$60 for an expansion pack? Halo 3: ODST underwhelms - Ars Technica Review

Ars Technica writes:

"If this game actually succeeds at retail it'll be because it's carried by the Halo name; were it simply called FPS X it would be cast aside nearly immediately as a mediocre release.

With so little in terms of new content and ideas, the $60 price point and the complete re-packaging of an earlier game's multiplayer would mean that gamers would scream bloody murder if this were anything but a Halo title. But I'm afraid soon we'll be treated to Gears of War 2: Let's Go Kill Those Guys Over There once the sales numbers for this game come in.

Verdict: Rent"

[Mo0eY]

Ars tells it like is it; unbiased review right there.

[Ps_alm3k]

10/10

[kalebgray92]

its a good 9/10 for $40 but like 7.5/10 for full price

[gamesR4fun]

lol well dude didnt hold back wish i could say the same for any of the top 20 gamereview sites here in North America...

and ya if it was 40 or less id b all for the high scores. But to pass off the old halo engine and this minute bit of content for full price piss off ms.

[DAVID BRENT]

..well done ARSTECHNICA

[TheIneffableBob]

Ars Technica does quality writing, especially for technology.

[memots]

Lets review reviews. And lets flood n4g with review/blog and talk/ comment about review instead of playing games. Let's not forget Teh sale comment instead of playing games.

I haven't played it yet ! No day off for a while :(

[ReviewsArePolitics]

Barely a rental

[Winter47th]

It's a refurbished 3 year old game, that's finished since May, flawed with no matchmaking to the only new addition Firefight. Only 5 hours long. So yeah, it's sure not a 9er. The review's spot on.

[morganfell]

Thankfully a major site had the balls to stand up and say something. Forget the short SP campaign. The fact that we are being sold 2 year old multiplayer is a load of crap. And people are laughing and saying what a great deal.

Well have another glass of kool aid while the reverend Jones dances in the Guyana heat.Kumbaya!

This will be the first HALO I do not buy. Doing so sends a very bad signal to every game publisher. Not just Microsoft, but every game publisher.

"Hey, take your 2 year old crap, toss a fresh coat of paint on some of it, shove together a mission pack and charge me full price."

People that rush out and buy this encourage publishers to charge more for less.

[jib]

i agree with this review.

i'd buy the game for 35$ max

[Syronicus]

I have already decided to pass on this game. It's a shame that Halo started out so good but decided to simply live on the name it created rather than truly bringing more awesome plot points to the story. It just go so boring after number 2.

[Razzy]

From the review:

"The Good
-New campaign missions adds to the Halo story
-New multiplayer maps, two new weapons in single-player
-Good voice acting, with some funny lines
-All released Halo 3 multiplayer content on one disc
-Firefight mode is a blast

The Bad
-Short campaign
-Sub-par graphics
-Rehashed multiplayer
-Cheesy music
-Set pieces lifted from past games
-Linear game play in missions
-Hub level used to pad length
-Low value for the money
-Co-op that breaks the game's internal logic

-The Ugly
-The fanboys reaction to a panned Halo game, on both -sides of the fence
-Microsoft learning it can get away with charging $60 -for $30 worth of new content"

I can't beleive M$ is getting away with charging 60 bucks for this. Craziness.

[kwicksandz]

Morganfail has bought previous halos????

Turn in your ps3 fanboy card at once MR your no longer welcome here.

[Defectiv3_Detectiv3]

Its so true, the whole 'hub' style gameplay is just a gimmick to add padding to the game length. Frankly, I'm sick of these kind of games that make you jump through hoops to go on a mission - kinda like the new Wolfenstien. They are just tedious, and it doesn't make up for the fact that there is a lack of actual game to play.

I also find it pretty weak that the only way you can get the new maps is by paying 60$ for this game. Why don't we just let MS rape us blind while we're at it.

[bobdog626]

You Guy' are mad at Microsoft but Sony charge you guys Double for the PS3. It Was 699.00 Remember that.That Means Every Sony Fan got cheated until now.Sony did not add nothing new to the PS3 and you guy's cry over this...sad.

[LiquifiedArt]

FINALLY.

This is a LEGITIMATE review. Continue with Fair reviews like these and i'll start holding these guys in High Regards!

[Blaze929]

You dont have to say "rent" or buy for a Halo game, watch this thing still sell a million+ copies it's 1-2 weeks of release.

[rockleex]

We could have bought a PS3 for the low price of over $1,000 instead of the high price of $599.

Darn Sony for charging us hundreds of dollars less than the actual cost of a PS3! Darn Sony for losing money on each PS3 sold just to give us gamers a great deal for all the brand new tech that came with the PS3!

Sony should have charged us over $100 for Wi-Fi. Sony should have charged us over $100 for 60GB harddrives. Sony should have charged us $299 for a HD-DVD add-on that doesn't allow more storage for its games.

But you know what's really messed up? You bringing up Sony and the PS3 in an article about Halo 3: ODST. Off topic.

[himdeel]

...when was the last exclusive disc based 360 game released? Reviewers need to be especially cognizant of their opinions with respect to reviews, particularly when there has been longer than average gaps between exclusive/IP releases for a particular system. Sometimes the reviews just don't make sense.

I've noticed over the years similar types of reviews to the one HALO:ODST is getting now. Whether it's was a Nintendo or Sega game in the 90s or a PS2 game in the 00s. The longer the gap between exclusive games the rosier the fanboy goggles the less objective the reviews. Some new IPs get niggled to death while old IPs get a slap on the wrist from some reviewers.

I fell victim to this with GTA4 as a continuation of an IP, I totally drank the kool-aid. This isn't to say you cannot enjoy the game and have a great time with it, it's just that it becomes easier, sometimes, to gloss of the negatives and only focus on the positives.

Good games seem ABSOLUTELY GREAT when you've been getting average and/or cheaper games tossed at you all year regardless of system. This review seems pretty informative but unless I get a 360 I cannot confirm or deny any of this for myself BUT I can take some of the information at face value.

[Kushan]

Allow me to let you all in on a little secret - as a consumer, you have every right to not buy the game for this price.
This may come as a shock to some of you, but I personally don't believe that many games are worth the full RRP that publishers try to charge for them. ODST is just another title in a long list of games that I would like to play/own, but refuse to pay full price for.
In those instances, I do something that most of you seem to have forgot you can do - wait. This is Halo we're talking about, millions sold on day one, thousands sold back second hand by day 3 and many more to follow. You'll be able to pick this game up for $30 within a few months, probably even before Christmas. A year after Halo 3 was released, you could pick it up brand new for $9.99 from certain stores. There's your solution.

[bobdog626]

I will say this .Without Halo you would still be paying 599.99 for your PS3 right now .This Game has made Sony change there tatic's therefore the PS3 Slim was Made to Battle Halo.Im Glad Bungie made ODST and you should be too.

[TotalPS3Fanboy]

and charge $60 for 4 new maps and not only screw 360 gamers, but PS3 gamers and PC gamers too. All because 360 gamers are willing to get screw over. I mean, I am fine with it, as long as it's only the 360 gamers that get screw over. I mean, that's their choice and if they want to get screw over, then it's all good. As long as they don't get PS3 and PC gamers screw over too, then it's cool. .

Actually, Activision should follow Microsoft and charge 360 gamers $60 for 4 new maps, and while only charging PS3 gamers $4. Because the 360 gamers have voted with their wallet. And 360 gamers knows best. So Activision should just do to the 360 gamers what the 360 gamers want.

[rockleex]

Right, because Sony never lowers the prices of their past Playstations until Halo came out.

It was due to Halo that Sony slimmed the PS1 down and it eventually reached the low price of $99 at the end of its life-cycle.

It was due to Halo that Sony slimmed the PS2 down and finally got its price cut down to $99 just this past year.

Thank God for Halo. Because before Halo's existence, there was no such thing as price cuts and hardware revisions for consoles.

[pixelsword]

If it was going along with the grind, then I would say (if you value reviewers) that conclusively ODST was a must buy off of the top.

This review from the so-called XboX-siding Ars Technica is stating something radically different in several aspect from their contemporaries.

But since Ars manhandles games when reviewing them, I would tend to lean a little more towards them (again, if you value the opinion of a reviewer).

Overall this review is very interesting, and I can't wait to see which one is the more accurate review between IGN and Ars; but since I don't value reviewers because of inherent bias of the people/companies reviewing, I'd say that I'd strongly recommend renting if you own Halo 3 since you pretty much already have the multiplayer, and buying if you want to get all of the gamerscore points.

[vhero]

no doubt the 360 fanboys will cast this off as a sony fanboy review by a nobody though.. The first honest review by a non swayed reviewer. Was waiting for this. Its exactly like Final Fantasy 11 without the Final Fantasy name that MMO would have closed down a year after release. This game will do the same it will live on the Halo name just as FF11 lived on the FF name.

[pixelsword]

If they turn around and lambaste a PS3 game (like Uncharted 2, for example) where will the opinion of PS3 fans go from there concerning Ars? (I don't like the term fanboy and use it only in certain situations)

You're right in saying that they do deserve credit for their accomplishments... I just wouldn't put gaming reviews as a credit for any of these online/paper magazines. :)

[shovelbum]

If you like Halo then yeah it's worth the price. We all know we're getting shafted with the story lenghth but it'll be purchased anyway. You only have to look at other AAA titles for comparison with regards to length of gameplay - COD4..cough..cough.. and sales. Firefight and the Reach Beta will sell this thing and sell it big time and for the record I am not big into Halo. For me it's a way overrated but a necessary evil because my friends/family love to play it.

[prowiew]

I will buy this game hands down. From what i read, i will be disappointed if the music sucks. I always loved halo music!.

[slayorofgods]

The Ugly
* The fanboys' reaction to a panned Halo game, on both sides of the fence
* Microsoft learning it can get away with charging $60 for $30 worth of new content

Very true and a very good point.

watch this thing still sell a million+ copies it's 1-2 weeks of release.

Sad but true, refer to the 2nd ugly point.

[phosphor112]

http://image.com.com/gamesp...
http://image.com.com/gamesp...
http://image.com.com/gamesp...
http://image.com.com/gamesp...

[duplissi]

yep cancelled my pre order today, and picked up a few used games instead.
i WAS so excited for this game..

[Simon_Brezhnev]

seems real unbiased 2 me

[PlayStation X]

FOTY Confirmed.

[Mo0eY]

Underwhelmed and overscored - just like all Halo games.

[Mo0eY]

LMFAO - 4 HOURS.

[Mo0eY]

"As for the music, there is nothing that breaks the atmosphere like randomly placed saxophone solos. You're supposed to be in a warzone, and it sounds like the softcore porn they show on Cinemax after midnight. During one battle we were treated to some of the cheesiest, squeedle-ridden guitar ever heard in a game."
Win.

[Christopher]

But IGN gave it a 10/10 for sound. Perhaps they like latenight Cinemax shows?

[Razzy]

Watching the video preview on Gamespot I remember the guys saying they loved the music. I guess we know what king of review GS will be giving ODST right? 9.5 or some bs like that.

[primesuspect]

There are only a small handful of reviewers I'll pay any attention to these days, and Ben is definitely one of them.

Great review. When I re-tweeted it, several people said one simple thing: "Thanks for saving me $60".

[raztad]

This seems a very telling review:

The Good

* New campaign missions adds to the Halo story
* New multiplayer maps, two new weapons in single-player
* Good voice acting, with some funny lines
* All released Halo 3 multiplayer content on one disc
* Firefight mode is a blast

The Bad

* Short campaign
* Sub-par graphics
* Rehashed multiplayer
* Cheesy music
* Set pieces lifted from past games
* Linear game play in missions
* Hub level used to pad length
* Low value for the money
* Co-op that breaks the game's internal logic

The Ugly

* The fanboys reaction to a panned Halo game, on both sides of the fence
* Microsoft learning it can get away with charging $60 for $30 worth of new content

Verdict: Rent

Xbox fans should be worried about the very last line in the ugly section.

[thereapersson]

It makes me wonder how IGN managed to give the game a 9 for graphics, when the engine is clearly almost over two years old, and wasn't really anything exceptional when it came out in the form of Halo 3.

Halo's always been about the gameplay anyway, which is really all that matters. You don't hear Halo fans "oohing and aahing" over the scenery; you see them fragging and teabagging till the cows come home.

[Boody-Bandit]

That is far and away the truest thing I have seen written about ODST and the reason I am renting it and refuse to buy it. Nickel and diming this generation is completely out of control and if we don't pick and choose are battles (IMHO) it is going to ruin the industry.

When it was announced at E3 that ODST was going to be released at full retail price my smile turned upside down. I really enjoy Halo games. I am not a Halo fanatic and I don't agree with those that say you either love or hate Halo because I fall right into the middle. $60 dollars for what is basically an expansion pack is unacceptable. Even more so when the economy is doing so poorly.

I don't know if this was mentioned before but I think this isn't just about MS cashing in on one of the most popular franchises in gaming. I think one of the reasons for price hike to full retail is because a few big exclusives got bumped to 2010 and this creates the illusion that ODST is a complete game and not just an expansion or DLC.

I honestly don't know how any fan of the series can look anyone in the eye (or mirror) and say it is anything but that (expansion/DLC) while keeping a straight face.

[ReviewsArePolitics]

Read my name

[jack_burt0n]

its true Technica is pretty sharp, IL2 review was excellent.

[JonnyBigBoss]

Why can't we rate articles here on N4G? I really like the idea of rating them. Do I stand alone?

[DelbertGrady]

It's a nice idea but I have a feeling it would end up like the bubble system.

[Bodyboarder_VGamer]

Yep, fanboys and trolls ruin everything... For example, there are too many Sony fanboys in N4G, which means that all the ratings would be higher for positive Sony articles than anything else.

And that's just one of the flaws.If you give it more thinking you would get to the conclusion that it wouldn't work at all. Just like with the bubbles system that it is completely broken.

[Gabe EatsWell]

b-b-b-but the Halo Leech beta!! lol

[crazyturkey]

who ever wrote that article/review needs to go get a job at IGN and show them how to do a review. You could also go to G4tv and show them that Fable 2 didn't deserve the GOTY award(even xbox 360 fans didn't like that).

[Neo Nugget]

Thank you gamefly!

[RealityCheck]

I don't know why someone disagreed with you, maybe they don't have Gamefly where they live.

Gamefly (or similar rental service) is great to try games you are unsure you will like when there are no demos. It is also great for cases like this (ODST) where you want to play an expansion pack but don't want to pay the full price.

[Boody-Bandit]

I am getting ODST from Gamefly as well.
I refuse to pay full price for a game that should be $30 DLC.

For those of you that are picking up the game regardless of price TRU in NA is offering a $20 gift card and a ODST figurine with every purchase ($30+ value). I don't have a TRU in reasonable driving distance or I might have picked one up there.

[SupaPlaya]

now that's a useful post. Bubbles.

[ps12&3lover]

nice to see some sites still have the balls to speak the truth

[shutupandplay]

Looks like ps3 fanboys would rather discuss a "rental" instead of playing ps3. Who would have thought.

[Bodyboarder_VGamer]

shut up and play

[PLAYstar]

Who is this arstechnica.com??? We xbots don't give a sh!t about small sites like this. Our HQ only pay the likes of recognize site.

[DelbertGrady]

Great review. I also feel $60 is way too much. I can get games like Brutal Legend, Operation Flashpoint 2, Forza 3, Borderlands, Alpha Protocol, Dragon Age, MW2 or Bad Company 2 for the same price. Next to those it's nothing but an expansion, no matter what Bungie says.

[peeps]

indeed. i'm still getting it cus reckon it will be fun (and i need a game to play) but if i was a big halo fan and so had bought all the halo 3 maps i'd be pissed that the mp isn't ODST mp, it's just halo 3 mp!

so releasing for the same price as halo 3 was only this time they're re-using the mp from halo 3! i couldn't actually believe it when i found out they were just adding 3 new maps + the dlc from halo 3.

i guess the big thing is that altho ppl love halo's campaign, i'm sure the majority buy halo for it's mp, i know i'm 1 of them and so to not do anything new for mp (with the exception of firefight, which won't help me since non of my friend are getting ODST and theres no matchmaking) it does seem like a steep price.

i mean in the last 2 years all they've developed is a 6-8 hour campaign, a co-op 'horde' mode and some halo 3 map packs. now too me that's an insult to halo 3 lol

[SupaPlaya]

ToysRUs has a $20 gift card deal if you buy ODST there. Other than that this review seems like it's fair.

[SnukaTheMan]

even going as far as calling it a 40 dollar demo..

http://arstechnica.com/gami...

I love the ending blurb at the bottom ..

"All the hardcore Gran Turismo fans who will spend hundreds of hours tuning their cars will not react well to the verdict below, but for the average gamer with a limited budget this is totally a...
...verdict: Rent".

I also seem to recall some people claiming microsoft own ars technica as well...looks like bill gates will be angry with them about their review...or not.

its not off topic..its to show that since some people are calling this halo odst a"half a game" how they were also harsh on another example of a "half a game"....

who gets pissed....do you see anger in any of my posts....you must hang around here to much kid...

@edit...no sony only charged 40 bucks for a demo...microsoft is charging more for half a game...now who is off topic???

i love facepalms...people think this actually ends the argument in their favor...lol

[thereapersson]

What does Gran Turismo have to do with Halo? I know you guys get pissed when Sony fanboys mention PS3 games in XBOX threads, so why do you have to do it here?

Reported as Off-Topic.

Edit @ Snuka:

Yes, but the difference here is that Sony doesn't charge 60 dollars for Prologue, while Microsoft is charging 60 dollars for ODST. Your whole argument just fell apart right there.

edit 2:

/Facepalm

I'm not going to continue arguing over this nonsense. But I can guarantee that you've never played Prologue for more than 10 minutes, so you really have no room to discuss whether or not it can actually be considered a "demo" or not.

[crazyturkey]

Another fair review, this website has been bookmarked

[aaronisbla]

What does GT5 prologue have to do with this review? It really seems like you are trying to reflect attention away from this review onto something else. "Bu,bu,bu,but they rated this low also" thats what your post reeked of.

Take it on the chin, its just one review

[JD_Shadow]

Very surprising. Usually I see Ars leaning more on the 360's side. I wonder if this is just me seeing the articles that would raise suspicion out of anyone, or if this is a turning point for Ars.

If the latter, a word of advice for them: DON'T STOP!

As for the review, the FMV's looked really good, and I wondered if the game would live up to it. Thing is, the reviews are good, but slightly mixed. Knowing that it's the Halo brand here, it could be a bit disappointing that there aren't full 10's across the board from those that are usually really trustworthy.

[DigitalAnalog]

The one "other" good thing about this review.

NO SCORE.

[SnukaTheMan]

only recommendations to either buy it or rent the game.

[ApocalypseShadow]

this game is nothing but DLC that microsoft turned into a full game and rushed it out the door before it was done to make bucket loads of money on a fanbase eager to get shafted again on high prices for less value.

it's nothing new,isn't innovative,doesn't raise the bar on graphics or story.but gets high scores from other sites unwilling to tell the truth because of marketing dollars.

in the past 2-3 years,ps3 games had to rewrite the book on graphics,on gameplay,on controls,on the amount of content and length of time to play.......JUST TO HOPEFULLY GET AN **8**.9 if the game was lucky.

but we see here as with most 360 games,they get a pass for less.gears of war has broken online,plays like the first in every way,has poor dialogue,but sites gave that game 9s and 10s for what amounted to shortchanging the 360 customer.AT told it like it is.they said this game is fun.but it's the SAME FUN that gamers had with halo3.with the same maps of halo3.

i salute AT for not going with the crowd and judging this game and saying it's not worth $60 bones for the SAME content with a short campaign added to resell the SAME content.

if this was ps3,it would have been bashed to death for not being innovative or new.but as a 360 game,with the name halo in it,it gets a pass for poor animation,2007 graphics and low standards.i salute you AT for being honest.

[Digitaldude]

I salute you, you know what your talking about.

[DAVID BRENT]

are they scared of microsoft? when you say marketing what do you mean?

[Digitaldude]

I reckon there scared of their readers getting pissed.
If ign gives it a average review, all those halo fanboys would rage.

[ApocalypseShadow]

or creating alliances with advertising companies.they also market heavy at many sites.go to any large gaming site and you will see heavy advertising for microsoft products.

bite microsoft's hand and they will pull that revenue.so it would be in some sites "best interest" to play the game
http://www.google.com/url?s...

http://www.google.com/url?s...

http://www.google.com/url?s...

http://www.google.com/url?s...

these are just examples david.but you get the idea.just google "microsoft buys advertising...." or "microsoft avertising alliances..." and you will get the picture on the BIGGER PICTURE.

they are putting their claws in areas that allow them to control what you see and hear of their products.smart moves but dangerous to the end consumers.

[lordkemp007]

2 fantastic posts from you good sir.

You sum up the industry very well. It just only further shows what corporate bought and paid for buffoons Ign are.

Its sad, that there seems to be less and less places to find and honest review nowadays.

[DigitalAnalog]

Fanboys aside lets look into this from a developers position:

Let's face the facts, PS3 games are trying to push into new levels in gaming yet review scores don't do it justice. They put it side by side from "other" similar scoring games that don't do as much (such as the case of ODST) and then leaves it at that.

None can deny that Uncharted 2 has pushed boundaries from it's predecessor in a level never seen before in one console cycle. For that I truly admire their talent and I will happily lay down DOUBLE the amount just to purchase their game. All I hear from time to time is just improvements, improvements and improvements. And what does it amount to? A 9.5 for IGN.

With that said, why bother going all out for the PS3. The original game utilized only 30% of the PS3's cell processor. From an ODST standpoint why not just go for 40%. It will look mildly better and then just drop in a multiplayer option just to extend game time. Being "mildly" better would no doubt receive a AAA score considering that Uncharted 1 received a 9.0 from IGN.

Not to shoot down on HALO, but I would've preferred Reach in it's place instead of ODST. At least it comes with a new engine and no doubt will have massive improvements compared to it's predecessor.

ODST just proved to the whole gaming world that you only need to change the story, add multiplayer maps along with a Horde/Firefight mode and it will still sell and be reviewed like a AAA class title.

Here's some thoughts, should all game developers follow the steps of ODST, or Uncharted 2? What benefits the gaming industry? Is there a point in pushing graphics and gameplay? Should we all rely on re-hashed "editing" with a few DLC maps to stick on game and sell it for the full price? I think IGN and EDGE seems to agree with that idea.

[TotalPS3Fanboy]

It's like the 360 gamers are always going for the fattest and ugliest chicks in the room, while the PS3 are gamers only going for the hottest girl in the room. Then the 360 gamers go home and tells themselves that they got a 9 and that the PS3 gamers only got a 7. Meanwhile the PS3 gamers are f*cking the 10 in the backseat of their cars.

[mebob]

LOL that's a hilarious analogy.....

[ipe]

i agree with u for first time

[DelbertGrady]

How does it feel? :)

[Digitaldude]

Excellent article, i do acknowledge, the campaign and firefight look very good,(except for no matchmaking) but its price tag kills it...

[Sarcasm]

Sadly, millions are going to buy it anyway for $60.

Why didn't they just make it DLC? I mean even Gears of War 2 had a single player add-on with additional maps. They could have done the same with ODST.

[DARK WITNESS]

interesting review...

The one thing I found disturbing is the issue with the music. One of the reasons I love halo so much is the music.. although I Did feel in halo 2 the intro of that stupid electric guitar almost felt like a sign it was heading down the very commercial road which Now seems to be coming to pass.

I am still getting the game and will ultimately form my own opinion of it.. maybe I will write my own review.

It seems in some ways MS/bungie have kind of shot themselves in the foot by now passing this off as a full game.

I am still note sure though why people expect massive amounts of ground breaking change from it though. Considering what it started off as, and we now know it was a small team that worked on it as most of the crew have been working on reach, it's using the same engine as halo 3, it's set in events that happened before halo 3 so even from a story point of view i would not expect much change.. but still they passed it off as worthy of a full game so, It should be judged so I guess and on that front it sounds like it does not match up.

Also regarding the campaign length, are most of these reviewers playing the game on normal or legendary. Anyone who has played and loved the halo campaigns knows that the real fun and challenge is legendary and it can add a very good amount of time to your play time. Most games i finish in a weekend, gears of war 1 i finished in a day. I will be sticking this on legendary first thing. Most important I guess is that I have fun with it, lets see 48 hrs to go.

Actually thinking about this whole argument with halo odst and it's pricing makes me wonder, If I lets MS off the hook with it's pricing of halo ODST, can i really justify being Mad at Activision for it's pricing of MW2 ? I don't need a reply to this by the way, I think i know the answer. Activision Increased the RRP by about £5- MS have taken what should have been maybe a £20-£25 and are now charging £39 normal price. Starting to make me think twice.

[aaronisbla]

Delete post

[swinesucker]

The one thing I have for the IGN review is the 10 for music and the 9 for graphics which are obviously there to pad the score. OBVIOUSLY. I am a halo fan and even I know these not to be true. A 10 is only deserving of the BEST, most HIGHLY revered game in existence at the moment and that game is not this. I cannot trust IGN on things like this and will not in the future. I could not believe I saw a 10 for this game. It just speaks so many volumes of text as to the inadequacy of this review environment that I do not have to type for those that will realize this game is a simple 7 and nothing more. Peace.

[lagoonalight]

I agree. 10's are for the best of the best. I could not believe I saw a 9 in graphics for this game. I mean, they had to know what people were going to think. IGN has lost a lot of respect from me lately for all the 10's they have given out.

[bunfighterii]

Yeah I agree. My take is with certain games they get paid to give a good review.

There's no way reading what I've read across all the other sites you can justify giving what seems to be an overpriced add on a 9, especially when its the same price as a full game.

[Sir Ken_Kutaragi]

n/a = not acceptable!!! ;-D

[Silentmerc3nary]

n/a means "Not Applicable" or "Not Announced" bro.

[Mo0eY]

It actually means 'not available', but you seriously need to learn how to take a joke.

[Silentmerc3nary]

That wasn't a joke. It was some one trying to be funny.

[aaronisbla]

"I understand that Halo 3 is a popular multiplayer game, but remember the only new content in this game is three new maps. So if you're a Halo 3 fan with the existing map packs buying this for multiplayer, you're paying $20 per new map."

you know, i really didn't think of it this way, kinda puts things in perspective if you already own halo 3 and its map packs. firefight mode still sounds cool though

[devilhunterx]

"Gears of War 2: Let's Go Kill Those Guys Over There"

best.comment.ever.

[bunfighterii]

over priced... it shoulda been half priced DLC

[divideby0]

first Halo game I REFUSE to buy.
a Fool and his $$ are easily departed.

lets see...short Camp....no ODST MP mode....and a bunch of old H3 maps.

yea....60 bucks...LMAO

[aftrdark21]

Not for DLC and 4-6 hr campaign? No thanks. I'll rent or catch it for 20 bucks in about 6 months once the hype dies down. It should have been $30-35 bucks max.

[ps360master]

ILL BE PLAYING THIS TONIGHT BABY IM SO FN EXCITED

I LOVE HOW PS3 fanboys LOVE TO TALK ABOUT HALO. ITS SO FUNNY HAHAHAHHAHA

HOTTEST GAME IS HALO EVEN N4G KNOWS IT AHAHAH.

posted by mooey...lol ps3 fanboys posting halo review ...guess they got nothing better to do..HAHAHAHAH

[TotalPS3Fanboy]

PS360Master: "What?! Credit already?! Waste of $60!"

[Grandreaper9999]

Those PS3 fanboys you're talking about are probably taking a breather from the flood of triple A titles they've been drowning in this year. I wouldn't worry about them too much, they have a lot on their plate right now.

[ps360master]

i paid 60 for MGS4 talk about lack of acctually gamplay you guys are just silly...killzone 2 was short also

[ps360master]

i beat MGS4 in 4 hours....kinda sad about that one to. at least halos online will be fun MGSO sucked donkey nuts ROFL

YOU ps3 fanboys need to chill your hurting my feelings :( .....god you guys are pathetic....please get a reality check.

AHHAHAHAHA HALO TONIGHT SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET

[ps360master]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT

[artsaber]

ARS Technica is world renowned... this is the most level-headed honest non-fanboy review that you may ever read. Microsoft/Halo fans may want to avoid this article like the plague... or you may find out that ODST ain't the best thing since sliced bread, it is more like old stale moldy bread.

THIS is what we all knew already, but thankfully ARS had the balls to do what is right and actually post a HONEST review. Hopefully it will save people money to spend on more deserving games.

$60 for repackage content plus add-on... PLEASE GTFO!

[RAM MAGNUMS]

youre really excited for some halo?
youre about to get a rude awakening when you realize this is all xbox 360 has to offer.

metal gear online is way beter than halo 3 online.
less lag and more challenge.
i can pick my rooms and the youtube movies are better than red vs blue. tourneys and just way more to do with moves and modes.

but ummm... you have a happy time moon jumping with energy swords against gorrillas and salamanders.
remember, aliens are friendly and cute.

[Excalibur]

1. With the Amazon deal it makes the game $40.00
$5.00 off with code, $5.00 MP3 gift card (which I'll use)$10.00 off next game purchase (which I'll be using for Borderlands).

2. I don't have any of the Halo maps

So it's well worth it to me.

[TomDaSpartan]

5-7 hour long campaign, plus the ability to play again on a higher difficulty. If you don't take part in playing with more of a challenge for a second go round, you aren't a gamer, IMO. So now you're talking maybe 10-14 hours of solo( or coop ) campaign play. And firefight mode, which I have played and it's a blast, should add a couple hours of play whether you have Xbox live or not. The second disc being Halo 3 multiplayer w/ all pre-released maps plus 3 new. ( if you don't have xbox live the second disc is completely useless to you, unless you like 1 vs 1 on the same screen, splitscreen FTW, lol )

So to finish, if you have Xbox live, $60 is worth the price IMO. There are many games costing $60 that bring much less to the table. There is also the Reach Beta entry, if that floats your boat towards the $60 price tag. Without XBL, you may get 7 hrs more or less depending on the consumer which makes this my definition of a rental.

I see this title as a standalone game where many don't. There are a lot of Halo haters out there, they like to slander and bring the game down. They are right about MS, M$ will take every single dollar they can get I admit this. $5 for avatar outfit is thievery, hands down. SOAPBOX drop

Anyway, I'll be purchasing this tomorrow, in fact it is paid for already. Just need to pick it up and I'll be blowing up some aliens again. Can't wait to use that silenced smg again. My user is my gamertag, find me lets do some firefight.

[peeps]

"5-7 hour long campaign, plus the ability to play again on a higher difficulty."

yeh but all 4 difficultys in halo of available from the start so i just pick the hardest for my first play through...

[TomDaSpartan]

Well, I wouldn't recommend starting on the hardest difficulty. You'll find yourself dying a lot, and having to go back to a checkpoint. I'd say start on normal/heroic, then play on legendary( legendary AI is ridiculously accurate at headshots )

[TotalPS3Fanboy]

Sure, you can just stand there for 5 hours to make it seem longer, but in the, 3 hours is 3 hours.

[Sarcasm]

I find it more Ironic that the most hardcore Halo fan is getting ripped off the most.

Why?

They probably already bought all the map packs. Then they fork over $60 for 3 new maps, and a 4-5 hour single player.

And seeing as how 360 fans always say "Halo is all about the multiplayer!!!" then the SP is even more irrelevant.

There's a reason why Robert Kotick exists. Because poor souls will buy $60 expansions anyway. I'm pretty sure if they priced this game at $80, it would STILL sell.

[otherZinc]

but no one is talking about that. LBP was initially a PSN game & sold that POS for $60.

I'll have 2 copies of ODST at Midnight. Also, this will outsell Uncharted 2 & Ratchet & Clank combined.

You hater-aid sippin haters, drink that!

[fatalred alarm]

wow, i've never seen such a comments and i wanna bet 80% comes from Ps3 only owners. It's pretty simple, Halo:odst isn't supposed to be AAA titel. It is good and even better then allot of games gameplay wise. Build in 1 year? KZ2 took 3 years.

PS3 fanboys leave, don't try to downrate a console which outsold the PS3 by, what , 11million?

It's a distraction for the real halo fans, they'll play it until reach comes out and reach will probably own any PS3 exclusive.

[artsaber]

You have a point, maybe standards for a $60 game should be defined so that this does not happen. Some folks who are pro-360 feel the burn... it isn't just PS3 fans asking the tough questions.

This could've EASILY been fixed by allowing the missing maps that ODST has as DLC for HALO 3 owners at a discounted rate. Why not let Halo3 owners upgrade via DLC and play on the same maps as ODST users for $24.99? Maybe that is reasonable... why does a Halo3 owner have to REBUY much of the same content just to get down with ODSTers new maps?

THEN market ODST to sell to folks who don't own Halo3 yet as the ultimate upgraded Halo3, but I hear that this would fail somewhat due to no lobby for Firefight mode, etc. But if the game was marketed to consumers FAIRLY and had just a few of the gamer's interests in mind, none of us would be having this discussion.

All the PS3 fans and 360 fans in the world cannot negate the fact that ARC Technica is a world class site. They have been hard on a few PS3 games too, but hey... why should anyone thumb their nose at the truth, because this time they are talking about Halo? Pop Quiz!

THE FACT THAT ODST WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE A FULL GAME FROM THE START SHOULD EITHER:

A) BOTHER YOU
B) LET YOU KNOW SOMETHING
C) WONDER WHY IT COSTS $60 WHEN 70 PERCENT IS OLD CONTENT
D) ALL OF THE ABOVE

Microsoft should set Halo Reach's price point @ $120 and watch millions of fans gobble it up... so that every game sold could actually be counted as two.
Then I can sit back and watch every Microsoft/Halo fan defend the pricing as if it were their very last breath.

[TomDaSpartan]

I wish that the corporations, M$, would let developers set the price for content. I'm pretty sure Bungie would have loved for ODST to be released differently. But M$, the money eating monster it is, would never let this happen. I guarantee you the moment ODST became campaign and Multiplayer ( Firefight ), M$ said full price.

[XsteveJ]

I'm a fan of Halo, but you will not be seeing me on ODST for a long time. The thought of re-buying all of the Halo 3 maps, with only the addition of a couple of new maps, a short campaign, and Firefight mode, makes me sick.

That's what I'm getting for my $60? Really? The same crap I already bought for the game I already bought? How about DLC that I can add to Halo 3? Oh wait...that would make too much sense.

I'm sorry Bungie, if the price point isn't your fault. You can blame Microsoft, cause you're not getting my hard earned money. I'll save it for a title worth my money, like Uncharted 2, which actually made an effort to push ahead of their previous effort.

And before anyone says it, I have both consoles, and I love them both. Don't accuse me of fanboyism, I just love games.

[Grandreaper9999]

I think it's more of an attempt to keep Halo on people's brains until the reach marketing floods our eyeballs and ears. ODST did have a nice trailer, and some ok marketing, but really, amongst all these other AAA games being released (on xbox or not), they need Halo-something in the mix. Don't be surprised if you see this kind of thing all the time. Between actual Halo games you'll be getting $60.00 expansions to tide you over. Some people would actually pay for this, and that's what blows my mind.

Then again people pay 60.00 for MULTIPLAYER ONLY games...Then DLC.. So I dunno. I think it's the gamer's fault for being so generous with their money.

[XsteveJ]

I definitely agree with you that it's an attempt to keep Halo in our sights. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
And I also agree that for the most part, it is the consumers' fault for continually shelling out $60 for under-achieving money grabbers. I know I've been guilty in the past, but I'm opening my eyes. This screams GameFly all the way...

But that's enough complaining for me. I'm just going to keep my mouth shut, and protest by not buying the game. It's just that simple.

[chidori666]

flop of the yearrrrrrrr!!!!!

[PLAYSTATIONGENRATION]

It was announced as an expansion pack....and they are now acting like it a full game but if u dont care no one can tell u a thing..

[SSCOOLCHEA]

If this was a ps3 add on for 60 bucks the fkn media would have jump all over this but since they dont have the balls to do it a little site would ...

xbot burn

[Obama]

It's funny how so many smaller sites gave ODST a low score. A few no name sites may be bias..sure, but when there are like 20 of these sites saying ODST is not a good game, you have to wonder if ODST is really getting a free pass by the gaming media.

[Grandreaper9999]

The ugly section was great, I don't see many sites doing that. the MS selling a $60.00 game for $30.00 part had my brows raised for a bit haha. I guess it's for the better that they didn't include a number grade for it. Sounds like it would have scored a 6.5 or 7 with the 60.00 price tag.

There are many reviews out there that are 9's though, so it's not as if the game is going to get a bad overall score.

[tonywood24]

HALO: ODST IS NOT A EXPANSION GAME, AND HERE IS MY REASON WHY...

5-7 hour campaign is just as long as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. (Which I loved, BTW!) Also, the story is what I think it should have always been...the non-Spartan troops. I have always wanted to know what was up with those HALO jumpers (The part in halo 2, when Master chief jumps down with the guys in Black), and although these troops are called ODST..close enough for me. the story is not a cheap add on pack, like GTA gave out, it's long and from what I have seen, very interesting. I really like the Halo: Combat Evolved feel also. (THE BEST HALO GAME!) I will always call the PS3 the best next generation system, but Xbox 360 has delivered an excellent game. (This story seems MUCH more interesting and non-confusing than Halo 2 and 3.)

Also, you get fire fight and all of the Halo 3 maps. However, I do wish that Bungie would have gave out ALL of the Halo maps...from the 3 games....THEN, THERE WOULD BE NO DOUBT OR HATING ON THIS GAME! Maybe they will release some Halo 2 maps later.

[tonywood24]

EVEN AS A PS3 FAN, I AM GETTING SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE CRYING ABOUT HALO: ODST AND IT'S REVIEW SCORE!

If you don't like the game, then guess what....YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY IT! In my opinion, is the PS3 better constructed=YES, better vaule=YES, better for HD movies=YES....BUT Xbox 360 is delivering games, GREAT GAMES! Instead of crying about prices, cry about where the hell is your game at. (Rather then hating on Bungie) I bought a Xbox 360 elite and the reason is simple: Sony hasn't shown me nothing, in terms of games. Every E3, I hear about great Sony games...but they don't come out until years later....STOP IT! I'm rolling with Halo:ODST and will wait on Uncharted 2, GOW 3, GT5, MAG, and Heave Rain. Hatin on ODST is getting old, real fast! If you don't like it, then don't buy it.

[2cents]

This website is like a car crash, i know I should stop lookin but I just cant help it. ODST is causing some serious verbal diarrhea. Underwhelming this, expansion that, same old sh1t this, not worth that, unharted 2 this mgs4 that.

Just buy it or dont.

I cant wait for the postman 2mrw, I can finally get a break from the sh1t gravy train.

Prepare to Drop!!!

[taylork37]

The first 6 comments are all ps3 fanboys patting themselves on the back because they finally got a small no name website to give their big bad arch enemy a bad score. Good for you guys.

You got anymore "Halo Killers" coming out soon. Halo will sh*t on each one of them. Just like every other FPS. Resistance 2, HAZE!?!?, KZ2.

Next...

I beat Resistance, KZ, and Haze (OH LORD THE HALO SUPPORTER HAS BOTH SYSTEMS) and traded them in a few days later... I'm sorry, but that doesn't happen with Halo.

[Mo0eY]

Ars Technica is a very popular website. There reviews, in my opinion, are very unbiased, and they tell it like it is. You're stupid to think otherwise. In fact, by your post, I can tell that you're a moron. Get smart.

[Dropthelines525]

Damn those three games are better than all 50000000000000 versions of the same Halo.

Advice: fool me once shame on you, fool me twice or more shame on me /advice

[W S K]

so now its cool again to bash halo?! o_O

for those who never bought halo 3 (or the dlc stuff) this is a good deal.
sure...the campaign is short (but around 6 hours filled with action and a good story isnt that bad?!)
and dont forget the multiplayer!
Firefight is INSANE fun!!!

if you´re a halo fan you will (of course) buy it regardlessly...
and even i will buy it (never played halo 3...just 1 and 2)
but till REACH shows up next year its likely that we wont see any other halo stuff.
so i think until then those 60 bucks are well spent

but thats just how i see it

[GeoramA]

+1 respect for Ars.

Too bad IGN and Edge don't have the balls like they do.

[kiwiharser]

Here in holland i can get this game from 33 tot 45 euro, while normal games cost 60. So no full price game for me.

[Chainblade]

OSTD should have been an expansion

[boss_killa]

release a game that barely cost them anything to produce that's guaranteed to sell millions.

on the other hand, gamers get basically nothing except a short SP campaign and the privelege of playing something with the title "Halo" on it. you cant deny MS's business sense here.

360 gamers dont seem to mind getting ripped off here.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

I'm a 360 gamer.

I don't own any of the maps and even though there are free ones I would like them all on one disc.

I am also interested in Firefight and the single player campaign.

Am I getting ripped off? Hell no. Your generalizations fail.

[aaronisbla]

what about 360 owners who are halo fans that bought all of the map packs?

[Raoh]

No thanks, I will not be wasting a Blank DL disc for this game

[GiantEnemyCrab]

Ahhhhhhh there it is!!! mooey and the rest of the PS3 fanboy circle jerks here are VINDICATED!!!!!!!!

Now excuse me while I go buy a copy of ODST to enjoy.

You hear that 360 fanboys time to boycott this bias PS3 paid for site!!! /sarc

[lcrkz0023]

Ok here's how to get the game cheaper. ToysRUs has in their ad paper that if you get Halo ODST from them they will give u a $30 gifrt card. If you take that ad to BestBuy and go thru customer service line with game in hand. Best Buy would pricematch the $30 gift card offer by taking $30 off the total price of the game meaning all you willhave to fork over at BestBuy is $29.99+ tax. BestBuy wont honor just giving you a gift card so they just take it off the front end. I've been doing this for years so it does work, well atleast at my BB in Louisville KY. So there you go folks, just my 2 cents, thank me later!

edit: the ad mighta said $20 gift card i cant remeber,nevertheless, the same rules apply with same results

edit

[-DeathWraith-]

This is honestly so bloody true.

[Dropthelines525]

Awwww how cute. They don't even know they're getting ripped off.

Go to Game Informer if you want to read something positive. I know they got rich off of their reviews.

[dkgshiz]

"But baby, this is a halo game! It cant be crappy!"

[aiphanes]

Its still a ripoff....Hopefully there will be a Halo 4!