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Halo 3: ODST’s mysterious city-wide AI the Superintendent won’t turn into Bungie’s version of GLaDOS, the demented AI from Valve’s superb FPS puzzler Portal.
In Halo 3: ODST, players assume the role of the Rookie, a member of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper squad who is lost in the war-torn, deserted Earth city of New Mombasa following a crash.
He is not alone, however. The Superintendent, the AI in charge of keeping the city running, monitors the Rookie’s progress and provides him with help, activating signs and street lights and uploading maps to his VISR database.
In 2007’s Portal, players were guided by an AI called GLaDOS. We won’t spoil it for you, but suffice it to say GLaDOS has the odd screw loose.
Speaking at a recent press event in London, Bungie senior designer Lars Bakken said the player’s interaction with the Superintendent “never gets too intense”.
He said: “He’s more guiding you than anything else. When you’re walking around you’ll actually see signs change telling you what you should be doing.
“It’s always really simple. Maybe it’s just keep right with an arrow on it. Those things are happening, and it’s not really called attention to, it’s more if you’re paying attention you’ll see these things happening around you.
“It’s not really overt. So, yeah he’s doing things like placing beacons on your overhead map, but he’ll never be like, go exactly right here and do this.”
So he won’t turn into a Glados then?
“No nothing like that!”
For all your Master Chief-less needs, head over to our Halo 3: ODST game page.
Oh, and if you’ve never heard of Portal, then be sure to head over to our review. Then go out and buy it. Immediately.
