Every mainline Halo game, ranked

With the launch of Halo on Nov. 15, 2001, this makes it 20 years since the inception of Halo. This hugely successful franchise has seen many changes over the years, including moves in development teams. Bungie created the series and five games were made. Then, the franchise was handed over to 343 Industries. This Microsoft studio is made up many Bungie veterans. Then there was Halo Infinite, the third game from 343, we’re going to rank all the mainline Halo games.

It’s worth noting that we’re focusing on the FPS Halo games. We won’t be ranking the top-down Spartan AssaultOder Spartan Strike. And while we’d like to rank the fantastic Halo Wars series, they’re a little too apples-to-oranges for this list. Plus ranking seven Halo games feels like a nice homage to Bungie’s favorite number (and the number of Halo rings out there).

Here are the Halo games, ranked best-to-worst.

1. Halo 2

Image: Bungie via Halopedia

Halo 2The definitive Halo title. This game not only makes Master Chief one of the most hated videogame characters, but also allows players to take the role of the Arbiter and gain an insight into the Covenant. This is one of the best Halo stories ever. The Covenant is transformed into a militarized, living cult rather than a group of odd aliens who are dropped in arenas.

Halo 2 also adds some of the series’ biggest features like hijacking and duel wielding, giving dimension to play without distracting from any of the action. This is the debut of the iconic Battle Rifle, as well as many other new weapons. And it’s one of the debut Xbox Live multiplayer games.

Halo 2This is a great example of how you can increase the size of your sequel. It’s bigger and more impressive than the original but still feels like Halo.

2. Halo: The Evolution of Combat

Image: Bungie via Halopedia

Halo: The Evolution of CombatIt launched one the largest videogame franchises. It’s got some of the best campaign levels ever made, and the game’s iconic Magnum pistol belongs in the FPS hall of fame. This game was the foundation of many LAN and sleepover parties, which helped define pre-Xbox Live generations. And perhaps most importantly, Bungie used Halo: The Evolution of CombatFPS games can still be played on consoles, which has shaped the industry for ever.

It’s hard to describe how influential and important Halo: The Evolution of Combat is. It’s got some key flaws in its campaign — notably the Flood being a huge pain to fight, and just how often you backtrack through levels. But it’s an absolute titan of a game, and every console shooter or first person game would look different today had it not existed.

3. Halo 3

Image: Bungie via Halopedia

Halo 3Playing is much more enjoyable thanCombat Evolution — it carries over some of the big, modern improvements from Halo 2 — but it just barely misses that number two spot. It’s a bit safe mechanically, especially compared to the leap from Halo: The Evolution of CombatTo Halo 2. It also suffers from some forgettable levels — and the less-fun-to-fight Brutes taking over for Elites, while narratively cool, hurts the overall combat. However, it served up the best multiplayer in the series’ history, with endless maps like The Pit buildable through Forge, and very few games have come close to toppling its arena shooter action.

Halo 3Although it is flawed, its large scale and multiplayer far outweigh any of the minor problems.

4. Reach Halo

Image: Bungie/Microsoft

Reach HaloThis is when the series begins to lose steam. Bungie makes use of its prequel status to bring a flood of new weapons to the game. Most of these are less memorable than the original. However, the sheer variety of gameplay that these new weapons and armor abilities provide keeps the game’s levels from getting stale. There’s always something new to play with, even if the moment to moment gameplay isn’t as tight as the original trilogy.

As Bungie’s last Halo, Reach This is somewhat disappointing. Bungie seems to have run out of steam with the franchise and is ready to let go. However, despite the funk Reach HaloIt is a good place to close an era.

5. Halo 3: ODST

Image: Bungie

Halo 3: ODST is a great experiment that doesn’t quite come together as a fun video game experience. It follows an average crew of ODST Marines, who are those people that fall out of the skies in pods. They are loud, obnoxious characters, the missions they perform are simple, and it is easier to do combat as a regular person. The fantasy aspect of Halo involves playing the role of a huge alien or super-soldier.

Its flaws aside, ODST The semi-open world layout is actually quite interesting. ODST tries something new, some of which works but ultimately fails.

6. Halo 4

Image: 343 Industries/Microsoft Studios

Halo 4This is the first post Bungie Halo game. The story is thrown off track, and the Forerunners have a chance to win the title of the main antagonist. And it’s that Forerunner focus that ultimately lands Halo 4You can find more information further down the list. 343 Industries added mech vehicles that allow third-person tomahawking through armies of evil. They also have some interesting and unforgettable missions. But the Forerunners are aggravating and it’s unclear how to fight them. Their weapons are also over-designed, even though they look amazing.

As a first shot for a new studio, taking a stab at one of gaming’s most prolific franchises, Halo 4 isn’t actually too bad. It’s even got one of my favorite Halo missions, escorting the Mammoth in “Reclaimer.” But it’s all a bit messy, and pales in comparison to the rest of Master Chief’s adventures.

7. Halo 5: Guardians

343 Industries/Microsoft

Halo 5: Guardians doesn’t feel like Halo. After Halo 4, 343 took a lot of liberties with Halo — which, as Bungie’s successors, is understandable. However, the end result was a mixup of tons more AAA mechanics like jet boots that made it unrecognizable. The squad-based combat, bananas story that prioritizes a group of boring new Spartans over Master Chief, and unimaginative mission structure just don’t come together to make for a very fun Halo game.

Halo 5: GuardiansSome places offer something completely different. It is quite cool to be able to fight on the same planet as the Elites and Arbiter. All of that is commendable and not without some merit, but outside of the aesthetic and some of the weapons, it’s hard to even see Guardians as a Halo game.