I distinctly remember 9-10 year old me really not loving ODST when it first released. While I think it's still one of the weaker Halo games for a number of reasons, I've come around to enjoy its unique take considerably more.
By far the greatest strength of ODST is in its more human-focused story. Whereas Master Chief's and Noble Team's outings are about saving the world (or attempting to save it) from a major threat, the team of ODSTs are mostly just trying to survive. Thanks to the various missions starring different cast members, many of those characters get to have plenty of development to show their role and friendship dynamic in the full squad. The only exception I'd say to this is Dare, who doesn't show up for a whole lot of the game outside of key story moments.
The selection of music is also among some of Bungie's best, complementing the moodier tones of this entry perfectly with jazz undertones and a melancholy atmosphere. Admittedly I found the music to be a tad overused at times in the first half, but you can't fault how this series continues to deliver unforgettable scores.
Compared to many others however, I didn't find this game's issues to lie in its distinct take on the universe but rather how well that idea was executed. It's clear that Bungie was going for a fight for survival as one of the game's guiding design philosophies through the (partial) lack of a shield and more difficult enemy encounters. However, the sections involving flashbacks to the other squad members stand in direct contrast with that idea, with the majority being the epic vehicle sections the game is known for. These are executed well, as is the standard, but it sells the game as more of that power fantasy style rather than the gritty survival story they were likely intending.
I also wasn't a huge fan of Bungie's half-handed take on more open-world style levels. The elements are there, but given that style is used for little more than some added audio logs, it disincentivizes exploration over heading to the next objective marker.
As a revisit though, I'm happy to report that ODST is much better than I thought at first. It's still fairly low in how I'd rank the series as a whole, but it had some great ideas to set itself apart. It also doesn't overstay its welcome, clocking in at around 5 hours or so.
By far the greatest strength of ODST is in its more human-focused story. Whereas Master Chief's and Noble Team's outings are about saving the world (or attempting to save it) from a major threat, the team of ODSTs are mostly just trying to survive. Thanks to the various missions starring different cast members, many of those characters get to have plenty of development to show their role and friendship dynamic in the full squad. The only exception I'd say to this is Dare, who doesn't show up for a whole lot of the game outside of key story moments.
The selection of music is also among some of Bungie's best, complementing the moodier tones of this entry perfectly with jazz undertones and a melancholy atmosphere. Admittedly I found the music to be a tad overused at times in the first half, but you can't fault how this series continues to deliver unforgettable scores.
Compared to many others however, I didn't find this game's issues to lie in its distinct take on the universe but rather how well that idea was executed. It's clear that Bungie was going for a fight for survival as one of the game's guiding design philosophies through the (partial) lack of a shield and more difficult enemy encounters. However, the sections involving flashbacks to the other squad members stand in direct contrast with that idea, with the majority being the epic vehicle sections the game is known for. These are executed well, as is the standard, but it sells the game as more of that power fantasy style rather than the gritty survival story they were likely intending.
I also wasn't a huge fan of Bungie's half-handed take on more open-world style levels. The elements are there, but given that style is used for little more than some added audio logs, it disincentivizes exploration over heading to the next objective marker.
As a revisit though, I'm happy to report that ODST is much better than I thought at first. It's still fairly low in how I'd rank the series as a whole, but it had some great ideas to set itself apart. It also doesn't overstay its welcome, clocking in at around 5 hours or so.