Similar But Different
Though you won't fill the shoes of Master Chief, don't expect the gameplay to be radically different from that of Halo 3. That, however, doesn't mean ODST will play exactly like Halo 3.
You play as a character that has been referred to by Bungie as "the Rookie", and though there are a few as of yet undisclosed, "notable and interesting differences," in the way ODST controls, the studio has promised that it isn't, "reinventing the way your thumbs have been trained…ODST is, after all, still Halo at heart." Contrary to speculation and rumor, this will not be a stealth game, though Bungie has told IGN it will have "some stealth elements."
Click here to watch the extended Tokyo Game Show trailer.
The few gameplay changes you'll have to get used to appear to revolve around the fact that, as one Bungie employee put it to another during a playtest, "You're not a Spartan, dumbass." ODST's aren't as tough as Spartans, so the player will take more damage than he is used to when running head first into a firefight. During that same update, Bungie revealed that ODST has a new health model and that the campaign levels have a "hub and spoke" level design that is different from what players are used to.
Perhaps the most tangible change to the way ODST will play is the retooled SMG. This weapon, which first appeared in Halo 2, hasn't exactly been a favorite for players. It has a moderate effectiveness when used in conjunction with plasma weapons, but alone it isn't worth holding. That might change with ODST.
The SMG now has a silencer on the end and reportedly is more accurate than ever. It is still said to be most effective in close range spray-and-pray scenarios, but with the improvements it will be more effective in mid-range battles than ever before.
Bungie has also stated that, "there are no Elites to fight in Halo 3: ODST." The primary enemy will instead be the Brutes. This move is deliberate and reflects the timeframe and location in which ODST plays out. This game takes place at the same point in the Halo history as the events of Halo 2 and tells some of the story you didn't see by following Master Chief and the Arbiter.
Halo 3: ODST is set in New Mombassa, a city on Earth devastated -- but not fully destroyed -- by a Covenant attack. You may remember Master Chief's exploits in clearing the city of Covenant forces in Halo 2. Unfortunately for New Mombassa, when the Prophet of Regret made a hasty retreat, the slipstream jump created a vortex which destroyed most of the city. The battle for the control of New Mombassa doesn't end there, though, which is where the ODSTs in this expansion come into play. You'll take the role of the Rookie in a fight through and under the war-torn streets.
And since it is Halo at heart and you're playing as the type of soldier that prefers to travel in groups, it's only natural that you'll start as a member of a small squad. According to the 2008 Holiday Buying Guide from Game Informer, the squad mates shown in a cutscene aboard the orbiting ship before the initial drop are named Mickey, Dutch, Romeo, and Buck. Romeo is "kind of a dick" and is the sniper of the group. Dutch, meanwhile, is your average leviathan toting heavy weapons. The squad leader is voiced by Nathan Fillion, best known for his role in the TV series Firefly. Halo fans will recognize him as the voice of Sgt. Reynolds in Halo 3. Whether this squad leader and Reynolds are one and the same is unknown.
Which of the original squad mates (if any) will be taken control of by your co-op friends hasn't been revealed.
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