The best Halo game is undoubtedly Halo: Reach. Released in 2010, Reach was the last game in the franchise to be developed by Bungie – the studio later moving on to create Destiny, leaving Halo in the hands of 343i. Remembered for its atmospheric setting, excellent storytelling, and peerless gunplay, Halo: Reach is still a showcase of what this series is capable of delivering.
The best Halo games speak to how many strong entries we've seen in the iconic series over the years from 343 Industries and Bungie. As some of the very best FPS games of the day, we've seen different experiences land across Xbox's console generations, with certain Halo games earning spots among the best Xbox 360 games and best Xbox One games of all-time for good reason.
While we wait it out for what's to come next for the series, now's a great time to reflect on all it's brought us so far. So, whether you're a newcomer who wants to put on Master Chief's armor for the first time, or you're a longtime fan who wants to check out our ranking, read on below to discover our pick of the best Halo games.
10. Halo Wars 2
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One
Release year: 2017
Ask yourself an honest question. Do you really need another Halo real-time strategy game in your life? Probably not, right? Well, you’re getting one anyway, champ! In defense of Halo Wars 2, it continues to get one thing absolutely right: it's an RTS that works really well on a pad. The original is one of the few games in the genre that feels comfortable played on a controller, and this sequel subtly evolves the control scheme, giving you a streamlined strategy title that never feels like it needs a mouse and keyboard – though the PC version does support them.
New control groups make waging battles a more nuanced affair, and splitting your army into separate groups leads to multitasking alien murder on an epic scale. The story the Creative Assembly manages to spin is surprisingly decent, too, and Blur Studio's gorgeously rendered cinematics ooze big-budget sleekness. The army-building antics of the new Blitz mode are also worthy of praise – recruiting enormous UNSC armies by building decks of cards is a really cute spin on the RTS formula. Halo Wars 2 may continue to try and fill a gap in the market that probably doesn't need plugging, but it still serves up a decent slice of strategy. Read our Halo Wars 2 review for more details.
9. Halo Wars
Platform(s): PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Release year: 2009
It's hard to believe Halo Wars is even part of Microsoft's flagship series. For one, it's about the rank-and-file of the UNSC, with nary a Master Chief in sight. Perhaps more importantly, it's not remotely close to being a first-person shooter. Developed by the studio that created PC strategy classics like Age of Empires, Ensemble Studios took Halo's myriad aliens, weapons, and vehicles and put them in a console-exclusive real-time strategy game - the video game equivalent of mixing oil and water. But not only does Halo Wars work - it's one of the series' unsung classics.
Halo Wars lets you build your own base, upgrade buildings, and amass a legion of soldiers, Warthogs, and Pelicans in order to crush the Covenant armada. But rather than getting bogged down in menus and statistics, Halo Wars streamlines the whole process for the Xbox 360, keeping the action running at a brisk pace that's distinctly Halo. It may not feature as many options as its more complex PC contemporaries, but if you want a break from staring down the barrel of an MA5 Assault Rifle, Halo Wars provides a unique perspective on an iconic franchise. Check out our Halo Wars review for more insights into this classic.
8. Halo 5: Guardians
Platform(s): Xbox One
Release year: 2015
Here it is: the first (and hopefully only) Halo campaign that's simply no fun to play on your lonesome. Make no mistake, Halo 5 was designed to be played with three online chums by your side. Fight against one of the campaign's dratted Wardens – an infuriating breed of mini-boss who can only be hurt from behind as your allies distract them from the front – and you'll know exactly what kind of tiresome grind Halo 5 is when 'enjoyed' on your own.
Despite Microsoft throwing an insane budget at Xbox One’s first proper Halo, every part of Guardians feels confused. Master Chief has to share the spotlight with new spartan protagonist Locke, Cortana is kinda the baddie but not really, while the game's controls crib on Call of Duty (Halo finally gets iron sights) and Titanfall (note the boost dash) without ever fully convincing. Even Warzone, a commendable, sprawling new online mode, feels outdated and placed next to the ever-evolving FPS treats of Destiny. Halo 5 isn't necessarily a bad video game, but it's unquestionably a deeply compromised one. Want to know more? Read our Halo 5 review.
7. Halo 4
Platform(s): Xbox One
Release year: 2012
Watching a studio take over a storied series from its creators is always difficult, but 343 Industries had it harder than almost everyone else. Bungie had essentially become The Beatles of game development by the time it bade farewell to its landmark sci-fi shooter. Halo 4 could've been the best game ever made, and it still would've been saddled with unreasonable expectations. Of course, this somewhat soft series reboot isn't the greatest game of all time; it's merely a very good shooter. But hey, that's still a might fine accomplishment.
Halo 4's campaign really shines, with smart level design that never falls prey to Bungie's bad habit of making huge spaces that are easy to get lost in. There's nothing like Halo: CE's Library or Halo 3's Floodgate here – no Flood at all, in fact – making it the first numbered Halo to totally excise the series' most annoying enemy. Multiplayer may try a little too hard to court the COD crowd – a sprint button in Halo still feels like heresy – yet there's no denying this is one of the most gorgeous games ever to hit Xbox 360. For more, check out our Halo 4 review.
6. Halo 2
Platform(s): PC, Xbox
Release year: 2004
The game that put Xbox Live on the map. You may look back and groan at all those lackluster Arbiter missions in the campaign, yet there's no denying Halo 2 has one of the most important online modes of all time. Though it needed a day-one patch to really sing (yes, even back then), Halo 2's multiplayer stands as a landmark in the history of Xbox Live, bringing Bungie's unique combat into a sprawling suite of matchmaking features, customization, skill ranking, and just about every feature you've come to expect from online games today.
Halo 2's online encounters had a seismic impact on the Xbox landscape, and the hugely influential mode nearly covers up a wobbling campaign filled with linear environments, grating shootouts, and cheap 'gotcha!' moments. The plot is smart to frame the first game's events as a spark that ignites civil war within the Covenant, but the spectacle is constantly looking for a better game to go along with it. At least Marty O'Donnell's music is phenomenal. Check out our Halo 2 review for more details!
5. Halo 3: ODST
Platform(s): Xbox 360
Release year: 2009
ODST doesn't even let you play as a Spartan, yet it solidifies a decent spot on this list as a jazzy, essential part of the Halo legacy. You get a different perspective on the battle against the Covenant. You aren't an invincible, genetically altered super soldier – you're just a guy who probably went down to the local recruiting office and signed up for the USNC. As such, you can't jump as high, survive as much punishment, or dual-wield weapons like the Chief. Who cares, though? Those shortcomings just makes your ODST stand out from the superhuman crowd.
Halo 3: ODST pulls together an engaging story that mixes the series' open-ended shooting with a detective-style story. Your character, the Rookie, becomes separated from his squad, and is subsequently knocked unconscious. When he awakes, he's forced to piece together the events caused by the shockwave from the Covenant ship's destructive departure over the city of New Mombasa. The campaign neatly ties into Halo 3's story, making it essential if you want to keep up with the overarching narrative. ODST is anything but the same old Halo game, and with a set of story missions you can tackle in any order you like, spread across an evocative sandbox-like city, this is perhaps the bravest entry in the franchise. Read our Halo 3: ODST review for more information on this must-play shooter.
4. Halo Infinite
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X
Release year: 2021
Released as part of the 20th anniversary of the Halo series, Halo Infinite is a stunning return to form for Master Chief. 343 Industries was able to take the promise of Halo: Combat Evolved – the dream of fighting for inches of space across a sprawling hostile alien world – and bring it to life. Faced with the difficult task of closing the chapter on Cortana's story arc and making the Chief feel relevant again on a new generation of consoles, Halo Infinite is undoubtedly the best this series has been since Bungie handed over the reigns to the franchise to 343.
Of course, there's so much more to Halo Infinite than a fun campaign offering. 343 reimagined Halo's multiplayer to be tighter and more focused. At its heart, Halo Infinite is a four versus four arena shooter that makes it feel as if your team is only ever one kill away from victory. At the same time, the broader Big Team Battle skirmishes highlight how excellent Halo's core strafe, shoot, and melee setup really is. Released as a free-to-play experience, the Halo Infinite multiplayer is experiencing some growing pains with respect to content and progression, but the fun to be found here is undeniable.
Check out our Halo Infinite review to learn more about the best-value title on our list.
3. Halo: Combat Evolved
Platform(s): Xbox
Release year: 2001
One of the best shooters of all time. End of. Halo instantly made Xbox a credible gaming platform right out of the gate, and it remains one of the best launch titles ever. No, it's not perfect – lord that the Flood-infested Library level ever suck – yet Combat Evolved still provided the granite-strong raw material that all future Halo outings were carved from. That first mission, where you drop into open combat with the Covenant, is often mimicked, rarely bettered (yes, 14 years later), and still brings out /all/ of the goosebumps. The story, while a little bloated, remains exciting, and the gameplay retains the lightweight, agile purity that's stayed constant over the years.
In fact, said agility, combined with super smooth shooting, forms the basis for Bungie's latest space-opera, Destiny 2, which owes a massive debt to Halo: CE. The Anniversary edition of CE prettied up the visuals, leaving most other elements untouched for better or for worse. Good: the enemy AI remains as fun to fight as it was back in 2001. Bad: the Library still exists, and the weapons – while retaining a beautiful, lethal simplicity – feel limited by modern Halo standards. Regardless of flaws, Halo: CE remains a glorious, streamlined prototype that changed the FPS forever, and is still well worth revisiting, even to this day.
2. Halo 3
Platform(s): Xbox 360
Release year: 2007
The best multiplayer game there's ever been, and quite possibly ever will be. There, we said it. Forget Mario Kart, Goldeneye or Timesplitters 2. Halo 3's multiplayer is incredible. INCREDIBLE. If you've ever gathered with your buddies for a disgustingly life-affirmingly addictive two-vs-two team 49-50 deathmatch on Guardian, you know what we're talking about. And if none of that sentence makes a lick of sense to you, rush out, pick up Halo: The Master Chief Collection, get together with three friends and immediately indulge in the most moreish deathmatches (played across the best multiplayer maps) ever conceived.
The campaign ain't half bad, either. The action is classic Halo in its prime, pulsing with superb gunplay, destructive vehicle segments, and co-op moments that still burn bright in the memory – remember /that/ Scarab fight? Couple this decidedly decent campaign with a multiplayer mode you may have gathered we're quite fond of, and you're left with a truly sublime Halo. For more information, check out our five-star Halo 3 review.
1. Halo: Reach
Platform(s): Xbox 360
Release year: 2010
Halo: Reach represents the pinnacle of Bungie's tinkering with the Halo formula. The graphics still hold up thanks to strong art direction, the sense of movement is intoxicating, each weapon packs a mighty wallop, and the supremely paced campaign is easily the best story mode to come out of the series. Reach boldly experiments with established mechanics and engages its players in a way no Halo before or since had the guts to. And don't even get us started on the inevitable, selfless conclusion.
Customizing your Spartan becomes a thorough and personal experience, allowing you to get into the nitty-gritty of building a look and loadout that perfectly suits your playstyle. Invasion mode offers asymmetrical multiplayer that makes matches exciting and unpredictable. You can spend endless hours in Firefight with its full matchmaking support and variety of maps. Daily and weekly challenges force gamers to switch up their playstyles and try something new. Commendations reward the most dedicated players and feel like gaining a medal of honor. Theater and File Share let you easily record and share your most unbelievable, awe-inspiring, or just plain goofy moments. Halo: Reach was Bungie's farewell to the series, and it's a hell of a note to end on.
There's more where these come from for fans of Halo Infinite. Check out the best co-op games to buddy up and get your looter-shooter fantasy on, from Rainbow Six Siege to GTA Online.
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