Dropping Straight Into Hell: ODST

[Rogue 7]

So who's played it? I just spent the afternoon going through co-op with a random dude at my college's game lounge since I don't have it myself.

So far it's been epic, though the mood is somewhat ruined by the fact that it's co-op, but I'm just so much of a Halo fanboy that it really doesn't mean all that much. Plus, your team's Mal, Jayne, Wash, and Caprica 6. What's not to love?

The new pistol is awesome for grunts and jackals, but it doesn't do all that much against Brutes. The SMG's pretty good for what it does, but the new plasma rifle absolutely tears through Brute armor. It's a godsend.

[Oregano]

In my honest opinion it's the best Halo of them all. I got it today and blasted through it with my brother. The ODSTs are so much more interesting than the Chief in my opinion and the battles are much more intense.

I'm sad we didn't get to fight any Elites though. In fact the only Elites in the game are dead.:smallfrown:

[Dragonus45]

God i love this game. It makes my brains win gland swell with joy.

[Hermit]

Loved the campaign to bits. It felt like they took all the best bits from Halo 3 and cut out the less entertaining sections (I'm looking at you, Flood).

The city sections were cool, though I would have liked a bit more to do in them. That said, spotting a Covenant patrol and taking it out before it had a chance to react was awesome. Plus the ammunition was well pitched - you never had quite enough which encouraged quite a bit of scavenging, plus the odd moments of sheer luck/awesome. Like headshotting a ghost driver with my last pistol bullet. Would love to see the concept expanded on in Reach.

Enjoyed what I heard of the audio logs, too. Next playthrough I'll be making sure to track them all down (Got to a point where I couldn't really backtrack and missed some first time through).

My main gripe is with the lack of any form of matchmaking (or a "Join Random Game" button) for Firefight. It's a great game mode, it's just a pain trying to organise people for it when I'd rather just hit a button and get playing.

[Croverus]

Played the main campaign solo up to you're back to playing buck and romeo was just patched up with some biofome had to save after that so I wouldn't be late for work. Gonna teach my gf how to play it so we can play some Firefight. She loves RPGs like Oblivion and she played DnD for the first time last Sunday, so I'm expanding her nerdiness to FPS.

[Juhn]

I've only played Campaign so far, and I find the city sections incredibly frustrating. I end up wandering around a sandbox for quite a while looking for a specific item in order to trigger the next mission. I feel like the game is forcing me to go through a scavenger hunt before it will let me play it.

[Hermit]

I've only played Campaign so far, and I find the city sections incredibly frustrating. I end up wandering around a sandbox for quite a while looking for a specific item in order to trigger the next mission. I feel like the game is forcing me to go through a scavenger hunt before it will let me play it.

But you can bring up the map with (<) which shows you where you need to go, and once you're there the visor points out the object you need. Didn't have much of an issue with getting lost, myself, the compass and nav points keep you on the right track if you don't want to explore. Up or down on the DPad will place nav markers which take you the shortest route to the next level, should you wish.

That said, I was highly amused (and a bit impressed) when I realised opening up the map screen doesn't actually pause the game. Was rather careful about being in cover before checking it after that :p

[chiasaur11]

But you can bring up the map with (<) which shows you where you need to go, and once you're there the visor points out the object you need. Didn't have much of an issue with getting lost, myself, the compass and nav points keep you on the right track if you don't want to explore. Up or down on the DPad will place nav markers which take you the shortest route to the next level, should you wish.

That said, I was highly amused (and a bit impressed) when I realised opening up the map screen doesn't actually pause the game. Was rather careful about being in cover before checking it after that :p

Man. This keeps sounding more and more like Marathon, costaring the cast of Firefly.

I might get a 360 for this. (Probably not, mind.)

[Croverus]

Man. This keeps sounding more and more like Marathon, costaring the cast of Firefly.

This is actually a decent description of the game, after you multiply it to the awesome power.

[chiasaur11]

This is actually a decent description of the game, after you multiply it to the awesome power.

And with more sandbox elements.

Oh, geeze. It's a more open world version of Marathon costarring the cast of Firefly.

It's the kind of game I dream about. That's it. I have friends with 360s. It's still borrowing if they never specifically say no, right?

[Juhn]

But you can bring up the map with (<) which shows you where you need to go, and once you're there the visor points out the object you need. Didn't have much of an issue with getting lost, myself, the compass and nav points keep you on the right track if you don't want to explore. Up or down on the DPad will place nav markers which take you the shortest route to the next level, should you wish.Well, that would have been good to know.

[Rogue 7]

And with more sandbox elements.

Oh, geeze. It's a more open world version of Marathon costarring the cast of Firefly.

It's the kind of game I dream about. That's it. I have friends with 360s. It's still borrowing if they never specifically say no, right?

I know Bungie also did Marathon, but I'm unaware of how similar the two franchises are. Let me add anyways:

You also get the aesthetics, attitudes, and music (F'rex (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPJWuIgJoew)) of the Halo universe, and I at least see those as very big draws.

[chiasaur11]

I know Bungie also did Marathon, but I'm unaware of how similar the two franchises are. Let me add anyways:

You also get the aesthetics, attitudes, and music (F'rex (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPJWuIgJoew)) of the Halo universe, and I at least see those as very big draws.

Well, Marathon has the plot primarily conveyed through the journals of those who came before you and remote messages, but the thing that made me think of it was the fact the map is in real time.

Of course, Marathon is free for PC and Mac, so it's kind of a thing you should get, if just to try some solid old school shooting with excellent plotting.

[Oregano]

I just went for a couple of minutes, not actually doing any missions just having some fun in the hub. There was a whole load of Brutes in one of the squares that kept nearly killing me. In the end I had to sneak past them and come back on a Mongoose to separate them and then pick them off.

It was AWESOME!

[Croverus]

By far my favorite thing abotu the game is that there are randomly generated patrols. I remember clearin out several blocks and wandering aroudn then coming back to find a dropship dropping off three groups in a centrala rea. I thought "Oh, so they're setting up another defensive zone?" then watched as the groups split up and began moving down different streets. I actually watched them divide up areas to patrol. Hunting each patrol down without allerting others was fun. Then i remembered there was an actual storyline I was supposed to be following and got back on track after relieving a small patrol of brutes of their ghost.

[arguskos]

So far, the best bit about this game, is how damn PRETTY it is. Like, :smalleek: it's pretty. The VISR system is seriously awesome. Now, to release it for PC so I don't need to steal my friend's Xbox! :smallbiggrin:

[Comet]

PC release. Please!
I might have to get me a 360 on christmas if this keeps up.

[Oregano]

So far, the best bit about this game, is how damn PRETTY it is. Like, :smalleek: it's pretty. The VISR system is seriously awesome. Now, to release it for PC so I don't need to steal my friend's Xbox! :smallbiggrin:

haha one of the main criticisms of the game is that it's graphics are outdated and average. I actually think it looks cool though but the faces on the character models could be improved.

Saying that though Buck looks a lot like Nathan Fillion.

[thorgrim29]

The game manages to be at the same time good and dissapointing. The campaign mostly awesome as it was, was barely 8 hours long, and I have a few other complaints:
-for some reason the rookie can't pilot ghosts
-the faces on Buck and Dare (also known as the woman with Superman's chin) are a bit weird, the others are ok.
-While most of the plot items are easy enough to find, I spent almost an hour looking for the damn sniper rifle, more a frustration then a complaint.
-I'm of the opinion that the ODSTs were too good, I know there's the best the marines have to offer and all, but those guys only have basic armor, they shouldn't be able to survive being hit in the face by a brute or multiple sniper bullets, not to mention tango with hunters.
-What were those floating bomb things? Engeneers? But then why do they explode? Also, what were the exploding "squids" in the banshee mission?

Finally the main complaint: There is no excuse for releasing the game without a matchmaking, they already have an amazing matchmaking system in place for ****'s sake, that's just kicking the fans in the nuts for ****s and giggles.

[Hermit]

-for some reason the rookie can't pilot ghosts
You can, they just have a habit of exploding when you kill the driver. Try stunning the Ghost with an overcharged Plasma pistol shot then killing the driver.



-While most of the plot items are easy enough to find, I spent almost an hour looking for the damn sniper rifle, more a frustration then a complaint.
Am I the only person who made use of the VISR? It highlights the item bright yellow, and there's an audible beeping sound when you're near the object. Admittedly, the Sniper rifle is a bit of a pain, but I didn't think it was hard to spot.


-What were those floating bomb things? Engeneers? But then why do they explode? Also, what were the exploding "squids" in the banshee mission?
Yeah, the floating bombs are engineers - they've appeared in other Halo media (Also in Halo Wars as a Covenant unit). Dutch kept calling the exploding things "Squidhouses" so I assume they're some sort of home or nest for the engineers.


Finally the main complaint: There is no excuse for releasing the game without a matchmaking, they already have an amazing matchmaking system in place for ****'s sake, that's just kicking the fans in the nuts for ****s and giggles.
Agreed 100%. Their line on this is that because Firefight is based off the Halo 3 campaign engine, not the Halo 3 MP engine, it'd take a massive amount of work to get Firefight running with matchmaking. I'd be totally happy with just a "Join random game" button that threw any four folks together. Really needs something.

[thorgrim29]

You can, they just have a habit of exploding when you kill the driver. Try stunning the Ghost with an overcharged Plasma pistol shot then killing the driver.

Yeah, the floating bombs are engineers - they've appeared in other Halo media (Also in Halo Wars as a Covenant unit). Dutch kept calling the exploding things "Squidhouses" so I assume they're some sort of home or nest for the engineers.

.

Yeah, I piloted ghosts as Buck and the rest of the gang (BTW, why is Buck only in command of 4 troopers? The guy is probably the most battle hardened and decorated marine in the army after johnson, and he`s shown to be smart and a competent leader to boot), but with the rookie I would find a perfectly fine ghost lying around and couldn't pilot it. And I know what engineers are, I've read most of the novels (not Cole protocol, because Contact Harvest was so godawful I didn't feel like throwing away 15 bucks for an equal book). But they don't act like engineers, they just float around with badass sheilds and then explode. Why do they blow up?

[Alex Knight]

Actually, what they're doing is providing shields to nearby Covenant units.

As to why they assplode, it's because the Brutes have fitted them with explosives that go off when the Brutes they're near are killed.

[Kane]

Got to play some. Found some audio logs that sounded disturbingly like a train/city killing some people nastily. Made me start thinking of Blaine the train, who happens to be a hell of a pain.:smalleek:

Seemed pretty nice. Health bar is good, shields (No. I don't care what the name is. They're just shields with a new look.) are too strong for what I hear about the Master Chiefs power level. I like the way there's no dual-wielding weapons. Reminds me that I'm a mere mortal, even if my shields don't.

[Somebloke]

I have the game sitting in my console, beers in the fridge, pizza in the freezer, two controllers and my girlfriend- amazingly enough, who loves Halo, despite not being any sort of geek- is coming over tomorrow with her most expensive underwear.

Let the good times roll...

[TheOtherMC]

Um...if memory serves arn't engineers just floating sacs of various pressurized gasses? Im pretty sure more than a few of them have some sort of explosive combination going on. I just cant see Brutes "fitting an engineer to blow" after all, engineers are probably the most important resource a shipmaster can have, even one on board is a gigantic boost in the matinaince of the ship and the equiptment of its ground forces.

[Hermit]

Um...if memory serves arn't engineers just floating sacs of various pressurized gasses? Im pretty sure more than a few of them have some sort of explosive combination going on. I just cant see Brutes "fitting an engineer to blow" after all, engineers are probably the most important resource a shipmaster can have, even one on board is a gigantic boost in the matinaince of the ship and the equiptment of its ground forces.

They're volatile on their own, yes. But the Brutes have attached detonators to stop them falling into human hands. If you kill off a patrol of brutes who had an engineer, the engineer will then self destruct. They sort of scream, too, which isn't pleasant.

[TheOtherMC]

Oh wait my bad. I'm remembering what I read in Contact Harvest, made the mistake of considering it an actual decent book >.<

[Prime32]

Yeah, Contact Harvest contradicts just about every part of established canon. The Engineers in Eric Nylund's books had no real allegiance to the Covenant and would perform any task they were given, regardless of who gave it to them. They didn't even react when one of their fellows was killed after repairing the Master Chief's shield.

[Rogue 7]

I have the game sitting in my console, beers in the fridge, pizza in the freezer, two controllers and my girlfriend- amazingly enough, who loves Halo, despite not being any sort of geek- is coming over tomorrow with her most expensive underwear.

Let the good times roll...

Lucky b&$%*!$.

[Somebloke]

Lucky b&$%*!$.

Well to be fair I am paying for it.

Let's just say 'out of town shopping trip' and leave it at that.