Halo 3: ODST Review page 2

01 Oct 2009 at 08:21:28 by
Systems used to review this title: (360)

Halo 3: ODST isn't as much of a sandbox game as it could have been, but having said that it's not as linear as the previous Halo games. Although there are free-roaming elements, there is still a feeling that you're being guided through the game to some extent. When you do finally reach your objective points and flashback (and I'm not quite sure whether these flashbacks are for the sake of storytelling or if the Rookie has some kind of super-human spaz that transports him back in time to witness the events) you find yourself in familiar Halo gameplay territory.  After all, you're still in the same universe, so why shouldn't it be the same?

It's these flashbacks which introduce you to your team. Each flashback relates to one of the members of your team, and their crash landing story. As you work through these flashback games the team gradually finds each other, but it also gives you the opportunity to get to know the squad a bit better, as well as refreshing your memory of the Halo weapons...all of which are there, with a new incendiary grenade! It's just a shame you don't get to know much about your own character, and this is one of the game's downfalls.

As you run around the city looking for clues and flashback points you're able to listen to the backstory of the city through the voice of a woman called Sadie, a local who's dictating and documenting the first attacks on the city. That's really the only voice you'll hear until you start getting close to the end of the solo campaign. It doesn't offer any more information, and of course, find all the audio and you'll unlock an achievement, but this is just a little something more to do in the world if you want to. I did purely because I'm a completist, but I don't see this being one of the game's main features as I can see many gamers just ignoring it unless they're well into their Halo lore.

Although the solo campaign isn't ground breaking, what it does do really well is maintain that Halo feel, and although you're not playing the Master Chief and you have to make sure your stamina and health aren't at risk, you do still feel like a hard-ass mother lover.

Halo 3: ODST is definitely worth picking up, and even though the solo campaign won't take you too long to storm through there is still an extremely fun multiplayeere is. You wourpugi theYe s(sldn't expect anything else. The only real concern I have, and even though I've said it's a been extremely consistent and well thought-out, it just sometimes feels like it should have been split into pieces and fired out as DLC. I think this would have worked better, and with each character and flashback it would have been pretty awesome. But it's a stand-alone title, and you know what? It's great to meet the ODSTs.

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