3.5/5 ★ – Kalle_Deimos's review of Halo 3: ODST.

TLDR: This used to be my favorite Halo, but now I'm not too sure. Gameplay: Halo ODST is the one and only game in the series where you do not play as a Spartan. You no longer have shields, you have a health bar and you take fall damage. Well, you still have shields. You have "stamina", which is essentially a shield with no HUD. And you can still perform grand feats of strength like a Spartan (punching a Brute in the back so hard that he dies) so the core gameplay isn't much different. However, game design is completely changed. Previous Halo games had grand battles occuring regularly, combating overwhelming alien forces along with your comrades. In ODST, you are mostly all alone, maybe with a couple of help here and there. To reflect that, there is much less oppresive groups of enemies and design in general. And THIS is what can make or break your Halo 3: ODST experience. Playing this alone is a tense and trying experience. It feels more tactical, being a lone ODST on a cold and stormy night taking out a pod of enemies by yourself. The low enemy count and short levels aren't too noticeable because you get it all to yourself. But once you launch in with a buddy (and you're both compotent) then ODST becomes a breeze and can be kind of boring. Even on the higher difficulties. It's really odd because this used to be my favorite Halo game, but my latest playthrough with a friend just kind of went by like it was nothing. The campaign has fantastic atmosphere but as a game it is hard to match up to the excitement of Halo 1 even. I suggest going in blind and playing alone for your first playthrough, maybe even on heroic. The changes to the player character and weapons are enough to get you invested, so just try to keep that investment and you'll probably love it. But if ODST doesn't grip you, it may fall flat. There is one saving grace however, Firefight. I like ODST firefight more than Reach firefight because it is BRUTAL. This was the ODST I like because it is an onslaught of enemies that WILL wreck you. And you'll either die in hilarious ways or be a total champ and prevail. Story: Halo 3 ODST is a smaller, intimate story between a group of survivors trying to reconvene and make it out of the city. The ODST Team being an ensemble cast is so effective that I think it was probably looked at when making the cast for Halo: Reach. Not to knock the casts of the previous Halos but there is not a lot of characters and they don't have much of a personality. ODST does a good job of giving these soldiers personality even with their limited screen-time. My favorite is Mickey because he's a little goofy and that's it. ODST has a great atmosphere of a lost battle in a destroyed city, following a team who is trying to tie up some loose ends before getting out. The Rookie isn't even a character but he's a great vehicle to get us to explore the city and give us some subtle reactions to his crew. I think it's a testament to the game that The Rookie is probably one of the most beloved Halo characters and he doesn't say anything nor do we see his face. And who could forget Vergil. I love me some Vergil. Graphics: ODST is on par with 3 graphically. I still think these graphics hold up great today. Only issue is when you turn on your VISR and you get blinded immediately. But that's kind of the challenge behind using your VISR I suppose. Sound: Halo 3 sound. And in terms of music, we get that SMOOTH rainy jazz. Extra: ODST does this weird as hell thing where between missions you get to roam this open world. And it is fine, the world doesn't have much it in. And you can find some audio logs that tell an interesting story that ties in with the main story. But it's really long and you have to go searching for it so I don't think a lot of people are going to miss it. You might as well listen to it online like it's an audio drama. Favorite Thing: I like that one scene where the Brute Chieftain totally wrecks Romeo. Not My Favorite Thing: That was the final mission??