Since the huge success of the first Halo game on Microsoft’s first console (Xbox) and gamers around the world have been getting excited for every upcoming game in this very popular series. The first Halo game introduced the franchise to the gaming world and it was the first FPS to feature health regeneration. The sequel improved a lot of aspects from the original game excluding the cliff hanger ending. The third entry in the series concluded the story arc that began in Halo: Combat Evolved and gave gamers the opportunity to finish the fight.
 

Microsoft had stated in numerous times that the Halo franchise is what they will be focusing on and that shows in their attempts in expanding the Halo franchise by bringing the franchise to different genres like what we had seen in Halo Wars.
 

Now with the release of Halo 3: ODST is approaching, a lot of gamers are asking themselves if the game is worth the money or the wait, the answer to this question depends on what you expect from the game, that’s why I’m writing this review to give you a better resolution about the game.
 
 

The game starts with a group of ODSTs preparing to drop onto the dark streets of New Mombasa using one-man Human Entry Vehicles (HEVs). But things don’t go as expected; a mysterious shockwave will be triggered while the ODSTs are dropping in mid air, which will result in scattering all of the ODSTs from each other.
 
 

From here, you will take the role of The Rookie who had been unconscious and been stuck in his HEV for six hours. After a brief tutorial, you will be able to get him out and your journey in the streets of New Mombasa will begin. The first thing you will notice is how dark and scary the streets of New Mombasa is. It’s clear that Bungie wanted to create a dark Halo game this time around.
 

The hub design of the city is a departure from the previous games in the series, as you wander the streets of New Mombasa while playing as The Rookie you will be traveling within the city in search for his fellows ODSTs. You will follow a signal on your map which will lead you to the beacon. When you find a beacon, you will trigger a playable flashback that will explain what had happened to the other playable heroes in the game. That’s when the game will show you the true action as those flashbacks plays exactly like what we have experienced before in the series. I found this method in telling the story to be very clever, as it made the progression of the story more interesting. I think that Halo fans will like how the story is presented in Halo 3: ODST.
 
 

Bungie haven’t reinvented the gameplay formula this time around, instead of this, they have created a tighter levels to play in and they had kept all of the things that made the Halo games fun to play. All of your favorite weapons and vehicles are still there in Halo 3: ODST plus some new weapons.
 

The multiplayer in ODST plays exactly like what we have seen in Halo 3, which isn’t a bad thing as the multiplayer is still a blast to play. The second disc of the game contains 24 maps consist of the original eleven Halo 3 maps (Construct, Epitaph, Guardian, High Ground, Isolation, Last Resort, Narrows, Sandtrap, Snowbound, The Pit, Valhalla), the Heroic map pack (Foundry, Rat’s Nest, Standoff), the Legendary map pack (Avalanche, Blackout, Ghost Town), the Cold Storage map, and the Mythic map pack (Assembly, Orbital, and Sandbox) as well as three new maps (Citadel, Heretic, Longshore). Which is a good value for your money if you hadn’t already acquired all of those maps.
 

ODST also contains a new cooperative game mode called Firefight. Firefight is Halo’s version of a survival mode, wherein players take on increasingly difficult waves of varied enemies and see how long they can last, this mode plays exactly like Gears of War 2 Horde’s mode, but in first person view. It’s a good addition to the whole package and it could be the reason you will come back for Halo 3: ODST.
 
 

The game uses the same engine that powered Halo 3, which is starting to show its age. But you can notice some improvement in the game visuals; the character models looks a tad better than what we had seen in Halo 3. Also, the lightning effects has more depth. What the game lacks in graphical prowess, it make up for in its fantastic artistic design and great soundtrack. I have to give special credits for the game soundtrack, as the soundtrack really fit the mood of the atmosphere and the action in the game. When you play as The Rookie, you will hear a set of piano musical scores which will give the feel of loneliness and the danger of what yet to come at the next corner. In other heroes segments where the focus is on pure action, the game will play some epic music that will set the mood of the battles you are participating in.
 

While the campaign mode in ODST will take you from 6-8 hours to complete (which isn’t very long), ODST’s campaign mode could be the best one you will ever play in the series. But what will make you come back for more is the multiplayer and the amazing firefight mode.
 

This isn’t a full-blown sequel, which might disappoint some people. But you’d do well to take it for what it is: another great Halo game from Bungie. While it’s a hard decision for the gamers who already got all of the Halo 3 DLC maps (which lessen the value of the package), Halo 3: ODST is a must have title for Halo and FPS fans.
 

Score: (9.0/10)