Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Bungie Software
Platform(s): Xbox 360
Genre: First-Person Shooter

ESRB Content Descriptors: Blood, Language, Violence

Originally called Halo 3 “Recon,” The final name became Halo 3: ODST. I rented it. I played it. I liked it. But, did I buy it?

Halo 3: ODST is good and in fact, I like it a bit more than the original game play, but it didn’t make me rush to go out and buy it brand new.

As everyone has pointed out, it isn’t comprehensive enough to consider it a stand-alone title, but it still has a lot to offer. It took me about 9 hours to get through the single player campaign on Heroic difficulty.

INSERT POLL

Romping through events somewhere in between Halo 2 and 3, you’re “The Rookie” and there’s no mention of the Master Chief. The story line is refreshing, but doesn’t really have anything to do with what has happened to-date.

Dropping into New Mombasa (Covenant Controlled), you and four other ODSTs

and a commander) are trying to figure out what the Covenant are after.

I like the free-range ability, which I believe is one of the primary reasons why I like this title. I think the other Halo series could have benefited from this option as well.

Objective: Find out what happened to your comrades and their whereabouts. Through many flashbacks and played out stories, you play as other squad members when found. The story just goes on and on like this, but there are a lot of surprises along the way, which kept me interested in finishing the game… just not buying it brand new.

Conclusion
The storyline is new and refreshing, but deviates a bit much from the original series and while it features some great flashback scenes and new adventures, it lacks the “must have” aspect that the original series had. Because of this, it’s a great rental, but sad to say… not a one you need to rush out and buy. Wait for it to go on sale.