It’s debatable to say whether Microsoft’s Xbox would have taken off if it wasn’t for the success of the Halo franchise but one thing we can all agree on is that we’re all the better for the series’ existence. Each game brings with them its unique qualities and features while adding to previous iterations. Let’s see how each of them stacks up against each other.
#10 Halo 4
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Developer: 343 Industries
- Platform: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Release Date: November 6, 2012
With Halo 4 being 343 Industries’ first entry into the Halo franchise and being a direct sequel to the hugely successful Halo 3 there was a lot riding on Microsoft’s first post-Bungie entry into the franchise. Despite taking a different approach to storytelling in the game’s campaign, opting to have a more vocal protagonist and heavier themes, Halo 4 suffers from large underdevelopment and lacks the uniqueness and quality of previous entries in the series. Despite this, there is still plenty of enjoyment to be found in the game’s multiplayer and campaign.
#9 Halo: Combat Evolved
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Developer: Bungie
- Platform: PC, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Release Date: November 15, 2001
Halo: Combat Evolved is undoubtedly the most influential first-person console shooter of recent memory. Its innovative approach to storytelling, combat design and couch co-op campaign, and PVP have become the standard for almost every Sci-fi shooter since its release. While Halo: Combat Evolved has an intriguing and fun campaign numerous levels and repetitive world structures can at times feel like certain areas in levels are simple copy and pastes of assets by today’s standards. For its age though, Halo: Combat Evolved holds up far better than similar titles from the time and is still worth playing today.
#8 Halo Wars
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Developer: Ensemble Studios
- Platform: PC, Xbox 360
- Release Date: February 26, 2009
Being Xbox Games Studios first non-Bungie developed and non-first-person shooter title in the Halo series, Halo Wars takes the universe to the Real Time Strategy genre. Taking place before the original trilogy of games, Halo Wars not only expands on the lore of the universe but also provides some vastly entertaining gameplay fit for veterans of the RTS genre and newcomers.
#7 Halo 2
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Developer: Bungie
- Platform: PC, Xbox, Xbox One
- Release Date: November 9, 2004
Halo 2 is beloved by many in the Halo community and it’s easy to see why. The stories campaign got bigger and bolder with the inclusion of a playable Elite in certain campaign missions known as the Arbiter and greater weapon variety including the introduction of the series staple, the Battle Rifle. Halo 2‘s campaign offers a great look into the established universe of Halo: Combat Evolved offering us unique insight into the world and politics of the Covenant. The title’s multiplayer mode also benefited heavily from amazing map design and Xbox Live.
#6 Halo 3: ODST
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Developer: Bungie
- Platform: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Release Date: September 22, 2009
Halo 3: ODST was Bungie’s first attempt at creating a Halo experience that didn’t center around the mainline character of the Master Chief. While the game’s price point was a topic of debate at the time, Halo 3: ODST created one of the most intimate stories in the Halo universe and many of its characters are still referenced and thought of fondly to this day. It also introduced the firefight mode which saw further iteration in later titles.
#5 Halo 5
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Developer: 343 Industries
- Platform: Xbox One
- Release Date: October 27, 2015
After Halo 4′s mixed reception a lot of fo people turned their eyes toward Halo 5. While initially the game was released to poor reception after a less than accurate marketing campaign and many staple features missing on launch, Halo 5 now has some of the most intuitive and in-depth features the series has ever seen. While its campaign story is left lacking, the overall gameplay feels in the campaign, multiplayer, and firefight mode is amongst the best in the series with numerous armor abilities and movement mechanics to help get an edge on your opponent. Halo 5 also introduced the titles custom browser allows for endless gaming sessions and the most intricate and in-depth forge creator tool to date.
#4 Halo Wars 2
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Developer: The Creative Assembly, 343 Industries
- Platform: PC, Xbox One
- Release Date: February 21, 2017
Despite being developed by a different studio than the original Halo Wars, Halo Wars 2 both improves and involutes on the gameplay mechanics of its predecessor. Alongside this, the game’s story introduces one of the series’ newest and most beloved enemy factions in the Banished and expands upon the story of characters from the first installment.
#3 Halo Infinite
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Developer: 343 Industries
- Platform: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
- Release Date: November 15, 2021
Halo Infinite‘s campaign and multiplayer is the perfect combination of both 343 Industries run with the Halo series and the classic Halo experience developed by Bungie. With this being the first open-world campaign in the Halo series, Halo Infinite adopts a number of new mechanics and downgrades on some of the armor abilities from Halo 5 to create an enjoyable and nostalgic journey for any Halo fan. Alongside this, the game’s multiplayer bolsters fast-paced gunplay and movement which can become addictive very quickly.
#2 Halo Reach
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Developer: Bungie
- Platform: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Release Date: September 14, 2010
Chronologically being the first title in the FPS Halo universe, Halo Reach has you join the ranks of Noble team, a group of Spartan IIIs placed on the planet of Reach in its final days before destruction. Being Bungie’s final installment in the Halo franchise, Halo Reach takes everything that made previous titles good and adds to them tenfold. Armor abilities are added to each spartan allowing for diversity in combat such as jet packs, armor lock, and sprint while Halo Reach‘s forge mode is the most in-depth system the series had seen to date.
#1 Halo 3
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Developer: Bungie
- Platform: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Release Date: September 25, 2007
Marking Bungie’s end to the Master Chief trilogy, Halo 3 has the most bombastic campaign of all the Halo titles. Each mission can see you using different weapons, abilities, and vehicles while traveling to varying biomes and locations all while stopping the Flood and Covenant. Halo 3 is best known for its multiplayer, however, which still after over 10 years still holds up tremendously well with intricate map design and fun gunplay. Halo 3 also saw the first introduction of forge mode.
