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“Halo 3: ODST” is actually an expansion to the immensely popular “Halo 3” game. This game was once touted as a bargain game. It was supposed to keep fans of “Halo” happy while they waited for the next full game to be released. Somewhere in the development, the decision was made to make this a full-priced release. Now the question has to be asked, is “Halo 3: ODST” worth $60?

The story takes place in the city of New Mumbasa. A squad of ODSTs (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) are broken off from the main attack on the covenant forces to carry out a secret mission. The operation goes off the rails early. Your entire team is scattered, you can’t contact them, and no one told you the mission’s details. Your only option is to search the city for signs of your team and try not to die along the way.

As you search, you start to piece together what happened to the members of your squad. You are following the homing signals from pieces of your teams’ equipment.

When you find them, you flash into that squad member’s story. The story of what happened to this squad is compelling and is one of the greatest strengths of the game.

“Halo 3: ODST” is the first time in the game’s history that you don’t play as Master Chief, the usual main character. This changes the way you play the game. You are no longer an eight-foot super soldier who can dually wield weapons and absorb an ungodly amount of damage. You have to stick to cover, and picking off your enemies from a distance is mandatory for survival when playing by yourself. In co-op mode, concentrating fire and watching your partner’s back is the only way to survive.

While the ODSTs are not as strong as the Spartans, that doesn’t mean they are weak by any stretch. The ODSTs have several tools to help them kick butt on the battle field. You also have a night-vision helmet. It not only helps you see in low-light situations, but it also outlines enemy units in red and friendlies in green, making it much easier to identify your enemies.

Unlike several other recent releases, the night-vision mode doesn’t wash out the graphics. Instead, all it does is highlight the area. I have to say this is a welcome change.

While you can play the story line of ODST by yourself or with a friend, I would suggest going through the story the first time by yourself. The story really doesn’t translate having a friend along. Also, there are audio clips hidden throughout the story that I found easier to find and listen to when I was alone.

The other new play mode is “Firefight.” For all of you who have played “Gears of War 2,” this is basically Horde mode. You will face wave after wave of covenant forces bent on sending you to an early grave. You (and up to four friends) have to fight off the enemy. I say “friends” because there is no matchmaking service for this game, so you have to find someone off your friend list to play with you. This is annoying if you don’t have a large friend list or if your just looking to play a quick, pick-up game.

“Halo 3: ODST” comes with a second multiplayer disc. This disc contains the original “Halo 3” multiplayer content. Not only is it the original game, but all of the DLC content plus two new maps are included. The main problem is that most “Halo” fans already bought “Halo 3” and the DLC, so you’re paying $30 for two maps. I don’t begrudge Microsoft for making “ODST” a full-priced game, but making people re-buy content is hard to defend.

There are two things parents should know about the “Halo” series. The violence in this game is not as graphic as “Call of Duty” or “Grand Theft Auto” games. You’re fighting aliens, and it gives the game a less-than-realistic feel. Where parents should be concerned, however, is with the multiplayer aspect. I suggest not letting your kids use the headset while playing “Halo.” There is a lot of vulgar language used in the online mode. Talk to your kids about what is and is not appropriate behavior, or monitor their play.

“Halo 3: ODST” is a great game. The story mode is compelling, and if you have a lot of friends with this game, Firefight is a joy to play. If you were not a fan of “Halo 3” though, “Halo 3: ODST” isn’t going to change your mind on the series, and you should skip this game. That said, any Halo fans will want to play this game, even if you are re-buying the multiplayer.

James Treacy is a lifelong gamer, across all platforms of the gaming community. His opinion is in no way the opinion of this paper, and is instead offered to give its readers more information on games and trends available in today’s market. To contact him with any questions about the gaming world, e-mail jtreacy@phillynews.com.

“Halo 3: ODST” Developer: Bungie Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Platform: Xbox 360 Rated: M for Mature, for blood, language and violence My Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)