As you may have heard, the latest issue of Game Informer is just chock-full of new info about Halo 3: Recon. CVG has been kind enough to spill some of the beans -- gotta save some beans for the mag, after all -- the biggest of which is the fact that Recon will be an open world game. The story has players taking control of a rookie Orbital Drop Shock Trooper who's looking for his four other squad members in the city of New Mombasa, which you may remember from Halo 2. Using a new PDA, players can set waypoints to find the last known locations of each squad member. Upon arriving, players will discover clues that will trigger a playable flashback in which they take on the role of the missing squad member and find out what happened to him. The flashback levels will play more like a "traditional, linear" Halo level and "unravel the mystery of what went on in New Mombasa."

Of course, ODST are not Spartans, so players will have to make do without superhuman speed, jumping, and coordination (i.e no dual wielding). ODSTs also lose the benefit of a motion tracker. Oh, and no handy regenerating shields either, though health will still regenerate. As you might expect, this will make encounters with enemies like Brutes a little more intimidating, especially considering they will now all be much taller and faster than you.

Finally, one of the squad members will be played by Nathan Fillion. That is sweet.

[Via Joystiq]