Halo 3 ODST is taking the series in some interesting new directions. Directions that require a certain amount of sacrifice of particular trade marks of the series. Sure, you may miss the Chief running mad at what would certainly be any other man's doom or being able to shoot two guns at the same time. But I personally look forward to bidding farewell to some of the series main stays. Heres a list of missing features ten that I wont miss....

10. Bad four letter words

Yeah... I had to really dig to the bootom of the barrel lower in the list. But in Halo 3 you could only make a three digit service tag. Alas, that limitation exists no more! The service tag can now be four digits!!! Oh mai

9. Halo 3 DLC

Again, bottom of the barrel here. But Halo 3: ODST will include all of Halo 3's DLC on disc. So for people like me, we just got to free up rougly a gig off our hard drives. Hooray!

8. Master Chief

No offense to the good ol' chief but I doubt Bungie really intended enemies such as the Hunters to feel mildly threatening. However thanks to the ODST enemies may trully feel much more threatening than ever before and thats something I look forward to. Halo at a more human perspective; no0t to mention more challenging.

7. The Yellow Brick Road

Okay, so linearity will not be complately gone from ODST, with the flash back sequences playing more like a typical Halo levels. But the segments where you play as the Rookie in New Mombasa at night will take place in an open environment letting you find the clues in what order you like taking routes you choose. It's an interesting and new direction for Halo and I very much look forward to bucking tradition in favor of the vast new city to explore.

6. Flash Lights

It wouldn't be at all surprising if you weren't aware, but you could use a flash light in each of the Halo shooters. In fact pressing up on the D-pad(in campaign) would turn it on. But you really didn't need it much. However, a good chunk of ODST's campaign takes place at night and while a flash light would be handy, you've got something better.

VISR mode. Not only does it make your view a bit more bright and clear but it also highlights points of interest, allies, enemies and weapons. Nifty, right?

5. The Battle Rifle and the Magnum

ODST wont include that battle rifle you've clung so close to these past two Halo games. And it wont include that disapointing magnum either. Instead you'll be packing the automag which takes the physical form of a pistol, all the power and range of a rifle(and the scope to boot) and a firing rate that makes the carbne look like a turtle. Much like the Halo 1 pistol; a pocket rocket.

Salivating yet?

4. My eyes!!

Remember the flare? Just in case you don't, heres a reminder...

Yeah, that flare. Since there is no deployable equipment in ODST there will be no flares. I know, awesome, right?

3. The Flood

Okay, so the game isn't out and nothing is set in stone yet. But it's fairly safe to assume there will be no flood. The game take place before Halo 3 in New Mombasa, Africa. In Halo 3 they had to glass half the continent in order to expunge the flood infestation. So considering that in Halo 3 the continent wasn't already glassed up it's safe to assume the flood hadn't payed earth a visit prior to Halo 3.

And I wont complain. I don't really find flood a particularly fun enemy fight. They don't employ any sort of intelegent tactics. They run at you with no regard to their own safety. The challenge in the flood is not that they fight intelligently, they just mob you in hordes. They are essentially zombies - the lazy game developer's dream enemy(no offense Bungie).

The flood have served as an interesting plot device and a nice diversion, but levels dedicated to them(Cortana and the Library) have proven to be less than fun. It was crap that they got into Halo Wars. Just give us at least one game to bask in the glory of no floodiness

2. The Jerk Store

Yes, it's unfortunate that there is no competitive multiplayer for ODST. Especially considering fall damage is back. But theres one bright side to this. The Jerk Store is closed. No more douche bags ruining my Halo fun. No more kids that have bad parents. Just me, my friends and waves of Covenant. Sorry jerks, this store doesn't need you in stock. Yes, I just said that...

1. Cortana

You know, Cortana use to be pretty cool. She'd hack covenant crap at your covenience, she has big boobs and she was blue. Did I mention she has big boobs? But leaving her at High Charity was by far the biggest mistake the Master Chief ever made. Beacause through out Halo 3 Cortana constantly sent you odd messages that would consume your hud and make you walk at a turtle's pace while she said things that made not a lick of sense. And you can't skip these scripted sequences even if you've beaten the game.

"I am your shield, I am your sword", "This the way the world ends", "I Have defied gods and demons". Hey, it's cool you were able to occasionally pull a Fall of Reach quote out of your ass evert now and then. Yeah, thats cool Cortana, but what the hell does that have to do with whats happening in the game? Whats that got to do with you for that matter?

Oh and when you save her she acts all hunky dorey. As if nothing odd had been going on. Probably this part of the story that bothers me the most.

It doesn't help Cortana at all that what was probably the worst level in the series was named after her.