Graphic Nature – HALO 3: ODST Review

The Halo franchise has been one of the biggest things to hit the gaming industry. It has a following that can match any other game that has been around since the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System). This past September 22^nd Bungie released the latest game within the franchise Halo 3: ODST.

Halo 3: ODST is the first game in the series not to feature Master Chief as the main protagonist. Instead you are given a story in the tone of Memento. You play as the Rookie on the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST) team as they are sent into New Mombasa, Africa to protect something. However, through out the game you take control of the other remembers of your squad as they regroup and make their way through the city. This allows you to gain the full experience of what happened to New Mombasa, Africa as the Covenant being their attack on Earth.

Pros

The Story – As I stated this is the first game not to feature Master Chief. Halo 3:ODST acts as the link between Halo 2 and Halo 3, while also getting you ready for the next installment in the series Halo: Reach (it’s a prequel to Halo). Let alone the fact that Memento is one of my all time favorite movies and they do an excellent job working with that formula. However, the constant switching between stories get’s pretty annoying.

The Voice Acting – ODST features members of the Firefly cast and one sexy Cylon filling in voice over roles. However, having Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion) voice the group’s commanding officer is pretty awesome.

Firefight Mode – Yes, it is the same thing as Horde mode from Gears of War 2, but it is a well welcomed addition and experience to the Halo universe. Firefight mode allows you and three of your friends to see if you can endure 15 rounds of constant on coming Covenant attack.

Graphics – This is a double edged sword actually. The city of New Mombasa looks stunning even if it is under attack. My problems with the graphics are listed below.

The Middle Ground

Halo 3 Multiplayer – Halo 3: ODST came with an extra disk featuring only the Halo 3 online multiplayer mode. This was an added bonus seeing as how the only multiplayer features on ODST are co-op and firefight. I’m sure Bungie could have cooked up a multiplayer for ODST if they wanted too.

Cons

Story Length – As good of a story ODST has it is pretty short for a $60 game. You can honestly beat this game in a few hours if you just sit down and run through it.

Graphics – Halo 3: ODST is built on the same engine as Halo 3 which was released in 2007. With the advancements in most of the game engines used today one would figure that Bungie would at least update their Halo Engine.

Overall, Halo 3: ODST is an enjoyable game. It gives you a different experience to the Halo universe that has only seen Master Chiefs story and also fills in some holes within the overall story. The Halo 3 multiplayer alone is enough to keep anyone occupied with the game seeing as how the story is pretty shot. Plus, it’s an easy game if you are looking to boost up that achievement score of yours. However, with it basically being Halo 3 with a different coat of paint and no real multiplayer of its own I would say that Halo 3: ODST is a solid rent. Paying $60 dollars for a game you probably already own and/or beat isn’t worth it.