Getting rid of the Elites as enemies was a huge mistake.

The game has supposedly been in development since they wrapped up Halo 3, I dunno if quick cash-in is accurate because there's clearly effort put into it.

I agree that no elites is disappointing, but then why have them in there when you're not fighting them anyway? Having Elite allies for the sake of it makes even less sense considering this is supposedly intended to give you a sense of isolation and danger.

I am still waiting for something convincing to show this is anything more than an expansion (with no reasonable technical advancement) without the games hero (double trouble).

I loved Halo 3 and I actually really liked how it ended with a few reservations about what went on with some of the characters. Some choices there could've been better, but overall I thought it was an impressive feat just in terms of how much of the speculation and the concrete story elements that actually were adressed. I think it comes down to whether one would want them ripping up new story threads or putting the existing ones to bed, and I'm comfortable with the latter.

What I'm surprised by now, a year and some change later, is how much I genuinely miss Halo. Every time a game comes along that is supposedly the "last" of a series everyone kinda goes "YEAAH RIGHT, I wish they'd end it with this but they ooobviously woooon't!" and I'm one of those people for the most part. I did feel that with Halo 3, but now I'm sorta.. I dunno....

Maybe it's Gears fault. I thought Gears 2 was fantastic, I think it's super fun to play and they did more with that sequel than they had to and it's all the better for it. At the same time it's clear that Gears is no Halo. Gears is a very focused, arcadey experience in terms of gameplay whereas Halo is dynamic and open, but much more than that I'm talking about story and narration and universe. You can't really see Gears breaking away from its core cast of characters or this fairly isolated conflict on Sera. In fact, when I think about going to other planets in the Gears universe my head explodes like someone curb stomped it. It's just not that thing, that franchise thing in the same way.

So when I miss Halo I kinda just miss the "obviousness" of its universe. There's so much to love in it, from its technology to its characters and creatures. I would love to play as an Elite in an Elites only spinoff. I would even like more insight into the hiearchy of the Brutes. I would like to go back in time and play games based on the pre-covenant conflict earth, and hey, there's a whole civilization with the Forerunner that is completely unexplored.

Halo also has a broader spectrum in terms of tone. It can go from poignant shakespearian dialogue to goofy grunts being blown up in a comical fashion. ODST can be a more grim shooter that explores the brutality of the war, and the isolation and powerlessness a normal dude would feel going up against these guys. Remember at the start of Halo 3 the lone soldier being held up by the neck in the forest? Recall how Johnson was kicked around? Hell, remember the awesome Tartarus that deserved way more screen time?

It's just such a tremendously rich universe, and in the right hands it can be explored from any angle. I miss Halo, and all the while I feel confident that the minds behind it has more in store for us.

So in short (hah! as if.) I'm really excited about ODST whatever it turns out like. I'm also excited about Halo Wars later this month, as reports seem to suggest it's creating quite a positive buzz around the parts of MS that matter for its future.

I think ODST, much like ANYTHING that came out of Bungie during its Halo years, will be riddled with awesomeness for those that have been obsessively soaking up every detail of the Halo lore over the years. As for on the surface, plain plot wise, that's prolly not gonna amount to much for the average player.

I just don't see Bungie making this without significant narrative in relation to the big picture, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's lost on the majority of people playing it.