Developer: Bungie (“Halo 3”)
Publisher: Microsoft
Available on: Xbox 360
With 2007's "Halo 3," the saga of that game's hero, Master Chief, officially came to an end.
Which means it's time for the spin-offs.
The first of two being doled out by "Halo" creators Bungie (the second, "Halo: Reach," will be out next year), "ODST" is a prequel to "Halo 3" that's set during The Covenant's assault on New Mombasa. Playing as a rookie orbital drop shock trooper, you get dropped into the middle of the fight, only to find that you've been separated from the rest of your squad.
As you can probably guess, "ODST" plays a lot like "Halo 3." It's a sci-fi first-person shooter with effortlessly fluid controls, enemies who are smart enough to duck, and all the solid gameplay you've come to expect from a "Halo" game.
But there are some differences this time out. Because you're not playing as Master Chief—more importantly, because you're playing as an ODST and not a Spartan—you don't have M.C.'s snazzy regenerating shield to keep you safe. Instead, the first couple of shots to your chest will leave you winded and seeing red, while the next couple will cause you to lose health you can only regain by visiting a handy medical kiosk or finding a med pack someone's left lying around.
You also have a different helmet, one that not only illuminates your surroundings—which comes in handy since you dropped into New Mombasa at night, and the fighting has knocked out much of the power in the city—but one that also highlights those aforementioned medical kiosks, ammo and med packs you can pick up.
"ODST" also eschews the usual linear layout of the "Halo" series for a more open world. Granted, it doesn't turn this into "Grand Theft Halo," there's no side quests or errands to run, but it does mean this game isn't just about running and gunning, but exploring as well.
Which is where it gets interesting. Along the way, you find remnants from your squadmates, and picking them up triggers flashback sequences where, playing as them, you see what happened when they landed. These missions are also different from your normal ones, as they not only occur during the day, but some have you driving a Warthog or Scorpion tank into battle.
Of course, it wouldn't be a "Halo" game without great online multiplayer, and "ODST" has that covered. Besides letting you play the campaign with friends via co-op, the game includes a new mode called “Firefight,” which is basically like the “Horde” mode from "Gears of War 2," in that you and some friends battle waves upon waves of Covenant. Except that, unlike “Horde,” where you can keep going so long as one person survives, since everyone gets revived at the end of a round, in “Firefight” you and your pals share a set number of lives, and when they're done, so are you.
"ODST" also includes a second disc that has a stand alone version of "Halo 3"'s multiplayer modes, as well as every map they've released for it, including three new ones. Owning "ODST" also means you can get into the multiplayer beta for "Halo: Reach" when they start testing that game's online modes next year.
Admittedly, "ODST" isn't as satisfying as "Halo 3." It doesn't have that game's epic scale, and not having Master Chief's recharging shield can be occasionally frustrating. But with the same great controls and action, as well as a cool new (to the series, anyway) co-op multiplayer mode, still help make this one of the best games of the year.
Bottom Line: A "Halo" with any other hero still plays as sweet.
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