[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZegzQKOCEos&hl=en&fs=1&]
I jumped into some Halo 3 over the weekend, and after getting my butt handed to me multiple times, I started remembering why I enjoyed Halo 3′s multiplayer so much in the first place (ironic, I know). Naturally, I then began thinking about Halo 3: ODST’s upcoming release (9/22/09) and started checking out some of the stuff released about ODST during E3. Above is basically the demo that they were showing, as seen on Revision3′s live E3 shows, which I would highly recommend checking out if you’re interested in the new Halo game (the second half talks about Splinter Cell: Conviction, which deserves a post unto itself).
Watching the video tempered my enthusiasm about the game, because Bungie is taking some bold risks that I am worried might not pan out. In Halo 3: ODST you play as “The Rookie”, a new member of an ODST squad who gets separated from his squad in the huge open world of New Mombasa at the beginning of the game. That’s right, ODST is going to be an open world game. Various objectives come up on your map, but you can get to them in whatever order you want. Another bold game design is that these “objectives” basically spit you into flashbacks, where you play as other members of your squad in scripted, more Halo-like sequences. These decisions may either make the game feel completely refreshing and new, or it could really cripple the tried and true Halo formula. I really hope it’s the former, but thinking about it, right now I’m skeptical. Then again, until Bungie came around, everyone was skeptical that FPS could work on consoles and look at what has happened.
Another thing I’m worried about is the gameplay being different from Halo 3. Since ODSTs are not equipped with shields like Spartans, you need to find medpacks to stay alive. That fundamentally changes the way you play the game. Also, the ODST is equipped with “visors” that color code things in the environment, something that could overly simplify the gameplay. Finally, I wonder what’s going to happen to multiplayer, will it just be an expansion of Halo 3 (I know the game ships with all the maps), or will you have the new ODST gameplay where you need to find medpacks and what not. So many questions…
The one thing I am most looking forward to in ODST is the new “Firefight” mode, which no matter what Bungie says, is essentially Horde mode with some small gameplay changes. Some of my favorite Halo experiences have been playing co-op with people, taking up fortified positions as Covenant come storming in, and killing them to death! My guess and hope is that Firefight is just like that but with better gameplay (I prefer Halo 3 first person combat to Gears third person) and with more excitement (the first 5-10 minutes in any game of COD: Zombies is always incredibly boring).
Regardless of my reservations, I’ll probably be lined up to get Halo 3: ODST day one. I doubt that it will make Halo jump the shark, but the potential is there. At the same time, every time you make bold changes, there is the potential to jump the shark, but there is also the potential for something great, so I’ll be hoping for the latter. After all, I am one of the 9000 people who still plays Halo Wars every night!
