Summary
Halois one of the most influential game franchises of all time. Ever sinceCombat Evolvedin 2001, the series has changed first-person shooters and online multiplayer forever. While fans don’t get their hands on a newHalotitle every year, there has been a significant number of entries in the series by this point. They’ve not all been classics, though. Some of them will rightly be remembered by gamers for eternity, whereas others are just mediocre titles that even die-hard fans will forget.
Some people can rightfully argue thatHalohas lost its former luster, but that shouldn’t take away from its amazing gameplay and engaging storylines in the slightest. Even if Bungie may have moved on to bigger and better projects,Halostill has a ton of promise. The Master Chief is one of the most iconic video game protagonists of all time, and it’ll take more than a few mediocre games to ruin his legendary name.
Updated on August 07, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:The Halo trilogy was probably one of the biggest defining factors in modern veteran players’ preferences. Whether it was Combat Evolved, Halo 2 or Halo 3, there was always some fun to be had, fast-paced action and formidable challenges that felt great to take on. While the titles following the original trilogy have not managed to deliver the same outstanding experience of its predecessors, many of them, like ODST and Reach, are still amazing and offer players hours of fun combined with likable characters and tragic endings. At the time of writing this article, the Halo franchise has been around for more than 23 years, and luckily, it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon.
16Halo Recruit
A Barebones VR Experience That Doesn’t Bring Anything Interesting To The Table
The realm of VR gaming is a blast for players who want to make the most of this immersive medium. Aside from entirely original games, VR gaming is something that established franchises have also tried to mess around with. Unfortunately, the results have been mixed in the vast majority of instances, andHalois no exception here.
Halo Recruitcould’ve been a fun and simple VR game that let players step into the shoes of a Marine in a short and exhilarating experience. Instead, it’s a glorified shooting gallery that doesn’t do justice to theHalofranchise at all, and feels like a huge missed opportunity. The fact that players felt cheated by this game despite it being a free title is a huge indication of how mediocre and forgettableRecruitis, serving as a major blemish for the franchise.
15Halo: Fireteam Raven
An On-Rails Arcade Shooter That’s Fun With Friends
There was a time when arcade gaming was the most accessible way to check out video games, especially ones that could be tackled with a friend. With the rise of home consoles, players don’t have a huge reason to go to arcades anymore, but that doesn’t mean that developers aren’t making fun games that players can enjoy in modern arcades from time to time.
Halo: Fireteam Ravenis one such experience, where players can band together to take out a wealth of iconic foes from theHaloseries. It’s a pretty simple game and doesn’t feature a lot of depth, but most players won’t mind given the nature of this title.Fireteam Ravenmay not set the arcade gaming scene on fire, but it is a great title to spend 15 minutes in if players spot this machine at an arcade and have some time (and coins) to spare. The game is set around the events ofHalo: Combat Evolved, so while the gameplay might not blow players' minds, it can be a great opportunity to revisit thatHalogolden era that started it all.
Playing with or against friends has always been a big part ofHalo, soSpartan Strike’slack of multiplayer hurt its appeal significantly. Although, at least the game was an improvement onSpartan Assault.The twin-stick shooter provided slightly tighter gameplay as well as more vehicles and weapons than its predecessor. Nevertheless, it was still aless captivating adventure than whatHalofans expected.
Favored more than its predecessor, fans felt that as far as top-down shooters go this is a good one. But on the other hand, that still didn’t make it a great game. Set in two parts one during the events ofHalo 2and one after the events ofHalo 4, the main selling point of this game was the fact that it did not have any microtransactions. In the fans' eyes, that was a massive improvement from the first.
As a twin-stick shooter,Spartan Assaultwas very different from theHalogames that preceded it. Instead of being first-person, players had toslay the Covenant from a top-down perspective. Yet, the signature look and sound of the series remained the same. Sadly, as it was originally made for mobile devices, it lacked both the scale and level of storytelling of the main games. It was still fun, though.
Set in a period betweenHalo 3&Halo 4the story helped bridge the gap between the two stories, but fans would have much preferred the story to be told in a much more traditionalHaloway. Fans had big complaints about the number of microtransactions, poor graphics, and a subpar story. Despite its lower price tag, fans complain that this is still too high for what is essentially a mobile game. The transition to Xbox did not do this game any favors.
While a little shallow compared to other RTSs on the market,Halo Wars 2was a fine game. It included well-explained and simple mechanics that made it perfect for novices of the genre. Plus, those enamored with theHalouniverse were treated to a decent narrative, told through some beautiful cinematics. If only the campaign had been a bit longer. Thankfully, it had a flurry of strong multiplayer modes to keep players entertained.
UnlikeSpartan Strike,the sequel to this game was not an improvement on its original.Halo Wars 2took what was good aboutHalo Warsand overcomplicated it. Users felt that one of the big problems with the game was its poor connection issues. Gamers would regularly disconnect from online games for no real reason, which was frustrating.Perhaps these issues will be fixed in a potential sequel.However, given the mixed reviews thatHalo Wars 2got compared to its predecessor, it seems unlikely that its developer will be willing to take a risk in the future.
Like its successor, it was simple compared to other games in the genre. But by releasing as an Xbox 360 exclusive – it wasn’t ported to PC until years later – the game avoided comparison with the more sophisticated RTSs found on Steam. It received a ton of praise for being more functional than most real-time strategy games on consoles.
Halo’s first foray into a different genre, was a breath of fresh air for fans, and critics and fans alike enjoyed this game. What was great about this game is that it didn’t feel like a spin-off, they managed to completely switch up the genre and still make a great game that fits in with the lore of the universe.Halo Warswas a fun game, and it was great to use different vehicles that weren’t in the original series. ReleasingHalo Warswas a massive risk that developer Bungie took, as deciding to stray from the classic FPS formula that made theHalofranchise famous could have backfired significantly, affecting sales and causing millions in losses. Luckily, this wasn’t the case, andHalo Warsremains a timeless classic that many players still remember fondly, and maybe even play regularly.
Undoubtedly, the originalCombat Evolvedwas a classic. Itstenth-anniversary remasterwasn’t bad either. The developers upgraded the original’s look and sound to Xbox 360 standards and included an option for players to switch back to the 2001 presentation at will. Virtually everything else about the game was identical to the first installment.
This meant that levels had a lot of repetitive-looking environments, which was acceptable in 2001 but not so much in 2011. Every level is the same as in the classic title, but it does offer newer fans a chance to play the original game, something every gamer should experience. Despite its age, the firstHalogame is still a veritable classic that fans still love revisiting to this day, which goes a long way in showing why this title kickstarted one of the most iconic gaming franchises of all time.
ODSTwas theHaloseries at its storytelling best. Instead of a big action thriller, the narrative took the form of a mystery where a rookie soldier tried to locate their missing teammates. Investigating the dark New Mombasa alone was a very atmospheric experience, and it was complemented by more traditional action-focused missions.ODST’s gameplay wasn’t too different from the originalHalo 3, but it didn’t need to be as it was still very fun. And enjoyable combat was needed for the action-packed Firefight mode thatODSTintroduced.
Fans enjoyed the story and the newly added firefights but were disappointed with the game’s lack of multiplayer. The game came withHalo 3’smultiplayer but with new maps added. Looking back, this isn’t a problem now, but at the time, it left a sour taste in the mouth.Fans are calling out for a sequel, it’s time the franchise gave the fans someone else other than a Spartan to play, as the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers are the perfect answer. Another beloved aspect of the game was its music, which, while not as epic asHalo’s main theme, provided a relaxing atmosphere with the saxophone complementing the rainy city during exploration.
Halo 5’scampaign received plenty of criticism upon release. Things like the lack of a split-screen andthe campaign’s short lengthwere disappointing. Yet, the narrative was the most controversial element, as it took some questionable twists and turns, especially regarding the popular character Cortana. Playing much of the game as Spartan Locke instead of Master Chief didn’t help matters. Still, the game wasn’t all bad; it had stunning visuals, deep multiplayer, and exciting gunplay.
This game has a massive variation in what the critics and fans think of the fifth mainlineHalostory. Again, a big complaint was the microtransactions. Fans had to pay money to make their Spartan look the way they wanted. Comparing this toHalo Reachwhich made players work for their armor and look through in-game challenges, this seemed like a big step backward for 343. A game that was reminiscent of aCall of Dutygame,Halo 5got a lot wrong in that regard. Perhaps, if people were to playHalo 5: Guardiansnow, while already knowing what’s in store for them, the experience might be a lot more enjoyable, as it’s probably safe to say that players originally expected tons of action with the Master Chief, and the unexpected change of pace didn’t deliver.
Initially,The Master Chief Collectionseemed like the ultimate package as it includedHalo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, a newly remasteredHalo 2: Anniversary,Halo 3, andHalo 4– plus late add-ons forHalo 3: ODSTandHalo Reach. Sadly, technical issues stopped theMCCfrom being as good as it should’ve been. Multiplayer, in particular, was plagued with problems. Still, when the game (or games) worked, it was amazing to have all those classics on one system. So much so that fans didn’t completely dismiss it, despite its issues. The main complaints of fans are the glitches and bugs experienced, but for the large part, this game runs amazingly.
In a bundle that includes four of the best games on the console, bringing them to new life on the latest consoles is something that is pretty much unheard of.MCCrewards fans for playing the gameacross each of the entries and also has separate playlists, if fans just want to play the driving missions then they can do so. A fantastic feature of a great game, the user score is very low, on the other hand, remastered games are not going to get the highest scores, are they?
Another considerable issue with theMCCon PC was its lack of local split-screen multiplayer. Veterans of the franchise wanted to revisit the olden days of couch parties playing with friends, but unfortunately, this was not available. While it’s possible to run the game in local split-screen mode by using external software, a powerful PC is required, and the whole process is not without issues.
