IS THE NEW HALO 3: ODST WORTH IT?

Think you finished the fight? Sorry, but you've got at least one battle left.
The follow-up to blockbuster shooter Halo 3 arrives this Tuesday, two years after its forebear stormed billboards, flyers, commercial breaks, 7-11s, and, occasionally, living rooms to usher in the biggest single launch day in entertainment history (a record eventually broken by GTA IV.) But while that game brought the official Halo trilogy to an end, the franchise is hardly finished exploring the game's rich world -- or its rich fans.

Set between Halo 2 and Halo 3, ODST takes the series in a new direction, trading series star Master Chief for a group of elite soldiers (the "Orbital Drop Shock Troopers" referenced in the title) who battle familiar Covenant foes in the ravaged city of New Mombasa. In addition to the new story campaign, the game also includes two dozen Halo 3 multiplayer maps and one brand new multiplayer mode -- a decent amount of stuff, but is it worth $60?

For the most part, yes it is -- or so say game critics. Though it can’t quite live up to Halo 3's stellar showing, ODST is currently scoring well enough (about 87% on gamerankings.com) to make fans temporarily forget about Master Chief and drop coin on his surrogates.

It will also make them very, very happy. In their 9/10 review, IGN called ODST "the definition of fan service" that "no Halo fan should be without." Giant Bomb (4/5) concurs, adding that "if you liked Halo 3 and have any interest in the expanded Halo universe, you'll enjoy the new things that ODST has to offer."

So what new things, exactly? How about the plot? Gamespy, who gave it a 4/5, called the game's humanistic story "more interesting and coherent than Halo's narrative has ever been." Eurogamer (8/10) insists it's "a marvelous campaign, and its clever pacing, shifting focus and expert storytelling all heave effortlessly under cover of wisdom inherited from the phenomenal Halo 3." Phew.

Everyone seems just as enamored with ODST's new Firefight online mode. Worthplaying, who fell hard with a 9.5/10, consider it "a true test of skill." Game blog Kotaku agrees, noting that "Firefight with a group of players is a blast," while Edge Online (9/10) believes it's "so good it instantly cements its place in future Halo installments" (although at the moment, only one new Halo game, 2010's Halo: Reach, has been announced.)

In terms of new gameplay, however, Halo 3: ODST starts to lose its luster. Gamedaily (8/10) is "a little disappointed that Bungie didn't introduce something radically different. Most of Halo 3: ODST's missions feel similar to those from previous Halos..." Games Radar and their grumpy 7/10 review feels much the same way, calling it "the same basic game you’ve been playing since 2001." Even TeamXbox, who largely raved in a 9.4/10 piece, couldn’t hold back. "There aren’t really any new weapons...or vehicles...not that there necessarily need to be, but the early promise for the game was going to be one that did not play like other games in the series. As far as I can tell, that’s not true..." And though everyone is fine with the extra maps, they too are more of the same, as only three are actually new (Halo 3 players have been able to download the others for some time now).

So it's got a cool new plot, a great new mode and mostly plays the same. Should you buy it? That seems to boil down to that whole fan thing again. "Halo 3: ODST does not feel like a full game" to Games Radar, and Eurogamer believes it's "that price tag that ultimately does for Halo 3: ODST." Still, most reviewers don't think the expansion-pack nature of the game makes it any less worth the money. "If you're on the fence about buying it, drop your reservations and go snag a copy," implores IGN.