Halo 3: ODST

Halo 3: ODST is a sci-fi shooter and a spin-off of the main series, which tells a self-contained story about a troop of soldiers during an alien invasion. With a thrilling and suspenseful atmosphere, the story is one of the most memorable in the entire franchise, featuring believable characters and an interesting setting. Beyond its fantastic campaign, the game includes plenty of multiplayer modes, letting you play with or against friends online. While it doesn't get as much attention as some of the other games in the series, Halo 3: ODST is surprisingly one of the best.

Main Game Features

• Exciting FPS combat with a mysterious tone
• Wave-based cooperative mode
• Addictive competitive multiplayer

Story

Halo 3: ODST is set during the events of Halo 2, when the invading Covenant aliens discover the location of Earth. There, they set siege to a variety of human cities, including New Mombasa in Africa. After a massive spaceship unleashes its army and escapes through a slipspace jump, a massive shockwave leaves the city in ruins. You play as a specialized group of UNSC soldiers known as Orbital Drop Shock Troopers who land in the city to repel the newly-arrived aliens. When the group's landing is disrupted, a rookie soldier is left behind and must search for his missing squadmates as the city descends into madness.

Unlike other games in the Halo series, Master Chief is not present in Halo: ODST and feels like a smaller scale story. However, the game excels in this self-contained conflict, providing an intense atmosphere of dread. Halo: ODST is easily one of the most impressive campaigns in the entire franchise and a must-play.

Gameplay

The campaign mode in Halo 3: ODST plays very similar to other Halo games, most notably Halo 3. However, since you do not possess the powers of a super soldier like Master Chief, your character's abilities are limited. However, there are a few new guns to enjoy, including silenced SMGS and more. The campaign can be enjoyed both solo or cooperatively, with support for up to four players. An additional cooperative mode called Firefight is also available, which pits you and your friends against waves of enemies who increase in difficulty. Extra maps and characters can be unlocked in Firefight by completing campaign missions.

Halo 3: ODST also includes the multiplayer mode from Halo 3, including over 20 maps and various modes of play. You can enjoy both deathmatch modes and objective modes in playlists such as Team Slayer or Big Team Battle. Both ranked and casual matchmaking is available, while custom matches can be created with fun modifiers. Overall, the multiplayer in Halo 3: ODST is incredibly fun and adds hours of playtime to an already fun game.

Conclusion

Plain and simple, Halo 3: ODST is a good first-person shooter that more people should play. This spin-off is much different than your average Halo game, with an engaging story and unique feel. Firefight mode and competitive multiplayer provide endless fun after you've beaten the campaign, adding more ways to play with your friends.

Pros

• Feels unique from other Halo games
• Firefight mode is really fun with friends
• Multiplayer never gets boring

Cons

• The campaign is short
• No Master Chief
• Only a few new guns