No. 1 Story
ACCC clears Optus to scrap HFC network and use NBN instead
The ACCC has cleared, provisionally, the proposed deal between Optus and NBN Co under which Optus is to be paid around $800m to shut down its HFC network and transfer customers onto the NBN. read moreReview: Halo 3: ODST
Mike Bantick
Monday, 28 September 2009 12:02
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Whilst you are still no Master Chief, being a specialist sniper, heavy weapons dude or badass Squad Leader ups the adrenaline injection a number of notches over the hide-and-seek moments at night.
These missions are classic Halo, and are over all too soon. There is basically one of everything in the day mission structure. One Warthog section, one Scorpian Tank mission, one Banshee hijack, plenty of footslogging, some defence and some cowardly sniping to be had.
This day/night structure and flashback construct works pretty well, though when given the chance to blow up a bridge and fend off a full-on Covenent invasion in one day mission; it is tough to reset your mind for a creep around the night spots of dead New Mombassa as a follow-up. So whilst the story is artfully delivered, the pacing of the tale as a video-game suffers.
Much of this pacing issue is due to length; the experience would have been that much better if the day missions were half as long again. All in all, the single player offering is that of an expansion pack, as the Bungie developers originally planned. This full-price release smells a lot like a marketing department decided that the Halo brand will pretty much sell no matter what logical value perception is placed on the product.
Having said that, I am yet to check out the new Fire-Fight or the other multiplayer modes introduced with this release – much of this banks the new experience on being a lesser soldier than the Master Chief was. Multiplayer also uses a random ‘skulls’ mechanism, changing some of the game-rules on the fly.
If you are looking for a new Halo story driven experience, without looking too deeply at the multiplayer aspect it is hard to recommend Halo 3: ODST. It is such a different Halo feel, with a length smacking of ‘expansion pack’ quality.
If you are the kind of person that just loves everything Halo, and want to battle it out in a new form of multiplayer set before the coming of the Spartans, then add 1.5 to the score below.
7 Needle Pistols out of 10
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