Judging from the number of people still playing Halo 3 on XBL at any given time, it's probably fair to say that there is a goodly amount of excitement for the upcoming Halo 3: ODST. Fans of the franchise are getting pumped for September 22, and being able to get back into the fight against the Covenant. Today Microsoft has announced that there will be a special playable character given to those who pre-order the game, and fanboys will be even more excited to hear that the character will be Sgt. Avery Junior Johnson.

Sgt. Johnson will be playable in the new "Firefight" multiplayer match type, a mode in which gamers will assume the role of an ODST squad and fight together to take on increasingly challenging waves of enemies. As the press release states, it will be "an opportunity to step into the boots of a legend".

Sure, we all know that Sgt. Johnson sheds loose this mortal coil in Halo 3, so this is a good opportunity for fans to step into his shoes before they're six feet under.