T5W#330-Top 5 Halo Games

Every once in a while, I like to talk about Video Games on my Anime Blog and one of my all time favorite video game franchise is Halo.  We’ve come a long way from the days of Spartan John 117, aka The Master Chief, facing off with The Covenant and The Flood on the surface of an intergalactic superweapon.  Now he’s shooting at Covenant splinter groups, ancient Foreunners, rogue AIs…and probably the Flood again soon enough, who knows really.  The fight returns today actually cause Halo: Infinite finally arrives after a six year long wait after Halo 5: Guardians in 2015 (it was supposed to come out last year as a launch title for the Xbox Series X…buuuuuut after a pretty dismal demo, more time was needed).  It’s kind of fitting the game arrives this year anyway since it’s 2021, 20 years after the debut of Halo: Combat Evolved on the original Xbox.  Today, in honor of the franchises 20^th Anniversary and the launch of Halo: Infinite, I’m counting down my Top 5 Halo Games (should probably also tie this into Anime somehow…maybe I’ll do a Top 5 Halo Legends Shorts list next week, we’ll see).

#5-Halo 3

After the massive cliffhanger of Halo 2, it would be three years and a brand new Xbox later before we could finally “Finish the Fight”.  As the final chapter of the original Halo Trilogy, Halo 3 pulls out all the stops in terms of scope and spectacle.  Action runs faster than ever before and you feel more like a super powered bad ass as the Master Chief like ever before.  Halo 3 also redeems the failed promise of Halo 2 by setting the first half of the game on Earth before transitioning to a more familiar Halo-esque setting that isn’t quite Halo but is still impressive nonetheless.  The game even took Halo 2’s legendary multiplayer to the next level with bigger maps and faster gameplay that fans still keep coming back for more in.  This wasn’t technically “The End” of the Master Chief’s journey but it was a solid closing point for the debut era of Halo.
 

#4-Halo: Combat Evolved

The very beginning and man what an impression to make.  Halo CE was unlike any other FPS on the market when it first dropped.  In an age dominated by squad shooters like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six or Counter Strike, Halo sent you into a nigh operatic experience with an intense single player campaign that only got more and more epic the more you played.  This is where we met John 117, his sexy AI companion Cortana and everyones favorite Aliens inspired Sergent AJ Johnson.  From escaping the Pillar of Autumn to your first rides across the Halo ring to the still terrifying first encounter with The Flood, Halo: Combat Evolved was a massive achievement in gameplay and storytelling for FPS Video Games.  It’s still a game you can pop in and play and still feel hella fulfilled when the credits roll.

 
#3-Halo 2

This game holds a special place in my heart.  This wasn’t just where I started my journey with Halo, it’s also the game that helped me adjust to a new home in college and form friendships that would get me through four years of work and study and personal growth.  The game itself, yeah it gets a lot of flack for being infamously unfinished but I think Halo 2 is a pretty damn good sequel.  It improves on most of the first games elements from the gun play to graphics to splitting the story.  Contrary to popular belief, the Arbiter/Covenant side of Halo 2’s story is a fascinating look into the enemy side of the conflict and you still get to play as the Master Chief quite a bit.  This is a game I can still pop in and relax to after a hard days work…just like back in college.

 
#2-Halo 3: ODST

Most tend to remember ODST for the launch debacle that saw whats more or less an expansion sold as a full price game.  Looking past that, this is one of the most unique Halo experiences you’ll ever have.  You’re not playing as the Chief, instead taking on the roles of an entire squad of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, left behind on Earth during the events of Halo 2.  The titular ODST’s are a solid crew with a solid voice cast giving plenty of personality and reasons to care.  The neon lit streets of New Mombassa give off heavy Blade Runner vibes and my God that soundtrack: Jazz and Halo are a match made in heaven.  It’s a short ride but it showed that Halo can work without its central protagonist and still maintain the same level of quality the other games have.
 

#1-Halo: Reach

When Halo: Reach was announced by Bungie, they also confirmed it would be their last Halo game before moving onto other projects.  This meant that Reach had to be everything and more to send their time with the franchise out with a bang.  And it’s still a helluva bang.  The story of the doomed Battle of Reach and Noble Team is dramatic, impactful and unforgettable.  The set pieces are incredible, the score bombastic and different from any Halo game before it.  Everything about Reach works from the characters to the gameplay to the multiplayer.  There’s also an amazing final level that has to be experienced at least once. Halo: Reach is the epitome of the Halo franchise.  Sure Halo 4 and Halo 5 look pretty and have faster gameplay but theyre a mixed bag overall.  Halo: Reach is as close to a perfect Halo experience as you’re gonna get without the Halo or Master Chief and is without a doubt the best in the series.