Halo 3: ODST

Halo 3: ODST is a 2009 first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It is part of the Halo franchise, and was released for the Xbox 360 on September 22, 2009.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Its an all new Halo experience with a new protagonist, new locations, characters, etc.
 * 2) Amazing graphics, despite being very similar to the graphics in Halo 3.
 * 3) An really excellent soundtrack composed by, once again, Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori, as it takes influences from the neo noir genre.
 * 4) You can not only play as the Rookie, but also play as two different protagonists called Buck and Dutch.
 * 5) The gameplay, while identical to it's predecessor, is still great, with the Brutes still taking the Elite's roles.
 * 6) Great voice acting, especially from great actors such as Nolan North as Romeo, and Alan Tyduk as Mickey.
 * 7) The night sections are heavily atmospheric, with smooth jazz helping give the game a neo-noir feel. This is something never explored in the Halo universe.
 * 8) A scanner like device aptly named "VISR" allows you to detect enemies easier and have a better vision during the night-time sections. However, this works as a double-edged sword.
 * 9) There's a meta-narrative in the game called "Sadie's Story" that follows an African teen named Sadie as she survives the Covenant invasion. This adds some depth to the game, although there isn't too much payoff for finding said audio-logs.
 * 10) The game takes place during the events of Halo 2 and before the events of Halo 3.
 * 11) It had added a new multiplayer mode known as Firefight, a survival mode which adds a lot of fun and excitement.
 * 12) The complete version of Halo 3's multiplayer was contained on a separate disc packaged along with the game.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) The main protagonist, simply called "Rookie", has little to no involvement on the game's story.
 * 2) Despite the title, the story takes place during the events of Halo 2, which makes the title misleading.
 * 3) The story is pretty lackluster, which is unsurprising compared to previous titles.
 * 4) The open world of the game's night-time sections feel tacked on, having little or no shortcuts, world building, or rewards for exploring the city. They could've easily made VISR a reward for completing "Sadie's Story" or as a gadget you earn later on in the game.
 * 5) The VISR gadget itself can shatter the atmosphere when active during the night sections. It also doesn't help that turning it off actively puts you at a disadvantage, as well as there being no limit to using it.
 * 6) The game is structured in a linear narrative, and the beacons are set in such a way that the game would be played linearly. It also doesn't help that the narrative itself is lackluster.
 * 7) Extremely short campaign that can be finished in a few hours.
 * 8) The game was heavily criticized for being overpriced at launch since it costed 60 dollars upon release, and considering how short the game is and its weak elements compared to other Halo titles this displeased both fans and critics alike.

Reception
Halo 3: ODST garnered generally positive reviews, and holds an average of 83/100 on aggregate web site Metacritic. Common criticism to the game comes from its short campaign, few extras, being overpriced at launch and that ODST failed to raise the bar set by previous Halo games.

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