[Se7enSins Bot]

Bungie will be throwing in some free exploration elements into the Halo equation in the upcoming Halo 3: ODST. In an interview with the Seattle Times, Bungie also revealed that they've added in some mystery-solving elements as well.

"We're doing a lot of pretty neat things in terms of mixing it up, introducing some non-linearity, some free exploration," said Joseph Staten. "This is also a mystery story so there's a lot more clue-finding and mystery-solving than you would normally find in a game of this kind - nothing that strays too far from the fun Halo experience, but we definitely decided to take a little bit of risk and have some fun with this one."

ODST takes place before Halo 3. Players take on the role of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper and must search through the ruins of New Mombasa and discover what happened to his missing teammates.

The interview also touched slightly on the much more mysterious Halo: Reach, which Bungie president Harold Ryan thinks could be enabled with Microsoft's new Natal technology. Bungie's apparently already gotten a look at the new tech, so don't be surprised if it turns out to be one of Reach's features.


Related articles:

• Pre-order Halo 3: ODST, get a playable Sgt. Johnson for the multiplayer mode
  
• Nielsen reports Halo 3: ODST to have the biggest purchase intent post-E3

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/qj/xbox/~4/NUKOaQbhgKY

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[Madman340]

If by 'free exploration' they mean that they've taken down some barriers, I may just get this game. :)

[joshandrok]

Madman340 said:

If by 'free exploration' they mean that they've taken down some barriers, I may just get this game. :)

In the IGN interview they said it's more like a sandbox game. Where you can explore the whole city, but small things will still influence you to go on certain paths(street signs, Billboards, ECT.. All controlled by the superintendent...) There aren't really any boundaries except the ones they have to have to keep you in the city... So basically it is kinda like Halo meets GTA except it's not mindless boring violence.. There is some direction given. So yeah I think I am deffinatly picking this up, for firefight, and to see if they pulled off the free roam aspect of it. I think they did. It looks amazing lol!