Bungie is good at multiplayer. There is no denying that. Halo 3: ODST brings the multiplayer love in a lot of ways. The first and most obvious of this love is the second disc you get when you buy the game, filled with the entire Halo 3 multiplayer experience. I can't even begin to tell how much of a smart choice this was. Despite popular belief, there are still people out there who don't play Halo 3 multiplayer. There are a big number of gamers who just want to grab some carnage in multiplayer and who don't give much of a crap in terms of singleplayer experiences. It would be an interesting statistic to see how many Halo 3 owners have never played a lick of singleplayer. Halo 3 gains tons of popularity from multiplayer. Making a disc with just this component is almost a dream come true for these gamers. They don't have to mess with multiplayer at all. Just pop in this lovely disc and jump right into needling some noobs. This is a great gift to the community from Bungie, and it should be considered a highlight of this game. The disc also comes packaged with 3 new multiplayer maps, Citadel, Heretic, and Longshore. I have not had time to try out these maps just yet, but knowing Bungie they should be the same old downloadable map packs they have been rolling out for a while now. The disc also has all of the previous maps included, which is a great plus for those who haven't purchased the maps. All in all this great ensemble of Halo 3 multiplayer adds quite a bit more retail value to Halo 3: ODST. The only downside to a package like this is that there are multiple discs, a feature some may not appreciate. The apparent fact that the new maps are not downloadable (yet) is also somewhat of a bummer for those who enjoy Halo 3 but do not want to invest in ODST.
Of course, Bungie wanted to create a unique multiplayer for ODST. This comes in the new mode named Firefight. This mode has been constantly described as a Horde mode ala Gears of War or a Nazi Zombies mode ala Call of Duty. FIREFIGHT. IS. NOT. HORDE. Firefight is a completely new experience, and calling it just another Horde mode is wrong, stupid, and a complete understatement. This mode was built from the ground up to be a Halo experience, and that is exactly what Firefight is. Through this unique multiplayer game, up to 4 players can fight in one of the campaign's many vistas against countless waves of covenant. This works in a very interesting technique which can best be described as a Bungie version of a Left 4 Dead AI director. Firefight consists of a set which makes up 3 rounds which in turn makes up 15 waves. Each wave brings a new and random set of enemies which are determined based upon things such as how many people are playing, weapons they are using, weapons on the map, the map itself, etc.. This means that every wave of enemy becomes progressively more difficult, but are all unique. In my playtime with Firefight, I encountered a round with a mix of grunts and jackals, and the next round filled with ghosts. This unique and fun change in waves is what makes Firefight different from Horde or Nazi Zombies. You never know what may be ahead of you. Which is where the real fun comes in.
Firefight, more than most of these types of games, makes you think. Sure, you have to consider what weapon you are using in Horde mode, but past that there isn't much tactical thinking. Firefight forces you to assess everything about you and the environment. What type of weapons do you have? How would you handle a Brute cheiftain at thsi moment? It is these questions of "what should I do" that give Firefight it's own flair. More often that not I considered the consequences of my choices in this mode. I remember having the choice of either riding in a ghost and attacking with that or taking a heavily loaded plasma cannon and barracading myself. Firefight gets as close as it can get to putting you in the shoes of an ODST fighting for his or her life. This aspect is pushed to the limit when you play with other people. These decisions suddenly go from a solo decision to a team decision. Firefight does not have a life system. All players share a pool of 7 lives. This forces the teammates to take care of one another, because, and I say this in the truest sense of the phrase, their life is in each other's hands. Each decision is for the team to survive, not just you. In my previous scenario, I probably would have picked barricading myself. This decision is much different in a team setting. A ghost would have been much more useful if I were playing with others.
Prepare to go into the fight for a while with Firefight. On normal, finishing a game takes about 45 minutes to an hour. On normal. I didn't play a Legendary game, but I would imagine it would go in the 3-4 hour range. The maps are modest and provide a variety of different settings and strategies. Overall, the only complaint about Firefight would be the commitment to actually doing something in this game. You need to be committed to your team in Firefight. There is no "stupid running around and seeing how many people you can kill" in this game. You can only be successful in Firefight if you are actually trying, and knowing the brunt of the Halo 3 multiplayer community, some people will try to be selfish. Bungie tries to solve this by only letting friends play Firefight (there is no matchmaking). This in itself solves the problem somewhat, but gets rid of any wide community play, which is kind of a letdown. Still, everyone has enough friends to put on a game of Firefight, so it isn't that big of a problem.
Thing you may have missed: Bungie wanted you to keep on looking around the city of New Mombasa when they created it. Unlike many games, starting a new game of Halo 3: ODST does not get rid of the intelligence you gather from your previous game on your VISR. All of the audio logs, supply caches, and secrets you find stay that way. There is no need to go back to a previous game to get all the collectibles. It sure is nice to be able to work on Legendary difficulty and gather audio logs at the same time.
THE FINAL VERDICT
Halo 3: ODST is a mixed bag in terms of opinions. Regardless of the overall game, the soundtrack and score is amazing, and is one of the best sounding games ever. If more games payed attention to music like this game did scores on other websites may be significantly more. So if there is a video game music enthusiast out there, this game is a must-buy. For Halo singleplayer fans this is a great game to buy. The story is better than most Halo games, and it really shows the new found dedication Bungie has to a well-crafted narrative. Being placed in the shoes of a ODST is different, and fans of Halo 1 will most definitely find some comparisons. Multiplayer fans will have to weigh the pros and cons for this game. While the new mode Firefight is a great new mode and should be given credit and a try be everyone, it may not be worth the 60 dollar price point for some. The extra disc is a great thing to have, but some may be a little put off by having to buy all the maps in the past and now having them all for free on one disc. It still is a great thing to have though, and like I said, Firefight is quality. For anyone who has no idea if they may want to buy or try this game, definitely give Halo 3 a try first. Although this game is a great jump from the normal Halo mix, it still is Halo. It is a great standalone game, but not having a view of the Halo games and not having the perspective of going from the raw power of Chief to the strategy of an ODST weakens the playability. To truly appreciate this game you should definitely play at least Halo 3. In the end, Halo 3: ODST is a great game, and fans of Halo, first person shooters, and video game music will find a great game.
picture courtesy IGN.com
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