One of the most impressive things about Halo, and for some the most frightening, is that many of the franchise's fans were hardly old enough to walk when it was released. Its audience has, in many cases, grown up alongside it, watching Master Chief's story evolve as they age. Today, Halo: Combat Evolved turns 20-years-old, as does the original Xbox itself. With two decades behind it and a fanbase as dedicated ever, it's time to look back at the last 20 years of Halo: Combat Evolved.
The gaming landscape has shifted a lot since the Xbox debuted on November 15, 2001, in North America. The transition to 3D games was well underway, kicking off with the Nintendo 64 and PS1. By the time the Xbox launched, the industry had shifted to the PS2 and the GameCube, moving past the initial awkward phases of 3D gameplay. With a few years of experience, the landscape was set for smoother experiences. Then, along came Halo: Combat Evolved.
Halo: Combat Evolved's Build Up to Launch
Halo didn't just appear out of nowhere, though. In fact, its marketing story is almost as interesting as the finished project. While Halo is now Xbox's defining franchise, Steve Jobs was the one to originally introduce it back at the Macworld Expo of 1999. Back then, Halo looked a lot different. While it's easy to see the evolution of what would become Master Chief, Elites, and other imagery now synonymous with Halo, the first demo captures just a small amount of Halo's potential.
Microsoft went on to buy Halo and turn it into its biggest franchise. Following the purchase, there were more demos, perhaps the biggest being at E3 2000, that helped build excitement for Halo: Combat Evolved. Looking back at what seems like such a simple game is a bit funny now, but it's also truly amazing considering how much the franchise has gone on to do for Xbox and the games industry.
Halo: Combat Evolved's Campaign and Characters
For most players, Halo: Combat Evolved's campaign holds a special place in their hearts. It's a sci-fi epic in every sense, telling a story with lots of intricate bits and pieces. That story has evolved in the two decades since, finding its foundation with the novel Halo: Fall of Reach, which was released a few weeks before Halo itself. Since then, the amount of lore in the Halo franchise has grown immensely, with more novels, games, comics, movies, and the like building on the universe. Plus, there's the promise of more to come in the future, with the Halo TV series.
Even then, though, while weapons and gameplay would go on to evolve in future entries, Halo: Combat Evolved established the core of the franchise's DNA. While newer games have modern features like sprint and ADS, it's still easy to see the impact that the original has had on every design since, be that on weapons, enemies, or how Master Chief moves. It's also a pure slice of how Master Chief and Cortana have evolved together, showing fans how such a close bond was forged between the two characters.
Halo: Combat Evolved Multiplayer is Still Alive Today
Of all the elements that made up Halo, though, few are as impactful as its multiplayer component. It's fitting that 232 industries opted to release Halo Infinite's multiplayer today, weeks earlier than the full launch. Halo is to thank for pretty much everything Xbox Live has gone on to become, making a lasting mark on the brand. Looking back now, longtime fans of the franchise, those living in college dorms or pedaling over to a friend's house, likely have fond memories of coming together to play Halo either at a LAN party or on the early iteration of Halo's Xbox Live multiplayer.
Even today, many of Halo's iconic maps come from the first entry. Blood Gulch is the most notable, being a large, open space with plenty of weapons and vehicles. Even then, though, there are plenty of others that have made Halo multiplayer memorable, some being remade at various times in the franchise. Hang 'Em High, Battle Creek, Boarding Action – all of these maps hold a special place in the hearts and minds of fans.
Even today, players still flock to Halo: Combat Evolved's multiplayer to relive some of the glory days. That's been in large part thanks to Halo: Master Chief Collection, which includes the first game alongside most of the other mainline entries in the franchise. While Halo 3's multiplayer tends to be the most fondly remembered of the bunch, fans can still find matches of the classic game with no fuss, letting them experience the classic levels, weapons, and sounds of the original with better frame rates, resolution, and more stable internet connectivity.
For a series that could have easily fallen into the trap of sci-fi tropes, it's incredible to see how far it's come. Halo has helped define and grow what video games are and what they can be, the type of profound impact that few games ever manage to have. Plus, the Halo franchise doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon, so fans will likely still have years to spend time with it. Today of all days, it's important to remember where things were in the industry before Halo: Combat Evolved launched, and where they're at now.
Halo: Combat Evolved turns 20 years old today.