Halo 3: ODST

Blog Post: So the Spartan Assassin says....

Zac the Spartan Assassin — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 04:41:00 GMT

It was a great game and still is, you can give all the reasons you want but i like it for one simple reason. That reason is that it takes everything great about Halo and a little bit of an open-world style. You may not be MAster Chief but that doesn't mean your not killing covenant scum and winning a war.Besides, who knows, maybe your a Spartan in disguise.

Blog Post: Halo 3 ODST let you down? what a shame...

squadcar — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:27:00 GMT

I was not turned away by the lack of competitive multiplayer, though it would have been greatly interesting to play as an ODST in multiplayer, relying more on stealth than you normally already need to.

This game was really fun and was very interesting. This was a more campaign led game and that disappointed a lot of people I knew but I really enjoyed it. The campaign intrigued me with its odd time switches, how people got where and what happened in between. You may have ran through the campaign for achievements and not know what happens, skip cutscenes and such like some achievement hunters do. Some of you think you know all of what's happened by playing the campaign and listening to the dialogue and such but you really don't. If all you did was play the campaign you only found out half the story, the rest of the story lies within these scattered audio logs. I got 29/30 and never found the last one and never got the achievement which greatly irked me. But the story that lies within these logs completes all of ODST's storyline. It was a fun campaign and you had to play carefully on Heroic like you would on Halo 3 on Legendary, because now you have stamina and health not shields. Your melees suck, you can't dual wield, you have less resistance to damage, cannot jump higher than a normal human nor run faster than a human. Because now you are simply a human, a highly trained human, but not some natural born BadA** that was later genetically modified to be even better and then given a suit to help even more. A Spartan is a bit more than human, an ODST is just like a special operations group. This element completely made the game much more interesting because you can't go crazy, balls out, dual wielding spikers mowing everything in your path.

There's not much to the multiplayer in this game but it was still fun, when Gears revived an old style of gaming that they named Horde many other popular games tagged along (examples: Halo and Left 4 Dead) and Halo's was Firefight, you fought different waves of enemies and the longer it goes the harder. Having a set amount of lives and gaining lives at the end of sets made it a fun gametype but not something anyone that is MLG oriented would necessarily look for.

ODST disappointed many of my MLG friends and I played MLG all the time, but I'm not as a tightwad about my Halo, this game did great and Reach had it's multiplayer again which satisfied me. Anyone that's a real Halo fan would probably have enjoyed this game.
93/100

Blog Post: Review: Halo ODST

SquashSkin — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 04:34:00 GMT

It's been a while since ODST's launch, yet once I played the newest installment in the series I discovered I had skipped a game. Thank goodness I went back and found this hiding gem, for that's exactly what ODST is: A hidden jewel of wonderment.

The main enjoyment I've drawn from this game came from its unique single-player campaign. Told primarily through the eyes of the character known as "The Rookie" you wander the streets of a war torn Earth city after an orbital drop goes bad. The open ended sandbox style of running around causing mayhem really lent itself well to the series, offering both a refreshing take on what was starting to become formulamatic and an entirely different experience from Halo 3's "take on the world" style. The game knows you are more vulnerable and takes advantage quickly. The flashback squences that keep the storyline focused provide some nicely human characters to keep things from getting stale. In them you discover that Bungie has shrank the scale of events yet at the same time, they become easier to understand and follow.

The firefight mode is as addicting as ever providing some extreme challenge in both skill and tactical thinking, though in my opinion it becomes impossible far to quickly. It is very easy to get through a round and then think that the next will be just as easy, only to find that the black-eye skull has suddenly turned on to make your life miserable. The variety of the maps just lends to the fun too with each one requiring different tactics and advantages. The only issue with the firefight appears when you don't have a buddy to play with there to cover your back as it gets Gravity Hammered.

There are some issues with the game. Firstly, it was intended to be an expansion pack, thus the graphics run off basically the same engine as Halo 3. Second, the enemies have a nasty habit of suddenly spotting you in the dark even though you're well hidden. while this isn't too annoying on Normal difficulty, on Legendary such an occurence is almost always a death sentence. Yet despite some minor shortcomings, ODST shows its true colors well by distinguishing itself from its brtheren but still retains that Halo feel that makes fans remeber why they love this series. Considering this review is being written so much later from ODST's launch, it's price has dropped substantially, making Halo 3 : ODST not only a requirement for any Halo fan to play, but also a video game fan as well.

Blog Post: Prepare to Drop in this full-priced expansion

Brawldud — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 18:34:00 GMT

A year and a half ago I purchased Halo 3: ODST. Originally Halo 3: Recon, Microsoft decided to make a full-priced release out of an otherwise $30 expansion. The result? I don't think it's worth $60, but the price has gone down since launch and it has many great features to keep you hooked. ODST takes place during the events of Halo 2, as the opening scene shows the slipspace jump the Prophet of Regret made over New Mombasa, Africa that he made in the Metropolis level of Halo 2. A side-story is also buried under audio logs players find throughout the city chronicling the events for young Sadie Endesha as she tries to rescue her father and escape the city before it is overrun by Covenant forces.

ODST's campaign is remarkably different from other Halo games'. Instead of playing through the game in a linear path, between missions players are roaming the streets of New Mombasa as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper on a classified counterintelligence op. This open world structure embraces a more tactical approach for co-op, and the game finally brings much-needed features to the table, such as the ability to set waypoints and having a detailed map of players' surroundings. Players can choose their route through the urban nighttime environments, but they will have to fight a squad of Brutes, Jackals, Grunts, and occasionally Engineers regardless of which route they take - while their map details enemy positions, it's hard to go on an all-out stealth. It's just a matter of choosing which cover appears better.

This game should be treated as an expansion, not as a new game. Enemies are still the same, there's still the obligatory (but very exciting) Scarab boss battle, and it fills in the gaps of what the hell was happening in New Mombasa after the slip-space rupture. Vehicles are still the same (although with some tweaks) and overall the gameplay is largely the same, just with different environments.

The best addition in ODST is the Horde-like Firefight mode, although it is different from Horde in that you face intelligent Covenant forces, rather than mindless cannon fodder. With good enemy AI and a variety of maps from the campaign, this will keep you occupied for a longer period of time, but expect the occasionally swearing whenever the skull Black Eye is turned on, or an enemy Brute Chieftan rushes your friends with the devastating Gravity Hammer.

Halo fans will be thrilled with ODST, and one scene that involves a missile pod made me feel like a bad*** commando slaughtering hordes and hordes of Covenant ships effortlessly as I defended a downed Pelican.

I think Halo fans should definitely pick up ODST, but Halo haters won't have their opinion changed - the new Firefight mode is more than enough to compensate for the silent protagonist and 5 hour campaign. The game also includes the map packs for Halo 3, so offline players aren't missing out on the new maps.

Blog Post: Cool Expansion

Dustin — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:07:00 GMT

This game is not $60 worth of new content, but it doesn't cost that much anymore, so who cares? The campaign is short but fun (Nathan Fillion FTW!) and features the much needed addition of a map. Firefight mode is cool and all the Halo 3 multiplayer content is cool if you don't have it already.

Blog Post: Halo 3: ODST tmcclelland47

tmcclelland47 — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 04:21:00 GMT

Halo 3:ODST is the perfect way to waste an entire weekend - while having fun in the process. In short - you get some good weapons, target a coupla alien dudes - and blow 'em up. It's a shoot-em-up kinda game, and it takes place on the planet Reach. The Spartans are trying to fend of the Covenant, to save their home planet. Savor this one as much as possible, and kick one of your buddie’s butts in the process.

Blog Post: I wasn't expecting to review this but what the hell

Gamecrow — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 00:40:00 GMT

This game was fun for a whole year. The campaign is super good but short. This should have been a small game inside halo 3 but Microsoft. had screw it up for Bungie. This short game had new mode called firefight well it's kinda like horde in gears. It was pretty fun for a small guppy game like this. I'm just in for REACH.

Wiki: Halo 3: ODST Guides

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:02:00 GMT

Guides for Halo 3: ODST

Wiki Page: My clothes! achievement

Orochi Assassin LEVON — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:02:00 GMT

Here's an easy way to get the "My Clothes" achievement, which requires that you quickly kill a Covenant enemy after using a supercharged plasma burst from your pistol about ten times. Basically, I recommend that you equip a weapon alongside this pistol that is extremely powerful close-range, like a sniper rifle. Then, while you're venturing though New Mombasa as Rookie, wait till enemies get close enough and stun them with the plasma pistol overcharge. Immediately switch weapons instead of reloading and blind fire with your sniper rifle. This will usually kill the Brute in one single hit, even on higher difficulties. Or, if you're not sure, just weaken them first. Just repeat and you will have the achievement in no time.

Wiki Page: The Road to Recon: Vidmaster Endure Achievment Guide

Drumrush7 — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:13:00 GMT

Probably the hardest vidmaster out of all, you must survive and beat 4 sets of Heroic Mode Firefight on Xbox Live with 4 friends. Easy right, WRONG!!!! On the 4th set all Skulls (except for Iron) become active, that's just a joy with brute chiefs. Here are my tips to help you get this Vidmaster and be one step closer to Recon Armor.

General Tips:

1. Have around 3 hours of your time, this achievement can take as long as an hour and a half to 3 hours.

2. Get good players or play with friends who you are comfortable playing with and can listen to directions.

3. Get to know the map you are playing on. Play a few minutes on Easy, to get the feel of the map. Specifically, the location of weapons and enemy spawn points.

4. Play on a map you are good and comfortable with.

5. Share Weapons! If you suck with a sniper and you have a friend who is great with it, give him (or her) the gun.

6. Use common sense people, you aren't Master Chief anymore, a jackal can kill you with a well placed Carbine shot, conserve lives!!!!

My Tips: What i did to get the achievement in a little more then an hour and a half

1. Follow the tips above please!

2. Alpha Site for the win: There are absolutely no wraiths or engineers to worry about, camp around the middle of the map and shoot anything that moves. NEVER GO IN THE MIDDLE UNTIL BETWEEN WAVES!!

3. Common Sense! Common Sense! COMMON SENSE!!! PLAY SMART! WIN BIG!!!

4. Get those bonus lives every time! Those help a lot 4 lives means four more chances to win.

5. Know the enemy spawn locations during bonus rounds, that way you maximize points. You'll need a Fuel Rod, or a Rocket Launcher to get the most kills. You'll get even more lives, and points if you do it right, but remember that the Iron skull is active during bonus rounds along with all the others.

6. Watch Each others backs!

7. Give the Brute Chiefs some room! Have two guys distract him and after invulnerability wears off, get him with your heavy weapons!

8. Plasma Pistols Save Lives!: I don't care what you say, Plasma Pistols are mandatory after set 1!

9. Don't Rush! Take your time and plan each move carefully!

10. Compare this game to Nazi Zombies mode in WaW. Play this like you do that.... just no wonderwaffles or vodka.

11. Have Fun! Its a game, its meant to be fun, don't scream and yell if you die or fail epically, loosen up and laugh while you play. T bag a few Brutes if you feel angry :)

I hope these tips help a little, these sure did for me! Thanks for reading! :)

Wiki Page: Caution: Hammer Guy!

NorteKaleb — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:34:00 GMT

This guide shows some easy tips (focused on the map Crater) and easy takedown monuvers that could mean sucess and fun. It may sound wimpy but a tactical retreat towards your own privet room in Crater could prove sucessful in any difficulty. The handgun is an easy headshot getter so use that primarily during the first two waves. When you get some grunts up on your balcony then you should still bust out the magnum and pop a few caps. SAVE YOUR SMG AMMO! It will be a necessity later on in the Firefight. Remember to retreat back into your privet quarters during time of overrunning. This will get you to the final wave without any lives being lost (and if you're good no healthloss) and you will have a tactical advantage over the Brute Chieftan weilding the Grav-Hamm. What you need to do when this feared (especially in Legendary) advisary comes rushing you is this (two player): one player unload an SMG on him until he activates his invincibility power. When he does activate this the other player creates a diversion, or both for that manner, and run away from him. MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE KILLED ALL OTHER ENEMIES BEFOR PREFORMING THESE ACTIONS!!! When his invincibility wears out, which it will, the othe player unloads his SMG on the opponent allowing the original shooter for quick access to his now armorless back which will kill him in one press of the B button. Two Chieftens? One player goes for the Sniper Rifle prior to this wave and aim for the head only which, at a distance, could drop him easily allowing for more tactical time for the other one. This is a game proven method on all difficulty settings and could prove useful in other maps as well.

Blog Post: Halo 3: ODST my review

Gamatron — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 23:58:00 GMT

Superb, not pitch perfect, but superb. A truly fun game. Less open combat and less vehicles but the storyline was amazing. Besides allies faces, graphic were elite. Your person, Rookie is a bit more mysterious. You never even hear his voice. Pretty sure it's a guy because it would be weird how the other characters spoke to him. Lot's of humor and action. If you manage to collect all the audio logs it leads up to good story. Some cussing. Never heard the F-Word. In it your Rookie but other missions your people from his squad. All of it is fast paced aside from Rookie's story. Your primary mission is to learn what happened to your squad of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers [ ODST ]. Locate them at all costs. There is no flood in the game. The game's worth a lot but not too expensive.

Blog Post: A new faceless hero gets his fifteen minutes of fame.

Orochi Assassin LEVON — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 04:37:00 GMT

It's been a while since I've played Halo 3, and I had never touched ODST until recently. Now that I've had the time to play this title - without the residual effects of the smear campaign against its sixty-dollar pricetag plaguing my judgment - for myself, I must say that this game, regardless of its shortcomings in that department, does offer a campaign experience that far exceeds my expectations regardless. It also offers acolytes and new inductees of the Halo series a new, story-driven lens, as seen through the eyes of a person who might as well be called Master Chief's long-lost reject of a love-child.

Designed as some kind of quasi-prelude to Halo 3, you assume the role of the anonymous protagonist known only by the name "Rookie." Supposedly the "best of the best" of Earth's Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, players watch as Rookie is eventually stranded from the rest of his ODST squadmates in the sprawling futuristic city of New Mombasa, Africa. It is in this overrun and deserted place, save for the lingering stench and presence of Covenant forces, that the modest journey of Rookie will take place. Compared to the ventures of Master Chief, the adventures you experience through Rookie don't even hold a match. The true meat comes through the evenly-paced backstories of his squadmates, activated by the clues you find while searching for them in New Mombasa; and yes, there will be blood, huge guns, lot's of Covenant enemies, needler supercombine explosions, and major pwnage inflicted upon you.

In terms of gameplay, the campaign mode is superb, refining the intelligence of the AI while entertaining us: I once heard a grunt yell "Feet don't fail me now!" shortly before wildly fleeing off into the distance. The new health system, using a concoction of regenerating shields, and a health meter - this can be restored entirely with the use of medical packs, scattered throughout the city's stages - puts a very human "face" (forgive my oxymoron) on your protagonist, making you feel vulnerable for the first time in the Halo series, even on Normal difficulty. While this new mechanic may surprise anyone who's familiar with the superhuman abilities of Master Chief, it introduces added meaning and depth to your accomplishments over challenging enemies, namely the Axe-wielding Brute Chieftains and terrifyingly-powerful Hunters. The presence of audio logs is an interesting nod to video gaming's most overused mechanic since context-sensitive button sequences, a quaint addition that thankfully isn't integral to the story's development, although they do enrich one's experience of New Mombasa. Bungie however, avoided the errors of taking itself too seriously, and the payoff is excellent. To note, the driving controls of the Warthog and the Mongoose are still pretty lackluster, and in higher difficulties, will undoubtedly leave you more than a little frustrated, especially on Coastal Highway. However, the Scorpion and all the Covenant vehicles still ride like a dream, so that qualm is assuaded. Then there's that annoying thing that happens when you want to listen to your own music...

Formally, the presentation is a mixed bag. With character renderings that might as well have come from the PS 2, the spectacular, intense, and moody set pieces of New Mombasa (try exploring without your VSIR on and marvel at the art direction) make the unremarkable faces of the characters feel a couple gaming generations out of place. The music, while composed with excellence, also holds little rhythm in its execution, resulting in periods where your character will go wandering around for minutes at a time in complete silence. However, each of the jazzy, ensemble tunes give the epic and classical scores a more provincial feel that speaks to the heart while you are out venturing as Rookie. The campaign, clocking in at a little over ten hours, may leave many a newcomer satisfied, yet yearning for more. This most likely will be sated by the new Firefight mode, which makes facing waves of enemies more than a grind through fodder. In this case, the mixed bag that its presentation offers is left up to personal taste. The same can be said in terms of the multiplayer experience.

Longtime diehards of the Halo experience have complained enough for readers of this review to have even a modest inkling about the controversy over the sixty dollar - now a bargain at about thirty to fourty dollars, which some argued should have been its initial sales price - pricetag this game used to have. With twenty-four maps and a fantastic multiplayer experience, Forge, and a Theater mode, it would only seem fitting. However, the consideration that only three of these maps were new, accompanied with the shortened campaigning experience, cast doubts on the minds of a lot of gamers who felt as though their hard-earned money was spent buying the same material they'd already purchased with a game that might as well have been DLC. This of course, is irrelevant now, as the game's price has lowered. However, while perhaps a tad too high - about fifty dollars would have been the appropriate price range, in my opinion - it is definitely worth the purchase, and, taking the addictiveness of ODST's campaign mode and Firefight mode into consideration, one whose quality certainly surpasses its quantity.

Any problems that I had with ODST are, as has been shown, primarily modest and philosophical in nature. Any admirer of Halo or gamer who's interested in the series will enjoy the chance to take the reigns of the franchise in a new direction, however short-lived. We'll just have to wait and see if the Rookie goes anywhere else in his exploits.

Forum Post: halo 3: odst Firefight

elitesPWN — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:19:00 GMT

This game PWNs. Firefight is awsome. I cant stop playing it.

Blog Post: An "expansion" more than worthy of the franchise

Jeph — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:17:00 GMT

Had Bungie not forgotten to tie their shoes before walking out the door and avoid the words "expansion pack" regarding this game's release, I don't think anyone would have balked at the full-price tag on ODST. Sure, the campaign is shorter than any of the others, and yes, the Halo 3 engine is certainly showing its age (thank God they're retooling it for Reach), this is probably the most enjoyable campaign of them all...thanks in no small part to the fact that it doesn't require a PHD in Halo mythology to know what's happening. It's just a simple tale of a squad separated and fighting their way through enemy territory to reunite. The removing of nearly everything that makes a gamer feel invincible as Master Chief (heath regen, dual-wielding, blatant disregard for the laws of gravity) serves to make every victory harder-earned and sweeter.

Plus, there's the inclusion of all Halo 3 Multiplayer maps on one disc.

And I'll just go ahead and say it: Firefight is the most fun I've had on a videogame with 3 friends since Goldeneye. Hours and hours will go by, and still you'll be ready for more. Every time the game throws some new wrinkle at you, finding a way to overcome it becomes exponentially more rewarding. Overall, this might be the best Halo game so far.

Wiki Page: Vidmaster: Endure

Jeph — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:44:00 GMT

So, yes, there are a number of these guides already in existence, but they don't seem to go into a lot of detail...plus they're just not how my friends and I did it. This is the method (somewhat taken from internet tips and somewhat on the fly) that got my friends and I into set 5 with about 15 lives to spare.

Head to Lost Platoon. Some things you might want from the very beginning:

1. A designated Spartan Laser player (for taking out those annoying Wraiths quickly) and/or a team of two assigned to highjacking the wraiths (Halopedia has a good explanation on how to do it...and yes, it's a glitch exploit, but it will save you a lot of headaches in the early goings, especially if you've got a squad member who's good with the mortar launcher).

2. A team of two to drive the Warthog and man the turret. A good driver can get a decent amount of splatters (even with tough luck turned on) while the gunner cleans up the leftovers.

3. A pistol headshot specialist for the bonus rounds. In the right hands, the pistol can be a headshot machine, great for taking out large clusters of Grunts quickly for huge points.

4. Possibly a sniper. Until Tilt turns on, Sniper support can be great for taking out Brutes.

General strategy pre-Tilt:

Avoid direct on-foot confrontations pretty much at all times. There should ALWAYS be one player holding on to the Spartan Laser (again, thanks to Halopedia for the map of weapon drops) to pick off Wraiths quickly from the center structure or a team of two in a highjacked wraith. Also, if you're driving anything - be it the wraith, warthog, or a highjacked chopper - keep moving at all times. Learn where the obstacles are so you don't accidentally ram them and get stuck. This is doubly important to remember whenever Catch is activated, as even a moments pause can quickly turn fatal. if you are on foot, whatever weapon you choose, make sure you've got at least one that will help you adequately deal with drones (for me that means SMG pre-tilt, plasma rifle post-tilt), as they have the highest potential to turn your game sour in the blink of an eye. Again, remember the pistol can be grunt-headshot machine in the right hands.

Remember, KEEP MOVING. If catch is on, never stop driving, or if you're on foot, remember - jumping is your friend. The good news about catch is you'll usually never be wanting for grenades of your own, and with the slow throwing animations your enemies have, you can, if you're a decent throw, stick an enemy or two of your own.

During bonus rounds, if you're not so good with a pistol, a well-placed grenade is also a good choice, but I prefer either a fuel rod gun or gravity hammer myself, which you'll almost always have access to in the last wave of the last round, when brutes come en masse. You might die quickly if you rush head-on into a group of grenade-crazy grunts, but odds are you'll be able to get a good swing or two in first, usually resulting in a sizable multi-kill medal (my personal record is eight in one swing).

Once tilt is activated, your strategy will change drastically. Improved bullet resistance means no SMGs, no Snipers, and no Warthog (but a pistol in the bonus rounds is still a good idea if you're good enough). But here's where the strategy gets a littler simpler.

Step one, grab a plasma pistol or two. Step two, overcharge a Chopper and hijack. Step three, start doing laps. Rinse and repeat.

Seriously, if everyone finds a chopper and gets their NASCAR on, Tilt shouldn't prove as difficult as you might fear. Make sure you agree on a direction in which to travel, though, as accidental betrayal-splatters can be costly. Keep your finger on the trigger, and go for splatters whenever you can - a Chopper boost is GREAT for quick kills on tougher enemies. It won't be a quick process, but you wouldn't be going for this achievement if you weren't in it for the long haul, right?

Make sure you keep a spartan laser handy for the wraiths, and I like to keep a gravity hammer handy for dealing with Black Eye - if you're quick, you can rush into a group of enemies to make them dive, ditch the chopper, thwack 'em on the head, and jump back in before they know what hit them - or just keep your eyes out for lone enemies to punish. Always be sure to keep communication going between your squad when you ditch your vehicle, though, so as to avoid any accidental betrayals. And even if a melee opportunity fails to present itself, the extra damage protection a vehicle provides can keep you going for much longer than you'd otherwise be able to.

That's about all I can think of. Again, this got me and three friends into the fifth set with many, many lives to spare...and remember, this is also good if you've yet to get the 200k points achievement, as you should be well past the million-point mark by the time set 5 rolls around.

Happy hunting!

Wiki Page: I still cant belivie its butter!

Ryan — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:15:00 GMT

I found something that looked like butter in a mission in Odst and it didnt look like normal butter, and i have no idea what the f**k is going on!!!

Blog Post: An Expansion That Thinks It Is Its Own Game

vickeryoliver — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:19:00 GMT

Bungie set out with the intention of making an expansion for Halo 3. What they achieved instead was a product that provides more content, story, and multiplayer action than most of the full games on the market.

The campaign of ODST provides a great twist to the traditional Halo gameplay. Don't expect major differences, it still plays very similar to Halo 3, but with minor tweaks that add refreshing new scenarios.

As an ODST, you feel alone as you explore the city of New Mombasa. This feeling of isolation is credited to the amazing soundtrack Bungie composer Marty O'Donnell has crafted. This is some of his best work yet and is one of the main reasons to check out this game.

Besides the traditional Halo-esque campaign, there's firefight mode that adds a wave based survival game mode to the mix. This is a great addition to the franchise and makes it feel like that survival modes were meant for Halo from the beginning. Out of all the franchises with a survival mode, ODST's has to be at the top. It's just a perfect marriage.

On the second disc is the complete Halo 3 multiplayer experience which includes all of the extra DLC Maps. This disc alone is enough to warrant a $60 purchase, even 2 years after is release. Halo 3 is by far the most complete multiplayer experience and if you haven't experienced it yet then where the heck have you been? You need to play Halo 3's multiplayer. This is a great deal if you haven't bought the maps, however if you've spent $10 on each map pack then this is kind of a rip off because all you're getting is 3 new maps and repurchasing all the maps you have already bought. However, you get the opportunity to obtain Recon armor which makes it all worth it.

Simply put, ODST is a must for all Halo fans. It's an expansion that has the personality and physique of a full blown AAA game.

Blog Post: The supposed expansion

Deputy Alek K. — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:36:00 GMT

Halo 3 ODST is a mixed bag. It gives Halo fans the most well rounded expeirience in the sereis while subtracting from a core element, the campaign. It is saddening that this campaign while enjoyable is half the size of a regular FPS which definetly detracts from its appeal. The multiplayer maps are definetly a nice addition but if thats the only thing that appeals to you from this title I would just buy the DLC online. Now one thing that I admit is that the firefight mode is one of the best CO-OP expeiriences ive had in a long time. Overall heres what I think

Gameplay: 8.5/10 Definitley an incomplete yet enjoyable package.

Controls: 10 /10 Halo controls are as smooth as butter and are easy to grasp

Multiplayer: 10/10 Halo has always been one of the best when it comes to online and this is no exception.

Overalll: 9/10 Good for a rent or if it becomes cheap you could buy it

Blog Post: Halo 3... Just Better

Joe — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:30:00 GMT

As soon as I picked up my controller upon inserting the ODST disc, I knew I had a halo game under my hands. This game feels and looks like its predecessor, Halo 3, and does a good job of improving the original Halo formula. The most obvious difference between this game and Halo 3 is that this game is considerably darker. It's story is more sad, and the actual atmosphere of the game is darker. Thank your stars that you are an ODST, and thus have a visor which brightens everything in the game to a visible level. Another difference between you and good ol' Chiefster is you cannot dual-weied small weapons. This surprised me a great deal, since, apparently, the ODST can carry a behemoth turret faster than the Chief, but can't hold two puny pistols. The ODST's physical attacks are also, obviously, weaker than the Master Chief's. Another difference is that the humans pistol is different. It is a weaker pistol than the one in Halo 3, 2, and Combat Evolved, complete with puny sound effects. However, it does have a scope on it (similar to Halo: Combat Evolved). I guess that makes up for the difference... The SMG has a suppressor on it, and a scope. Plus, you can hold up to 3 grenades of every kind, with a total of 12 'nades to use wasting Brutes. Sweet!

Anyway, that is pretty much the difference in controls, weaponry, and equipment. On to the Singleplayer and Multiplayer feel.

Single:

In my opinion, the campaign for ODST is equal to 3's. It has a more realistic and emotional plotline, and is a little more concerned with stealth and secrecy than with runnin' 'n' gunnin', which is what ODST's predecessors were all about. Like I said, this game is darker, and sometimes is so dark that even with the visor activated it is still just barely possible to see. It feels much more open, and far less controlled and narrow than 3, which, in my opinion, is a great improvement. I always thought the Halo series was far to controlled, since there always seemed to be 3 walls in sight. If you get what I mean. (;

Multi:

ODST's Multiplayer is exactly the same as Halo 3's except for 2 things: 1.) It comes with the Mythic Maps, a new map pack including 6 sweet maps, and 2.) Firefight. Firefight is a mode where waves and waves of covenant come to attack you, gradually becoming harder and harder as time passes. If you've ever played Gears of War 2, it's pretty much Horde mode with Halo. =D However, I don't like it as much as Horde because they added the use of skulls into Firefight, adding more and tougher skulls with every level. Personally, I hate the skulls in Firefight. They include Catch, Black Eye, Famine, Tilt, Tough Luck, and more. Firefight mode supports up to 4 players working together as a team to fight off the waves. But anyway, 'nough 'bout Firefight. Everything about the multiplayer is the same as 3's except for firefight. Yes, you are still the Chief, and no, you don't get any of the sweet stuff the ODST do. It's just Halo 3 Multiplayer, all over again. This is the biggest downer, besides the lack of dual-wielding.

That about sums it up for Halo 3: ODST. I give it a 9.5, which is .25 point difference from what I rated the original Halo 3 (9.25). I really like this game, and if you are a Halo fan, and/or are just looking for a great FPS, Halo 3: ODST is a perfect choice. Improving on the traditional Halo recipe, Halo 3: ODST makes a great new addition to the Halo series.