Do you have what it takes to get a review published right here on Kotaku? Steven does, as he fights fire with fire and a pistol shot to the head.
Yes, that’s right, we’re now publishing reader reviews here on Kotaku. This is your chance to deliver sensible game purchasing advice to the rest of the Kotaku community.
And thanks to the very kind chaps at Madman Entertainment, purveyor of all kinds of cool, indie and esoteric film, the best reader review we publish each month will win a prize pack containing ten of the latest Madman DVD releases.
This review was submitted by the one-man reviewing army that is Steven Bogos. If you’ve played Halo 3: ODST, or just want to ask Steven more about it, leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)
Halo 3: ODST is the fifth game in the Halo universe, and serves as a prequel to Halo 3. In this game, you do not don the Chief’s Spartan armour, instead hopping into the drop pod of the vastly imaginative ‘the rookie’ of the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers.
Loved
Fight fire with Firefight: Without question, Firefight is the highlight of this game. A concept that has seen the rounds in almost every major shooter (horde mode in Gears of War, survival mode in Left 4 Dead), Firefight pits you and up to three friends in a battle against wave after wave of continuously spawning enemies. It is done with enough polish and enough features to ensure that it doesn’t get old quick, remains fast paced, and feels rewarding.
Firefly: Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin and Alan Tudyk, made famous by Joss Whedon’s Firefly, voice the other, more talkative members of your squad, and they do a pretty good job of it. Even though some of their lines may be horribly written, they still deliver them with a top notch performance that is entertaining to listen to.
Hated
Over too soon: A friend and I managed to finish the campaign mode of ODST in just less than 4 hours. For a full priced $99 game, this is just disgraceful. Sure, it’s padded with things like Firefight and all of the previously released Halo 3 multiplayer DLC, but there is just not enough here to justify the price tag.
Nothing New: There isn’t anything in ODST that you haven’t seen in Halo 3. All of the same weapons are here, all of the same vehicles are here, all of the same settings are here and all of the same enemies are here. Even one of the most climactic battles of Halo 3, the fight against the Scarab, returns in ODST, except it is done in the level where you pilot banshees and is so easy that it ruins the fun of it.
Halo 3: ODST is a shining example of a full priced game that should have been an expansion pack, or several pieces of DLC. As it stands, the only time it would be worth it to purchase this game is if you’ve never played Halo 3, and even then, I’d recommend just buying Halo 3. Either rent it, or wait for it to hit the bargain bin.
Reviewed by: Steven Bogos
You can have your Reader Review published on Kotaku. Send your review to us at the usual address. Make sure it’s written in the same format as above and in under 300 words – yes, we’ve upped the word limit. We’ll publish the best ones we get and the best of the month will win a Madman DVD prize pack.
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