Being that the newest blockbuster in the critically acclaimed Halo series for the Microsoft Xbox console, “Halo 3: ODST,” was being developed only a few miles away, it was appropriate that the first stop in the game’s Transport Vehicle tour was the GameStop store in the heart of Redmond Town Center.

By early morning last Saturday, hundreds of people began to line up in anticipation of playing the new game in the ODST Transport Vehicle, which was built from a modified M-820 expandable military truck, measuring 27 feet long and weighing 13 tons. The gaudy vehicle was outfitted with eight Xbox 360 consoles rigged to flat-screen TVs for fans to experience one of the most highly-anticipated games in franchise history.

“The Halo fan base is just extraordinary,” said Larry Hryb, Director of Programming for Microsoft’s Xbox Live. “They’ve been very good to the franchise and the Xbox 360 platform, and we’re just really excited to bring this around and have people get their hands on the game before it launches on Sept. 22.”

A NEW APPEAL

According to the game’s designers, ODST, which stands for “Orbital Drop Shock Troopers,” the elite group of United Nations Space Command Marines featured as playable characters in the new game, plays slightly differently than the previous installments in the series.

“We changed some subtle things like taking away the motion tracker, and he can’t jump as high, run as fast or do a ‘wheel,’ but we gave him a new feature set called ‘visor mode,'” explained Lars Bakken, Senior Programmer at Bungie, the game’s developer. “When you press the X button now, you get a low-light amplification, kind of like night-vision goggles. It also acts as a target-acquisition device that outlines enemies in red, friendlies in green, and objects of interest in yellow.”

The changes should appeal to both veteran gamers and relative newcomers alike, allowing those not as experienced to benefit while exploring the game’s night levels, and Halo experts to add to their arsenal of combat tactics.

“Bungie, the developer, has done a fantastic job of really making the game approachable,” Hryb said. “They’ve really pioneered bringing first-person shooters to consoles.”

FIGHTING WITH FIRE

One of the new multiplayer features in ODST is the new “Firefight” mode, which allows up to four players to play together, over system links, split-screen or Xbox live, in a cooperative effort against oncoming waves of computer-generated enemies.

With this addition, programmers hoped to appeal to those who might have become dismayed with playing online due to the high skill level of many players.

“It’s a much more low barrier of entry for players,” Bakken said. “If people feel intimidated about playing Halo 3 multiplayer normally, this is something they can just sit down on the couch and play online with their friends.”

Halo 3: ODST also features one new weapon, a silenced and scoped sub-machine gun, as well as the return of the Automag pistol which was featured in Halo’s original release.

From Redmond, the tour travels down the West coast and across the country, making 22 stops before concluding in West Babylon, N.Y. on Sept. 19.

The Halo franchise has sold more than 27 million units worldwide, and more than one million players enjoy the game daily on Xbox Live.

“We’re super-excited,” said Bakken about the upcoming tour. “This is awesome because the game doesn’t come out for another month, and this is an opportunity for people to get to play it before it comes out.”

For more information, visit the official Halo 3: ODST Web site at www.bungie.net/Projects/ODST/.