Halo Newbie getting Halo 3 ODST

I liked the Halo 3 campaign. anyways, ODST comes with Halo 3 multiplayer component on a separate disc. so if you only wanna play Halo for the multiplayer, just wait a little longer. as for the story, if you buy Halo 3, there is a storyline information page in the manual.

btw, Halo 3 multiplayer is pretty good. there was no bullet lag whatsoever when me %26 my friends played it.

hope this helped.Halo Newbie getting Halo 3 ODST
No, the game is set between Halo 2 and Halo 3, so playing Halo 3 would be pointless and Halo 2 might benefit it a little but probably not a huge amount.Halo Newbie getting Halo 3 ODST
I don't think you'll have a big problem with the stoyline, but if you really want to know what's going on, check out this website:

http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page



Also, it would help if you played Halo 2 since Halo: ODST is going to be a prequel to 3.



Oh yeah, when you play the online, expect to die...a lot.
The main Halo games form a trilogy, so no matter which game you pick up you will still be in the dark about some stuff unless you play the first two games.That said, you should still be able to pick up fairly easily on what's going on, I guess.I'd recommend getting both games, personally. 3 has a pretty decent campaign (even though it's short) and the different difficulty settings and co-op give it significant replay value. ODST is like a side-story to the events of Halo 3. While Master Chief is off fighting brutes and the flood, you are back on Earth playing as a squad of orbital drop-shock troopers.
You don't really need to be familiar with Halo to get into ODST. It stars a different cast of characters unrelated to past Halo games in an adventure that has little to do with what happened in past Halo games.
If you're concerned about being familiar with the story, play Halo:Combat Evolved and Halo 2 first. ODST happens during the last half of Halo 2 (after Master Chief leaves Earth), but before Halo 3, so story-wise, you won't be missing anything not playing Halo 3. And ODST comes with the multiplayer half of Halo 3, so you won't miss out on that.
Good points everyone. Plus, having played all three Halos and read a few of the novelizations, I'm still not entirely sure what's going on sometimes. Halo is really a game played more for the balanced gameplay and sheer enjoyment that can be had with friends. ODST, with it's Firefight mode, will be very light on story. If all you want to do is have a good time with three other friends, then look no further. For example, not knowing exactly why you're doing what you're doing never hurt Left 4 Dead!
I'd at least RENT and beat all three.