Published 00:13, September the 24th, 2009
Franchise fever
The blockbuster video game series Halo is back for a third round of space destruction
Sequels are big business in both Hollywood and whatever magical city video games come from. This follow-up is guaranteed to get you out of the house and, um, right back into the house. Outside. Boo! Inside. Yay!
Halo 3: ODST
Console: Xbox 360
Microsoft/Bungie
Grade: ➊➋➌➍
Think of this less as a full-blown sequel and more something like “Full House: The Uncle Jesse Adventures.” It’s an offshoot story that takes place in the Halo universe and features similar game mechanics. It’s still a first- person shooter, but the franchise’s previous hero, Master Chief, is nowhere to be found. Instead, you’ll be controlling something called an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, or ODST. These are troopers that, uh, orbit planets and then, uh, drop on enemies and shock them, or something. It doesn’t matter! It’s Halo!
The developers have really managed to squeeze new life out of the “Halo 3” engine. The game’s location, the fallen city of Mombasa, is beautifully rendered and lonely in a way that calls to mind the “Metroid” franchise. The action is as intense as you remember it, and the multi-player components are beefed up significantly. The only drawback is the single-player campaign is relatively short, given the game’s $60 price tag.