Halo ODST has been reborn in Unreal Engine 5 in a stunning new fan experience

Remember Halo 3: ODST - the brave redirection of the legendary sci-fi FPS towards a slower, more tactical and stealthier experience that won the hearts and minds of many a Xbox 360 owner back in the day? Well, if you’ve got a fond place in your heart for it, you can re-explore New Mumbasa’s shadowy streets in a stunning new Unreal Engine 5 project: Dropzone.

This stunning project is created by former Campaign world designer at 343 Industries Kaleb Nekumanesh - who now works as a senior level artist at Ascendant Studios - with the assistance of several others credited below the announcement tweet (embedded below).

This free-to-download Unreal Engine 5 demo is a faithful recreation of the 7th generation FPS you can play yourself, with all the bright lights, pouring rain, and shadowy interiors you remember.

This is just the latest in a series of brilliant Unreal Engine 5 projects created in the Halo universe that have been popping up in recent months. Relatively recently, we covered a fantastic Halo Infinite inspired demo that put the TV show to shame. There’s something about the IP that draws the attention of the creative-minded with time on their hands and talent enough to develop engaging experiences.

That being said, Unreal Engine 5 seems to be drawing out the creative juices for a variety of artists and designers - not just Halo fans! Earlier this year we saw a beautiful Mirror’s Edge Unreal Engine 5 project out in the wild, alongside a heart-stopping Need for Speed 3 fan remake.

Would you be interested in seeing more Unreal Engine 5 Halo projects? Let us know below what scene from the series you’d like to see recreated in the shiny new engine!