One word. AWSOME
No exaggeration required. A longer plot maybe, but that’s forgivable. The characters are the best thing about it, no doubt. Even though the game itself is great, the set-up’s different to any other game I think I’ve came across, or maybe I’ve just had a very sheltered gaming experience. Who knows?
But Halo 3 : ODST ticks all of my boxes (and some I didn’t know I had to tick!) Excellent game. Better than excellent. It’s a whole bunch of concentrated shiny-ness! And Shiny is the right word. See, I know of a little show called Firefly that happens to be also excellent. Combine that with an epic game format and what do you have? One of the best Gorram games out there! (The best if you forget about Left 4 Dead.)
The characters are the best I have ever seen in a game format and I’m not surprised in the slightest. With actors of such a high calibre and a genius story, you can’t go far wrong. It’s obvious from the start that this isn’t just a prequel to Halo 3, or a running-up to Reach. This is an epic game in it’s own right. Just like the very first Halo. It not only breaks boundaries, but it stops for long enough to stamp them into the dirt to make sure they don’t even think about getting back up again.
There’s Dutch, the big gun guy. He’s the not so bright but good to have on your side guy. Not allot is ever really said about him but you get a feel for the character when he’s asked where the rest of his troop is. “Gone, Dead. I dunno.” Not feeling the love. But that’s how he is. And funnily enough, that’s how Jayne is. (Jayne is the character that the actor plays in Firefly, that little “niche” show from earlier.) But hey, am I complaining? Nope.
And Buck. Buck, like Dutch, is basically his character from Firefly and anyone who knows either the actor or the show will recognise this at very first glance. We first see him without his helmet and in a way that shows him to be un-steady first. As soon as the awkwardness has evaporated we see him as the leader. The justly strict and loyal leader. No surprise there, but am I going to complain? Nope. (Although I think the facial graphics aren’t as good as they could have been but I am happy to miss out on a few extra details on a face if it means more funny comments from the attacking covenant.)
Mickey is the same story though his character, like Dutch is played down for the shorter plot line. He and Dutch are basically the quirky “replacements” that are there to watch each others back and to beef out the team, entertainment value and playing experiencing. He’s quick witted and personally my favourite thing about him is his intelligence. He’s the one with the jobs that take more than 3 brain cells to do. Like flying a phantom and setting fuses to blow-up bridges. “This ain’t a job ya wanna rush” after all.
Romeo is one of the only characters that doesn’t have a root in the Firefly gene-pool. He’s a “ladies man” although I’d take Mickey over him any day. You don’t have to be Mickey though to realise that he’s a dab-hand with a sniper and a bit cocky about it.
Dare is the only one in recon armour. The only woman. The only one with history with Buck, and so the only one who really knows him. And she’s the only one who knows where they’re going and why. Making it difficult to get the ODSTs to do it properly.
In conclusion. ODST rules!!!
(Oh and don’t forget the Rookie. You!)
