Review of HALO 3: ODST for Xbox 360

The long-awaited and much ballyhooed release of HALO 3: ODST has finally happened. Standing in line waiting for the midnight opening to pick a reserved copy for my 16-year-old-son was an event in itself. Our deal was that he could play it all night, and in the morning he would give me a first-person analysis of the features. This is what a devoted player had to say about the new HALO 3: ODST.

HALO 3: ODST LIKE #1

This version of HALO requires more thought. You can’t just charge in, guns blazing. Each battle requires thought and planning. As the ODST does not have the same super jump and falling abilities or the near-invincibility provided by the shields as the Master Chief in HALO 3, he must proceed with caution and cunning.

HALO 3: ODST LIKE #2

The visor that the ODST uses at night enhances combat by enhancing visual sharpness. Surroundings become clearer and sharper giving you a better chance to hit the enemy or to just plain survive.

HALO 3: ODST LIKE #3

HALO 3: ODST comes with a second disc to be used with HALO 3. It contains a number of adversarial maps, including a personal favorite, Heretic. Heretic is similar to the HALO 2 Midship map that was not carried over to the HALO 3 release.

HALO 3: ODST LIKE #4

Firefight is a bot battle that can be played online with 1 to 4 players or offline with up to 2 players. The interesting feature of this game type is the ability to play multiplayer against non-human controlled opponents. Firefight pits you against hordes of the alien race known as The Covenant. It has 30 sets of 5 rounds each providing intense action throughout the Firefight. The game employs the use of Skulls which activate randomly throughout the game. The Skulls are difficulty multipliers and can cause things like reducing the amount of ammo in a discarded enemy weapon or it may enhance the enemy’s ability to dodge a grenade.

HALO 3: ODST LIKE #5

The fact that ODST requires you to protect your health causes you to play differently. You can be injured more easily and have to locate health canisters to restore your health.

HALO 3: ODST LIKE #6

This is one of the best storylines. You have the chance to play different characters and learn about them, adding an emotional attachment to the characters. It provides a little mystery that makes you want to know more about each character and what happens to them.

HALO 3: ODST DISLIKE #1

Your ammo runs out quickly. When you begin a level, you start with the silenced submachine gun (SMG) and the silenced magnum. Because you don’t do as much damage, you use more ammo to make a kill. Because the ODST’s are the only ones carrying these weapons, there isn’t a ready supply of replacements on the battlefield. You can find stashes of weapons to replace your own. Sometimes you actually have to avoid certain battles in order to preserve the ammo. Meeting up with non-player ODSTs can provide the opportunity to replenish ammo too.

HALO 3: ODST DISLIKE #2

The only other disappointment is the fact that you can’t play against other human players. While you can have actual humans as teammates, you never get to play against anyone else.

Overall, the game is a huge success and my son’s favorite HALO to date. He’s asleep now, gearing up for the next battle. I’m sure there are hours and hours ahead. I’ll let you know if there’s anything more – good or bad – about the games as he combats his way through it!