"Halo 3" box art courtesy of developer Bungie and publisher Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360
Speaking from personal experience, video game fans can be a rabid bunch, and “Halo” fans especially so. Fortunately, franchise developer Bungie has given the fans a new (if somewhat short) “Halo” adventure while they wait for the next full-length installment due out next year.
“Halo 3: ODST” occupies the somewhat ambiguous territory between a spin-off, a prequel and a sequel. It has a self-contained story, but that story takes place between “Halo 2” and “Halo 3” and only tangentially involves any of the characters from the original series. Instead of taking on the role of walking tank known as the Master Chief, players fill the shoes of an anonymous Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (hence the “ODST” at the end of the title) referred to by his squadmates simply as “The Rookie.”
Ditching the powered armor of the Master Chief for the much less bullet-resistant Rookie is part of what sets “ODST” apart from the past three “Halo” games. The Rookie doesn’t have the advantages of energy shields, a motion tracker or superhuman strength and speed to help him survive. Players who forget that they’re no longer super-soldiers will die quickly and often.
While “ODST” has some features that are very different from previous games, other features are throwbacks to the days when the series originated on the Xbox. The health system in “ODST” works much like it did in the original “Halo.” The player has a permanent health bar at the top of the screen that becomes depleted once their stamina is drained from taking damage. Stamina recharges over time if the player isn’t being shot at, but health can only be replenished by health packs. Similarly, players can’t dual-wield weapons any more.
There are some gameplay elements of “ODST” that are original though. There are two new weapons, a silenced machine gun and silenced pistol, as well as a new vision mode for use during the games night sections. Pressing the “X” button causes a faint color outline to surround everything on screen. Neutral objects like buildings are outlined in a faint yellow, weapons are blue, friendly characters are green (those are few and far between) and enemies glow red.
The biggest addition of “ODST” however is the new Firefight mode. Firefight pits up to 4 players against a never-ending succession of difficulties. As the team makes it way through the rounds, the enemies get progressively tougher and come in bigger groups, leading to some genuinely frantic battles. The sight of a giant alien lunging toward you wielding a hammer the size of a two-by-four is both awe-inspiring and terrifying as you desperately try to get out of the way.
That said, the cooperative element of Firefight makes each victory that much sweeter. Team work is a necessity since the group only has a pool of seven lives to go around. Groups that work together will prove victorious, and there’s a definite sense of shared satisfaction when the team successfully fights off an enemy force that puts the D-Day invasion to shame.
“ODST” also features a somewhat abbreviated single player campaign. The campaign, set in the fictional future city of New Mombassa in Africa, follows a squad of ODSTs as they drop in to the city right before an alien ship warps away. The resulting blast scatters the squad to the far corners of the city. The Rookie blacks out on impact and wakes up 6 hours later in what could generously be called a hostile environment. Alien troops have infested the city and the Rookie is all alone.
Well, not entirely alone. The city’s AI program will offer guidance in the form of maps, the occasional supply stash and beacons to the last known location of the other squad members. The city is a very atmospheric environment and has an open-world feel to it similar to the “Grand Theft Auto” series. The buildings are very dramatically lit with a film-noir tinge, and the mournful score makes the player feel very much alone and in over their head.
As the Rookie navigates the city, he comes across different items that offer clues to what happened while he was unconscious. Finding one of these items triggers a flashback sequence that puts the player in the shoes of one of the other ODSTs. While the Rookie sections are intentionally more focused on one soldier’s solitary quest, the flashbacks sequences are the characteristic thrill rides fans have come to expect from Bungie. In these portions of the game, players will drive tanks through the heart of the city, do some demolition work on a bridge full of bad guys and lead a charge of jeeps into battle.
As if all of this weren’t enough, the second disc of “ODST” contains all of the maps every made for the “Halo 3” multiplayer mode, plus three more new maps. While newcomers to the series may find this a welcome addition, it feels like a slap to the face of those gamers who already purchased the maps online.
Which leads to the game’s only other flaw: the price tag. In spite of the new additions, there still isn’t enough material here to warrant the price tag for a full game. It’s a very deep expansion to be sure, and the new elements are well done, but it still feels like Bungie and Microsoft are gouging fans a bit because they know they can.
Is the price tag a deal breaker? Depends on the gamer. Those who are looking to break into the “Halo” universe will find it a tad underwhelming and overpriced. Hardcore “Halo” fans will eat “ODST” up, however. To those who think they’re ready to be an ODST: Prepare to drop.
Contact CU Independent Entertainment Editor Rob Ryan at Rryan@colorado.edu.
