Halo 3 ODST (XBOX 360)

Gamecow’s Price	RRP $69.95     Save $7.00 $62.95
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Genre	First Person Shooter
Platform	XBOX 360
Release Date	22/09/2009
Rated

Halo 3 ODST (XBOX 360) Product Information

Halo® 3: ODST returns players to familiar ground on a vital, top-secret mission. The gripping story, cooperative campaign and new multiplayer content will have Halo fans "Preparing to Drop" in Fall 2009. Originally titled Halo 3: Recon, the new game brings the perspective of new characters to the Human-Covenant struggle, as it explores the ODST, or Orbital Drop Shock Troopers.

 FEATURES:

• ODSTs: Follow the story of the legendary ODSTs or Orbital Drop Shock Troopers as they drop into the ruined city of New Mombasa, looking for clues behind the Covenant's catastrophic attack on the city.
• A new hero: Prepare to drop. Known for their courage, valor and at times, insanity, Orbital Drop Shock Troopers are among the fiercest UNSC soldiers, priding themselves on being the first unit deployed into hostile situations. While not as large or supernaturally gifted as their Spartan comrades, these Hell Jumpers more than compensate with their ferocious attitudes and unwavering nerve.
• Multiplayer: All the traditional features of Halo 3 multiplayer will be included in the new game, including full-featured integration with the Forge map editor.
• More to come: More information about Halo 3: ODST and the ODST characters will be made available in the near future, so stay tuned!

Halo 3 ODST (XBOX 360) Review

Having finished the fight with Master Chief two years ago in Halo 3, Bungie isn’t losing out on an opportunity to milk… sorry, give greater insight into the world of Halo. Halo 3: ODST is essentially an expansion and a branch off the main Halo story. With a new set of characters and a few new features thrown in, Halo 3: ODST has something for the franchise veterans while managing to stand alone well enough to allow new players to join in as well.

Starting off as ‘The Rookie’, you’re given a brief introduction to some of the game’s intricacies and the difference between the Spartans and ODSTs. The thing is, the ODST isn’t really that different to Master Chief. Heck, they even look similar! They have a visor that acts like night-vision and objective/enemy identifier in one, which admittedly, is quite handy. However, the Intel map is a fairly arbitrary addition, as you never really need to set way points for yourself and it comes off as a waste.

Since ODSTs were meant to be weaker than the Spartans, the experience was supposedly meant to require more stealth and regard for your own safety. Unfortunately, it’s only when you’re playing through the Mombasa Streets as the Rookie that any real conspicuous actions come into play, as you often sneak up on unsuspecting patrols. Furthermore, while you have a shield just like a Spartan, your health will not regenerate after it gets damaged, necessitating the use of health packs.

The other primary addition to Halo 3: ODST has been ‘Firefight’. Various parts of the campaign are used in the grounds of Firefight, where you and up to three friends take up arms and defend your location against waves and waves of Covenant forces. Along the way, you get points and awards and the waves keep coming until you run out of lives. Sound familiar? Well, that’s pretty much because it’s like Horde from Gears of War 2 and Mercenaries from Resident Evil 4 and 5. While it’s more varied than Horde, it’s not as frantic, bite-sized or rewarding as the non-multiplayer Mercenaries. Still, if you still play Halo 3 multiplayer with friends, it will certainly be welcome variety and a blast to play.

Halo 3: ODST probably tells the best and most interesting story of anything with Halo attached, is full of large scale set pieces and adds an entertaining new co-op mode.

Full review PALGN