Alas, the next game on the halo franchise: ODST! Takes place after Halo 2 in the series but before 3. Because there are many reviews out there by a shitload of websites, I'm going to give more of a personal opinion of it, but remember, it really depends on what you are looking for in this kind of game to determine if you would enjoy it or not!

What do you do in this game compared to halo 3??
Bungie was trying to make this game a little different from the normal halo games, but personally, I think they did not go far enough to even call it a "new game". It is really an expensive game add-on. (but i will get to that later). In previous Halo games, you are a war hero saving the marines and earth from destruction. You are much more powerful and go into huge battles you against many. In this game, you work a little bit more with a team, but not as much as to going into a large fight. This game is more story based, and you get to play as most of the ODST characters. You have a few new weapons and gadgets, but other than that it is pretty much the same as before. There is less wide-range fighting going on here, and more waves of enemies that come to infiltrate. But that is a huge concept that is put into this game to be different.

Okay, so different isn't always bad right?Well, speaking for the ODST game itself, it is a good idea, but there are some flaws. For one, there is no ranks and no matchmaking. Next, the story is not lengthy whatsoever. In firefight, you can play with up to four, and battle on about 10 courses of waves of enemies to try to survive as long as you can. This is good, however, it seems very achievement based as that is the only thing you can gain from playing this. It is fun for a while, however there doesn't seem to be much more point to it than just playing for kicks. As for the story, I won't say any spoilers, but the story was extremely short and (for me at least) was also extremely shallow. If you are looking for a good story, I don't believe this game has much of one at all. In other terms, it seems like the "story" of this game is completely pointless to halo, as there is a cliffhanger at the end that does not give an explanation. Theres no flood, sure, but what is the purpose of why you are fighting in this game??


So you make it sound like I should NOT get this game...
I didn't mention the bonus HALO3 multiplayer disk. This is how I put it: If you do not have halo 3, this is a GREAT buy! Reason is, you get the awesomeness of Halo 3 multiplayer bundled with this game, which includes everything except for the Halo 3 campaign. PLUS you get the ODST firefight and campaign. Sounds like a good deal to me! Only, I have halo 3, so it wasn't very usefull to get another disc of the same game. But that isn't the only reason you may want this game. ODST is a game (seemingly) heavily based apon achievements. The story and firefight both have achievements for the way you fight. If you like to take up the challenge and get all of those unlocked, go for it! Only I do wish there was one more achievement: play without using your VISR through the story.

Whats a VISR and why did you say that?
Don't get me wrong, I think the VISR is a great idea. You gather audio logs, get a real-time map, see enemies and allies outlined in green or red, its cool. However, despite this new feature, it defeats the purpose of the night-time and dark buildings setting. It is very useful, but with a challenge to play through the game without using it while in the dark would be freaky and well-worth the different feel. I'm probably gonna do it anyway. The main point is, you can always use it in the dark, and never in the day, so it just takes away its usefulness.


So, overall?
Halo 3: ODST may be great for some. People may like to play with their friends through campaign for kicks and firefight over and over to become better. On the other hand though, many others may not enjoy it because of the shallow story, no matchmaking, and not as big of battles. I really felt that it was half an expansion to the Halo 3/2 campaign, and half of Halo 3 minus the campaign, put into one box. So in all, its great if you don't have Halo 3 and like Halo 3's multiplayer and forge, but otherwise there's a good chance that you would feel cheated as ODST is not in-depth enough.

Just remember, how much you like this game depends on what you were looking for in it. I was hoping for a good story with the AI system helping out the soldiers and new equipment and long levels. Instead it was mostly the opposite. But, for example, my brother really likes firefight and plays it much more often than I really do. But a conclusion that I believe could be accurate, is that many of all of the people who buy it, would be disappointed, and the others might really like it.


Considering that HALO 3 Multiplayer disc is a bonus to the game, I give the ODST game itself a 3 of 5 points.
That is my opinion, but I believe if they made the story much more lengthy and in-depth, then both sides of the fence would be happier.

Other ratings
IGN: 9/10 (reader avg: 6.7)
GT: 8.9/10 (reader avg: 8.4)
1up: A-