Halo 3: ODST Writer Says Will Have “Fun, Memorable Characters”, Talks About Your “Speculation Pipe” and Smoking
Halo 3: ODST will have flashbacks. That, we knew. As the story goes, you’re a rookie ODST troop, tasked with tracking down some lost squadmates.
While you’re looking for them, the game is mostly open-world. Once you find those clues, the game switches things up; you get a flashback of what happened to that soldier, and then you play that flashback.
According to the last issue of game magazine GamesTM, Bungie’s Joseph Staten states that each squad mate has a “very distinct personality” — i.e., they have names, faces, etc.
“The reason we decided to keep the rookie faceless and anonymous is to help smooth these clue-triggered transitions from one ODST to another,” says Staten. “[The game] is designed to put you in the boots of a bunch of fun, memorable characters so you can experience this awesome pocket of Halo fiction from as many points of view as possible.”
In a new interview with GamePro, Halo 3: ODST writer and creative director Joseph Staten talks plot, gameplay and design choices for the upcoming Halo 3 expansion.
Among the many things Staten has to say, we learn a bit about the Rookie’s place in the overall Halo story.
Halo 3: ODST is the first Halo game to not feature a playable Master Chief. Will The Rookie ever bump into the Chief? Or see evidence of his handiwork?
No, you won’t ever meet the Chief. Basically, Halo 3: ODST happens while the Chief is away from Earth — after he leaves for the “Delta Halo” in Halo 2 and before he crashes into the jungle at the start of Halo 3. ODST doesn’t cover all the Chief’s absence. But it does fill a very interesting part of that gap.
Is there a villain in this new storyline?
Yes, but like the Chief, the Rookie never meets him. Put that in your speculation pipe and smoke it, Halo fans!
So we won’t be seeing the Chief OR the main villain while we play as the rookie.
So what exactly does this guy do for the whole game – and will there be a book on it? Stay tuned to find out.
