Halo 3: ODST Reviews - Overview and Scores
ODST Review by IGN, Gamespy, Gaming Nexus, Halo Reviews Summaries
Sep 22, 2009
Halo 3: ODST is a First-Person Shooter (FPS) action game developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft exclusively for the Xbox 360 console. Release Date: September 22, 2009 - approximately one year since Halo 3 was released.
Halo 3: ODST began as a side-story for the Halo series - a budget-priced title to tide fans over while they wait for Halo: Reach. Since then, Halo 3: ODST evolved into a full-fledged sequel / prequel which costs $60 retail. It features a new campaign, a new co-op mode called Firefight, and it includes a Halo 3 Multiplayer DVD which comes with all the previously released Halo Map Pack DLC, along with three brand-new multiplayer maps.
Read on for a more in-depth overview of Halo 3: ODST, along with summaries of reviews from major gaming sites such as IGN, Gamespy, and Gametrailers.
Halo 3: ODST Overview - Campaign, Firefight, Multiplayer
This sort-of sequel, sort-of prequel, sort-of spin-off features a new Halo campaign sans Master Chief, a Firefight cooperative mode new to the series, along with a Halo 3 multiplayer disc.
Halo 3 ODST Campaign: The player assumes the role of an ODST (orbital drop shock trooper) during the events that transpired in Halo 2. The player becomes stranded from his squad, and most of the story involves the player searching for his squadmates and piecing together what happened to them.
The story features numerous "flashback" segments in which the player assumes the role of a squadmate. The flashbacks provide a unique story element, branching the story into many short stories. Depending on the player, most reviewers expect the campaign to last between 7 - 10 hours. The campaign is co-op up to 2 players with friends only.
Halo 3 ODST Firefight: Taking a note from Call of Duty: World at War's Nazi Zombies mode, and Gears of War 2's Horde mode, Halo 3: ODST features a cooperative mode of play in which endless waves of enemies attack a group of up to four friends until all players are eliminated. "Skulls" - essentially random game modifiers to increase the game's difficulty - are randomly applied to give the game more variety and challenge. Firefight is up to 4-player co-op, but just like the Campaign, players cannot team up with random gamers online - Friends only.
Halo 3 ODST Multiplayer Disc: The multiplayer portion of ODST is essentially Halo 3 mutliplayer + every map mack previously released as DLC + 3 new maps. The multiplayer was not modified in the slightest, so players with the ODST multiplayer disc can play with anyone that only owns Halo 3. For gamers who already purchased the map packs when they were released, this disc holds little value, except that the map packs can be deleted from the harddrive to conserve space.
Halo 3: ODST Review by IGN - Summary
"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." IGN - click here for a link to the full review
IGN gave Halo 3: ODST a 9.0, or "Outstanding" score. Erik Brudvig, the game critic, commended Bungie for an involving storyline that is a significant, though welcome, departure from the typical epic Halo storyline. ODST is more personal and dark than previous Halo games.
However, the real value in ODST, according to Erik, is the Firefight mode. "The waves of enemies come from all directions, forcing you to keep your squad close and to stay in constant communication if you want to survive." IGN takes care to note, however, that the mode is only available to friends, and cannot be played with random people.
IGN concludes the review by saying that even gamers who are not Halo fans will likely find a lot to like in Halo 3: ODST.
Halo 3: ODST Review by Gamespy - Summary
"While ODST could have been a lot different from other games in the franchise, it is what it is: A great Halo game with a fun, cleverly told story and a fantastic new multiplayer mode." Gamespy - click here for a link to the full review
Similar to IGN, Gamespy praises Halo 3: ODST for a new, unique method of storytelling in the campaign mode, along with the newly addictive Firefight mode.
Gamespy reviewer Anthony Gallegos, however, wanted ODST to feel like a greater departure from the standard Halo title than it actually was. Despite early impressions suggesting ODST would be more tactical and squad-based, the run-and-gun style feels almost exactly the same as previous Halo titles.
Gamespy concludes that ODST is a cleverly told story with a fun new multiplayer mode, but it isn't the next big game. 4 out of 5 stars.
Another Take - Gaming Nexus
Gaming Nexus gave Halo 3: ODST a "C-" concluding that the campaign is " big disappointment" but that ODST "introduces some great multiplayer features." Gaming Nexus offers an alternative point of view and a harsher critique of Halo 3: ODST. Gaming Nexus - click here for a link to the full review
Halo 3: ODST Conclusion
As of September 22, 2009, Halo 3: ODST has a metacritic rating of 84 (based off 44 reviews), and a user rating of 7.4 (based on 80 votes). The most praised feature is the new co-op Firefight mode, while the campaign received mixed opinions, and the multiplayer disc is mostly just for the Halo 3 fans that did not purchase the map packs.
Interested in more video game overviews? Check out this overview of Scribblenauts for Nintendo DS.
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