For anyone expecting Halo 3 remixed, stop. It shoots, moves, and talks like Halo. Even looks like it with the endless amounts of brutes, and grunts you will be facing off against, but this is no typical first person shooter. In fact the closet you are going to come to the other halo’s is David Scully reprising his role of Sgt. Avery Johnson and his cigar, not a Spartan to be seen, this is all unmodified human characters.

Halo 3: ODST is a fresh perspective on the war between mankind and the covenant, taking place at the end of Halo 2 when Master Chief boards a covenant vessel and jumps into hyperspace to ‘finish the fight’ the ODST’s are dropping into the ghost town of New Mombasa.

You take the role of the rookie who was forced off course by the shockwave of the hyperspace jump of the covenant vessel and was knocked unconscious. Upon reawakening six hours later, you’re tasked with finding out what happened to your team. This is the entire game in a nutshell searching new Mombasa for clues to what happened to them. Clues are conveniently highlighted in a bright primary yellow with the VISR mode turned on, which acts half as a helpful guide to see what lies ahead of you and as night vision goggles. The latter of which can be extremely unhelpful during daylight scenarios where you can be rendered blind, which in a fps can be is essentially like amputating a leg of Usian Bolt the world record holder of the 100m sprint. Luckily such a thing can be turned off as quick as you were able to turn it on.

What stands ODST apart from the other Halo’s is its free roam within the city limits you are given which is roughly about the central island of Liberty City in GTA IV. Small enough to feel isolated; but big enough to easily hold everything the game contains. Which is two storylines, thirty hidden collectibles, a new covenant species you will only see in ODST and more covenant than you can count.

The main campaign can last anywhere between three hours to six dependant on difficulty, skill and how many additional players you have [three including yourself] playing with you. The campaign has a decent amount of replayability with some achievements you probably won’t get first time playing on a high difficulty. The returning VidChallenges, such as complete a level on legendary without firing a single shot or throwing one grenade.

The combat of ODST is a lot more open than any of Master Chief’s outings, as avoidable combat is often scripted in previous Halo titles, yet here it is purely optional while playing as the rookie, only when you reach a flashback does it turn into all out warfare. This subtle option can make the game feel amazing as you sneak past a group of brute’s just feet away. While not a constant option or factor on lower difficulties on legendary you will be making choices of flight or flight.

Hidden within ODST’s main campaign is a secondary storyline of a female Civilian resident of New Mombasa named Sadie looking for her father, called ‘Sadie’s Story’. You will find things such as telephones and kiosks highlighted which when discovered will give you the option to collect or listen to as you play on searching for either the next clue to the story or the next segment of this hidden story. At first you will ponder what any of this has to even do with your nameless ODST rookie, but the more you collect, the more the hidden plot unfolds and the more you understand what your group leaders mission is, and even effect the outcome of an event later in the game.

Now on to the biggest disappointment in all ODST has to offer – Firefight. The mode itself is great, a Halo-esque take on Gears of War 2’s Horde Mode. The biggest problem comes in the fact there is no matchmaking. Unless you make plans with a friend to play this you will have to search game forums or visit bungie.net or play some Halo 3 multiplayer to see if anyone wants to play some firefight. This is quite frankly a massive issue for many a player and I pray it gets amended ASAP. Beyond this firefight is a highly enjoyable experience, were in an attempt to get the highest score you can will sap around two hours of playtime from you and your friends trying to reach the par score of 200,000 to get the stages achievement. The replayability from this mode alone will keep you hooked to ODST longer than you might plan with a willing and able friends list. As you will be having those did you just see that? Style moments over and over again, achieving kill counts you wouldn’t be able to touch via online competitive multiplayer.

Speaking of which, Halo 3: ODST has on a separate disc Halo 3 Mythic Multiplayer, with every map and three new maps making the list of achievements for Halo 3 now fully completeable and also playable again, as to those unaware Halo 3 multiplayer was unplayable to anyone who didn’t purchase the Mythic Map pack when it was first released way back when. Now you get the complete experience all on a tidy disc, the obvious catch being you have to purchase Halo 3: ODST. The simple reason for a separate disc being it makes it easier for a player to jump in and play what they want, campaign or multiplayer.

All in all, ODST achieves what it came to do. Offer a new perspective on the Halo universe while making sure you didn’t feel totally like a Spartan with a new story that feels distinctly human and not out of this world. You will be left satisfied with its great voice work and delivery and come away with a few more memories.