Halo 3: ODST
It's Halo Jim, but not as we know it
There's a hint of awkwardness from Senior Designer, Lars Bakken when we ask him what he made of writer Stuart Beattie's recent quote stating that Halo is "our generation's Star Wars."
"That's not something we would ever say," he states while shifting in his chair, flattered by the comparison perhaps but unsure of whether the franchise is deserving enough of such a grand title. Or maybe it's straightforward modesty. Whatever we or Bakken might think however, there's no arguing with Halo's impact upon the videogame industry. It's a worldwide phenomenon that has resulted in not only astronomical sales and millions of players fragging one another on Xbox Live (it's still the most played game online), but an array of spin-offs in the form of comic books, novels and merchandise.
If ever there were to ever be a candidate for this generation's Star Wars, then Halo is certainly a worthy contender.
Halo 3: ODST will be the fifth game to bear the name and promises to reveal yet more about the ever-expanding Halo universe, albeit through a new perspective that places you in the armoured space boots of a lowly rookie rather than a genetically-enhanced super soldier. Like the Master Chief, your character in ODST is a strong, silent cipher known simply as 'the Rookie' meaning that the personality and dialogue comes solely from your squad mates, who reel off one-liners and witticisms in response to the emergent action.
Despite adopting yet another voiceless protagonist for ODST, Bungie are hoping that the entire product will be a wholly different experience from the other entries in the Halo franchise. Originally positioned as an expansion, the game has been spun out into a full-fat retail release with good reason. There's a substantially sized single-player campaign that can be played as co-op with up to four players locally or online, alongside an entirely new multiplayer mode and an extra disc that we'll touch upon later.
Your role inside the visor (or VISR) of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper is a deviating one from that of the saviour of mankind too. Much of what made the Master Chief such a force to be reckoned with has been pared down leaving you with the bare essentials for achieving your mission. Wading in guns blazing therefore is an inadvisable tactic that'll get you killed quickly. Your character in ODST is not exceptionally special in any way whatsoever and a more fragile being than a battle-hardened Spartan. The Rookie is simply a human member of the UNSC whose drop pod happens to have been jolted off course crash landing into the abandoned city streets of New Mombasa.
Consequently after six hours unconscious, you wind up separated from the rest of your squad, seemingly alone amid the eerie aftermath of the Covenant's devastating slip-space rupture (a big, blue ball of destructive energy). Switching on your VISR with a tap of the X button allows you to scope out your surroundings, outlining hostiles in red, allies in green and weapons in blue. It also highlights means of communication with the city's resident AI known only as 'The Superintendent.' You can use the VISR systems to download vital information such as maps and waypoints from communication posts that aid you in your mission to learn more about what happened to your missing team.
Recovering key items dropped by members of your squad activate flashback sequences that have you play from the viewpoint of the trooper that particular article belonged to. It's a genuinely fresh and compelling approach to a Halo story that should help to keep you invested in the mystery at the centre of the squad's disappearance. New Mombasa is an expansive open space like an urban labyrinth for you to explore and naturally, there're plenty of Covenant units to show the business end of your SMG.
There are two (sort of) new weapons that are standard issue for an ODST. The silenced SMG and the Auto Mag, each of which are modified versions of existing Halo weapons. Firstly, the Auto Mag is much like the first Halo's pistol, a rapid-fire number with a built in zoom. It looks a little more deadly than the weedy Magnum from Halo 3 with its extended barrel and as such it's a worthy secondary weapon. Your primary weapon is the silenced SMG, which has been significantly beefed-up for the new game, so it kicks like a mule meaning that maintaining steady aim is an important skill.
And skill is exactly what you'll need when you take on the brand new multiplayer 'Firefight' mode, tailor-made specifically for Halo 3: ODST. Like Gears of War 2's popular Horde, Firefight pits you against waves of Covenant on one of several different maps. Where Gears 2's waves stopped at 50 however, Firefight is theoretically endless if you're good enough to best each increasingly challenging wave. Each wave arrives via Covenant dropships, delivering enemy units, Wraith tanks and more in increasing numbers as the difficulty keeps rising. Skull modifiers up the challenge too, adding factors detrimental to your progress such as the Tough Luck or Catch! skulls, which cause foes to dodge fire more efficiently or throw an inordinate number of grenades respectively.
The only competitive element to Firefight is in trying to beat one another's high score; otherwise it's a purely co-operative experience for up to four players that truly requires real teamwork in order to reach the higher levels. Our hands-on with the mode let us sample three of the game's maps starting with Alpha Site, a claustrophobic indoor compound flanked by two external, elevated landing pads perfect for Covenant vessels to make their drops. Things get chaotic quickly, but not nearly as manic as the confined central square in Crater (Night), where enemies seem to congregate in numbers, mounting huge assaults upon you and your team.
Happily we managed to get hold of a Gravity Hammer and thrash one such group in one lethal swing, sending our score multiplier through the roof. Now that's how it's done. Chaining together fast, efficient kills like this earns medals, which now flash up on-screen reinforcing a sense of achievement. Consequently, Firefight is frenetic, compulsive fun that will drag you away from Halo 3's multiplayer for what will surely be a good, long spell. If however, you do find yourself pining for a more competitive challenge, you can use Halo 3: ODST's second disc which bundles Halo 3's full multiplayer mode alongside the previously downloadable Mythic maps.
Playing Halo 3: ODST and experiencing the fantastic Firefight mode almost convinces us that the game justifies its status as a full-priced title. Throw in the Halo 3 multiplayer disc and the game represents great value for the two people who haven't already become consumed by the gleefully fun sci-fi action. If, as Bungie has promised, the single-player mode offers the same longevity as Halo 3's campaign then ODST will undoubtedly be an essential purchase when the game launches on September 22nd. It plays differently enough and visually looks more appealing, that it almost feels like a completely new Halo experience. Whether it's different enough to warrant full price status though will have to wait until we get our hands on some finished review code. But then again, how can more Halo ever be considered a bad thing?
