Dropping In For Something A Bit Different

by AXIS of Reality

©2009 Alex Baldwin

Halo 3: ODST was never meant to happen.

Rewinding several years many people were excited by the prospect of Halo: Chronicles, the ill-fated Peter Jackson project to be developed in conjunction with the Halo film.

After funding fell through for the movie, it’s widely known the production team weren’t prepared to just part ways and pretend it never happened; instead the team moved onto making District 9 which was released recently to critical acclaim.

What isn’t commonly known is that Halo: Chronicles was put in an identical situation. With Halo: Reach under development since Halo 3, when Chronicles was dropped alongside the film what was there to do for a full team in Bungie that wasn’t needed yet in Reach’s development but about a year and a half free time? Why, make a spin-off of course!

To break it down, ODST’s singleplayer campaign will be reviewed in this article with a multiplayer review (Firefight and Halo 3) coming soon in another article.

There are countless (very mixed) reviews of ODST out there at the moment that all talk about similar elements yet with wildly varied ratings to accompany them. To make it a bit clearer, like the Batman: Arkham Asylum review on OXCGN I’ll be splitting it into reasons to buy it and reasons not to, so you can make up your own mind as to what’s important for your tastes.

Reasons to buy it!

It’s so atmospheric…

Even from the first trailer it was apparent a significant portion of ODST would be set in a neon-lit city (New Mombasa from Halo 2 and Halo 3) at night. What Bungie have excelled at in this regard is the feeling of isolation and loneliness, similar to the opening scenes of the movie 28 Days Later.

Wandering through the dim open city alone, seeing the remnants of what used to be a bustling metropolis and leftovers of firefights gives a very surreal feeling. The darkness and light rain really set a mood of uncertainty and oppression, with a distant view of a band of Covenant more likely to make you inclined to hide than charge.

It’s a return to Halo’s roots…

Because of the change in protagonist to an ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) this time around a lot of the superhuman benefits of being a Spartans are gone, bringing it back more in line with Halo 1.

The health system is back (albeit modified a little bit) where you only have a very limited recharging shield before bullets start taking permanent chucks out of your health that only health packs can heal.

On the easier difficulties there’s still room for Halo 2 and 3′s running and gunning but ramp up to Heroic and Legendary and you’ll be needing to use a bit of strategy and tactics to survive. Another returned element of Halo 1 is the scoped pistol, perfect for headshots and as a backup weapon.

It has a lot of variety packed in there…

Considering the running time (more on that later), you’ll be doing a lot of different tasks and objectives throughout the campaign.

From defending positions to warthog runs to stealthily sniping out enemies, ODST packs in many different challenges to keep you on your toes and prevent any sense of repetition.

There are some great missions in there that are a blast to play through multiple times, as has always been the series’ strength.

The environments themselves also are a lot more open than the previous games allowing many different angles of attack and ways to approach each situation which provides even more replay value.

It’s all new content…

Despite sharing the Halo 3 name and being set parallel to the events of Halo 2, none of the environments or art of the previous games is recycled.

Everything feels fresh and new thanks to some new spectacles and gameplay. While inspiration and some level similarities from some old favourite segments of Halo 1, 2 and 3 are evident, the new art and smarter level design keep it fun and interesting throughout.

It’s got a great narrative…

Unlike the linear stories of Halo 1, 2 and 3, ODST follows the Rookie in the ODST squad after crashing into New Mombasa as he searches for the other squad mates. Upon finding a significant object, you are then moved into the helmet of the person it’s linked to from a few hours earlier and play through the events they experienced.

These sections are full of action and the large-scale Halo moments we’ve been spoiled with in previous games, and provides a huge contrast with the quiet isolation of wandering the rainy city alone. What struck me most was the way after each flashback segment being transported back into the Rookie’s helmet in the city, the environment suddenly held so much more meaning.

The broken bridge from when you destroyed it in the flashback, the burning husk of a Wraith from a battle that happened hours ago. The objects and ruin around you suddenly tell their story and give meaning to each location. It’s a fantastic way of structuring the narrative and making you that much more intrigued and connected to the world you’re playing in.

It sounds amazing…

Whether you love or loathe the Halo brand, no-one can deny that composer Martin O’Donnell has provided some of the most memorable music ever for the series and ODST is no different.

Unusually, ODST is the first Halo without the signature choral chanting as a nod to the change in protagonist, instead focusing on the sounds of a single oboe and piano both solo and combined with the large orchestra sound for more epic moments.

When the soft, lonely notes of the oboe and strings begin as you wander through the empty city it’s a very quietening experience. The soundtrack is also on sale today in a 2-disc CD form and from iTunes which I know a lot of players will be very interested in getting.

The it has the best night-vision mode I’ve played in a game…

While more realistic shooters stick to the green-hued night vision, most reading this will have seen screenshots of videos of the new vision mode ODSTs have. Environment objects are outlined in yellow, enemies in red, vehicles and weapons in blue and friendlies in green.

It sound simple enough but it works flawlessly, letting you see the details in the dark without simply brightening up the scene as most games do. You can see everything you need to without losing the darkness and oppressive atmosphere that would be totally cancelled out if the screen was simply brightened and turned green like real night vision.

It’s full of little touches…

From the Superintendent AI to the glitched, repeating “walk now” voice repeating like a broken record at a crossing to the graffiti scrawled across walls referencing other parts of the Halo universe and narrative, ODST is full of the love and care Bungie are known for.

Every location has a purpose and every object seems to tell a story of what happened there.

Audio clips are also able to be collected from terminals that tell the story of a young girl escaping the city during the invasion from a combination of sound recording and security camera still frames.

It all adds up to the feeling that you aren’t playing through a level, you’re moving through a world.

It’s still Halo…

The signature player tools (melee, grenades, guns and vehicles) are all present and accounted for, as is the highly polished gameplay that have made the Halo series so popular and iconic. Despite the changes in narrative style, music and protagonist it’s to Bungie’s credit that ODST is still undeniably Halo in essence and style. ODST shows the Halo universe has the capability to tell numerous different stories in the same timeline without having to retread old ground.

Reasons to ignore it!

It’s short…

There’s no getting past it. In spite of the high quality of the campaign it’ll all be over too quickly for many people’s liking.

You’re looking at 4-6 hours, depending on how much you explore the city so for many people it will be over the same day you bought the game.

It’s good then that it’s very replayable and also has Firefight and co-op to amuse you, but that’ll be detailed in another article.

It’s a bit anticlimactic…

ODST takes place between near the beginning of Halo 2 and partway through Halo 3, but unfortunately it seems to have taken some lessons from Halo 2 in the ending department.

It’s not as much that it ends on a massive cliffhanger like Halo 2, but that you aren’t really aware that what you’re playing through is actually the finale.

It’s $99 (but it’s not really)…

Here’s where I would normally be a bit annoyed at the retail price of ODST considering it has less content than a full Halo release (then next full game in the series being Reach next year with a new engine, new multiplayer, etc). However, I’m happy to say it’s actually extremely difficult to find it that expensive on a store shelf.

Due to the massive competition between stores for such a popular release everywhere, including places that usually only stick to the recommended retail price have slashed the price.

Almost everywhere has it for $79 or below (cheapest I’ve seen is Big W for $68) which I believe is well worth the money, especially if you’re interested in participating in the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta in March 2010 that all ODST owners are invited to be a part of. So there goes that reason.

It’s still Halo…

More specifically, it’s still Halo 3. It can’t be ignored that it uses the same engine (however it’s gotten some visual upgrades), mostly the same enemies, same vehicles and most of the same weapons.

If you’re wanting a full sequel, Reach will be with us in September 2010 with the new engine, story, multiplayer, etc.

This one still has Halo 3 in the title so you’re getting a major extension of Halo 3, but not a true sequel. If that’s good or bad is up to you, but I enjoyed Halo 3 a lot and found ODST’s campaign to be a more than worthy extension of the story that deserves its status as a standalone spin-off. I just wish there was more of it.
”8.5/10

©2009 Alex Baldwin

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