Mombasa Streets/Walkthrough

Overview
This is a walkthrough for the Mombasa Streets. This is the second level of Halo 3: ODST, and the first playable level. For this mission you play as The Rookie. Your objective is to locate your squad. In order to do this you must locate certain clues that will trigger flashback missions. Your initial loadout for this mission is your M7S SMG and M6C/SOCOM Pistol. It is important to note that as this walkthrough at the Legendary difficulty, all strengths of enemies reflected are at the Legendary level, but contain notes for lower difficulties. Mombasa Streets is an open environment level, where you can choose which missions you want to do and what order you wish to do them in. In order to achieve the Legendary Shield you only need to complete the first section which will be detailed. If you choose to complete the rest of the open environment, this walkthrough will provide you with tips on survival and how to make it through some of the more perilous areas on the map.

That's the last time I take Dramamine before a Drop!
You start the mission in your pod. Hit the four buttons to release your canopy, then jump down. You're hurt and need to heal up. Turn to your right and immediately heal up at the OPTICAN station. Turn on your VISR, most of the city will be dark to you and you won't have a map yet but enemies in your visual range will be highlighted in red. Move to the right and equip your pistol. Look down the street and a patrol consisting of a Brute Minor and several Grunts will come into view. You can hide in the little corner in front of the bend at the stairs, when they reach the back of the truck, you can quickly run up and assassinate all of them, if you taking the Brute, Grunts will be more likely to panic and flee. Your other choice here is to quickly eliminate the Grunt escort with your pistol then finish off the Brute with your SMG. Both approaches are very effective on Legendary and are dependent on your style of play. As you approach the roundabout, circle counterclockwise and take out the squad there. Continue around the circle and you will see a set of stairs on a corner. There will be two squads approaching at the same time. You cannot avoid this fight. If you're a skilled Legendary player, engage with Grenades and your Pistol and you should prevail relatively quickly. Do not go left of the corner, it is a dead end street and you will be trapped with little cover. If you're not confident in the direct approach, turn right and sneak around to the back of the formations. You should be able to divide the groups and with a little surprise on your side kill them relatively quickly.

Once you've cleared these groups, a message will appear on your HUD, telling you to make contact with the Superintendent. You will hear a phone ringing nearby and it will be highlighted yellow. Go to it and answer. You will download the city map and objective data, and while your VISR capability is turned on, the city will be outlined in a muted yellow to help you see. Once you've completed this, head back to the right side of the corner with the stairs, you will see a side street that is well lit on the left, go down it and on the right you will find a door that opens. Head through the building, and out into an open courtyard where you will encounter many Grunts. Kill them and go into the building on the other side. By now your VISR should have a faint blue glow and be pinging as you are near your first clue. Head up the stairs inside and watch to the right a door will open revealing two Sniper Jackals. Kill them and if you're doing the campaign take the Beam Rifle. Keep going up and when you see it grab Dare's Helmet. Congratulations, you've just earned the Legendary Shield for Mombasa Streets and you're one step closer to completing the Campaign on Legendary.

Easy, huh?

Hey Bub, We're not done yet!
So, You have your Legendary Shield, and you've completed the campaign already, why not just bypass completing the rest of the level and skip from mission to mission? Well where's the fun in that? Once you've completed Tayari Plaza head back down the stairs and out into the Crater Plaza. You'll notice that you're currently where Buck's mission ended. Look around and you'll notice that the Superintendent is directing you with the billboards. Head through the blast door, and take care, your about to encounter your first multi-Brute squad escorting an Engineer. Be careful as the Brutes will have an Overshield. Kill them quickly from range with your Beam Rifle, and move towards the waypoint on your HUD. Now you are truly in the open environment. You can use your map to go from mission to mission and find the fastest, or quietest way to each clue. You will be faced with the choice of running or fighting, and you'll be surprised at how many times fighting is easier than running. Keep at least one ranged weapon, two is better, but one will allow you to investigate new map areas without exposing yourself to danger. Jump Brutes and Brute Stalkers are the only Brutes with coverage of entire areas, so if you can kill at range, regular Brutes will never get a shot at you. (note: Causing a Brute to go Beserker will make him charge out of his area but quick, accurate, shooting will take them down before they can get to you). Each of the waypoints you are guided to will be trigger a mission when you find certain items:
 * Tayari Plaza- Dare's Helmet
 * Uplift Reserve- Optics for an F-99 drone
 * Kizingo Blvd.- Broken Gauss Turret
 * ONI Alpha Site- Explosive Charge
 * NMPD HQ- Romeo's Sniper Rifle
 * Kikowani Station- Biofoam container

F.N.G.
What's that you say, this is your first time playing Halo 3: ODST? What do I do? Where do I go? Well those are interesting questions. If you are playing the game for the first time, and you're playing on Legendary, outstanding. Well, you are going to need to accomplish each mission "in order" to make it easier on yourself. Once you've completed Tayari Plaza start by activating your map. locate your next waypoint, now figure out where you are and where you're going. Map your route so you stay close to buildings to avoid sniper fire, and avoid open spaces as much as possible. Your map is also very handy because it will reveal local detachments of enemies in the area. While you will not know if the enemies are above or below you, you can determine their general direction so you can either engage or avoid. If you choose to avoid, know that you will likely have to take circuitous routes that will be much longer than if you engage a couple of Covenant squads. Often the largest threat are the Phantoms that appear do deliver enemies and harass you with constant bombardment, stick to the sides where you have overhead cover. Follow the tactics listed in the previous section and even if this is your first play through of the game you should emerge victorious.

Where's the Beef? (Or, Running on Empty)
So you've followed all the waypoints and all you have is an empty Spiker and a Plasma Pistol? Have you been avoiding the sirens and ringing phones because you're afraid they're going to draw attention to you? Well now you need to go back to these spots to collect audio logs. Collecting these does more than unlock the backstory to Halo 3: ODST and get you achievements, it also unlocks Supply Caches around the map. Inside these supply caches you'll find grenades, ammo for your SMG and Pistol, Sniper Rifles, Rocket Launchers and even a few Mongooses. Supply Caches are equipped to resupply four players completely if they are all out of ammo. The more audio logs you open the more caches you'll have access to, and the better chance you'll have at surviving.

Is All That Firepower for Little Old Me?
So you've made it through NMPD HQ. Ask yourself a few questions. Do I have full health? Do I have a full SMG and Pistol? Do I have a Mongoose? Have I mapped out my route to Kikowani Station? If the answer to any of these questions is no, stop. Go back and find a cache, load up, and pull up your map to determine your route. Once your full up, hop on your Mongoose and burn rubber to Kikowani Station. Don't stop for anything. You're fast enough that you can outrun any enemies you may encounter. Once your there, hop off and go directly to the item to start the mission.

Once you've completed the mission, you'll be back outside the station. Your Mongoose will be a little ways to the left. Hop on and head back to the right. Avoid the Grunts then turn down the street. Don't go too fast just yet. There will be a Hunter in the square ahead of you, but turn left down the first street and start to gun it. Your going to speed past two Jump Brutes, then right to the top of the street and on the right will be the entrance to The Data Hive. The reason you're going so fast, is as you crest that hill, if you glance to your left you will see Fuel Rod Grunts, Sniper Jackals and enough Brutes to remind you of a King Kong casting call. Winning this fight can be costly, and is basically a waste of time so skip it and hop into the shaft.

Now you've really finished Mombasa Streets on Legendary.

Notes for play on Legendary

 * Sniper Jackals patrol the roofs everywhere. Scan using ranged weapons and pick them off first. Use your VISR to get an idea of their position and never reveal yourself to more than one at a time. They will punish you mercilessly for any mistake.
 * Jump Pack Brutes come up quick but by gauging their landing nearest to you, you can get behind and assassin melee them for the quick kill.
 * Brute Stalkers have a nice yellow outline, and due to the fact that they think you can't see them they almost never use cover, presenting you with a nice fat target to shoot. Beware of Incendiary Grenades, close in so they can't throw at you and finish them off.
 * Grunts are less likely to panic and run if their Brute escort/leader is killed. Five Grunts can be a bigger threat than a single Brute Captain.  Deal with each situation appropriately.
 * While sniping your enemies at range is nice, your primary use for Scoped weapons should be to explore upcoming areas so you can determine your attack plan. Always carry one ranged weapon. If you can use a Sniper Rifle with and without the scope accurately, it's a much better choice than the SMG.
 * As good a weapon as the MA5C Assault Weapon is, unless your desperate for a weapon stay away on this level, there isn't enough ammo around to make it worth while picking up.
 * Engineer shielding is annoying. If you want to earn the Engineer achievements go back on a lower difficulty and replay. On Legendary, shoot the Engineers. In the end it will use less ammo than trying to kill the Overshielded Brutes. Of course if you're clever, you can kill the control Brute first, which will blow the engineer and drop the Overshield for everyone else.
 * Once you get your Mongoose, never get rid of it. There are plenty of reasons, but mostly you can speed past everything and the Snipers can't get a bead on you quickly enough. After each mission, your Mongoose will be near you but probably not where you left it, turn on your VISR and locate the blue outline.
 * Keep your VISR mode on at all times, as it will help you see better and find supplies to use easier.

Notes for Lower Difficulties

 * Grunts will become easily disorganized and run away when their Brute leader dies. Kill the Brute first and mop up the Grunts after.
 * You can kill Engineers more easily with human weapons here.
 * Snipers are more likely to have Carbines and not aim at your head.
 * Hunters seem less likely to detect your presence.
 * You are more likely to be able to complete achievements on lower difficulties, because you have the time to waste, on Legendary, seconds spend trying to get an achievement equals death.