Rating:
3.5 out of 5
Overall, I found playing through the Rookie portion of the game a little slow and boring at times. I should also mention that I actually ran out of ammo as the Rookie in one section. I tried to go to other areas where I had just fought some covenant and all the guns had disappeared. I had to search for a good ten minutes to find a new gun. I found that while playing as the Rookie, I was looking forward to finding the next Beacon so I could play as one of the other ODSTs. The reason being was their missions seemed to be more geared towards action and vehicular combat, which is the reason I fell in love with the Halo franchise in the first place. The squad mate’s missions are fun for the most part, but still lack the memorable moments that are found in the other Halo titles. This is due to the fact that Halo 3: ODST does not do anything new. Everything has a “Been there, done that” sort of feel. It’s like playing Halo 3 again, because essentially that is what it is (with full price tag). Overall, the storyline was pretty uneventful and the whole reason for your classified mission is a bit silly. Frankly, I did not mind that the campaign was only 6 hours long.
Graphically, the game falls short. Bungie is still using the same dated engine used for Halo 3 and it shows. Do not expect Gears quality visuals, textures, animations or character models. Halo ODST looks exactly the same as Halo 3 back when it was released 2 years ago. Don’t get me wrong, it looks good, but not great as a full-retail A-List title. I can name over a dozen third party games that look better than Halo 3: ODST. It seems strange that the once proclaimed “Killer App” can’t maximize the hardware it is running on, even on its second attempt. I am just crossing my fingers that Halo Reach will finally look like a next gen Halo game.
The multiplayer portion is split into two sections and is actually on two separate discs. Firefight is on the same disc as the campaign and the multiplayer is on the second disc. To me, Firefight was the reason I was looking forward to this game. When Bungie announced it I thought to myself “Halo is going to have a Horde mode? This will be the coolest thing since sliced bread!” After playing it a dozen times I came away with mixed feelings. Sure it is a blast to play with a few friends, but it just doesn’t have the longevity that will keep me playing as long as I did the Gears of War Horde Mode.
I found myself asking a bunch of questions like,”Why is there only one map with vehicles on it? Why can’t I play without any skulls activated? Why can’t I customize starting equipment and gear found on the map?” Those aren’t even the biggest issue. That crown belongs to the fact that you cannot save or select which wave, round or set to start at. For example, my friend and I were playing a match for almost two hours and time came for him to leave. We had to quit and start from the very beginning the next time he was over. This eliminates the sense of accomplishment and progression. The only thing I had to show for those two hours was an achievement only worth a measly 10GS. For me, I am just going to get the achievements to get 200,000 points on every map and I think I will have had my fill of the Firefight mode – unless they patch it of course.
The second disc contains a clone of Halo 3 and has the download maps included. No sense reviewing this because it is exactly what you find on the Halo 3 disc. I quickly have to give thanks to Bungie for continuously supporting split-screen play. Halo 3: ODST can be played two-player splitscreen through the campaign and Firefight game modes. Even further, you can link two X-Box systems together and have some four player co-op action in both game modes as well. This is how I found the game most enjoyable. If you can manage to link up two 360s and have four friends into shooters, I recommend this is how you play ODST. If split-screen is not your thing, you have the option to play both the campaign and Firefight over X-Box Live.
When Bungie announced Halo Recon, they described it as a small expansion, with a campaign that ran about four to six hours. It was to have an expanded multiplayer with exclusive new maps and was to release at a discounted price. Halo ODST has a six hour campaign and has the original Halo 3 multiplayer with the exclusive maps being found in Firefight. The only difference being Halo 3: ODST was released as a full price game. So why does the game cost so much when it only delivers what Bungie describes as a small expansion? The game feels like an expansion and to try and market it as anything else is a bit ridiculous but money is the game, and the hardcore multiplayer users will buy into the new modes. The only way I would recommend anyone to buy Halo 3: ODST is if they are a Halo fanatic and just can’t get enough of Halo or if the person really wants the new Halo 3 maps. This is a good way to get them and other content in one package. If you aren’t one of those people I suggest you wait until the price drops or just go over to a friend’s who has it and have your few hours of fun with it.
Loading ...