Top 10 Best Halo Games
The Halo series has been a giant in the world of first-person shooters for over two decades now, offering a mix of gripping storylines, iconic characters, and multiplayer mayhem that helped define the genre. But with so many entries in the series, the question remains: which Halo games truly stand out as the best of the best?Everyone has their favorite Halo experience. For some, it's the nostalgic pull of the early games that introduced us to the universe's sprawling battles and intricate lore. For others, it's the newer releases that brought innovative gameplay mechanics, stunning visuals, or fresh takes on multiplayer modes.
Released in 2007, Halo 3 is a first-person shooter that concludes the original trilogy of the Halo series. The game focuses on the Master Chief's efforts to stop the Covenant and the Flood, while also completing the story of the Human-Covenant war. The greatest Halo game of all time. The campaign is fantastic. The first level, Sierra 117, really sets up that you're the best in the entire galaxy. No enemy compares to your marksmanship, power, and above all, tactics.
The second level, Crow's Nest, shows you that you're the only reason humanity has a chance. Each and every marine cannot set off the bomb, but you, with your incredible speed and agility, get the job done.
The next two levels, Tsavo Highway and The Storm, prove that not only are you a master in on-foot battles but also in vehicular combat. Floodgate shows you the ultimate threat has just arrived. The Ark and The Covenant are both about you annihilating the enemy.
The final two levels, Cortana and Halo, consist of you decimating the Flood threat once and for all. You head into cryosleep with these last words to linger forever, "Wake me when you need me." That isn't even the end of it.
The multiplayer slaughters every other FPS then and now. There are nine main game types: Slayer, Oddball, King of the Hill, Capture the Flag, Assault, Territories, Juggernaut, Infection, and VIP, with each of those having at least three subtypes. The guns and vehicles are all balanced, besides maybe the Battle Rifle, but even then there are plenty of counters to that.
Custom Games allow you to create your own game types and play them on your own maps created using Forge. A package more than worth the sixty dollars, Halo 3 is, and always will be, amazing.
Halo: Reach, released in 2010, is a prequel to the original Halo: Combat Evolved. The game follows Noble Team, a group of Spartans, as they defend the planet Reach from a Covenant invasion. Yes, Halo: Reach is the best Halo game ever, out-ranking 343's Halo 4. I mean, they threw out the best parts of Halo! My friends, brothers, and I loved campaign scoring, but it's just not there anymore.
It's definitely the best-looking Halo game for sure. You can customize your own Spartan, there are new armor abilities, and the pistol scope, which was absent in Halo 3, is back. Firefight is better than ever, with new weapons and machines to drive. Plus, the multiplayer is amazing with custom layouts, voting on maps, and awesome new game modes. One I'm really happy about is Infection, which was previously absent - well, kind of. It was in the custom games option in Halo 3, but it just wasn't the same as in Reach.
Not to mention the groundbreaking and amazing campaign, which is definitely the best and easiest to follow. How Halo 3 is ranked higher, I will never know! Plus, Forge is so much more awesome too. I'm glad to see Halo 4 put in its place and that after 5 years, tons of people still play Halo: Reach. It proves that it still stands and is worthy of the title Best Halo Game Ever.
Even when Halo 5 comes out, Halo: Reach will always be loved. The new assassinations in the game are hands-down the best. It's the best Halo game of all time. 343 will never top this, and they probably shouldn't have picked up the series in the first place, leaving us with this legendary game instead of some crappy new trilogy.
Released in 2004, Halo 2 introduced dual-wielding weapons and expanded multiplayer options. It continues the story of Master Chief and the UNSC as they battle the Covenant and other enemies across multiple planets. As someone who didn't start with the first Halo, I have to say that going back to play it makes it feel fairly empty. Don't get me wrong, it is still very fun, but it feels very clunky and dated.
Halo 2 changed the game mechanics drastically, and they were so good that, to this day, Halo 4 still feels similar to 2. Everything from beam rifles to Brutes to Scarabs that has shown up throughout the Halo series first appeared in Halo 2.
Halo 2 also expanded the story greatly, showing us the inner workings of the Covenant and creating the story of the Arbiter.
It's hard to choose one game from this fantastic series, but I'd say Halo 2 is mine.
Halo: Combat Evolved, released in 2001, is the first game in the Halo series, introducing players to the character of Master Chief and the fight against the Covenant on the mysterious Halo ringworld. It set the foundation for the franchise's iconic gameplay and lore. This is lower than Halo 4?! Seriously?! This is the game that started it all! This had more action than any other game! Yeah, it had stuff that we didn't like, but it was still awesome! I remember the first time playing 343 Guilty Spark when I encountered the Flood. But nowadays, when I play it, I still get a chill up my spine hearing that eerie background music and the noise of the infection forms crawling around.
Then, at those intense moments when there is a Zealot in the room, invisible with a sword, THAT moment taught me: "If you see ANYTHING moving that isn't human, shoot it."
But honestly, I thought this was the most major jump in the FPS series and was the best game I have ever played!
Released in 2012, Halo 4 marks the beginning of the Reclaimer Saga, introducing the Forerunner Prometheans as a new enemy. The game continues the story of Master Chief after the events of Halo 3. Why is Halo 3 at the top? Not that it's a bad game, but Halo 4 is twice as good. The multiplayer has declined, but who cares? If it's bad, then ignore it and enjoy the best FPS campaign ever. Finish it, then replay it on a higher difficulty. I wouldn't want to skip any levels except the corridor-ish Midnight and Shutdown.
The story was epic, featuring the second-best villain ever (falling just behind KAOS from Skylanders), the Didact. I had moments in every level where I was stunned by the gorgeous graphics. The Prometheans were fun. The new Storm Rifle looked much better than Halo 3's Plasma Rifle.
Finally, the pistol has a scope and a much better name: the Magnum. Sprinting was introduced - that's what every FPS needs (duh, Halo 3). Even Dawn was amazing. The Elites were much better than the easy Brutes. The best is Reclaimer with the best vehicle, the Mammoth.
Improvements? Aiming down sights like Call of Duty needs to be in every FPS.
Released in 2009, Halo 3: ODST shifts the focus from Master Chief to a group of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers during the events of Halo 2. It introduces a more tactical gameplay style, emphasizing exploration in an open-world setting. ODST is truly a masterpiece and shows that good games don't really require massive online multiplayer. The gameplay actually requires you to think like an ODST in Legendary difficulty, whether it's planning stealthy routes to the next clue behind the mystery of your squad or strategizing before running headfirst into battle - something no other Halo game has truly accomplished.
The soundtrack is fantastic and is undoubtedly the best in the series. Check out Skyline and The Rookie.
The storyline is also much different and truly gripping, making us feel like real humans, not genetically modified cyborgs (Chief is still epic, but ODST just has a better feel). The no-win scenario situation is also a good idea. The characters are quite interesting and relatable, and the Rookie is a badass.
Firefight was also pretty great.
Halo 5: Guardians, released in 2015, focuses on the search for Master Chief while introducing a second playable protagonist, Spartan Locke. The game places a heavy emphasis on team-based mechanics and online multiplayer modes. At first, when I got it, I was super excited to play it. It took my Xbox One over 4 hours to download it. All of my favorite Halo games were the ones where Master Chief had to stop the rings from firing or something that involved the rings. Halo 4 and Halo 5 disappointed me in that 343 moved away from the massive empire of the Halo games Bungie created, involving the Halo rings.
I was also disappointed because when I saw the trailers for it, I was expecting some Spartan on Spartan combat. I thought Locke would kill the Chief, or the Chief would kill Locke, but the campaign focused on nothing of that sort, which I found very disappointing. 343 made an all-around good game because of the matchmaking and multiplayer, but the campaign is what made this game one of the worst.
Halo Wars, released in 2009, is a real-time strategy game set in the Halo universe, focusing on the events that take place 20 years before Halo: Combat Evolved. The game centers around the conflict between the UNSC and the Covenant forces. Strategy games are what I play. Shooter strategy equals an epic masterpiece. Completely clever and high-end strategy game. And it's not as violent, so Mommy plays too!
Completely underrated. I could spend hours playing private games with my friend.
My first Halo game! How I loved the Skirmish and Campaign!
Released in 2021, Halo Infinite introduces an open-world environment while continuing the story of Master Chief after the events of Halo 5: Guardians. The game aims to return to the series' roots in terms of gameplay and exploration. Halo Infinite should be above Halo for sure. MP and gameplay are a lot better.
Halo Wars 2, released in 2017, is a real-time strategy game that serves as a direct sequel to Halo Wars. It introduces the Banished faction and follows the crew of the UNSC Spirit of Fire as they face new threats on the Ark. This game is the best combination of the Halo Master Chief universe and the original Halo Wars. It features a Brute who is smarter and stronger than three of the best Spartans we have seen to date. The game returns to everyone's favorite place in Halo lore, the Ark, which, if you remember, has been assaulted many times by the Covenant. This one ship is doing what a fleet could not, claiming the creator of the Halo rings.
This one game has been awaited by fans for seven years, and only if 343 Industries had made it sooner, they could have saved the Halo franchise from falling into a pit created when Master Chief started chasing Cortana.
Halo Wars 2 is the pinnacle of creation. Its only rival has to be Halo 3 itself. We all love what Bungie did with Halo, but I look forward to playing this game. I also look forward to 343 Industries' next release afterward!
The Newcomers
Gives iOS players a chance to get in the action of Halo. A unique Halo title.
I think it is an amazing mobile game and improved on its predecessor.
Released in 2013, Halo: Spartan Assault is a twin-stick shooter set between Halo 3 and Halo 4. The game follows Spartans Palmer and Davis as they fight Covenant forces in various missions.