To start, ?ODST? has been rather unfairly considered to be nothing more than an add-on to the ?Halo 3? campaign. Such an idea comes solely from those that haven?t played the game. If something isn?t new in this game it has undergone tweaks. And, it is the sum of all those little tweaks that really make this game feel quite a bit different from ?Halo 3.? This is in spite of the online reviews from lovefilm.com, the guys I rent from, who led me to expect nothing more than ?Halo 3.5.? I was pleasantly surprised to find a full game in ?ODST? that brought with it some fresh ideas to the ?Halo? franchise.
Tweaks:
Jeremy Clarkson Approved- I mentioned that the difference between ?ODST? and ?3 lay in the tweaks so let me point out what I picked up on. To start, Bungie sped up the silent Rookie?s (i.e. ?the everyman?) movement making the game feel like it was going at a much more acceptable pace for a shooter. Unlike that unmistakable feeling from ?Halo 3? where I could have sworn Master Chief was wearing a diaper full of cement, the Rookie is running, he?s reloading like he?s being shot at and all of the weapons seem to shoot a bit more quickly too. Perhaps this feeling is only there because the day-time shootouts stand in contrast to the dreary cityscape the Rookie finds himself exploring.
Additionally, with the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the Rookie?s inner-city the silencer was a nice touch to both the pistol and the SMG complimenting the softer, eerier feel of the game?s atmosphere. The speed and feel of the pistol harkens back to the one from ?Halo 2? but with the scope on it from ?Halo: CE!? There?s something in the speed of the Rookie?s movements as well as the firing rate in the weapons that builds to the atmosphere of desperation which presents a world to the player that wasn?t really there when one played as the Chief, more on this in a bit.
Sam Fisher Rejected- The snag, though, is the fact that however cool these silencers are they don?t actually function as one would expect them to. In most games that allow one to put a silencer on one?s weapon stealth is not only encouraged it is required (e.g. ?Metal Gear? and ?Splinter Cell? franchises come to mind). Such a notion, however foreign to the likes of the Master Chief, would only make sense in this setting given that ODST, badass as they may be, are only human. That is, a normal man is not supposed to be able to fight his way through a dozen Brutes. Master Chief can because he?s a genetically pruned and robotically augmented human. Having my human Rookie kick butt just the same way as the Chief ruined what makes the Chief so necessary in the fight for humanity. It also ruined the credulity of the game itself.
Related to the above are the weapon silencers, the silencers that aren?t actually functional! Had Bungie made the Rookie?s abilities more human than Chief one would actually need to be sneaking around, fighting Brutes as sparingly as possible. But, even if one wanted to sneak through the campaign one can?t. Sneaking around a corner sniping a sleeping Grunt in the face while all of his brother Grunts aren?t looking will only wake all of them up! Big letdown Bungie, big letdown.
I know it?s just a matter of opinion but, had they made the Rookie?s health a little weaker, the silencers functional and the ammo a little more sparse this game would have had been significantly better due to the heightened tension. This is where I suppose the detractors should start commenting on how similar it is to ?Halo 3? and I?ll have to agree, on some level, because in some ways the differences are mostly cosmetic (e.g. design of the guns, music, VISR enhancements, etc?). I know if they changed too much they would risk scaring away their customer base but, had they just taken a couple more steps toward a survival horror / stealth format for the game it may have benefited and possibly brought in a new branch to the franchise.
Graphics:
The graphics are nearly identical to that of ?Halo 3? with a few minor adjustments to the particulars of the weapons? and characters? textures to line up with the stylistic differences of the game itself. It should be noted, however, that non-usable objects such as abandoned cars and trash cans seem to have been an afterthought in the minds of the digital artists. When one can look at all of those juicy details on the Warthog, from the ?puma? tow hooks down to the removable hubcaps and then compare those details to the bland lump of shit ?futuristic? sedans littering the city streets that show zero interaction when one shoots them, it removes one from the immersion of the game. The same lackluster approach that was taken for the sedans is seen throughout New Mombasa?s architecture, easily noticeable if one spends a little time searching their environment for the in-game audio clips. If it weren?t for the ever-present saxophone in the background and the eerie night calm of a city in the grips of war the bland background objects would have ruined the experience.
Story:
The story brought back that appeal that ?Halo: CE? had where one could follow the events and easily digest them along with a couple of twists and turns to keep one interested in what was coming next. Not a blockbuster plot by any means but, it could stand up next to most of the crap that passes for a story in Hollywood these days. It also comes as a welcome relief to the inane psychobabble that stood in place of a plot in the last ?Halo? game.
The characters were probably the weakest part of the entire campaign, that?s including the static future-sedans, given how utterly stereotypical they were. I wasn?t really moved to care about any of them aside from Virgil, the engineer, and even then I think it was only because he is kinda cute. This isn?t a movie and unless this is a game from the ?Metal Gear? series ten minute long cutscenes are generally frowned upon. But still, I would have preferred less stereotypical characters even if I had to settle with a little more mystery concerning their motives in life or a little more length to the cutscenes. ?Kicking ass and chewing bubble bum? may have worked as a plot a couple of decades ago but, not anymore. Oh, and in case you were wondering I?m all out of bubble gum.
Perhaps the biggest letdown was the choice to make the protagonist completely silent. Yes, I get that this may have once been considered an artistic approach, one that can still, in fact, be used successfully (e.g. the move ?Waiting? pulls it off nicely). But, in video games this tactic is getting old and nowhere is this more self evident than in the FPS genre. It doesn?t make me feel anymore like I am actually ?in? the game than I would if the developers gave the protagonist a voice. Heck, had they given the Rookie a few lines, as they did in ?Halo: Reach,? I might have cared a bit about him after the game ended. But, alas, the Rookie goes down in history as yet another faceless, voiceless man that likes to shoot things.
Old School Made New:
The most novel (read: interesting) piece from ?ODST? is the Firefight mode, similar to ?Gears of War? Horde, where a near endless supply of enemies continually try to make you militarily redundant. The idea isn?t mind-blowing, in fact, it?s awfully similar to the old arcade shooter with only one objective: kill. But, in the curious absence of a multiplayer function, Firefight allows one to easily pick up a game without having to be bogged down by the details of a plot and objectives, plus it?s strangely addicting. Too bad there?s no matchmaking because I think Firefight would have been fantastic if it weren?t for having to search Bungie.net for other interested players, scheduling with each other, finding out they?re actually assholes, start searching for another player, etc.
Bottom Line:
To be honest, I rented this title, missing out on the ?Reach? beta but, whatever. This was partly due to the fact that when ?ODST? first came out I fell for what the reviewers were telling me; ?ODST is little more than an add-on.? Given that I was so very over playing ?Halo 3? I thought I wouldn?t bother. Don?t make my mistake, if you?ve put off playing it because you didn?t want ?Halo 3.5? stop being a fool and rent the damn thing. If you?re looking to 100% the achievements, however, bear in mind that a couple of the achievements (e.g. Vidmasters: Endure and Déjà vu to be precise) require a 4-player co-op which can be difficult to come by given the age of the game and the need to schedule with other like-minded individuals.
It?s a fun little game that had the potential to really rival others in its franchise but, due to some poor choices in the setting and characters, it comes off as a bit childish and outdated. Definitely worth a rent for the ?Halo? fan-boys, maybe a straight up purchase if you can find it used. It was a blast to play and set the stage for the much more refined ?Halo: Reach.?
ESCAPIST EDIT: All of my posts are from a couple of years ago, when I had more time and money to pursue this hobby. These were originally posted on TrueAchievements.com and, as such, they're all from 360 games.
Tweaks:
Jeremy Clarkson Approved- I mentioned that the difference between ?ODST? and ?3 lay in the tweaks so let me point out what I picked up on. To start, Bungie sped up the silent Rookie?s (i.e. ?the everyman?) movement making the game feel like it was going at a much more acceptable pace for a shooter. Unlike that unmistakable feeling from ?Halo 3? where I could have sworn Master Chief was wearing a diaper full of cement, the Rookie is running, he?s reloading like he?s being shot at and all of the weapons seem to shoot a bit more quickly too. Perhaps this feeling is only there because the day-time shootouts stand in contrast to the dreary cityscape the Rookie finds himself exploring.
Additionally, with the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the Rookie?s inner-city the silencer was a nice touch to both the pistol and the SMG complimenting the softer, eerier feel of the game?s atmosphere. The speed and feel of the pistol harkens back to the one from ?Halo 2? but with the scope on it from ?Halo: CE!? There?s something in the speed of the Rookie?s movements as well as the firing rate in the weapons that builds to the atmosphere of desperation which presents a world to the player that wasn?t really there when one played as the Chief, more on this in a bit.
Sam Fisher Rejected- The snag, though, is the fact that however cool these silencers are they don?t actually function as one would expect them to. In most games that allow one to put a silencer on one?s weapon stealth is not only encouraged it is required (e.g. ?Metal Gear? and ?Splinter Cell? franchises come to mind). Such a notion, however foreign to the likes of the Master Chief, would only make sense in this setting given that ODST, badass as they may be, are only human. That is, a normal man is not supposed to be able to fight his way through a dozen Brutes. Master Chief can because he?s a genetically pruned and robotically augmented human. Having my human Rookie kick butt just the same way as the Chief ruined what makes the Chief so necessary in the fight for humanity. It also ruined the credulity of the game itself.
Related to the above are the weapon silencers, the silencers that aren?t actually functional! Had Bungie made the Rookie?s abilities more human than Chief one would actually need to be sneaking around, fighting Brutes as sparingly as possible. But, even if one wanted to sneak through the campaign one can?t. Sneaking around a corner sniping a sleeping Grunt in the face while all of his brother Grunts aren?t looking will only wake all of them up! Big letdown Bungie, big letdown.
I know it?s just a matter of opinion but, had they made the Rookie?s health a little weaker, the silencers functional and the ammo a little more sparse this game would have had been significantly better due to the heightened tension. This is where I suppose the detractors should start commenting on how similar it is to ?Halo 3? and I?ll have to agree, on some level, because in some ways the differences are mostly cosmetic (e.g. design of the guns, music, VISR enhancements, etc?). I know if they changed too much they would risk scaring away their customer base but, had they just taken a couple more steps toward a survival horror / stealth format for the game it may have benefited and possibly brought in a new branch to the franchise.
Graphics:
The graphics are nearly identical to that of ?Halo 3? with a few minor adjustments to the particulars of the weapons? and characters? textures to line up with the stylistic differences of the game itself. It should be noted, however, that non-usable objects such as abandoned cars and trash cans seem to have been an afterthought in the minds of the digital artists. When one can look at all of those juicy details on the Warthog, from the ?puma? tow hooks down to the removable hubcaps and then compare those details to the bland lump of shit ?futuristic? sedans littering the city streets that show zero interaction when one shoots them, it removes one from the immersion of the game. The same lackluster approach that was taken for the sedans is seen throughout New Mombasa?s architecture, easily noticeable if one spends a little time searching their environment for the in-game audio clips. If it weren?t for the ever-present saxophone in the background and the eerie night calm of a city in the grips of war the bland background objects would have ruined the experience.
Story:
The story brought back that appeal that ?Halo: CE? had where one could follow the events and easily digest them along with a couple of twists and turns to keep one interested in what was coming next. Not a blockbuster plot by any means but, it could stand up next to most of the crap that passes for a story in Hollywood these days. It also comes as a welcome relief to the inane psychobabble that stood in place of a plot in the last ?Halo? game.
The characters were probably the weakest part of the entire campaign, that?s including the static future-sedans, given how utterly stereotypical they were. I wasn?t really moved to care about any of them aside from Virgil, the engineer, and even then I think it was only because he is kinda cute. This isn?t a movie and unless this is a game from the ?Metal Gear? series ten minute long cutscenes are generally frowned upon. But still, I would have preferred less stereotypical characters even if I had to settle with a little more mystery concerning their motives in life or a little more length to the cutscenes. ?Kicking ass and chewing bubble bum? may have worked as a plot a couple of decades ago but, not anymore. Oh, and in case you were wondering I?m all out of bubble gum.
Perhaps the biggest letdown was the choice to make the protagonist completely silent. Yes, I get that this may have once been considered an artistic approach, one that can still, in fact, be used successfully (e.g. the move ?Waiting? pulls it off nicely). But, in video games this tactic is getting old and nowhere is this more self evident than in the FPS genre. It doesn?t make me feel anymore like I am actually ?in? the game than I would if the developers gave the protagonist a voice. Heck, had they given the Rookie a few lines, as they did in ?Halo: Reach,? I might have cared a bit about him after the game ended. But, alas, the Rookie goes down in history as yet another faceless, voiceless man that likes to shoot things.
Old School Made New:
The most novel (read: interesting) piece from ?ODST? is the Firefight mode, similar to ?Gears of War? Horde, where a near endless supply of enemies continually try to make you militarily redundant. The idea isn?t mind-blowing, in fact, it?s awfully similar to the old arcade shooter with only one objective: kill. But, in the curious absence of a multiplayer function, Firefight allows one to easily pick up a game without having to be bogged down by the details of a plot and objectives, plus it?s strangely addicting. Too bad there?s no matchmaking because I think Firefight would have been fantastic if it weren?t for having to search Bungie.net for other interested players, scheduling with each other, finding out they?re actually assholes, start searching for another player, etc.
Bottom Line:
To be honest, I rented this title, missing out on the ?Reach? beta but, whatever. This was partly due to the fact that when ?ODST? first came out I fell for what the reviewers were telling me; ?ODST is little more than an add-on.? Given that I was so very over playing ?Halo 3? I thought I wouldn?t bother. Don?t make my mistake, if you?ve put off playing it because you didn?t want ?Halo 3.5? stop being a fool and rent the damn thing. If you?re looking to 100% the achievements, however, bear in mind that a couple of the achievements (e.g. Vidmasters: Endure and Déjà vu to be precise) require a 4-player co-op which can be difficult to come by given the age of the game and the need to schedule with other like-minded individuals.
It?s a fun little game that had the potential to really rival others in its franchise but, due to some poor choices in the setting and characters, it comes off as a bit childish and outdated. Definitely worth a rent for the ?Halo? fan-boys, maybe a straight up purchase if you can find it used. It was a blast to play and set the stage for the much more refined ?Halo: Reach.?
ESCAPIST EDIT: All of my posts are from a couple of years ago, when I had more time and money to pursue this hobby. These were originally posted on TrueAchievements.com and, as such, they're all from 360 games.