Developer: Bungie

Publisher: Microsoft

Platforms: Xbox 360

Played on: Xbox 360

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Rated: M (Mature)

The Deal:

Master Chief does not a world-selling franchise make. A Halo 3 expansion pack-turned-standalone game, Halo 3: ODST is a reinvigoration of the Halo universe without the franchise's powerhouse protagonist. In fact, Halo 3: ODST doesn't rely on the linear storytelling of one character's journey to save civilization; instead it flashes between time and characters to tell the story of survival.

In Halo 3: ODST, you mainly take the role of a new recruit simply nicknamed The Rookie among a special group of ragtag soldiers called Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. After you literally drop from the sky into the ravaged Earth city of New Mombasa, you realize you have been separated from your team and need to scour the ruined city to find clues that will reunite you with your crew (and keep you alive).

When creating Halo 3: ODST, Bungie knew not to mess with a good thing – most of the weapons and enemies remain the same as the previous games. However, the creation of the ODST squad, including what may be seen as flaws from the surface, makes for a totally new and challenging experience. This is not some same old, same old Halo.

The Good:

Master Chief won't save you here – as ODST members you don't pack the same punch as the Master, which means your armor is weaker, you can't sprint, you lose stamina if in battle for too long, and your melee power barely moves a hair on larger enemies. While those all seem like things that would typically make a game unbearable to play, it adds depth and strategy to the game in order to stay alive and make it through the levels.

The addition of Firefight in multiplayer is just awesome. While the concept isn't new (fighting off waves and waves of enemies co-operatively or with a group, also known as Horde mode in Gears of War 2), it's a fun mode that provides lots of exciting moments with teammates fighting against the AI.

The non-linear storyline and "sandbox" environments are new to the Halo franchise and work well in this setting. Players are free to roam and explore the levels and your engagement can be dialed up or down depending on preference. There are even very little levels where players have to clear an area of enemies, meaning you could run through 75% of the game without killing any baddies if need be (not that you'd want to miss all the fun).

The Bad:

-You end up fighting pretty much the same crew of Covenant baddies in almost every level. There is only one new Covenant character and it doesn't even fight back. Oh, and there's no sign of The Flood anywhere in this game. While the repetition of encountering Drones and Brutes is a downer, the AI is smart enough that every fight is not always the same.

-The solo campaign is too short – you could probably get through it in four hours, depending on the difficulty level. While it's not necessarily a deal breaker for this game, it would have been nice to squeeze in a few more hours of gameplay, considering the price.

Final Word:

Put that Master Chief helmet away! Halo 3: ODST is a positive reinvention of an already beloved franchise with subtle but rewarding changes to the Halo universe. Come for the campaign, but stay for the firefight.