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  • Subject: ODST, an underrated experience.
Subject: ODST, an underrated experience.
  • gamertag: C Moth
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It's only camping if I build a fire, otherwise it's just waiting.

First of all, I have loved the Halo franchise for everything it has provided me. Years of fun, several real friends (not just names on a list), some of the best music across several industries (John Williams who?) and very good characters.

But, I was a little mistified by the apparent hate that was directed at ODST (the price of the game not-withstanding). It wasn't DLC, it was still a good 4 or 5 hours of gameplay, slightly more if you were thorough. The character development was still excellent and the story was actually better than some of the previous titles.

The music was stunning and was almost a living character unto itself.

It introduced Firefight mode, now copy-catted by darn near everybody (Spec-Ops mode? Really?).

I realize it was outside of cannon and it wasn't formulaic but it was still very good, a lot better than other games we line up for. So, why the lack of respect? Is it just because the bulk of Halo players are very young and inflexible to change or is it something more substantial?

  • 09.20.2011 1:40 AM PDT

Have A Nice Day!

Commander, CammCam's Queensguard; Sapphire Mod; 34th Seat, Table of Avalon(Exiled);Captain, HAND

yolo? -blam!- that! YOLTOSS!! You Only Live Twice or Some -blam!-

In my opinion it lacked a substance that is required for the price tag. The addition of firefight was excellent at the time, but no matchmaking for it actually made it pointless. All of the Halo 3 maps were included in that price, but for those who already had the previous map packs that meant nothing. Gameplay was decent, but not noteworthy in graphical detail or storyline (cutscenes were horrible, btw).

I will agree that it is better than other games that I've paid full price for and the creation of firefight(of which I will still play the ODST maps over Reach) should be considered a milestone in the gaming industry. However, the story was set in a timeline that was inconsequential to the story overall(much like Reach, I might add) and the gameplay didn't offer up any new challenges(no arguing the human aspect; I could still beat down grunts the same as before) to keep the replay value high.

  • 09.20.2011 1:52 AM PDT
  • gamertag: C Moth
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It's only camping if I build a fire, otherwise it's just waiting.

The visual issues were rather surprising, made the title feel rushed. But, we are comparing it against H3 at the time which was amazingly perfect visually considering it's competition.

I remember zooming in during screenshots and trying very hard to find issues with pixilation and finding very few. Awesome.

We got spoiled. So while I do agree with most of your points I think we may be measuring it with a slightly skewed yard-stick. If compared with other product of the time from other developers, it was very good.

Can't wait to see if 343i can keep the "amazing" going with H4. I'm a little worried.

Also, just read the "Halo Reach versus Halo ODST" thread. Guess there isn't as much dislike as I thought. All I ever hear is people complaining about it online. Thanks guys.

[Edited on 09.20.2011 3:11 AM PDT]

  • 09.20.2011 2:32 AM PDT

KIWIZ RULE THE WORLD!

Its just that nobody knows it yet...

I agree. I loved ODST.
I was a little let down at the start because it was still a bit constricting but with so many easter eggs and challenges I never got bored.

  • 09.20.2011 3:37 AM PDT
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I think it was the price tag, short campaign, lame protagonist and decent story that urked most people, so it's justified why people would have dissenting opinions about it (though I personally like it).

On the plus side though, the atmosphere and the soundtrack were great and, even though it was still pretty weak compared to the M6D and M6G (Reach), the pistol was pretty useful.

[Edited on 09.20.2011 3:38 AM PDT]

  • 09.20.2011 3:38 AM PDT

I loved ODST and must have completed the legendary campaign on it like 3 times (including solo.)

The few things I loved about ODST are things like, it put you in the characters (The Rookie) shoes. What made that feel better is the fact that when someone ingame asked you a question or spoke to you, you wouldnt reply (mainly because no one talks to a tv/monitor.) When you play as your own person it gives an entirely different feel to a game, something the Halo Trilogy didn't have (ODST and Reach I believe weren't originally apart of the trilogy hense going to Halo: 4 and not 6) I loved CE more than 2/3 and it was one of the best games to be released even still to date.

Firefight - Well, I liked it but I wasn't any good at it but I spent a fair few hours trying to get 1 achievement. The 200,000 points is a little to much to get working solo. But it was entertaining.

One awesome fact about ODST is that it has loads of references to Firefly/Serenity. Any Browncoats out there? (ofcourse there is!) Buck - Nathan Fillion (Originally the teams leader) is Mal -The Captain of Serenity. Dutch - Adam Baldwin is Jayne and if you know the series/film you'll notice a fair few quotes in there. Mickey - Alan Tudyk Is pretty much just like Wash, both went to flight school and the sort, not to mention he flies the Phantom at the end coming to pick you all up. Hell I love Firefly.

ODST was a great game for what time frame they had to build it and it's packed full of references and humour. The price didn't bother me and I got more than my fair share out of playing it.

  • 09.20.2011 5:28 AM PDT

Shameless plug for my blog:

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I enjoyed ODST, the campaign was a really different experience and felt somewhere between Halo 2 and Halo 3 with some different game elements we hadn't seen Bungie utilise before; the recordings, the film noir setting and the music was stylistically different again. I thought the game looked great and felt great, the story didn't draw me in that much, although I enjoyed the way it was told, through flash-backs that you had to play out; that was a nifty bit of storytelling.

Posted by: C Mothc040
It introduced Firefight mode, now copy-catted by darn near everybody (Spec-Ops mode? Really?).


Firefight was a great idea and heaps of fun (especially the Vidmaster achievements) but don't forget that Horde mode for Gears 2 actually came out before Firefight. Not to mention the feature had been done many times before in other games, I think ShadowRun on the SNES had a similar arena thing? I could be wrong.

  • 09.20.2011 6:35 AM PDT

Half Man.
Half Horse.
Half Machine.
All "Jerk Who's Really Bad at Math."

PS
No, I do not want to join your clan/group.

I loved ODST. I was waiting at the store for the stroke of midnight to pick up a copy and I spent the rest of the night playing it. It's a great game and I'm also baffled by how underrated it is.

The price was awful, I will never deny that. For the length of the campaign and a bunch of multiplayer maps that I had already bought on marketplace, that was frustrating as hell. Firefight was great, but lack of a matchmaking option with it was disappointing.

...and yet somehow I still felt like I got my money's worth, if that makes any sense. I enjoyed the game immensely, more so than H3 itself.

It was a good departure from being the Chief or a Spartan in general and I'm hopeful that 343 won't overlook it; I would love to see a sequel to ODST eventually and yes, I'd be waiting at the store for midnight once again.

  • 09.20.2011 7:44 AM PDT

Great game, just wish it was a little longer, and had matchmaking with it (ODST players fighting each other- awesome!). The H3 mythic maps included with it weren't really worth it.

  • 09.20.2011 10:08 AM PDT

I don't get the fuss about the so called "crappy" graphics. ODST had some pretty good visuals. It had good backdrops and a nice urban environment. I really loved the VISR's effects and desolae looking streets. The only problem was it was kinda expensive, but price tag aside it was a good addition to the franchise.

[Edited on 09.20.2011 12:10 PM PDT]

  • 09.20.2011 12:08 PM PDT
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  • Fabled Legendary Member

I understand nothing because my life is a conspiracy.

Bungie actually made firefight during the Marathon series. It was called survival mode. They also thought of putting it in Halo 3, but did not have enough time to do so.

  • 09.20.2011 12:17 PM PDT

Vengeance only leads to an ongoing cycle of hatred.

I loved ODST. It my second favorite game. Only beaten by Halo 3 because it had everything. I believe it's very underrated and deserves a lot more credit then it deserves. It definitely has the best Halo campaign.

  • 09.20.2011 12:18 PM PDT

Posted by:ScubaToaster
Posted by: HipiO7
This man, this man right here put it so eloquently that I actually cancelled my own 2000+ word long post.
/slow clap for respect


:)
The person who said participating is important, not winning, obviously never won anything.

I loved ODST, it was a great game, among my favorite, and I dont care what anybody else says.

  • 09.20.2011 2:35 PM PDT

Having little time to reply at this post, I'm sorry for ignoring the rest of the people who has already posted. I will only focus in the OP.


Posted by: C Mothc040
But, I was a little mistified by the apparent hate that was directed at ODST (the price of the game not-withstanding). It wasn't DLC, it was still a good 4 or 5 hours of gameplay, slightly more if you were thorough.
The hate towards ODST is reasonable, as the game started as an expansion for Halo 3, and it sure as hell remained as one. So paying $60 bucks (back when the game was released) was pretty expensive for a 5 - 6 hour campaign.

"Oh no", insisted Microsoft, "you are also paying for every single Multiplayer Map Pack Bungie has released, and three new awesome maps!". Sure, that would be an intelligent argument, if it wasn't for the fact that almost everyone already owned the DLC. And Firefight? Well, I won't deny it was fun, but what if someone lacks of XBox Live, or hell, can't get any Friends to play those maps, what is he gonna do? Firefight isn't enjoyable if you lack of people to play with, so you know, why not complete the game?

Also, there is people that tell me that the Campaign was "excellent", that it surpassed in every way the Halo 3 campaign. What? Most of the Rookie segments are to look for some stuff in that big ass boring city. Seriously, I was excited to explore New Mombasa after being abandoned, but only Bungie found the way to make this place extremely boring and uninteresting. What about the other missions? Just walk from point A to point B, survive a firefight wave, and that's it.

So yeah, I didn't really enjoy my experience playing Halo 3: ODST. And none of you guys tell me to play it in Heroic to make my experience better, my first run in the original Halo trilogy was in Normal difficulty, and it was enjoyable.


Posted by: C Mothc040
The character development was still excellent and the story was actually better than some of the previous titles.
HOW WAS THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT EXCELLENT?!? It wasn't even decent if you ask me.

So you are the new guy in the squad, you can clearly see that these guys already know each other, and that Buck and Dare used to have a relationship, but thanks to her duties, there is no more love in the air.

The problem is that you are separated from the rest of the squad, so there is no way your character can develop a friendship or bond with any of these characters. Seriously, even in the missions where you are using Buck, Romeo, Dutch and Mickey, I never saw any of these characters evolve or do anything interesting.

And don't even get me started in the scene where Dare kisses Buck, couldn't help but roll my eyes.

So yeah, please enlighten me about why the character development in Halo 3 ODST is excellent.

  • 09.20.2011 2:59 PM PDT


Posted by: The Kangol Kid
In my opinion it lacked a substance that is required for the price tag. The addition of firefight was excellent at the time, but no matchmaking for it actually made it pointless. All of the Halo 3 maps were included in that price, but for those who already had the previous map packs that meant nothing. Gameplay was decent, but not noteworthy in graphical detail or storyline (cutscenes were horrible, btw).


I will have to disagree on all those points. To me the lack of matchmaking meant the lack of random online douche-bags. While it is convenient to have a full game at any time you wish, it doesn't add anything (or take it away in lacking) from gameplay in and of itself. Horrifying lag, on the other hand, did, so there was room for improvement in the online experience but this one area, in my opinion, wasn't particularly important.

Next, I would like to point out that having the maps on disc did do one thing for DLC owners. It saved hard drive space, which while a peripheral issue did hold some value for me, at least, which further allows me to have this "Ha ha, I contradicted you!" internet argument moment, here.

And as for graphical detail and storylines, I found that both were better than previous Halo games. Where before we had a silly space opera (on par with the worst of Flash Gordon) in gaudy technicolor, we had something much more reserved in tone and plot and something, as a result, that was much more appreciable on an adult scale (that didn't just succumb to insufferable angst. See Reach.) World splitting lady chins aside.

So, it wasn't Deus Ex: HR, but at least it was an improvement on previous games.

Still, for ODST to have really lived up to it's potential it needed to have had more work done to the sandbox environment (IE so there's -blam!- to do in the hub, which an easter-egg hunt doesn't count for) and firefight needed a bit more love as well (namely in the area of gold skulls. Simply making the game more difficult in more and more tedious ways does not a fun game make.) However, despite these, and other, issues I had with ODST I too thought it it was a solid game. Maybe not solid enough to merit the $60 price tag in retrospect, but at least good enough that I don't particularly mind having overpaid.

[Edited on 09.20.2011 3:31 PM PDT]

  • 09.20.2011 3:09 PM PDT


Posted by: Juan Teran
So yeah, please enlighten me about why the character development in Halo 3 ODST is excellent.


Simple, your impression of the squad changed with time which, for gaming (and it's low, low standards), is excellent. Dutch takes a religious spin while Romeo finds some redemption from his originally jerk-ly demeanor in his later dependence on the squad. The relationship between Buck and Dare did follow your usual line of "had a thing, got complicated, but they push through it and have a tender moment or two towards the end" but however cliche it may be for leading men and women to have that sort of rocky relationship it does constitute character development. And Micky has a few choice lines that sheds some light on dimensions of his character that you wouldn't have expected from the first few scenes. Namely, a bit of pyromania coupled with an "aw-shucks" attitude which you don't see every game.

Though I wouldn't say that these were particularly hard to pick up on. This is Bungie's Halo, after all.

[Edited on 09.20.2011 3:27 PM PDT]

  • 09.20.2011 3:22 PM PDT
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  • Exalted Legendary Member

ODST is my second favourite Halo campaign after CE.

But the music in ODST is, to put it simply, the greatest soundtrack in the history of video games.

  • 09.20.2011 3:51 PM PDT

The fact that the Campaign of ODST is so unrealistic turns me off to liking it. It kind of ruins the immersion of reality when one human is taking so many Plasma Rifle bolts on Heroic.

  • 09.20.2011 4:32 PM PDT

Why are you here?

I love ODST's campaign.

It's so different and awesome being all alone in a dark abandoned future city, and the music boosts the experience.

  • 09.20.2011 4:42 PM PDT

I am open to doing free clan tags for anyone. Contact me on my deviant art profile through a note and NOT on my comments page as they will not be acknowledged.

Click on the "My Homepage" button to be directed to my page.

ODST was and still is an EXCELLENT installation in the Halo franchise.

I can't wait for 343 to do something similar after their trilogy.

  • 09.20.2011 10:56 PM PDT

The only problem I have with ODST is the price. It should have been $20 DLC.

Quality-wise, I find it better than Reach's campaign.

  • 09.20.2011 11:02 PM PDT

Posted by: PlasmaSnake893
The only problem I have with ODST is the price. It should have been $20 DLC.

Quality-wise, I find it better than Reach's campaign.

That's too cheap. I'd say $40 is good enough, unless you're poor.

  • 09.21.2011 9:17 AM PDT