Halo is one of the most influential game franchises of all time. Ever since Combat Evolved in 2001, the series has changed first-person shooters and online multiplayer forever. While fans don't get their hands on a new Halo title 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 that Halo has 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, Halo still 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 February 14, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Halo is one of the most iconic FPS franchises of all time. Ever since the release of Combat Evolved, Master Chief's action-packed adventures have struck a note with fans time and time again. The tight single-player campaigns and the amazing multiplayer are two of Halo's strongest pillars that have held up the series for quite some time. While some Halo games are definitely better than others, anyone who gets into the series will find themselves enamored by the rich worldbuilding, interesting lore, and amazing FPS gameplay that has become a hallmark of the series.

14 Halo: Spartan Strike

Metascore: 66

Playing with or against friends has always been a big part of Halo, so Spartan Strike's lack of multiplayer hurt its appeal significantly. Although, at least the game was an improvement on Spartan Assault. The twin-stick shooter provided slightly tighter gameplay as well as more vehicles and weapons than its predecessor. Nevertheless, it was still a less captivating adventure than what Halo fans 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 of Halo 2 and one after the events of Halo 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.

13 Halo: Spartan Assault

Metascore: 70

As a twin-stick shooter, Spartan Assault was very different from the Halo games that preceded it. Instead of being first-person, players had to slay 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 between Halo 3 & Halo 4 the story helped bridge the gap between the two stories, but fans would have much preferred the story to be told in a much more traditional Halo way. 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.

12 Halo Wars 2

Metascore: 79

While a little shallow compared to other RTSs on the market, Halo Wars 2 was a fine game. It included well-explained and simple mechanics that made it perfect for novices of the genre. Plus, those enamored with the Halo universe 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.

Unlike Spartan Strike, the sequel to this game was not an improvement on its original. Halo Wars 2 took what was good about Halo Wars and 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.

11 Halo Wars

Metascore: 82

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 spinoff, they managed to completely switch up the genre and still make a great game that fits in with the lore of the universe. Halo Wars was a fun game, and it was great to use different vehicles that weren't in the original series.

10 Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

Metascore: 82

Undoubtedly, the original Combat Evolved was a classic. Its tenth-anniversary remaster wasn'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. Unfortunately, that meant 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.

9 Halo 3: ODST

Metascore: 83

ODST was the Halo series 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 original Halo 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 that ODST introduced.

Fans enjoyed the story and the newly added firefight but were disappointed with the game's lack of multiplayer. The game came with Halo 3's multiplayer 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 is time the franchise gave the fans someone else other than a Spartan to play as the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers are the perfect answer.

8 Halo 5: Guardians

Metascore: 84

Halo 5's campaign received plenty of criticism upon release. Things like the lack of a split-screen and the campaign's short length were 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 mainline Halo story. Again, a big complaint was the microtransactions, fans had to pay money to make their Spartan look the way they wanted. Comparing this to Halo Reach which 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 a Call of Duty game, Halo 5 got a lot wrong in that regard.

7 Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Metascore: 85

Initially, The Master Chief Collection seemed like the ultimate package as it included Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, a newly remastered Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4 – plus late add-ons for Halo 3: ODST and Halo Reach. Sadly, technical issues stopped the MCC from 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. MCC rewards fans for playing the game across 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?

6 Halo 4

Metascore: 87

There was a lot of pressure on Halo 4 as it was 343 Industries' first original game in the series. It ended up being a great debut for the developer as they managed to put their stamp on the franchise while mostly retaining what fans love about Halo. 343 Industries had a lot of weight on its shoulders when it came to releasing its first Halo game, and for the large part, it knocked it out of the park. Created a new class of enemies that helped to freshen things up. Fan's real concern was how different this felt from the original trilogy, but the game needed to take a new direction, and they did it very well with Halo 4.

Plus, the story was amazing. It focused on the deep relationship between Master Chief and Cortana. The latter of which was more captivating than she'd ever been before as she struggled with her mortality. Despite being highly rated by critics, fans were concerned with the length of the campaign. This more than made up for it with its multiplayer, which offered customization, fast-paced action, and new and exciting game modes.

5 Halo Infinite

Metascore: 87

Open-world gaming has started to dominate the industry. 3D open worlds certainly aren't a new thing, as games like Grand Theft Auto 3 and The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind provided fantastic open worlds for players to enjoy in the early 2000s. However, the constant improvements in gaming hardware and engines have allowed studios to create enormous, breathtaking open worlds that are an absolute joy to just explore at a leisurely pace.

Despite this, many people were skeptical about Halo's voyage into the open-world subgenre. Although many games have successfully made the transition, a notable few have struggled, and there is, of course, plenty of value in meticulously hand-crafted linear levels, something that the Halo series is beloved for. Thankfully, Halo's open world didn't disappoint, making for a unique campaign that is unlike anything the series has done before.

As for multiplayer, the fun, fast-paced combat is as enjoyable as ever. However, the online modes felt rather bare-bones at launch. Still, fans loved the campaign, the open world, and the side missions, there was plenty to do, and it came with a nice challenge to go along with it. What fans didn't like was the multiplayer and 343 missed a trick by not including a Battle Royale type game mode. Call of Duty: Warzone and Fortnite are some of the biggest games on the market, and it is a shame that Halo didn't capitalize on this.

4 Halo: Reach

Metascore: 91

By 2010, Bungie had already perfected its signature Halo FPS formula. This meant that Reach had to find a way to shake things up without ruining anything, and they succeeded. The addition of armor abilities changed the way battles played out in both multiplayer and the campaign. Whereas, having the story take place before the events of the other games gave players more insight into humanity's war with the Covenant.

A truly perfect game, fans and critics alike raved about the compelling story, intense multiplayer, and beautiful graphics. This game still holds up to this day, and it takes a lot for a game to do that. Most people agree that Halo Reach delivered on all fronts. This was Bungie's final send-off, and they went out with a bang. Gamers are left disheartened as nothing has been as good since 343 took over.

3 Halo 3

Metascore: 94

As the first two Halo titles were so ground-breaking, it should've been difficult for this game to live up to the fans' expectations. However, it did everything right. Halo 3 took the already stellar gameplay from its predecessor and added even more vehicles and weapons. Plus, it included new modes, such as Forge, where players could edit and design maps. Also, there was a Theater mode that took advantage of the rise in online video by giving people a chance to save recordings of all their games. Altogether it was one of the most beloved first-person shooters of all time.

Halo 3 was the best game of its era, and it helped stamp the franchise as one of the best FPS shooters with its truly iconic multiplayer. Forge mode offered endless fun, the campaigns had replay value with the use of skulls, which changed how the game was played, Halo 3 was perfect, and it truly set the standard for FPSs that arguably have not been matched since.

2 Halo 2

Metascore: 95

Halo 2 built upon everything the first title did well, as a good sequel should. It made clever additions to combat, from duel-wielding to the ability to hijack vehicles. And because of the introduction of Xbox Live, Combat Evolved's inventive multiplayer was no longer confined to LAN servers. The only downside to the game for many was the inclusion of the divisive Arbiter levels, but even they gave players a different perspective on the Covenant.

Halo fans love Halo 2, it offered a perfect sequel to the original with its sleek and improved MasterChief design just the icing on the cake. Fans rated this one at 8.9, with a big emphasis on its online features, which at the time were groundbreaking. What stopped this one from reaching a higher level than HCE was the fact its campaign was a little on the short side at just 9 hours, but gamers had the multiplayer to keep them entertained.

1 Halo: Combat Evolved

Metascore: 97

Halo has always delivered an FPS experience that's unlike anything else. And it all started with Combat Evolved. Hallmarks of the series like fun combat, compelling storytelling, and enchanting music were all established in this first game. Also, who can forget the multiplayer?

Back when this game was released, PvP shooters were still in their infancy. This title, though, had LAN multiplayer that was even deeper and more exciting than the classic Goldeneye. Who knows where online shooters would be if it hadn't been for Halo: Combat Evolved? The original Halo set the standard for not just the franchise but for all the games to come.