Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Impressive prequel focuses on co-op tactics to shoot aliens.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Halo 3: ODST
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 27 parent reviews
Parents say that this game is generally deemed appropriate for preteens and teens, with many reviewers mentioning that it's suitable for ages 10 to 15 despite its M rating, which they consider too harsh. The violence is often described as mild, featuring colored "blood" and occasional mild language, with most parents suggesting it offers more of a fun, story-driven experience than gratuitous content.
- appropriate for preteens
- mild violence
- language concerns
- fun storyline
- ratings debate
- age suggestions
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 109 kid reviews
What's It About?
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.
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.
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.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
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?
Game Details
- Platform : Xbox 360
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Big Huge Games
- Release date : September 22, 2009
- Genre : First-Person Shooter
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2022
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