normal and VISR-view. The controls are comfortable in part because they're familiar and the execution and response is just as tight as the previous games in the franchise. Though, as somebody who hasn't been good at first-person shooters since the original Quake III Arena game way back in 1999, the controls and overall gameplay came off as quite hard to master compared to something like Madden.
The single-player campaign mode is cut-up into a number of storylined missions. This is where the game's plot unfolds as you get to explore the events that lead up to Master Chief's return to New Mombasa. It also lets you view the ultimate fate of earth through the eyes of somebody other than Master Chief. The only downside worth mentioning is that the gameplay for single-player is only a handful of hours long and leaves you thinking that you just finished an Xbox LIVE expansion for the Halo 3 main title.
But, like the other three FPS Halo games, multiplayer is where it's at. ODST features something new in this department. Called "firefight", it allows up to four players to jump right into the action in co-op mode. You're basically all members of a squad of ODST soldiers facing hordes upon hordes of enemies. The goal of the firefight mode, it seems, is simply to last as long as possible so that your team can rack-up the highest score possible. Firefight isn't the only multiplayer mode, however, as the second disk is where you'll find the conventional Halo multiplayer options. This second disk includes three maps unique to Halo 3, all of the maps from the original Halo game, as well as the familiar "Legendary," "Heroic," and "Mythic" maps. That adds up to a grand total of 24 maps, which in our book is pretty darn good.
The disk-two multiplayer is more-or-less everything that Halo gamers are familiar with, only with an ODST flair. That being stated, it's still fun and well worth popping the second disk in to play. The firefight multiplayer, though, is kind-of hit-or-miss (overall, Gears of War is better at this style of gameplay). The concept is rather fun, as is proof in Valve's Dead or Alive game when you and your three other teammates must survive volley after volley of zombies. Halo 3, though, doesn't have zombies; it has brutes (among other nasties). And a volley of brutes quipped with jet-packs and nasty-looking weapons is much more intimidating than a bunch of zombies (the tank aside). On the smaller maps, firefight works out rather well and it's easy to work as a rag-tag team. On the larger maps such as Security Zone, however, it's all-too easy to get separated and thusly quickly defeated. Xbox LIVE communication is the key.
Overall, Halo 3 ODST isn't half-bad. Most gamers will consider it to be the better of the two Halo-branded games to come out this year. At full retail price ($59 retail or $99 for the collector's edition), it's still up for debate if it's fully worth the asking price though the inclusion of the multiplayer disk should satisfy most who find ODST a little underwhelming. The high-quality graphics are there, as is the level of quality in gameplay, map design, and audio. If after reading this review you're still on the fence about it, rent it first and see for yourself but you'll probably just end up buying it anyway.
Final Game Guys Grade: B+
Halo 3 ODST is rated "M for Mature" by the ESRB.
News10/KXTV
