Loaded Couch Potatoes

Combat Re-Evolved

FINALLY. Thank God, this is finally out. Now i can stop dreaming about it, and start living it.

I know you played the original Halo: Combat Evolved, and I know you loved it. ODST is just what the doctor ordered for everyone that complained about the additions and subtractions between the original, and Halo 3. All Halo players will be able to pick up and go with ODST, and all Halo:CE players will excel at it. Smaller jumps, slower movement speed, weaker melees and grenades that don’t sail like footballs are the main changes in the engine. No real changes in controls except for the fact that dual wielding and equipment (bubble shield, mines, etc.) are out and visor mode is in. If you aren’t aware of the visor mode I’m talking about, its a very simple vision mode similar to night vision. You’ll also get a better picture of the immediate environment and highlights around both friend and foe units. X to activate, X to deactivate. Easy.

There is no Halo matchmaking style of multi-player. You have the campaign, which you can play with up to four players cooperatively, and you have Firefight. You, of course, get the last half of the Mythic Map Pack for the Halo 3 matchmaking, but that’s it as far as the familiar multi-player goes. For those that plow straight thru the campaign, firefight is just what you need to keep the replay value up. Waves and waves of covenant mixed with skulls and limited weapons and ammo make for a great…well…firefight. If you find that you’ve become too good to kill on one of the easier difficulties, kick it up to legendary and get your ass kicked a few times. It will rekindle your fire and challenge you to commit genocide against the Covenant.

Now to the goodies. The weapons. Most of your favorites make a return except for the battle rifle. Its absent from both campaign and firefight. I know, right?! But they replace the old, with the glorious new. The silenced SMG is a killer. If the pure intimidation factor of the look doesn’t kill the covenant by itself, then the silenced firing and the ability to use the scope DURING firing will definitely finish the job.

Whats that? There’s another better weapon? The best gun in the game, you say? Yes, sir. The pistol makes a triumphant return. Silenced. Scoped. Head shots galore. Absolute beauty. I could play thru the entire game with nothing but the pistol if they allowed. Miss the Halo:CE pistol? Get ODST, pick up pistol, engage and enjoy. I’m having to cut myself off right here, or I would preach about this all day. Seriously. Shoot it. You’ll see what i mean.

And finally, the meat and potatoes. The campaign and plot. You start out as the nameless, faceless Rookie about to drop in on the Covenant with 5 of your squad-mates. As soon as all opening cinematics are over, you find yourself buried in a city looking for your team. As you stumble across clues that tell what happened to each of the different members, you replay the story thru their eyes in a flashback, and then regain control of the Rookie after revealing whatever needed to be revealed. After getting all the pieces of the puzzle, you start winding the game down and pushing thru to the ending. Spoiler alert…its really good. Short, but really good. For reference I was able to go beginning to end on the solo campaign in 4-5 hours, give or take.

Done and done. As mentioned before, if you like the original Halo: Combat Evolved, then you will definitely enjoy the feel of this game. And if you’re just a fan of the Halo series in general, then this is still a definite buy. So go buy it. Now.

Halo 3: ODST : 9/10

Need to buy?

Halo 3: ODST