**ODST: pick the right achievement list before you start**

**ODST: pick the right achievement list before you start** ODST is easy to describe as Halo 3 without Master Chief. That doesn't really prepare you for playing it. You're moving between a quiet, occupied city at night and the battles that left it that way. Your health matters differently, the pistol becomes a very good friend, and the city has a whole story you can walk past without hearing. The achievements also change substantially between the original Xbox 360 game and The Master Chief Collection. Keep those lists separate from the beginning. **Which version this series covers** These guides use **ODST inside MCC** on Xbox or PC. The original Xbox 360 release has its own achievements, even when played through backward compatibility on a newer Xbox. Finishing something in one edition doesn't automatically award the equivalent in the other. MCC includes ODST's campaign and Firefight. It is not an Anniversary-style remake with a second graphics presentation to toggle. Check that ODST is installed and available under your existing entitlement before arranging a session; the presence of the MCC launcher alone isn't proof every component is installed. Campaign supports up to four players online. Xbox has local split-screen; PC does not have native split-screen. **ODST Xbox–PC campaign crossplay is supported**, added alongside Halo 3's in April 2022. That doesn't mean every other MCC campaign supports it. Get everyone onto compatible updated builds before settling in for a long run. **Firefight is present; the old awards aren't** Halo Support explicitly confirms that the Xbox 360 ODST Firefight achievements were not included in MCC. **Endure**, the named map score awards and **Be Like Marty** therefore belong on an original-360 checklist, not an MCC completion plan. The 2022 legacy service reduction did not remove ODST's campaign, Firefight, split-screen, LAN or online squads. Don't confuse the loss of some legacy services with the entire original game becoming unusable. Conversely, backward compatibility does not turn that game into MCC. We'll cover Firefight for its own sake and label the original awards clearly. There's plenty to enjoy without waiting for an achievement that isn't on your current list. **A sensible first campaign** Start on Normal if you want room to explore. Learn the difference between regenerating stamina and health that needs a health pack. Use VISR to read dark streets and identify objects, but don't assume a suppressed weapon makes you invisible to enemies. Follow the clue trail through the six flashbacks, then Data Hive and Coastal Highway. The normal chronological flashback order is Tayari Plaza, Uplift Reserve, Kizingo Boulevard, ONI Alpha Site, NMPD HQ and Kikowani Station. MCC mission-completion awards allow Easy. That does not make Easy eligible for every separate challenge. Keep difficulty requirements attached to the individual award rather than declaring one setting sufficient for everything. **Leave the city time to tell its other story** There are **29 audio-log stations around Mombasa Streets and a thirtieth recording in Data Hive**. The first 29 tell their story in collection order; a physical terminal isn't permanently “Circle 3” just because a map numbered it third. Do a deliberate audio sweep rather than assuming the flashback objectives take you past every station. Verify your in-game list before descending for number 30. The Data Hive detour depends on the previous 29 being present in the run/save context. Halo Support lists an audio-progress-loss issue after death and offers specific advice for Record Store Owner problems. So keep a location checklist, check the list after a death, and don't treat the achievement notification for one recording as proof all previous collection state is safe. **Time and score are separate jobs** MCC has eight scored flashback/finale missions. Mombasa Streets has no par-time or par-score target. - **Tayari Plaza:** 3:00 par time; 8,000 points. - **Uplift Reserve:** 4:00 par time; 14,000 points. - **Kizingo Boulevard:** 9:00 par time; 18,000 points. - **ONI Alpha Site:** 13:00 par time; 16,000 points. - **NMPD HQ:** 10:00 par time; 40,000 points. - **Kikowani Station:** 10:00 par time; 42,000 points. - **Data Hive:** 16:00 par time; 8,000 points. - **Coastal Highway:** 25:00 par time; 90,000 points. Those short early time targets aren't leisurely walkthrough estimates. Learn the route, then attempt them separately. For scoring, keep the display on and check the finished result. Don't use the original game's much higher campaign score table or an old empty-vehicle farming trick as your MCC plan. **Save the restrictive runs for routes you know** Classic is a solo Legendary no-shots/no-grenades challenge. Uplift Reserve is a useful candidate because you can drive past much of it. That is a different task from killing enough enemies for its score award. Safety Not Guaranteed requires completion of a qualifying **ODST LASO playlist**, not just a mission launched with a collection of skulls. The Legendary campaign-time award and the individual par awards also aren't interchangeable. We'll separate those plans rather than pretending one perfect run does everything. First enjoy the campaign. Then clean up the city, the mission-specific challenges, and the time and score records. Finally tackle the runs whose restrictions change how you play. That's a much less frustrating way to get through ODST than trying to rescue Marines, hunt recordings and beat a three-minute timer at once.