Originally titled Halo 3: Recon, Bungie and Microsoft have never denied that the game is essentially an expansion pack for Halo 3. However, when it was initially unveiled it was never meant to be a full-budget title, something that was changed later on. The question is, does the newly named Halo 3: ODST really warrant consumers shelling out $60?
In terms of content, Halo 3: ODST has a reasonable amount. There is an original campaign, as well as Firefight mode. Players will also be granted to all of Halo 3's online multiplayer content too. This doesn't actually look that bad, but once a deeper analysis is conducted, it looks a bit shakey.
The gameplay in Halo 3: ODST is essentially the same as Halo 3. The majority of the weapons are from previous Halo games, aside from a few modified versions, and from what's been seen so far, the vast majority of enemies are from previous games. There is the presence of the VISR, but it doesn't really add anything major to the gameplay experience. So while there may be a new campaign, it's essentially just a re-skinned endeavor that probably could have been prgovided as downloadable content.
The same can also be said about Firefight mode, a mode which has been frequently used in games recently. It's essentially a 4 player co-operative experience where hordes of enemies are fought against. Again though, there's nothing here that would have prevented this from being downloadable content.
The only other thing included in the package is content that a fair amount of Halo 3 players will have anyway. So those who have Halo 3, and have purchased the downloadable maps, will probably feel rather peaved about the mark-up on content they already own.
As stated, this game was originally meant to be a cheaper title, and up until only a few months ago it was actually still going to retail for $40. It seems that the decision to increase the price to $60 has been done for no reason other than to try and exploit the Halo name, and while it could be argued that the content is adequate for first-time buyers, the majority of people buying it won't be.
Community Forums
