The Gamer Access

If you finish a game in six hours, was that game worth $60? What if you had tons of fun and still have countless hours of online gameplay left? These are the questions I've been wrestling with when it comes to Halo 3: ODST.

I went into the game knowing it wasn't going to be a marathon type of game, but which shooters are? I planned for it to be an extension of the Halo experiences, sub-par graphics and all. I was ready for the slower paced game that promoted exploration.

Read more and I'll tell you why I feel I got my money's worth from the campaign alone. Stop right now if you're expecting me to make a case for the price. That's for you to decide. I personally changed my mind after playing the game. It's clearly worth it for me.

Scroll to the bottom if you just want to know what I think is wrong with the game and what score I give it. Do it.

Though it's a Halo game, ODST feels vastly different from Halo 3. Yes, Master Chief isn't around, but it's deeper than that. The narrative and pace of the game is much more focused and the tactic of taking us from the quiet streets of sporadic gunfire as the rookie to the craziness of selected squad members is awesome.

So here are some highlights and flaws, videos and screenshots are included. You should know that all videos and screenshots were created in the game's theater feature. It's a carry over from Halo 3, but still the best "extra" feature in gaming.

Campaign

The story mode is built around the idea that you're separated from your trooper squad as you drop into the city of New Mombasa. You play as the "rookie" who is searching a deserted city for clues of where your teammates might be. Every clue you find triggers a flashback mission where you play as the team member who left the clue.

There are 10 missions in all. That includes the tutorial. It's a great idea for a campaign presentation. Instead of one linear campaign you'll find yourself in mini battles that are very varied.

You'll storm a hill, escort your crew in an arial mission, play as a sniper and defend precious cargo against everything the covenant has to offer. The flashback missions also give you a chance to operate all the vehicles that have become famous in Halo.

This allows you the chance to see the same time period through a different set of eyes then cut back to the rookie fighting through the city. I beat the story mode in about six hours and I'm fine with that.

Drop Shock Troopers

You're playing as the marines of this whole deal. They have nowhere near the bullet defense that Master Chief has/had. Bullets do real damage and you will have to find cover. You're reminded of that when the bad guys are coming from all angles. Be sure to keep an eye out for health packs along the way as this cuts down on the Rambo factor and forces you to think a little more.

Though all the favorite Halo weapons are back, the silenced submachine gun and handgun are my new favorites. They especially add to the night time atmosphere.The coolest part of the troopers is the VISR. It's actually a visor, but it also serves as a game files collector and offers you some needed help at night by turning up the lights a little. It will blind you during the day.

The City

New Mombasa is a bombed-out shell of itself but it's a central character in the game. You can maneuver through it as you please. There are 30 audio files available for you to search out. I found 10 by just playing through casually looking for the bright yellow indicator.

The city has a very obvious solitude to it. You're almost happy to see people to shoot so that you don't feel lost. Be sure to use the indicator and the beacons in the VISR to help you find your way.

Multiplayer

The ODST multiplayer is essentially the Halo 3 multiplayer and that's fine with me. ODST does bring the much hyped firefight mode that throws waves of bad dudes at you or a party of friends. You earn points in firefight with kills. Not much more to say here, but here is a video of the Citadel multiplayer map that's included in ODST.

What Could Have Been Better

The City: Though the city is a pretty cool experience as the rookie, there is no getting around the fact that getting from one piece of evidence to the other can be pretty freaking boring. I needed a little more action. Just a little more.

The Story: There is a substory line that is really silly and done pretty superficially. The relationship between two of the people is supposed to be a driving force in a crucial decision one of the troopers makes, but the whole thing is predictable and feels thrown together. What is the point of focusing a story on a specific group of troopers if you're not going to tell us anything about them? The game was begging for profiles on these dudes or at least some videos that told us about their background. Bungie did a really cool thing with how the campaign is presented, but the troopers are introduced with only a name. More please.

Graphics: Then there is the issue of graphics. Not good. You can see the flaws in the girl's hair. Look closely. It's all blocked off and has little to no details. She's either having a bad hair day, or the Halo tradition of lacking graphics lives on. 

Firefight: How could this not be part of matchmaking? It's one of the coolest multiplayer modes I've ever seen, but you have to play it with friends or all by yourself. So I was stuck at midnight by myself like a loser. Matchmaking would have made this the absolutely perfect multiplayer mode.

Final Score: 8.5/10