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The most helpful favorable review
The most helpful critical review
27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
Good, for what it is
I've read a few reviews here, and I think that, although there are some valid points, people are treating ODST as something that it was never meant to be.
So, what is ODST? It's an expansion. Expensive? Yes, but one has to realize that in reality, it's several expansions built into one, a `collectors pack' for Halo 3 fans. (After all, it's named Halo 3: ODST, not...
Published 11 months ago by Andrew B. Leadford
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60 of 69 people found the following review helpful:
ODST - Overpriced Dark Short Tale
Concept: 7/10
Halo 3: ODST introduces a new Special Forces Recon Soldier for the Halo Universe. The Orbital Drop Shock Trooper is a darker, ligher armored version of a Spartan with silent weapons. That's pretty much it.
Story: 9/10
The story is very well written, well told, and well acted by Firefly and BSG veterans. It is really entertaining...
Published 10 months ago by Poisoned Blade
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60 of 69 people found the following review helpful:
ODST - Overpriced Dark Short Tale, November 3, 2009
Fun:
This review is from: Halo 3: ODST (Video Game)
Concept: 7/10
Halo 3: ODST introduces a new Special Forces Recon Soldier for the Halo Universe. The Orbital Drop Shock Trooper is a darker, ligher armored version of a Spartan with silent weapons. That's pretty much it.
Story: 9/10
The story is very well written, well told, and well acted by Firefly and BSG veterans. It is really entertaining and one of the best parts of the game. However, it is told through flashbacks and is somewhat difficult to understand your first time through. You might be confused at times, but in the end, it all makes sense.
Gameplay: 8/10
It's Halo 3, with a couple new guns and a slight improvement to the health system. Your character sounds 'in pain' when your health is low, reminding you to stay behind cover. There's also a night vision visor that you can toggle on and off. Unfortunately, the game seems too dark if you don't have your night vision on, and if you use it in areas that are fairly well lit, you're almost blinded. In the end, the night vision seems extraneous. The game would have been better if the dark areas were just a bit brighter, but still cloaked in shadows.
Level Designs: 6/10
There is an open ended city area where you can explore and Convenant troops are being dropped in to battle. This is new to the Halo Universe and it works quite well. Most of the game takes place in New Mobasa, a futuristic African City that is being invaded by the Covenant. The look and feel of the city is pretty impressive, but overall, the levels feel redundant. Fight in corridors, defend an area... You know you've got problems when the Campaign is only 5 hours long, and the Missions feel repetitive.
Sound: 9/10
The music is foreboding and adds to the grim atmosphere while the effects bring the battles to life.
Replay Value: 7/10
You can start the campaign after lunch and finish it before dinner.
There is a Firefight Mode which is like Gears of War 2's Horde Mode, but ODST features an additional challenge where each wave of enemies has a special behavior like "Dodges Grenades." This mode is for friends and invites only. I understand that Bungie is trying to prevent the Leroy Jenkins of the world from ruining the fun, but it really sucks to not be able to play a pickup game.
There are 3 new Multiplayer Maps for Halo 3, too.
Maturity - The game is rated M because the Halo series is rated M, even though the action is pretty tame.
Overall: 7/10
Buy this game if you're a Halo Collector, you've got a bunch of buddies that still play Halo 3 and will use the Maps and Firefight Mode.
Rent this game if you just want to play the Campaign. It's only 5-6 hours long.
I'd recommend waiting for the price to drop before buying ODST because if you spend $60, you're going to feel ripped off.
$35 for this game feels about right.
NOTE: Amazon and a bunch of other stores are selling ODST for under $40 now!
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27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
Good, for what it is, September 24, 2009
Fun:
This review is from: Halo 3: ODST (Video Game)
I've read a few reviews here, and I think that, although there are some valid points, people are treating ODST as something that it was never meant to be.
So, what is ODST? It's an expansion. Expensive? Yes, but one has to realize that in reality, it's several expansions built into one, a `collectors pack' for Halo 3 fans. (After all, it's named Halo 3: ODST, not just Halo: ODST)
So, before I break the game down, let's examine what ODST really is.
1. Campaign (Short, yes...Fun? Very.)
2. Fire Fight (One could say a different campaign. After all, a single match with good people can be hours long, and that's one match.)
3. All the maps (A $20+ value, considering there's two map packs worth 1600 Microsoft points, not to mention the three new ones.)
4. Halo: Reach Beta (Remember lockdown, with it's Halo 3 Beta? Yeah...)
Okay, first things first. The Campaign:
This is fun. It's far more tactical than any Halo game before it, and allows for so many new opportunities. Once in Heroic, you find yourself planning assaults, sneaking, factoring in how many grenades you have. Ammo is so sparse that you're constantly forced to re-adapt and pick up new weapons, rather than keeping with the same two weapons (As was much the case with the first three halo's). The characters are new, which again, is interesting. The Visor?...Man, probably my favorite addition. It's so cool to able to switch around views, to get tactical or go all out. Wonderful. Not to mention the addition of engineers, which do nothing but add to the depth of game play and emphasize strategy.
Fire Fight:
Let's be honest. Mention Gears 2? You hear about horde. Mention Call of Duty WaW? Nazi zombies. Now halo has it's own, and it is beautiful. Fuller maps, with each offering their own advantages and disadvantages. The new call-sign features allow for quicker identification, and the new drop-off system (The enemies come in on Phantoms, rather than just spawning) allow, again, for strategy. Ammo shortages are common here, so know your weapons. The skulls always add a bit of flair and make each and every round a new experience. My only complaint? When I play with my Australian friends, the game is pretty laggy.
All the maps:
I wish I had known this going in. Woulda saved me twenty bucks. You know about new maps, right? The new three; awesome. A much called for remake of midship, an open map that will make for interesting swat, and a dock that features dingies and floating crates. Awesome, right?
Halo Reach: Beta trailer:
-This- is Halo 4. This is the one that's going to blow people away. (For those who know the story, well done. Reach is actually...er, Halo -1? It's a prequel). This is the unsung hero of ODST, as I already can't wait. Remember people buying Crackdown ($60) for Halo 3 alone? This is much the same thing; only you also get the above mentioned features. No brainer, right?
So, overall? If I knew someone who only had 60 to spend, I'd point them in the direction of Oblivion or Fallout or the like. But, for someone who knows they're getting a huge expansion, and loves Halo? This is all but a must have. Just know what you're getting into; it's not a standalone, but it's still pretty awesome.
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24 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
Good with some Eye Rolling Flaws, September 28, 2009
Fun:
This review is from: Halo 3: ODST (Video Game)
A side-story taking place in the Halo universe, "ODST" puts you in the role of the titular Orbital Drop Ship Trooper - a regular marine compared to the Master Chief, the series' normal protagonist. Using the basic gameplay and graphics of Halo 3, ODST is neat and different in some ways and disappointingly samey in others.
ODST follows a squad of drop troopers - primarily through the eyes of Rookie, a silent protagonist. Rookie proceeds through the abandoned, dead city of New Mombasa looking for records of his teammates, who he was separated from. Finding these records allows you to play a segment as another trooper - Buck, the leader, Mickey, the tech specialist, Dutch, the tough guy, or Romeo, the sniper.
Rookie's segments are really freeform and open - you explore the city, going through apartments and back alleys and occasionally running into random patrols of Covenant soldiers. The city's AI, the Supervisor, will occasionally try to get your attention by hijacking various city systems - signs will change to point you in the right direction, phones will start ringing, ticket machines will start spewing tickets, crosswalks and traffic lights will change, and so on. These directions will lead you to audio diaries - clues to a side-story - or weapon/ammo caches. All in all, it makes for a really great feel - almost to the level of Silent Hill - and it's backed up by some of the best music in the series.
The action stages are pretty good, too, but far more traditional. There is some openness in the levels, but for the most part they're similar to normal Halo 3. This is where the main promise of ODST - the fact that you're playing as a normal soldier - kind of falls flat. You can basically do everything that the Master Chief can do, including but not limited to flipping over cars and punching through tanks. Your health works slightly differently, but it still basically equates to "if you get hit, go duck behind cover until you recover". You can get away with running up to Brutes and punching them in the face until they die. All in all, you basically demonstrate the same level of "super-soldier" that the actual super soldiers have, as opposed to having to rely on your wits and your guns to overcome your weakness.
In addition to the campaign mode, ODST also offers a four-person co-op mode called "Firefight". In this mode, the human players attempt to hold out as long as they can against waves of Covenant troops. Like Gears of War 2's Horde mode, this can be a blast with the right people. To add a bit of difficulty into the mix, each wave of Covenant has a special effect attached to them - the ability to dodge grenades, or being more resistant to plasma, and so on. This ensures that the endless waves of Covenant continue to be challenging for as long as you play.
The graphics are similar to Halo 3's, but the urban environment is much more well-designed than those in Halo 3. A lot of care went into designing the city and the various signs and objects scattered around it, and the end result feels pretty natural. The sound is really good, too. The most obvious change, sound-wise, is that an injured ODST will pant and groan realistically instead of offering a single grunt like the Master Chief does. This makes it feel a lot more immersive, and is almost worth the fact that - for game reasons - you can heal up really easily and dying's not really that big of a deal.
On the whole, I understand why ODST didn't take a more realistic approach, but that doesn't mean it's not disappointing. As a game, ODST is good, but with some eye-rolling flaws that could've been turned into something more meaningful than "another Halo game".
8/10.
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36 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
New Mombasa by starlight., September 28, 2009
Fun:
This review is from: Halo 3: ODST (Video Game)
First off, that's pronounced Oh-Dee-Ess-Tee, fellow gamers. The game store clerks wish to punch you in the face when you attempt to say a game's acronym as an actual word. Trust me. Anyhow, "Halo 3: ODST" is a separate Haloverse story that strips itself of the series' iconic hero Master Chief. There are no super-powered Spartan cyborgs to pull humanity out of the fire in this one. Just you and your squad of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers standing between the hostile alien alliance known as The Covenant and the death of humanity. No pressure, though. The game was originally formulated as a mere add-on to Halo 3, but eventually grew to full-fledged game status. This has offended a lot of sniveling whiners who ran out and pre-ordered their copies based solely on the typical Halo hype and then sobbed themselves to sleep because they have no concept of story and ran through the game with 3 friends on Easy difficulty and found it too short on action for the money they spent. Real gamers will find that while the price tag may be a bit high if you already paid for all of the downloadable maps and don't gather your friends together regularly to partake in the phenomenally fun "Firefight" mode. But if you plan on enjoying this game to the fullest, you will not be disappointed.
As a single-player game, "ODST" runs a bit short and may be less bang for the buck then one might hope for. However, the manner in which the story is told is absolutely phenomenal. You begin your ill-fated mission hurling towards the Earth (which has just been invaded by Covenant forces) on a special-ops mission. But something goes wrong and your pods are separated and crash in different locations all over the Covenant-occupied African city of New Mombasa. You wake up as a trooper known only as as "the Rookie" many hours after hitting the ground in the dead of night. From there you search the city for clues about the whereabouts of your comrades. Each time you find a clue (such as a fractured helmet or bent sniper rifle) the game flashes back to a different member of the squad and you play out the scenario as that character and witness the events leading up to the object finding it's resting place where it will be discovered hours later by The Rookie. In addition, there is another side story littered throughout the city in the form of 30 audio files that chronicle the adventures of a young girl caught in the middle of the invasion. It's quite enthralling and I found myself looking forward to finding more pieces of that puzzle even more then the main story. "ODST" is a masterpiece of storytelling in that rite and it's why a lot of people won't enjoy it. They prefer to skip past the story segments and run around with their friends teabagging each other along the way. To really experience the game as it's meant to be played, you need to go it alone and absorb the atmosphere,loneliness and ambient noise of the ruined cityscape. Half of this game is enjoying the tension of relying on cover of darkness, using your excellent night-vision visor to it's utmost, hearing the amazing soundtrack, and exploring the city looking for audio files or finding the best ways to get the drop on roving patrols of enemies or the entrenched Covenant forces.
Same old Halo gameplay here. That is to say it's as good as first-person shooters get. But since you are not a Spartan, there are differences. First off, no shield. Your armor can take a few hits before your screen will turn red, indicating that you are fatigued and are taking damage to your health bar. To recover, you must stay out of combat for a time. It's not a lot different from past games, but you can't take quite as much punishment. You also no longer have gravity-defying jumps or one-hit kill melee capabilities, and no more dual-wielding. Don't go jumping off any cliffs either. Wipes your stamina right out. You also get one new Covenant race -whose mystery turns out to be central to the story-, a brand new weapon in the form of a silenced SMG which quickly became a favorite of mine, and the extremely welcome return of zoom capabilities on the pistol. I was hoping for more of a focus on stealth aspects, but Bungie couldn't help but make most of the levels typical shoot-em-ups. This definitely diminishes Master Chief's importance as I felt I kicked as much or more tail as an ODST compared to when I played the penultimate Spartan. But I sure as hell did have a great time doing it. There's also plenty of vehicular mayhem to enjoy. They could have easily recycled the epic score from previous games, but instead they crafted a new one that is as good as any they've done. And that says a lot considering every Halo score is among the greatest in gaming.
Okay, enough about single-player. Games like Gears of War 2 and Left 4 Dead gave us a new mode of gameplay where you are challenged to take on wave after wave of increasingly difficult enemy attacks and survive with a little help from your friends. Not to be outdone, Bungie has crafted their answer in Firefight mode, which can go on for hours at a time if you're good enough. If the campaign wasn't action-packed enough for you, get three buds together and get ready to be dropped in a very defensible position with a set number of lives (more can be gained) to endure endless waves of attack from every baddie in the game. Watch those snipers! The longer you survive, the more difficult the game makes it for you. It will start turning on "skulls" which make the game harder by decreasing ammo drops, empowering enemies, or otherwise making your life harder to keep. This mode is ODST's crown jewel, for sure. They've even added extra kinds of medals for you to earn based on your performance in battle. Firefight is unlimited fun and a FPS fan's co-op wet dream, plain and simple. If that still is not enough, the second disc of the set contains "the complete Halo 3 multi-player experience" which consists of every map ever made for the game and three brand new ones. 24 in all. That is a ton of maps and seeing as they run a few bucks apiece if you download them from Xbox Live that is a large value if you've been holding out. Even if you haven't bought Halo 3, you can join in the fun and madness of murdering complete strangers and then desecrating their corpse while they are forced to watch with all of the extra content using this bonus disc. If you are that guy, then this game is a steal. But I don't know that that guy exists.
Killer story: check. Awesome action: check. Multiplayer badness: check. New additions to the ever-growing Haloverse mythology: check. Incredible soundtrack: check. Yup; this is one fine game. Haters, keep on hating. Bungie gave the hardcore fans a treat with this. I'd have liked to see it priced about $20 cheaper, but I also want my very own Spartan armor and that ain't happening either. The fact is, I'm happy with this game in spite of it's brevity and the fact that I've already purchased most of the maps. If you've no interest in the story and mythology of Halo, I'd suggest you pass on this. The campaign is no challenge with 4 player co-op even on Legendary difficulty and there often are not enough enemies to go around so you will have to look for trouble to find it at times which will enrage many a fratboy. Firefight mode will still be a blast, but one can hardly be expected to shell out $60 for a single gameplay mode. And considering their is no matchmaking on that mode, you can only play it with people on your Friends List which is a pain. ODST isn't perfect, but it's obvious a whole lot of care went into it and it's a great experience all around. Plus, with a dream team cast featuring a Firefly reunion of Nathan Fillion, Alyn Tudyk, and Adam Baldwin plus Battlestar Galactica sex goddess Tricia Helfer and voiceover mainstay Nolan North -who has provided the voice for Deadpool and various other animated comic book characters- who the hell can really complain? It's more Halo, and that's never something to whine about.
4 1/2 stars, rounded up for a new wrinkle in the series.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
Most Frustrating Halo to Date, April 6, 2010
Fun:
This review is from: Halo 3: ODST (Video Game)
I have enjoyed Halo in its various incarnations for several years. ODST is probably the worst Halo that has ever been made.
The game play is similar to the others, so its not a mechanics problem. The graphics are generally very good. The city of Mombasa is well rendered. The cut-scene cinematics are pretty cool.
I think the problem with ODST is the move away from Halo missions/levels. I found myself wander aimlessly around Mombasa for hours unable to figure out where to go, forever running out of ammo, and just getting killed and having to repeat again and again.
Pure aggrevation.
I even bought the strategy guide Halo 3 ODST: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) but it just says straight out you will be wandering around a lot and suggests memorizing the numbers of the various sections of town. I play to relax. I have no intention of making flash cards for a fictional city.
Anyways, the game is enjoyable in that yes it is Halo. Lots of baddies to shoot. cool guns. BUT the frustration of just being lost most of the time out weighs any pros this game might have.
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53 of 74 people found the following review helpful:
Too much for too little...., September 26, 2009
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This review is from: Halo 3: ODST (Video Game)
Its a decent game, but I feel as if I had played it three times before. Its mostly just more of the same with a few little bits of new thrown in. Couple weapons, Night Vision, firefight (but the fact you cant play with random people REALLY brings this game down.)
Not bad, but 60 bucks just isnt worth it. Im sorry I bought it. Just rent this game.
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63 of 90 people found the following review helpful:
a glorified expansion pack, but a no brainer for halo fans, September 22, 2009
Fun:
This review is from: Halo 3: ODST (Video Game)
ok so i picked up the game at last night's midnight release and ive had enough time to check out all the new features pretty extensively including completing the short (5-6 hour) but excellent campaign, and i can say that while in my opinion the campaign shouldve released as a $30 download (ie Shivering Isles for Oblivion) the game is the same hyper active fun youve come to expect from halo.
so the next big question, "how does it feel to not be in Chief's boots for the first time?" it feels pretty great, it puts a whole new twist in the Halo franchise because for the first time even a grunt can do some damage against you in the higher difficulties, Brute's tower over you like youre a child, the feeling of being completely outgunned and yet somehow able to beat all the odds is a great feeling, the firefights in the campaign often have an intensity never met in the original Halo 3.
Firefight is a total blast especially with the full team of four, the premise? in this gameplay mode you must annihilate wave after wave of enemies until you finally cant survive the onslaught. drop ships provide enemy reinforcements so there are no breaks between rounds. similar to Horde Mode from GoW2.
controls feel exactly like classic halo with the exception of night vision in the campaign due to 90% of it taking place at night. i liked how everything has a glowing outline in night vision, making everything vivid, easy to navigate, and targets easy to spot in the dark.
so for $60 what are you really getting? whats the full package?
- a fantastic, albiet short, semi-open-world 4 player co op campaign
- every single multiplayer map, DLC inluded, on one disc
- 3 new maps not included on halo 3
- inluding the highly anticipated remake of Mothership
- Firefight (see above for info)
if you own a 360 and dont have Halo 3 already, or if youre just hungry for some fresh Halo action, this is the way to go; although, i can see how some would have issues with the price and general content of the package included. it basically is a glorified expansion pack, i honestly wouldve liked a few more new multiplayer maps for the money, but its as fun as halo ever was with a new type of campaign that feels so fresh, unique, and inviting you just have to see it. the fact that the graphics engine seems to have received a nice overhaul doesnt hurt either. the new content looks fantastic.
9/10
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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
To be or not to be an expanison pack, September 22, 2009
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This review is from: Halo 3: ODST (Video Game)
Halo: ODST was rumoured a small expansion to Halo 3. However, what you get is a six hour campaign which further expands the boundaries than that of Halo 3, a great new mode built on cooperative called Firefight and an entire second disc filled with every single map released for Halo 3's multiplayer.
Halo: ODST brings about some changes, there is no Master Chief and there is no sight of the game being played by his rules. This includes no dual wielding, recharging shields and gravity won't feel mocked anymore by Chief's jumping. Instead, you'll take the role of the Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, or ODST. These guys don't have all of the strengths of the Chief. They can only aim one weapon at a time. They have a health bar that requires health packs to restore once their light overshield is depleted. They can't jump as high or fall as far or take as many bullets without stumbling into Death's open arms. They handle quite like Master Chief did in Halo: Combat Evolved, and they have a powerful scoped pistol to complete the throwback feel.
The ODST may handle like the Halo of yester year but the campaign among other modes is as fresh and exciting as one could hope for. With the Chief sitting this one out, Bungie has gone from its usual Spartan driven romp and has focused on a more character driven, thus creating one of the most satisfying Halo storylines yet in the franchise. The ODST actions take place during the events of Halo 2 (ah, the memories), just as Master Chief is wreaking havoc on the Covenant and forcing the Prophet of Regret to make an emergency slipstream escape.
However, the big guns of this army is the the new mode firefight. The action is non-stop with one random wave of Covenant foes coming after another. As you make it further into the match, difficulty modifiers, called skulls, get turned on, dramatically increasing the level of challenge. It's a hell of great time. My match with some mates lasted just under three hours and by the end of it all we restarted for another load of fun. Good times.
Halo 3: ODST isn't a true sequel, but it is more than a standard expansion. If you're on the fence about buying it, drop your reservations and go snag a copy. If you love Halo, you owe it to yourself to pick this up as soon as you can.
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13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
Halo 3: ODST (although, I liked the prior title "Recon"), September 28, 2009
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This review is from: Halo 3: ODST (Video Game)
This game is the quintessential HALO experience for me. You are outnumbered, out gunned, and over matched throughout the game. You have really cool, specialized ODST weaponry, but, you are limited on ammo, don't have the powerful shields of the Spartan armor, and are susceptible to losing health (rapidly, if you aren't careful).
You truly walk into a no-win situation as the "underdog", and you have to be smart about avoiding patrols, fighting when you must (but, picking your battles), conserving ammunition, and using stealth to move from objective to objective.
If you thought facing one (not to mention multiple) "Hunters" as Master Chief was tough, just wait until you face them as an ODST!
This, for me, is the defining game in the HALO series, and, as much as I love the HALO universe (and Master Chief), what HALO should have been all along.
If you are a "run and gun" player, and just like to run about (in the open) and fire mindlessly everywhere in between grenade tosses, then, you will probably find this game to be frustrating. Also, it can be difficult surviving with underpowered equipment (in comparison to what Master Chief had).
If you take your time and think things through, moving stealthily between objectives and avoiding Covenant patrols (and detection)and pick your battles, you will find that this is a very enjoyable and challenging game.
Also, Firefight mode is very enjoyable. It really tests you. Once again, you are over-matched and under-armored (and armed). It truly tests your skill.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
HALO ODST, April 7, 2010
A Kid's Review
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This review is from: Halo 3: ODST (Video Game)
Halo 3 odst-(ORBITAL DROP SHOCK TROOPER) is weird buit its fun. Your trying to find you lost squad, and you've got no suport. the creators of halo 3 odst made odst guys look like spartans and they can jump as high as spartans. i have'nt finished the game yet, it would be easyer if you had heavy weapons or other odst guys with you. im stuck at the level after the you drive the scorpion tank. over all i think my fav halo game is HALO WARS. remember halo fans a new halo is coming out in the fall its called HALO REACH.
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