Halo: Ranking Every Game From Worst To Best
5. Halo 3: ODST
As discussed when comparing Halo 3 to Halo 4, when it comes to a series that has become formulaic, even if the formula is a winning one like Halo's, it can sometimes pay to take a sharp left turn and do something almost entirely different from what fans are used to.
This is exactly what Halo 3: ODST did.
Released as a way to tide fans over until the release of Halo: Reach, ODST inadvertently became one of the best games in the entire franchise. It put players in the shoes of an all-new character, an ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) known only as the Rookie, and combined Halo's first-person shooter style with what can best be described as a futuristic noir mystery.
In this game, it's your job as the Rookie to follow the trail of clues left by your team in a semi-open world setting during the dead of night after a mission gone awry. You slowly piece everything together as you experience the campaign in flashbacks from different perspectives, all of which ultimately lead to the game's fantastic climax.
Sure, the campaign was short relative to other Halo titles, but it was still fairly meaty. And when you combine this unique story with Halo 3's fantastic multiplayer and Forge, a few new maps, and a brand-new survival mode, you have one of the series' best on your hands.