Halo ODST and Reach

Well I know there are a few people in the gaming scene who like this series and seeing as it is coming to an end now I think it should at least get a mention. There that was nice, eh?

This is not a review but more my opinion on how the franchise took these two games. Oh and this has nothing to do with the multiplayer. I think those are fabulous.

Ok really here is what I want to get off my chest! Halo ODST is balls. Well it's not a bad game but I don't think the idea of being a weak soldier as opposed to a kick ass Spartan really came off. In hindsight calling it balls is unfair but I want to create an impact. So there, the concept is balls! (A little better?)
It just seemed like a progression rather than a bit on the side. It is obvious when compared to the newly released Halo Reach that this is the case.
Right, my flatmate who likes to think he knows the ins and outs of the industry, claims that Halo ODST was just a "beta" for Reach. Well it annoys me how brutally he has put this and how clearly he has shown his understanding of beta testing (none) so I want to at least put it out as to what it looks like from where I stand.

When ODST was announced and was being developed they going on about how you are no longer a spartan and how you can feel what is like to be a normal soldier. Basically a side story to the Halo franchise. A side story it is but it doesn't feel like a side game. Not at all. All this crazy jumping twice the height as a normal human, firing perfectly without looking down the crosshairs taking hundreds of bullets before dying is fine and dandy when you are a super soldier.
But you see these things are still in ODST. I was expecting to feel like a smaller less powerful soldier fighting with a team and being somewhat dependant. To have to look down the sights of a gun to fire, to vault over walls and not jump perfectly with your feet at chest height.

Anyway seeing the one ODST guy run in guns ablazing, throwing plasma grenades in peoples faces, mowing down those midget things (you may have guessed but I am not a huge Halo fan nor do I own an Xbox) just seemed far to similar to what Master Chief would do in the same situation. Even the sheer number of enemies against you and even the huge monstrous guy pose the same threat. Sure you can't punch things to death anymore because your physical strength isn't great. (Well it is still pretty dam good and melees are still generous in damage dealing).

Another supposed big difference is the overshield is gone. Well now you have to play completely differently except you don't. Your trooper has great stamina. Enough to hold off a good few rounds. Not even a spartan has that!... oh wait isn't that a bad thing seeing as we're trying not to be super soldiers... hmm quite a pickle there.

I was hoping the Bungie team to take a new direction with it and make a worthwhile side step into the Halo universe. Of course it is worthwhile for the plot but the experience and atmosphere did jump far enough away from the mould. It was like they were too scared to deviate from the formula.

Anyway my gripes with Reach? It is a good game and an advancement in the series. It really refines the direction that the whole franchise has been going. But it is too obvious that ODST has influenced it and they have tested or taken some features from it. Like how your health now works exactly the same but because it is an overshield and not stamina you get a bar to see how far it progresses. Well what I am trying to say is because the whole ODST thing I don't feel like the spartan is all that powerful anymore in comparison. And it is things like that which reminds me of ODST which keeps it at the forefront of my mind. I guess it is a rant over nothing but I just didn't feel the franchise was being faithful enough to itself.