Bungie Admits: Halo 3 ODST Had Problems
One of Halo's primary selling points was the games innovative use of A.I. So how could Bungie release such a dismal video game after having such phenominal success with Halo CE on the original Xbox? As an example, why are the graphics so poor and not up to the same standard as other Xbox 360 triple-A titles? And the gameplay tactics, don't even get me started on that, so why hasn't there been an improvement since the first Halo game was released? And the frame rate?!? Jesus Christ, don't even get me started on the frame rate because there's so many things wrong with this game! Why is it that the frame rate is locked at an embarrassing 30 frames-per-second in this day and age of next-gen gaming?
The artificial intelligence that Bungie has been implementing into their games in the last 10 years hasn't improved since the first Halo game was released and, in fact, has actually devolved over time and gotten subsequently worse with each iteration of the Halo franchise! Do you see a trend developing here with Bungie? Apparently, Bungie, like their parent company Microsoft, has become a big bloated mega-corporation and doesn't so much concern itself with the expense of maintaining a first-rate quality assurance department and so they end up releasing half-baked products much like Microsoft does with it's latest operating systems. Furthermore, the writing and voice work is terrible with numerous instances of awkward timing and plenty of cringe-worthy moments throughout the entire story arc.
Halo 3 ODST has but one shining jewel in it's crown and that is the absolutely stellar soundtrack that accompanies the game play; it's very moody and atmospheric, and it's the kind of music that's better suited to a mainstream Hollywood grade-B flick rather than a very generic, highly unimpressive shooter like Halo 3 ODST.
To reiterate my main points more precisely:
1. Poor graphics: The graphics engine appears to be inferior to the original engine used in Halo: Combat Evolved at least in one respect: there's no anti-aliasing at all! This is absolutely unacceptable for an Xbox 360 title to not have sharp graphics and to look worse than the original game that started the franchise from 9 years earlier! Without any anti-aliasing like you would find in very impressive games like Gears of War and Fight Night Round 4, it becomes hard on the eyes to play the game for an extended period of time because the individual pixels that make up the games graphics are much more pronounced and combine to create a more-or-less abstract image of the scene at hand which requires the player to almost squint his eyes at times to see the image clearly which can produce eye strain. The bottom line: 1080i graphics resolution on an Xbox 360 just looks terrible without any anti-aliasing.
2. Poor frame rate: The frame rate appears to be locked at 30 fps which isn't acceptable for a first-person-shooter these days. It wasn't acceptable in 2007 and it's still not acceptable now. When rapid target acquisition is of the utmost importance in a game, then 30 fps action just won't do.
3. Poor game play: The formula hasn't changed much since the first Halo game in the series. This is the generic formula that Bungie still uses in Halo 3 ODST: Circle the target and shoot/ lob grenade/ circle the target and shoot. There's no need to crouch behind cover because the game doesn't support that; there's no mechanic built into the game to allow you to easily stick to surfaces to provide cover for your character from enemy gunfire. Enemy hit detection is not precise enough for players who prefer to snipe their targets from a distance.
4. Terrible A.I.: Not much else needs to be said here to prove the point: Just play the game yourself and find out just how pathetic the artificial intelligence really is. I will say this however, the A.I. has actually devolved from the very first game in the series. That game (original Halo) actually had received quite a few accolades and awards from the gaming industry for implementing such clever and non-scripted A.I.
5. Horrible voice acting: I'd actually recommend this game for people that would like to get a kick out of playing a game with some of the worst dialogue writing and voice acting that the industry is capable of just so you can say you experienced it yourself! Nothing more needs to be said here except this: Bottom line, the writing for this game was done by Bungie junior staffers more than likely who had no business writing at all. These guys couldn't even put together a to-do list if their life depended on it!
6. Great soundtrack: That is strange mystery here. Why such a good soundtrack to accompany such a poor game?!? The graphics are as bad as Halo 3 and Halo 2 and certainly just as bad as Halo Reach!
The verdict for Halo 3 ODST: This game is no better than Halo Reach. Sorry to disappoint you with that one, but it's true.