Who would you rather have at your side against in a Master Chief-less battle against increasingly difficult waves of enemies than Sergeant Major Avery J. Johnson?

Yes, grizzled UNSC hero Sgt. Johnson may not have fared so well in Halo 3, but Halo 3: ODST takes place before the final installment of the trilogy, meaning it's game on. Players who pre-order ODST at select retailers will receive a token to unlock Sgt. Johnson in the game's new Firefight mode, which plays much like the Gears of War 2 Horde mode, only with progressively activated Halo 3 skulls giving the battle a bit of flavor.

He's looking pretty good for a dead guy, isn't he? It'll be nice to take ol' Avery out for a spin again, if only to give him a chance to kick just a little more ass before the curtain closes on him in act three.

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