BF2S Forums [Halo 3: ODST] Official Discussion Thread

Halo 3: ODST (formerly named Halo 3: Recon) is a standalone expansion for Halo 3, based in the fictional Halo universe. In the game, players will take on the role of a UNSC Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST) during the events leading up to Halo 3.

Gameplay
Although the gameplay of Halo 3: ODST bears a strong resemblance to previous Halo games, the player does not assume the role of the Master Chief as in the Halo trilogy. Instead, the player controls a lone UNSC soldier in the city of New Mombasa, East African Protectorate (formerly Kenya). Since the soldier, known as an ODST or Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, does not possess Master Chief's advanced armor, reflexes and strength, he is more vulnerable to gunfire; players are forced to act more cautiously. The soldier HUD is different from the previous series, with red outlines for the enemies, but the aiming reticule remains. While the game is not focused on stealth gameplay, some elements of stealth will be incorporated. It will also include an open world environment, utilizing the old vehicles and weapons and adding new features like more varied acrobatics for the banshee.

Campaign
Set before Halo 3, the main objective of ODST is for the player to search through the ruins of New Mombasa and discover what happened to his missing teammates. As the player drops in the ODST pod, the Prophet of Regret's ship is seen jumping into slipspace. After finding a piece of evidence left behind — a sniper rifle hanging on a lamppost, for example — a flashback is triggered and the player assumes the role of the missing soldier. After players find the first beacon, the choice of where to go next is up to the player. It will also include an option which, unlike other Halo games, will allow the player to play the campaign levels in any order they want to.

Multiplayer
ODST's multiplayer offering is identical to Halo 3's, and will ship with a total of 24 maps. Maps consist of the original eleven Halo 3 maps (Construct, Epitaph, Guardian, High Ground, Isolation, Last Resort, Narrows, Sandtrap, Snowbound, The Pit, Valhalla), the Heroic map pack (Foundry, Rat's Nest, Standoff), the Legendary map pack (Avalanche, Blackout, Ghost Town), the "Cold Storage" map, and both parts of the Mythic map pack (Assembly, Orbital, and Sandbox; Citadel, Heretic, and Longshore). In a recent gameplay trailer, a game mode called Firefight is shown, wherein players take on increasingly difficult waves of varied enemies, similar to Gears of War 2's Horde mode.