15 Years Later, Halo 3: ODST Is Still a Well of Untapped Potential

Halo has been around for almost 13 years now, and though the franchise is doing okay, its glory days are far behind it. Though its launch went very well, Halo Infinite‘s post-launch fumbles left fans wanting much more from the Sci-Fi franchise, and the recent second season of Paramount’s Halo show has only made that feeling grow. Long gone are the days of successful spinoffs like Halo 3: ODST.

Released on September 22 2009, Halo 3: ODST is widely considered to be a high point for the Halo franchise. Though its shorter runtime knocked a few points off its review scores, Halo 3: ODST still received almost universal acclaim from critics and fans alike, and it’s aged like a fine wine. By far Halo 3: ODST‘s greatest strength is its ability to take a familiar formula and give it a fresh spin, and that’s something the Halo series desperately needs right now.

Halo 3: ODST Set a Blueprint That’s Been Lying Dormant for 15 Years

Halo 3: ODST Was Exactly What a Halo Spinoff Needed To Be

With three Master Chief-led mainline entries under its belt, the Halo franchise knew it needed to shake things up. Bungie and its collaborators did exactly that in 2009, delivering the powerful one-two-punch of Halo Wars and Halo 3: ODST, both of which took the franchise in new directions. While Halo Wars was a completely different type of Halo experience, Halo 3: ODST provided a familiar but fresh take on the usual Halo FPS formula, and much of its uniqueness hinged on its main cast.

Rather than taking control of an all-powerful super-soldier or a trained alien warrior, Halo 3: ODST put players in the slightly less armored boots of a team of titular Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. Across the game’s campaign, players take control of each of the squad’s five members – Rookie, Dutch, Mickey, Buck, and Romeo – as they battle their way through the deserted streets of New Mombasa.

This new perspective doesn’t change too much in terms of gameplay, but it brings a new, lighter tone to the franchise. With excellent performances from the likes of Firefly crew Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, and Adam Baldwin, the banter between teammates is a highlight of ODST, and something that separates it subtly from the mainline Halo trilogy.

Though Halo 3: ODST‘s shorter length was a common critique at the time of its release, a 5-6-hour campaign is the perfect size for a spinoff of ODST‘s scale, giving players plenty of time to soak in the game’s atmosphere and unique squad dynamic while not outstaying its welcome. ODST also shipped with the series’ first iteration of Firefight, a wave-based horde mode that fit right in with its 2009 contemporaries. Though its $60 price tag was steep, Halo 3: ODST offered just the experience that the franchise and its fans needed.

Halo Sorely Needs a New ODST-Like Spinoff

Halo is still Xbox’s flagship franchise and it feels like it should be a bit more prolific. There have been countless opportunities for 343 to make a Halo spinoff during its tenure, from a game focused on Agent Locke after the events of Halo 5 to a spinoff game that fleshes out Blue Team. Halo needs another short and sweet campaign, and something that’s familiar but fresh. And while that’s much easier said than done, Halo 3: ODST‘s blueprint is there for the taking.