Now Playing: Halo 3: ODST

This side story to the Halo franchise takes you out of the role of the super-soldier hero and drops you into the combat boots of the cannon-fodder space marines that serve as his backup. As such, it's more gritty and somber than the other games in the series, but it still has all of the thrilling edge-of-your-seat action that you'd expect from a Halo game.

If anything, the first-person, run and gun formula is even more compelling here because the acting and storytelling feel more personal. You care about the characters and feel like every battle is important, which gives it more of a sense of urgency, and that wasn't usually the case in the other Halo games.

The unique structure of the story is one of the reasons. You play as a new member of a team of battle-scarred, veteran "Orbital Drop Shock Troopers" who are defending Earth from an alien invasion. An accident separates the team, and you awaken hours later, alone in a ruined city that's controlled by the enemy. You spend the bulk of the game making your way from skirmish to skirmish, trying to piece together what happened to the rest of the squad.

When you find a clue about a team member, the game takes you hours into the past and lets you play through that person's story; before bringing back to the rookie in the present to search for someone else.

If you've ever played a Halo game, you'll feel right at home with the controls and pacing of combat. But ODST works equally well as a standalone title for those who have never played a game in the series. As a single player game, the mix of guns, grenades, and dramatic scripted moments makes for an experience as thrilling as any you'll find this year.


The cooperative multiplayer, in particular, really shines. As compelling as the story is, it can be a bit on the grim and lonely side at times, but playing through it with a buddy - online or splitscreen - adds another layer of fun. Once you're done with the story, there's the series-standard wealth of online and offline action that allows you to compete with or against your friends.

Aside from just being a great game, Halo 3: ODST has some nice little nods to sci-fi fans. The other members of your team include actors Nathan Fillion (Castle), Alan Tudyk (Dollhouse), and Adam Baldwin (Chuck), each in roles very similar to the ones they played on the cult hit TV show "Firefly." Fillion's ex-girlfriend in the game is played by a sci-fi star he dated in real life, Tricia Helfer, the leggy blond cylon Six of "Battlestar Galactica."

Whether you enjoy games with great stories, strong single player games, cooperative games, or just getting together with some pals and shooting each other, Halo 3: ODST is a perfect fit and one of the best games in the series.