Drop Into the New World of “Halo 3: ODST”

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Author: Gil Alcaraz

On Sept. 22, Bungie Studios, developers of the widely popular “Halo” series exclusively for Xbox 360, released its newest project, “Halo 3: ODST.” The game was first announced on June 1 under the name “Halo: Reach,” but was later changed to “Halo 3: ODST.” It was meant as a side project that started out as a two-to-three hour expansion to the “Halo 3” game, but soon turned into a full game.

It comes as a two-disc set, with one disc including the campaign and a new multiplayer mode. The other disc contains all 24 multiplayer maps that can be used to play online with other people playing “Halo 3,” including three new maps exclusive to the “Halo 3: ODST” disc. As well as gaining access to the three new maps for the “Halo 3” multiplayer mode, “Halo 3: ODST” also comes with a new multiplayer mode called Firefight which allows you and up to three of your friends to cooperatively battle against wave after wave of increasingly difficult Covenant forces.

This installment of the Halo series takes place between “Halo 2” and “Halo 3” in the perspective of an ODST, or Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. This is unlike all of the previous Halo games, which have been from the perspective of the Master Chief, an enhanced human super-soldier.

The story is set in the year 2552, during which time an alien race called the Covenant has invaded our planet. A Covenant ship has blasted into hyper drive right above the bustling city of New Mombasa, which creates a shockwave that destroys much of the city. The ODST soldiers were in flight during the shockwave and have been thrown off course. As “The Rookie,” you must navigate the alien-infested city to uncover the clues to help locate your squad.

This is where the storyline can get a little confusing. As you venture through the city, you come across key artifacts that somehow trigger flashbacks during which you play through your lost squadmate’s struggle for survival. I don’t necessarily see how finding a piece of scrap metal or a destroyed cannon can put you in the shoes of a comrade, but they had to find a way to lengthen the story somehow.

Although this can be somewhat of a struggle in the way of keeping the story straight, the differentiation between characters allows for a bigger and better understanding of the events that unfold throughout the game, as well as allowing the player to step into the shoes of different characters and personalities.

While this change can be nice, Bungie also made sure to stay true to the Halo series by giving plenty of variety throughout the campaign, including missions involving tanks, flying alien crafts and lots of sniping. There was a diverse setting and scenario in each level that kept me wondering what would happen next and how each turn of events would lead me towards the final ending.

With this new perspective, the gamer is introduced to a different style of game play. As a result of playing as a new character with lower capabilities than the previous Halo characters, tactics become much more valuable, seeing as staying healthy becomes more of a factor. Although greatly different than the previous titles, I felt that this feature added a new dimension to the Halo series, keeping the game fresh and new.

Strategy and stealth become your most precious assets as opposed to combat skills due to the fact that health does not regenerate as in previous Halo titles, but must instead be restored using med packs.Although the storyline is intriguing and keeps the player wanting more, the ending is somewhat of a bust, as it is nowhere close to being as epic as many of the past endings to Halo titles. And for people who love the challenge of playing the game at the highest level of difficulty, Legendary, prepare to be disappointed.

Despite drawbacks, the exciting new direction of gameplay style makes ODST well worth the $59.99 for both Halo fans and general shooter fans alike. It brings an exciting new dimension to the Halo world and uncovers some of the mysteries of the story behind the series. And if the story revealed during the campaign isn’t enough to keep you interested, the multiplayer mode and Firefight will be sure to get you hooked as it is hands-down the best addition to the Halo series.

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