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Halo 3: ODST

(2009, Video Games - First Person Shooter, Rated M, Play it on: Xbox 360)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 16.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Impressive prequel focuses on co-op tactics to shoot aliens.

In this game kids can:   battle others, become a hero, improve hand-eye coordination, kill humans (with blood), kill non-humans (with blood), live vicariously, play with others, strategize

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–18

The good stuff

  • Ease of play:

    The game is fairly easy to pick up -- especially for Halo players and fans of other first-person shooters. Plus, a tutorial and manual walks the players through the main controls.
  • Educational value:

    Not an issue.
 

What to watch out for

  • Online interaction:

    The game is even more fun when you add online friends, but as with past Halo games, you might hear cursing from other players in your headset. This is true for most online games, and many Halo players use the headsets to talk tactics while working together as soldiers towards a common goal.
  • Messages:

    In this fictional world, you play as a rookie space marine, a human soldier who protects Earth from an alien invasion. The message isn't bad in this light, but you only use violence to ward off the creatures and never pursue less violent means.

     

  • Role models:

    You play as a good guy in this sci-fi shooter, but use weapons to make your way through the game by blowing away thousands of baddies. Depending on how you look at it, the game's role model -- a nameless rookie who joins the ODST team of highly-skilled space marines -- is either good or bad.
  • Violence:

    As with past Halo games, Halo 3: ODST is a first-person shooter that lets gamers fire powerful weapons, including machine guns, rifles, pistols, and rocket launchers. Small amounts of blood can be seen spraying out of enemies, which are mostly alien in nature, and they scream in pain and fall to the ground. Blood is also seen smeared on walls and floors. During firefights the camera may blur or the screen shake to heighten tension.
  • Sex:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Not pushing the limits of profanity, but some swear words can be heard during dialogue sequences or radio chatter in your soldier headset. Examples include "sh-t," "bullsh-t," "a--hole," and "bastard."
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Halo 3: ODST was written by Marc Saltzman

Parents need to know this first-person shooter is rated "Mature" for its graphic depiction of violence. This is a futuristic science fiction game where most of the enemies you're shooting at are alien creatures bent on Earth's destruction. Players will use a variety of weapons to take out the baddies, and some blood is shown. While an "M" rated game, this one is less violent than others like the Grand Theft Auto series. The game offers many options for playing with others including online where open voice chat is available so there's the potential of hearing cursing.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about the appeal of shooters. Does it give players a rush to blow away enemies from a first-person perspective? Is this a bad thing as it might desensitize players to violence and potentially whet their appetite to do it in real life; or is this virtual thrill healthy because it can serve as a stress-relieving and entertaining escape from the day-to-day grind? Is it any better or worse than a violent Tarantino movie? At what age do you think teens should be allowed to play these games? Why?
  • On the continuum of violent video games, how does this one stack up? How does it compare to a title like Grand Theft Auto IV, where you're working your way up in the criminal underground of a contemporary city and can kill innocent people and police officers?
  • This is a compelling game for many teens and can create time-management issues. How might you as a family go about handling setting gaming time limits?
Did this review help you decide?
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More on Halo 3: ODST

What’s the Story?

In HALO 3: ODST, a futuristic sci-fi shooter that takes place between the events of Halo 2 and Halo 3, players take on the role of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, part of an elite group of space marines dropped into hostile areas. This time you're deployed to Earth, in the African port city of New Mombasa, to ward off an invasion from the nasty Covenant alien race and find out the motivation for their invasion. While the action is still seen from an immersive first-person perspective, Halo 3: ODST is more of a close-quartered game than previous adventures, with much of the fighting taking place in smaller urban spaces, and focuses heavily on cooperative tactics with your ODST teammates (nicknamed "Helljumpers") rather than destroying aliens by yourself. Close

Is It Any Good?

Though the single-player story is a relatively short 8-hour campaign, the game-play is intense and worth playing multiple times. The new Heads-Up Display (HUD) gives players lots of info on their surroundings, plus new weapons, maps, and some surprises make this game a memorable one. But Halo 3: ODST also introduces the awesome "Firefight" mode, a new cooperative multiplayer option where up to four ODST fighters can take on increasingly challenging waves of Covenant invaders. Also included in the box is a second DVD with three new Halo 3 multiplayer maps for online play (via the Xbox Live service), as well as all original Halo 3 maps and downloadable map packs, totalling 24 in all. Close

Publisher’s Details

Released on 9/22/2009, price $59.99, online enabled
ESRB rating: M (for Blood, Language, Violence)

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Our Members Say

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  • What did you think about Halo 3: ODST?
  •  I think this game is

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See all 31 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    FUn

    LOVE IT

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models
    • Safety is an issue

    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    weeee ha ha ha

    this game is cool because you can have s-x with girls

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    Good game for teens, not so much for any kid still developing mentally.

    ESRB's M rating is a bit extreme, with some of the only "Blood" being the aliens blue flouresnt blood. You are killing aliens not humans, so unless your dog is blue then I'm sure your kids wont get into any trouble.

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Oklahoma
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 4.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models
    • Easy to play

  5. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models
    • Easy to play

    Great Game for younger kids

    Its kinda sad that esrb rate halo games M. o well its an amizing game that should be rated T. Halo and COD are 1 off the best game for x-box at the moment.

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