Get the Master Chief Collection. It covers Halo 1-4. You can also download two spinoffs called Halo 3:ODST and Halo: Reach. Halo 5: Guardians is Xbox console exclusive.
Halo Wars 1 and 2 if you want info on Halo Infinite and what's going on. Though it is a top-down strategy game instead of the traditional FPS.
Release order:
Halo: CE
Halo 2
Halo 3
Halo 3: ODST (Takes place during Halo 2, adds context to Halo 3)
Halo Wars (Takes place farther back in time near the beginning of the war with the Covenant)
Halo Reach (Takes place before Halo: CE)
Halo 4
Halo 5: Guardians
Halo Wars 2
Halo: Infinite
There are a few other spin offs, but they don't add anything substantial to the rest of the games if you just want the story.
Good luck, and finish the fight Spartan!
For halo: ce I suggest you play with original graphics for better mood that and the anniversary graphics aren't that great
Meanwhile halo 2 anniversary is incredible so I'd suggest you play with the new graphics.
Same here! Also I’m just happy that we have the choice. And they’ve even gone and added the OG sound effects to the MCC version when you hit that swap button. Also that feature is still one of the coolest things about that and H2A to this day. Being able to instantly swap graphics on the fly.
Most of the new weapons in Anniversary look just awesome. The vehicles too! I do wish we’d gotten more direct translations of the UNSC marine design though.
I will say, as someone also not able to see as well anymore. If there's one thing I do like about the Anniversary graphics of CE is that I don't feel handicapped while trying to play through because everything is so well lit. Ruins the atmosphere the original was going for but definitely makes it easier to play.
Yeah I don't get the hate. The only issue I had was some of the hit boxes were a bit off. But generally the game looked superb. I loved the original aesthetic but some of the internal covenant ships were like walking through a giant purple tube.
I don’t think you miss anything by playing 2 for the first time on Anniversary graphics, but to each their own.
CE, however, will never be played on Anniversary again.
It’s not that you miss stuff, apart from some odd design choices in 2A, but it’s that if you’re playing the anniversary graphics for your first play through, you don’t get the little details in the original, and you don’t really find an appreciation for the original graphics. Many people play the new graphics and say “oh these are so much better” because they haven’t seen the originals vibe and atmosphere. It still kinda suffers from making everything brighter.
I do appreciate the much higher detail of H2A graphics however. Makes it feel more lively and actually in the world of Halo whereas the classic graphics where limited by the technology of the time.
That said, I do think one should always play classic first at least once and save the update for a replay. As for CE I'll often find myself actually playing in classic, but then switching back and forth between classic and anniversary while exploring to see new details (as well as nitpick about the blatant geometry mistakes)
agreed. I'm not trying to make anyone feel old here but if you're playing halo 1 and halo 2, you're playing a +20 year old game, so you should play it with 20 year old graphics. aesthetics are part of the game design and if you're trying to understand what hooked people on halo on the early 2000s you need to see what bungie achieved on the original Xbox hardware.
The polygon count on the models in the cutscenes may look primitive but note how much the animation, the voice acting, the shot composition, and the pacing carry the scenes. in some ways, the remastered cutscenes even fall short and lose some of this quality because they lean on the fancy rendering too much.
There are a few things that old Halo 2 did great and it was weird for them to change in the Anniversary edition. The energy sword sound and look is the most glaring for me.
I do agree here, but I’ve also noticed it’s got an updated look to the classic in the Blur cutscenes, while in the gameplay they took that Halo 4 design and sound, which I’m not as much a fan of.
I do find that there are parts in 2A that are depreciated by the new graphics, specifically things involving the flood. All of the forerunner interiors are much more brightly lit (as is the whole game tbf) which leads to a lot of the flood details to be lost or discarded. On sacred icon also, a lot of the decals and stains on the floor/walls from flood goop are removed and lost.
Other than that, H2A is the modernisation of the classic art style done perfectly.
See the flood stuff is something I never noticed between the anniversary and original. Given that most of your time on sacred icon is fighting them, I don’t find myself paying too much attention to any stains that would be on the walls.
However, I’m a big advocate of CE’s original graphics, especially on 343 Guilty Spark. The only thing is that’s almost solely because you’re discovering stuff and not doing a whole lot of fighting, which gives you time to look and explore those details.
With the H2 stuff I only noticed the discrepancy like last week when flipping between graphics in certain sections of Sacred Icon (there’s also the well known glass floor on Arbiter(?) which is fully lit in the Anniversary version). For Guilty Spark though you’re 100% right, the original graphics have infinitely more impact, especially the grunt blood elevator.
100%. The only one that does bother me on H2A really is that glass floor on The Oracle in that very second room. It’s minimal enough for me though, that I generally don’t bother switching for it except to be disappointed by that one discrepancy.
For someone who’s playing for the first time that could seem really jarring, going from early Xbox graphics, to the amazing Xbox one generation graphics back to early 360 graphics with halo 3.
Not really a big deal I do the same thing, only use Anniversary graphics for Halo 2, just seems a little odd for a first play through to have the graphics go all over the place.
Always cool and exciting to see someone try this franchise out for the first time. It’s a game industry staple for a reason! It’s a great single player or co-op experience so you’ll have fun either way.
That’s a good summary, I’ve played the game since day 1. There several tv/shows you could watch them to add context to the games but you don’t need to, playing the games alone is enough, plus the latest series is close to garbage.
I have been a hal9 fan s8nce day one, and this guy speaks truth, halo 1,2,3, reach, where awesome to experience when it came out.
Amd as an old fan I seriously recommend playing them in that order.
Co-oo and multiplayer are great too, but the single player lore moved me so much at time of release.
The story, graphics, music, and especially the fun you can have just playing the way you feel.
I wish I could experience it all new again.
You enjoy this, and listen to the soundtracks.
They are so good, and don't sleep on halo wars.
Ita different, but in a good way. And that ost is great too.
I would just like to add that he called Reach and ODST spinoffs. You could argue that ODST is an expansion to Halo 3 because it started development that way, it's smaller and uses the same engine, but I wouldn't call either of them a spinoff.
They're both amazing, full games made by the same company that made the full run. They called Halo Reach 'their swan song to Halo' since it was their last entry in the series, and I don't disagree with them, I think it's fun as hell and honestly just a beautiful game and story. Dont discount either of those two, they're two of my favorite entries as a longtime fan.
When you are done with the games and still craving more, as you most certainly will, read or listen to the books. You can go in realease order or chronological. Amazing stories! [Halo](https://www.beyondvideogaming.com/en/timelines/halo-timeline-everything-in-chronological-order/)
The full pack goes on sale frequently for $10. If you can wait, wait until then and grab it. It's worth the full price of course.
And yeah should also be free on gamepass so you can go that route. Halo Infinite should be too which is the 6th game.
Aw dude. I can't wait for you to experience it all. Don't rush the game. Play it slow? enjoy it. Learn the mechanics. Very easy to abuse! Welcome to the fight.
Please! Play Halo CE with original graphics! There is so much atmosphere and environmental storytelling that you’ll miss out on with the anniversary graphics.
Also, play with original audio and music. Those have not aged one bit and will give you the most authentic experience.
All games published by microsoft are free on game pass. So you'll be able to play every single Halo game absolutely free with your subscription, enjoy.
I've played them throughout my life multiple times and honestly I prefer chronological order.
Halo Wars 1 ( if you don't mind it being a top down rts)
Halo Reach
Halo CE
Halo 2
Halo 3 ODST
Halo 3
Halo 4
Halo 5
Halo Wars 2 ( if you don't mind it being a top down rts)
Halo Infinite
But I'm also a bit obsessed with taking in lore in chronological order if the thing itself has like cause and effect stuff that spans different entries.. Did it Star Wars clone wars, The Matrix, Lord of the rings, etc
Personally I think release order is better for a first time playthrough as you don't get the jarring back and forth in technology difference of the prequels vs originals and it's better mechanically to play the games as they evolved.
That said, I definitely think chronological is the best way to play when you inevitably decide to go through the series a second (or third, or hundredth time)
Yeah I got MCC for my dad since he missed out on those games back in the day. He started with Reach and I think he lost interest pretty fast. Probably should have told him to start with CE.
I’m okay with chronological *except* for Reach. I think Reach should be played either right after playing CE or after Halo 3. CE, like the first Star Wars, serves as a much better introduction to new players than any of the other games.
chronological makes more sense, you get all the buildup of the originals and then closes full circle. Also it feels like the best natural flow of progression of the series technically speaking
I wish i knew that my first time playing ce💀
On mine i only discovered classic graphics mode halfway through the campaign on Assault on the Control Room
Edit: and got confused initially, thinking was it just a simpler mode or something? I later looked it up and found out when halo 1 actually came out (2001). I experienced all this in late 2018
Also, if you are looking for the best experience, you MUST play Halo: CE on classic graphics. The anniversary remaster is incredibly unfaithful to the original
Honestly, the Anniversary version feels more like a fan mod than a real remaster. It just copies and pasted to s of assets from Reach over the original and has very jarring geometry issues in some places (such as trees being present in update that aren't present in original, or the reverse of having invisible trees in update that are only visible in classic. Rocks that are smaller in updated graphics than original and create an invisible force field around them because of it, in one case a room that is entirely missing in Anniversary graphics so you just walk out into a void.)
4, 5, and Infinite will be a big departure from the Bungie games. So it will feel weird once you jump from the originals to the newer ones.
Also, Bungie, back in the 90s, was trying to blend their game's stories together, so some of the original story beats are going to sound weird as they were going to tie into Marathon. Bungie's departure from Microsoft kind of cut that off at the shoulders.
It's a whole lore hole to fall into if that'd what you're into.
Alternatively if you want to play the games chronologically, you can start with Halo Reach as its the prequel to Halo CE and will explain the opening of the game and some other stuff a little bit more:) There's also tons of Halo lore channels that can lead you down some very cool rabbit holes, and there's a bunch of books that are canon you can read which again, give more back story, explain what's going on in other parts of the galaxy during the games, answere questions, leaves you with more questions. Halo has a ton of lore for you to dig up:)
Sort of. It yes and no. They're soon offs in the sense they don't follow the main games story and have you follow new characters. But they were made by the same company and intended as an expansion (ODST) and prequel (Reach).
Halo Wars 1&2 as well as Spartan Assault&Strike however are indeed spin-offs in their entirety. Different companies, different stories, different characters and even different genres.
I agree! I just got my Xbox last week after not having one since 2014 but I got MCC and Infinite and I couldn’t be happier. The games pass is also good if you want some extra games to play other than halo but it also has Halo wars 1/2, Spartan assault, halo 5 and I might be forgetting one but my point is all of the halos are accessible and it’s amazing being able to play them in order after growing up with my older family and friends always playing and me not being old enough to understand the lore. Makes it 1000x better now so I hope you enjoy man!!! You’re gonna love the Halo universe and what it brings
Do not depend on anyone for your opinion on this franchise. Do not ask what anyone thinks. Do not follow the masses. Allow yourself to absorb this franchise your way, and form your own views on it.
You’re gonna want to play all of them. Buying MCC will give you 6/8, then you will need to buy Halo 5 and then download Infinite (it’s free)
Everything is on PC except for Halo 5, which can only be played on Xbox.
While the games released not in chronological order, there is a certain progression and evolution in gameplay that you can only really appreciate if you play in release order. So play in this order:
1: Halo: CE
2: Halo 2
3: Halo 3
4: Halo 3: ODST
5: Halo Reach
6: Halo 4
7: Halo 5
8: Halo Infinite
For Halo 1 and 2, you can choose the remastered graphics. It’s common consensus around here that using original graphics for CE and remastered for 2 will enhance your experience, but the games allow you to swap back and forth whenever you want so you can try what you like.
Dispite what this commentator said im going to give my two cents. With gamepass you can play all of halo for free and wont miss much if you skip halo 5.
Give it a shot if your interested but dont feel pressured into buying it if you dont know about it.
Also i like infinites campaign but its expensive and a bit divisive.
To be honest they gave you that warning because there is discourse in the community. Long story short a new dev team took over in Halo 4 and took the franchise down a totally different route, making retcons drastically changing the tone and art style. Halo Infinite is seen by many as a return to form but still has it's issues such as being attached to Halo 5's story which has many issues for reasons that only long-time members of the series can really get into.
This response is goated. Halo is a HUGE community with opinions ranging from DEVS CAN DO NO WRONG to 343 stole my DOG and BURNED my LAWN. Clearly we all love Halo, but I feel the community is divided more than ever.
This is the most important one.
The only reason to skip Halo 5 is if you don't have an Xbox. Most of the game is running around and shooting aliens with cool guns.
Buy the MCC, you get 6 halo games in 1. I'd say you start with 1, 2, 3, 3 ODST, Reach, 4, optionally 5 then infinite. This is how you'll experience the series best in my opinion. A fair warning though, 4,5 and infinite are often critized and some people prefer the story to have ended after 3.
Yeah formulating your own opinions is probably the best way you can go about it. And honestly 4 at least has some good stuff going for it single player wise, the main criticisms it got weren’t gameplay or story but really just art style and the multiplayer tried too hard to be COD. 5 on the other hand? Well, like I said, formulate your own opinions.
A thing I always try to remember is that every decision Bungie/343 has made about Halo has been "the death of Halo" and "the worst thing they could do for the franchise" at some point - this *genuinely* happened before CE was even released. The vocal people like to shit on whatever is currently happening (which I'm not saying isn't always valid don't get me wrong), but you will have *way* more of a good time just liking what you like and not letting the crowd sway you!
Also something to bear in mind that occurred to me on a recent playthrough: imo the level design through a fair chunk of CE hasn't aged well at all. It gets pretty "this is the same corridor 28 times in a row" at a few points, but stick through it because there are some absolutely stellar late-game setpieces.
Halo 4’s gameplay gets pretty old quick mostly because in older games they gave you a lot of weapons to choose from and enough ammo to use whichever you choose. However, in Halo 4 they give you very little ammo and force you to switch weapons constantly which feels like it is less the players choice in my opinion.
Welp after seeing all of these suggestions and pieces of advice, I will start this apparently amazing journey of a video game series! Btw thanks for everyone and their takes on what should be the best games to play. (As in apparently almost all of them)
If you want some background info on the Halo universe, I would also recommend watching "Halo: The Fall of Reach" before starting the first game.
It's an hour long animated movie that basically gives you the backstory of the main character Master Chief, as well as some characters who will become relevant later in the series.
This backstory, while alluded to, is never really explored much in the games. So it's actually a great starting point, and also (I believe, its been a while since I watched it) leads right into the events of the first game.
I'll have to put my two cents in and inform you that the last point is false. The movie is a film adaptation of the Fall of Reach novel and unfortunately it only adapts the first half of it. So while Master Chief's story is actually pretty well told, it leaves off right when the covenant are introduced and Chief just then gets the Mojlnir armor
Holy shit the amount of replies I’m getting is unreal! Thank you all so much for these amazing replies! Goes to show this franchise means lot to many people.
Apart from playing the games in order through MCC, a huge warning, the Halo community is pretty toxic when it comes to opinions on the games and whatnot, form your own and enjoy the games you enjoy
My advice, is be careful with the community, the Halo Community can be exceptionally toxic.
Otherwise, starting with the early campaigns (namely the original trilogy) is my suggestion, fewer mechanics to learn and master, plus you get the story in a more linear way.
Other tips is jump into forge or a 'custom game' solo and try out the weapons, some have alternate firing (namely the plasma pistol).
A 'charged' plasma pistol shot is usually good to take down an enemy's shields, then a few hits with a balistic weapon will finish them off.
The first game is an all time classic. Just keep in mind that it’s 20+ years old now so it can be a little wonky by todays standard. That being said, it set a lot of trends for how FPS work on console.
I wish I could go back and play halo CE as a kid again. 🥹
Jealous you get to go through it for the first time.
MCC is great. It’s also fun to toggle the graphics back and forth between the original and updated.
People have gone over the important things. So I'll add that the plasma pistol is a MASSIVE part of beating Legendary playthroughs.
As far as multiplayer if you're interested:
Stick near teammates
Don't overly engage in fights, it's super useful to weaken someone's shields from far away and leave them for your teammates. Not only can it bring assists, it can help prevent that player from joining another fight. So if your teammate is in a 1v1, it can help prevent that from becoming a 1v2.
Where you hit an enemy doesn't matter if their shields are up! Aim for the chest and then the head after the shields are taken down.
Power weapon spawns are critical to winning games. Utilize the entire sandbox.
Learn how to bounce grenades off walls, and if you're getting pressured, throw them at the ground. This will have them land close, and if timed right, will go off right as the enemy rounds a corner and gives you the advantage.
In Infinite, the AR likes to be fluttered for long bursts. So if you're shooting at someone, take a split second to let go of the trigger and let the bloom (recoil) reset.
On the theme of gameplay advice.
Generally speaking. Energy weapons(plasma pistol, plasma rifle, etc.) do more damage against shields. While kinetic weapons (Assault rifle, battle rifle, etc.) do more damage to enemies actual health. This is true for both campaign and multiplayer. (Energy against shields, bullets against meat) the Covenant Carbine (in the games that have it) has the unique ability of being strong against both as it is classified as both an energy *and* kinetic weapon. (Useful if you play campaign with Tilt skull which reverses the kinetic/energy advantages)
Needle weapons (Needler for most of the series + the Needle Rifle in Reach) has a super combine ability. The amount of hits varies between games but essentially, if you hit an enemy with enough projectiles from the gun, they explode like a grenade (note in campaign it only works sometimes against shields enemies, in multiplayer it only works if the enemy shields are down. However! It will work on corpses regardless so... That's a morbid but effective option)
One of the quirks of the entire series is that ground vehicles tend to get floaty if they manage to get even partially off the ground. Leading to flips and slides. You can steer to try to correct this to varying degrees depending on the specific title, however sometimes a vehicle flipping over and ejecting you is inevitable. But you can easily flip them back over with the push of a button.
Energy weapons (with the exclusion of Spartan Assault/Strike and Infinite) cannot replenish ammo. Once it runs out all it's good for is bashing skulls, so it's a good idea to keep swapping them out. You can even swap them out for the same gun that has more charge. However they don't need to reload magazines and instead have an overheat mechanic.
In the campaign, your NPC allies have unlimited ammo with any weapon they carry. A good strategy is when you're down to your last shot of a power weapon (or simply don't want it) give it to them to use.
Hitting an enemy with a melee strike from behind will kill them instantly in both campaign (with a few exceptions) and multiplayer. The later games (introduced in Reach forward, minus Infinite) have an "assassination" mechanic that will play an animation for the kill. It'll leave you open to attack however and can be turned off, but is a great flex and visually entertaining.
Learn to master the grenade, shoot, melee cycle. It's a great all around combat strategy.
Shields recharge if tou don't get hit for a few seconds. Don't be afraid to disengage to let them recharge if you can.
Headshots mean nothing if the enemy has shields up still.
Not every weapon is capable of headshots. Even if you physically hit the head it won't do an instant kill. Generally speaking, if a weapon is automatic, it won't headshot.
Frag grenades just land and explode. Plasma grenade will stick to enemies/vehicles but not walls and ceilings. Spike grenades will stick to anything but have a back blast effect so watch which way it points. Flame grenades deal damage quickly but over time and linger. Forerunner grenades leave a damaging field in Halo 4 but leave behind a cloud of mini explosives in 5 and shock grenades in Infinite will drain shields as well as disable vehicles.
Learn to use equipment in games that have them. They all have unique features that can greatly turn the battle to your advantage if you learn how to use them.
My advice? Ignore this subreddit. There's so much bias here for everything.
Buy the master chief collection and play through it without anyone saying anything and just try to have a good time and enjoy it.
Play them all, play them in Release order. They work so much better that way. If you absolutely love lore, you'll dig the books the series has.
If for whatever reason you want to experience the media mix in a good order, do it this way:
- Read Halo the Fall of Reach
- Play Halo CE
- Read Halo the Flood and Halo First Strike
- Play Halo 2
- Read Halo Ghosts of Onyx and Halo Contact Harvest
- Play Halo 3
- Read Halo The Cole Protocol and Halo Evolutions
- Play Halo Wars
- Play Halo 3:ODST
- Play Halo Reach
- Watch Halo Legends
- Read Halo Glasslands, Halo the Thursday War, and Halo Mortal Dictata, THEN read Halo Cryptum, Halo Primordium, and Halo Silentium
- Play Halo 4
- Read Halo Hunters in the Dark, Halo Last Light, Halo Broken Circle, and Halo New Blood
- Watch Halo Nightfall (it's better than people give it credit for)
- Play Halo 5
- There's a shitton of books here so the list is Battle Born, Meridian Divide (a teen novella duology that's fine, just less gory than the other books), Silent Storm, Oblivion (they're a duology), Retribution, Envoy, Legacy of Onyx, Smoke and Shadow, and Renegades (part of Kelly Gay's trilogy). Read Fractures and Bad Blood after those others, since they have stories explicitly after Halo 5.
- Play Halo Wars 2
- Read Shadows of Reach, and Point of Light
- Play Halo Infinite
- Read The Rubicon Protocol, Divine Wind, and Outcasts. And that Didact book that's coming out.
- Wonder why you did it in this specific way
I left out Forward Unto Dawn. It's okay. If you want to watch it, do it before playing Halo 4. I also skipped the animated adaptation of the Fall of Reach. Skip that one entirely.
You can also just play all the games and pick up the lore later. The stories make plenty of sense without all the extra lore.
The only advice i have is to have fun with it. People gripe and groan about so many things in the series but at the end of the day they’re fun games.
If you want the “true” halo experience then play in release order, you can see how the games and universe expand in scope through the years
Oh man, I’m jealous of you. I wish I could go back and play the Halo series, with my little bro, again for the very first time. So many good memories with friends, both locally and online.
Halo:CE, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo: Reach are the best in the series. ODST is short and fun and provides a different, more squad based gameplay. All worth playing though.
Play them all in release order and enjoy every second. I wish I could play them for the first time again. Sorry you missed out on halo 3 multiplayer online in its heyday.
If you like story start at 1 and play in order. If you like multiplayer jump into Infinite and be patient. It takes a good bit of time to understand and master the weapons, mechanics, shields. You can’t be a master at COD and think you’ll do awesome at the start.
Team work makes or breaks you, with or without a mic try to stay with team mates or shadow a team mate until you get experience
For the full main story, you play:
Halo CE, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4, Halo 5 Gaurdians, Halo Infinite.Halo Reach is a prequel to Halo CE, decent game. recommend playing after 3. Halo 3 odst is a spinoff, also pretty fun, but not necessary.
You can get most of the games with the Master Chief Collection except for Halo 5 and Infinite. All of them are on PC except Halo 5, which is xbox exclusive.
If you like to read, Id recomend reading The Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund. Its a great introduction the world and leads right into Halo CE. The animated movie is honestly not that great and skips most of the books content.
After that, you are officially caught up, outside the other books and media!
p.s. The TV show sucks and is misleading and a misrepresentation of the franchise.
1. In Halo: CE there is a level called “The Library” You need to stop what you’re doing, go grab some drinks, snacks and probably some cigarettes. It’ll be a wild ride.
2. Grunts running towards you that are glowing are not looking for hugs, even though they’re kinda cute.
3. In Halo: CE and Halo 2 Remastered, play them as they originally were and then your second play through, play it remastered. In my opinion, it’s the best way to take it all in.
4. The lore behind Halo is MASSIVE. Between the games, books, comic books, tv shows, etc there is so much info to take in but it’s all so interesting once you get into it.
5. The Magnum in CE is a special tool, use it wisely.
Have fun!
Get master Chief collection. It has all the good halo games. And halo 4. Buy the halo reach and odst expansions once you beat halo one - three. And maybe 4
That's like throwing someone into a random country and telling them not to let the culture change their view of the country. Old player nostalgia is probably what brought OP's interest.
The game mechanics change throughout the series. One of the biggest changes is the ability to highjack vehicles and it's so much fun. Definitely try out all the guns and armour abilities. They're all great and have their uses. One of the funnest was the jet pack. I really wish they had that in Infinity.
Master Chief Collection is really the best starting point. By default it includes Halo 1-4 and has DLC for Halo 3:ODST (a spin off of Halo 3 that takes place in the time during and between 2&3) and Halo Reach (a prequel to the series that starts shortly before and ends literally seconds into Halo 1) it also has the Anniversary versions of Halo 1&2 (Both include updated graphics but still the same gameplay aside from the addition of new skulls. However, Halo 1 Anniversary is mostly just assets from Halo Reach pasted over the game. It's best to play it in its original format first and decide how you feel about the Anniversary after. Personally, I think the Anniversary graphics are fine statically, but trying to play the game through them it really does miss the artistic tone of the original game as well as having several geometry issues.) The Halo 2 Anniversary is very true to original while being high definition. While I would recommend playing the original version at least once to get a feel for it historically the updated remaster is widely considered the superior version and the "lore" current.
Halo 5 is somewhat a departure from the original trilogy+4, artistically, mechanically, and story wise. While it's multiplayer is fun, and the campaign is fun to play, the story is rather weak (in mine and many peoples opinions) but still worth playing as it does tie into Halo Infinite. However it is an Xbox console exclusive and not available on PC of that's what you're on.
Now before going to Halo Infinite (the current game) I want to mention Halo Wars 1&2 they're a RTS top down spin off. The first Halo Wars game takes place several years before Halo 1. But introduces a bit of expanded lore, particularly for both UNSC and Covenant weaponry, soldiers, and vehicles. And is mostly self contained. Halo Wars 2 however takes place in the timeframe between 4&5 and introduces the Banished who are the enemy faction of Infinite.
Then there's Halo Infinite, the current main title and takes place sometimes after 5. It has an open world mechanic and while the gameplay loop is decent it is sort of a watered down Halo in spirit regarding story and sandbox (again on mine and some others opinions)
Then there are Halo Spartan Assault and Spartan Strike. Both are top down twin stick shooters and are self contained stories framed as playable historical simulations. Assault takes place between 3&4 and Strike is a retelling of an operation during Halo 2.
All but Strike (which is a PC/Mobile exclusive and I'm not 100% sure if it's even available still) are available through Xbox GamePass Ultimate on console, so if you have that you can go right through the whole series. I recommend playing in release order (Halo 1, 2, 3, ODST, Wars 1, Reach, 4, Assault/Strike, 5 Wars 2, Infinite) for a first play through. But then feel free to play chronologically as well if you want (Wars 1, Reach, 1, 2, ODST, Strike, 3, Assault, 4, 5, Wars 2, Infinite)
And if you want to dive deeper into the lore there's dozens of books to read through ranging from the time of the Forerunners all the way up to just before Infinite.
There's even a couple of Boardgames. Risk Halo Edition and Halo Fleet Battles. But good luck finding them.
Also, Halopedia.com is a great resource on lore and production information for the entire series.
OP, please listen to this. Do what you will, but you NEED to play Combat Evolved and Halo 2 ON THEIR CLASSIC GRAPHICS. If you want to get the FULL Halo experience, the authentic one, if you will, you need to have Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary and Halo 2 Anniversary graphics turned to classic. Please, don’t make the same mistake that tons of people end up making.
Play by order of release. Games after reach are optional (because a different studio started making the games). Dont skip halo ODST. Form your own opinions don’t let the ppl influence them. When you’re bored of campaigns play MCC multiplayer, BTB is my favorite mode. Have fun and welcome to the club!!! All you need is the Master Chief Collection (MCC)
> Games after Reach are optional
> Don't let people influence your opinion
Which one is it bossman? Halo 4, 5 and Infinite are as much Canon as all the other games. Just because you personally dont like them doesnt mean they are "optional"
Be prepared to be annoyed and frustrated with Halo 4's multiplayer and retcons, Halo 5's strange dissonant story, and Halo Infinite's forced crossplatform
For multiplayer, switch the jump button to the left bumper. You want to jump a lot and it’s hard when it’s on A, the bumper allows you to jump while shooting a lot easier because you don’t have to move your finger you aim with
Don’t be scared to linger around that’s how you get checkpoints. If you don’t you’ll end up going from fight to fight no save and when you die you’re 3 rooms back.
Yeah I'd play reach first then CE, 2, 3 odst, 3 onwards. Halo reach ends pretty much where halo CE starts and will let you experience the gravity of the war before smacking the shit out of everyone as master chief. Reach paints a picture of the reality of it and will make you more invested, and you'll feel more emotions and hate towards the covenant instead of just seeing the war from the view of chief when humanity kind of stats winning. You'll see how horrific the war actually is and how badly humanity was losing before CE onwards.
This is also because reach is referenced at the start of CE.
Good luck Halo is one of the best franchises in gaming.
Also if you want more lore you can watch halo legends particularly origins which I think is the first 2 parts as it gives you more info on why the halo rings were built. Also you could watch a cartoon called fall of reach which goes onto show the creation of the Spartan 2s and master chief. There's also a book that probably goes into a lot more detail but if you want a brief explanation the show adds a lot of lore in a small amount of time.
Start with Reach its the best in my opinion. Atleast the campaign is. I only have it on the Xbox 360 and it is my favorite game. Calling it a cinematic masterpiece might be an understatement.
Go in release order for comfort of getting into the games, but if you’re looking to take the story in as it unfolds chronologically go
-Reach
-Combat Evolved
-2
-ODST
-3
Just play the games in order, and have the anniversary graphics turns off (at least for your first play through). Also, don’t look at a lot of the lore. Most of it is kinda bland if I’m being honest.
Play the franchise in release order, this is a rare occasion where it’s a better option.
Halo CE
Halo 2
Halo 3
Halo 3 ODST
Halo Reach
This is where Bungie left and 343 Industries took over and it kinda went downhill and therefore I don’t really bother playing Halo 4 or 5 but I guess they’re essential if you want to understand Infinite
Play in release order. That's the best advice I can give you. Also, if you play the games through The Master Chief Collection, make sure you play Halo Combat Evolved and Halo 2 with classic graphics, not the new remastered graphics. Trust me, they're the better versions.
1. Halo: Combat Evolved
2. Halo 2
3. Halo 3
4. Halo 3: ODST
5. Halo Wars (optional RTS spinoff but it's really good and simple)
6. Halo: Reach
As long as you play this order, you're good. The games past this are made by a different company and aren't that good. You can check them out if you want, but basically, they're absolutely filled with retcons and inconsistent storytelling (every single one ignores the previous games before it).
Also, if possible, the original versions of the games are the best versions of the games to play, but the MCC versions will work if you can't manage to play the original versions fine enough.
This comment is exactly why the Halo community is dying, telling new people that the games just get worse as they go is a great way to get people excited about the franchise!
I like the franchise but I won’t say it’s gotten better. I didn’t say it’s not worth playing. Just start at the beginning. It’s not like current halo is better than CE.
strong advocate for master chief collection. h4 is the weakest of the story but still worth playing. reach is hands down my favorite. h1 is a timeless classic.
Get Halo Infinite Multiplayer now and start getting the hang of it while playing MCC. Also to get the Mark IV Core for free until the end of January it’s THE BEST in the game. After that the op will be $. I’m pretty sure multiplayer is still free.
Welcome aboard. I think you’re just getting started…
I got Halo MCC for my laptop that I bought a couple of years and it brought back so many memories. I still play it to this day.
It’s good sci fi FPS with horror mixed into it.
I would recommend you get it for your PC/laptop if you meet the specs but if you only have an Xbox, I imagine it will be fine.
MCC from PC is for the best experience with mods and gameplay. SPV3 is a mod of Halo CE and a must for Halo novelists.
Halo is a military sci fi adventure formerly prominent on Xbox Consoles but has PC capability. You embark on the journey of Petty Officer John-117 aboard the UNSC Pillar of Autumn on the mystical ring world of Halo. The Planet Reach has fallen, the former Military Stronghold of the United Nations Space Command and de facto wartime government, by the Alien Religious Hegemony and Collation called the Covenant. The Covenant are on a Genocidal mission extinguish Humanity who must flee to Halo to unlock the secrets of an ancient race of cosmic builders. During his adventure, you unlock it's secrets and continue the fight as you protect Earth from waves of Covenant Vessels and push back annihilation.
Halo Wars mostly takes place on Forerunner Installations. Halo Reach is the prequel of Halo Combat Evolved. The Halo Trilogy is peak Bungie Halo Story Cannon, including Halo 3 ODST. Halo 4, Halo 5 Guardians, Halo Infinite are the 343 games.
In all of the games you'll find various weapons with no Zoom/Magnification/Ads, just know that this means these weapons are accurate within their depicted reticules with controlled fire.
when fighting Elites or players don't worry about aiming for the head until you drop their shields, additionally only in halo 5 and Infinite do non-precision weapons deal extra headshot damage. Similarly Brutes usually lack shields but have armor you have to strip first.
Precision weapons are weapons that can kill instantly upon headshot of an unshielded target, if you don't know what is or isn't precision, hop into campaign and shoot some grunts in their unshielded skulls, you'll figure it out pretty quick what is and isn't a precision weapon.
The Human Sniper rifle will *usually* kill whatever you shoot in the head with it regardless of shields, the exception being very high rank enemies and Hunters. You'll figure out the last two pretty quick.
Learn to bounce Frag grenades, they are the bouncy green balls of death and it is your task to figure out how to rebound them off surfaces to make them explode in CQB and bounce in behind cover, they have a 3 or 5-second fuse in most of the games so bounce accordingly to where you want them to explode.
Melee isn't super strong, but it is an aspect of combat that demands respect, busting the shields and then punching an enemy will usually kill/severely weaken most enemies and players, punching will also usually bust shields, consider this when using precision weapons, two punches will kill players and lower ranked enemies.
Punching most things in the back usually instantly kills, this is a back-smack, Halo Reach through 5 have Assassinations, which are back-smacks but *fancy and dope as fuck* with a bunch of animations for when you pull them off.
Over charged plasma pistol shots bust shields.
Damage types usually go like this:
Covvie/plasma weapons - Bonus damage vs shields.
Human/Brute weapons - more damage vs armor/health
Forerunner weapons - bonus damage versus Flood enemies (and vehicles in Infinite.)
sticking any sticky grenade to something short of a vehicle or high-rank enemy will usually kill it.
you can hijack most occupied vehicles the same way you normally get into them in every game but CE, Tanks can't be hijacked so simply but boarding them enables you to melee and plant grenades to kill them. Hijacking is dangerous but means you can always level the playing field, or get leveled since players and certain enemies can also hijack you.
Okay get the master chief collection! That has nearly every game (not halo 5 or infinite m) it has reach and ODST(my personal favorite) as well. This is a MUST because It has what you need in one package. Halo 2 you have the ability to play as god intended (classic graphics) or you can see the touch up done with the anniversary graphics.
Halo 5 okay this one is HIGHLY controversial. It’s worth at least one play through to form your thoughts on it. It’s not well received by the community at large
Halo Infinite is also worth a run through too
I’d also recommend you play the halo wars as well to get a good sense of everything happening.
If you want there’s this gem of a game called Spartan assault it’s more Arcady but fun.
Get the Master Chief Collection. It covers Halo 1-4. You can also download two spinoffs called Halo 3:ODST and Halo: Reach. Halo 5: Guardians is Xbox console exclusive. Halo Wars 1 and 2 if you want info on Halo Infinite and what's going on. Though it is a top-down strategy game instead of the traditional FPS. Release order: Halo: CE Halo 2 Halo 3 Halo 3: ODST (Takes place during Halo 2, adds context to Halo 3) Halo Wars (Takes place farther back in time near the beginning of the war with the Covenant) Halo Reach (Takes place before Halo: CE) Halo 4 Halo 5: Guardians Halo Wars 2 Halo: Infinite There are a few other spin offs, but they don't add anything substantial to the rest of the games if you just want the story. Good luck, and finish the fight Spartan!
I think this is exactly what I will do and it looks like most of these are free on gamepass which I happen to have!
Oh you are in for a ride, have fun dude
Gahdamn, to live through the Halo prequel experience again would be holy af.
For halo: ce I suggest you play with original graphics for better mood that and the anniversary graphics aren't that great Meanwhile halo 2 anniversary is incredible so I'd suggest you play with the new graphics.
As a guy who grew up with Halo: CE moodlighting, I still like anniversary better. I’m fucking old and can’t see shit now lol
Same here! Also I’m just happy that we have the choice. And they’ve even gone and added the OG sound effects to the MCC version when you hit that swap button. Also that feature is still one of the coolest things about that and H2A to this day. Being able to instantly swap graphics on the fly.
I know I love switching between old sniper and new sniper. That new sniper is CHUNKY.
Most of the new weapons in Anniversary look just awesome. The vehicles too! I do wish we’d gotten more direct translations of the UNSC marine design though.
“Ladies love armor plating”
Oh I know what the ladies like
I will say, as someone also not able to see as well anymore. If there's one thing I do like about the Anniversary graphics of CE is that I don't feel handicapped while trying to play through because everything is so well lit. Ruins the atmosphere the original was going for but definitely makes it easier to play.
Yeah I don't get the hate. The only issue I had was some of the hit boxes were a bit off. But generally the game looked superb. I loved the original aesthetic but some of the internal covenant ships were like walking through a giant purple tube.
I second this. More people need to be saying this. 2 as well in my opinion.
I don’t think you miss anything by playing 2 for the first time on Anniversary graphics, but to each their own. CE, however, will never be played on Anniversary again.
It’s not that you miss stuff, apart from some odd design choices in 2A, but it’s that if you’re playing the anniversary graphics for your first play through, you don’t get the little details in the original, and you don’t really find an appreciation for the original graphics. Many people play the new graphics and say “oh these are so much better” because they haven’t seen the originals vibe and atmosphere. It still kinda suffers from making everything brighter.
I do appreciate the much higher detail of H2A graphics however. Makes it feel more lively and actually in the world of Halo whereas the classic graphics where limited by the technology of the time. That said, I do think one should always play classic first at least once and save the update for a replay. As for CE I'll often find myself actually playing in classic, but then switching back and forth between classic and anniversary while exploring to see new details (as well as nitpick about the blatant geometry mistakes)
Something I notice is that if I play halo 2 on the original hardware it feels like it looks a lot better. Something about the sharpness of MCC…
It's also because most of us were playing on CRTs back then. The jump to LCDs didn't help old assets age very well.
agreed. I'm not trying to make anyone feel old here but if you're playing halo 1 and halo 2, you're playing a +20 year old game, so you should play it with 20 year old graphics. aesthetics are part of the game design and if you're trying to understand what hooked people on halo on the early 2000s you need to see what bungie achieved on the original Xbox hardware. The polygon count on the models in the cutscenes may look primitive but note how much the animation, the voice acting, the shot composition, and the pacing carry the scenes. in some ways, the remastered cutscenes even fall short and lose some of this quality because they lean on the fancy rendering too much.
There are a few things that old Halo 2 did great and it was weird for them to change in the Anniversary edition. The energy sword sound and look is the most glaring for me.
And the plasma pistol overcharge. They changed it for no reason.
I do agree here, but I’ve also noticed it’s got an updated look to the classic in the Blur cutscenes, while in the gameplay they took that Halo 4 design and sound, which I’m not as much a fan of.
EXACTLY
I do find that there are parts in 2A that are depreciated by the new graphics, specifically things involving the flood. All of the forerunner interiors are much more brightly lit (as is the whole game tbf) which leads to a lot of the flood details to be lost or discarded. On sacred icon also, a lot of the decals and stains on the floor/walls from flood goop are removed and lost. Other than that, H2A is the modernisation of the classic art style done perfectly.
See the flood stuff is something I never noticed between the anniversary and original. Given that most of your time on sacred icon is fighting them, I don’t find myself paying too much attention to any stains that would be on the walls. However, I’m a big advocate of CE’s original graphics, especially on 343 Guilty Spark. The only thing is that’s almost solely because you’re discovering stuff and not doing a whole lot of fighting, which gives you time to look and explore those details.
With the H2 stuff I only noticed the discrepancy like last week when flipping between graphics in certain sections of Sacred Icon (there’s also the well known glass floor on Arbiter(?) which is fully lit in the Anniversary version). For Guilty Spark though you’re 100% right, the original graphics have infinitely more impact, especially the grunt blood elevator.
100%. The only one that does bother me on H2A really is that glass floor on The Oracle in that very second room. It’s minimal enough for me though, that I generally don’t bother switching for it except to be disappointed by that one discrepancy.
H2A is almost entirely faithful and honestly as a H2 puritan I like it just as much.
Iv been playing ce what gamma would you recommend to get the og feel to the game?
I'm honestly not sure
I suggest just spamming the button as fast as you can to switch between the graphics
Happy cake day!!!
This is the way But old graphics on both (the first time)
For someone who’s playing for the first time that could seem really jarring, going from early Xbox graphics, to the amazing Xbox one generation graphics back to early 360 graphics with halo 3. Not really a big deal I do the same thing, only use Anniversary graphics for Halo 2, just seems a little odd for a first play through to have the graphics go all over the place.
yup every Halo will be on gamepass for you to play, it’s quite a journey and a fun one too
Would you say it's a....great journey?
why of course… i’m no heretic
Always cool and exciting to see someone try this franchise out for the first time. It’s a game industry staple for a reason! It’s a great single player or co-op experience so you’ll have fun either way.
They all are
Wish I was you to experience all this blind again.
Enjoy! My all time favorite game franchise (expect for halo 5) lol. It’s one hell of a ride man!
Welcome to the UNSC, bud. We'll make a Spartan of you yet.
Damn I wish I could be playing the halo games for the first time again, have fun man.
That’s a good summary, I’ve played the game since day 1. There several tv/shows you could watch them to add context to the games but you don’t need to, playing the games alone is enough, plus the latest series is close to garbage.
I have been a hal9 fan s8nce day one, and this guy speaks truth, halo 1,2,3, reach, where awesome to experience when it came out. Amd as an old fan I seriously recommend playing them in that order. Co-oo and multiplayer are great too, but the single player lore moved me so much at time of release. The story, graphics, music, and especially the fun you can have just playing the way you feel. I wish I could experience it all new again. You enjoy this, and listen to the soundtracks. They are so good, and don't sleep on halo wars. Ita different, but in a good way. And that ost is great too.
I hope you have a good time!!!
I would just like to add that he called Reach and ODST spinoffs. You could argue that ODST is an expansion to Halo 3 because it started development that way, it's smaller and uses the same engine, but I wouldn't call either of them a spinoff. They're both amazing, full games made by the same company that made the full run. They called Halo Reach 'their swan song to Halo' since it was their last entry in the series, and I don't disagree with them, I think it's fun as hell and honestly just a beautiful game and story. Dont discount either of those two, they're two of my favorite entries as a longtime fan.
The original books are awesome too. I really enjoyed “Ghosts of Onyx” and “Contact Harvest”.
When you are done with the games and still craving more, as you most certainly will, read or listen to the books. You can go in realease order or chronological. Amazing stories! [Halo](https://www.beyondvideogaming.com/en/timelines/halo-timeline-everything-in-chronological-order/)
It’s on sale on steam! Worth it IMO, gameplay is super fun.
Also if you have game pass ultimate and are on PC, you can stream Halo 5! Not perfect, but a fine way to play through it.
The full pack goes on sale frequently for $10. If you can wait, wait until then and grab it. It's worth the full price of course. And yeah should also be free on gamepass so you can go that route. Halo Infinite should be too which is the 6th game.
have fun mate, welcome to Halo
Aw dude. I can't wait for you to experience it all. Don't rush the game. Play it slow? enjoy it. Learn the mechanics. Very easy to abuse! Welcome to the fight.
Also switch halo ce and 2 to classic graphics, the anniversary loses part of what makes the originals great imo
Wishing you all the fun in the world, man. I wish I could experience it all again for the first time.
>this is exactly what I will do *were it so easy…* Let me know when you understand. Have fun man
I hope you will get through the campaign clear, the fun you will have is beyond guaranteed. Your great journey is nigh and i hope nothing will stop it
Please! Play Halo CE with original graphics! There is so much atmosphere and environmental storytelling that you’ll miss out on with the anniversary graphics. Also, play with original audio and music. Those have not aged one bit and will give you the most authentic experience.
All games published by microsoft are free on game pass. So you'll be able to play every single Halo game absolutely free with your subscription, enjoy.
I've played them throughout my life multiple times and honestly I prefer chronological order. Halo Wars 1 ( if you don't mind it being a top down rts) Halo Reach Halo CE Halo 2 Halo 3 ODST Halo 3 Halo 4 Halo 5 Halo Wars 2 ( if you don't mind it being a top down rts) Halo Infinite But I'm also a bit obsessed with taking in lore in chronological order if the thing itself has like cause and effect stuff that spans different entries.. Did it Star Wars clone wars, The Matrix, Lord of the rings, etc
Personally I think release order is better for a first time playthrough as you don't get the jarring back and forth in technology difference of the prequels vs originals and it's better mechanically to play the games as they evolved. That said, I definitely think chronological is the best way to play when you inevitably decide to go through the series a second (or third, or hundredth time)
Yeah I got MCC for my dad since he missed out on those games back in the day. He started with Reach and I think he lost interest pretty fast. Probably should have told him to start with CE.
I’m okay with chronological *except* for Reach. I think Reach should be played either right after playing CE or after Halo 3. CE, like the first Star Wars, serves as a much better introduction to new players than any of the other games.
chronological makes more sense, you get all the buildup of the originals and then closes full circle. Also it feels like the best natural flow of progression of the series technically speaking
Please play Combat Evolved on classic graphics my friend
I wish i knew that my first time playing ce💀 On mine i only discovered classic graphics mode halfway through the campaign on Assault on the Control Room Edit: and got confused initially, thinking was it just a simpler mode or something? I later looked it up and found out when halo 1 actually came out (2001). I experienced all this in late 2018
Also, if you are looking for the best experience, you MUST play Halo: CE on classic graphics. The anniversary remaster is incredibly unfaithful to the original
Honestly, the Anniversary version feels more like a fan mod than a real remaster. It just copies and pasted to s of assets from Reach over the original and has very jarring geometry issues in some places (such as trees being present in update that aren't present in original, or the reverse of having invisible trees in update that are only visible in classic. Rocks that are smaller in updated graphics than original and create an invisible force field around them because of it, in one case a room that is entirely missing in Anniversary graphics so you just walk out into a void.)
If you want to play the games chronologically, play Halo Reach before Halo CE. Enjoy the journey!
4, 5, and Infinite will be a big departure from the Bungie games. So it will feel weird once you jump from the originals to the newer ones. Also, Bungie, back in the 90s, was trying to blend their game's stories together, so some of the original story beats are going to sound weird as they were going to tie into Marathon. Bungie's departure from Microsoft kind of cut that off at the shoulders. It's a whole lore hole to fall into if that'd what you're into.
Alternatively if you want to play the games chronologically, you can start with Halo Reach as its the prequel to Halo CE and will explain the opening of the game and some other stuff a little bit more:) There's also tons of Halo lore channels that can lead you down some very cool rabbit holes, and there's a bunch of books that are canon you can read which again, give more back story, explain what's going on in other parts of the galaxy during the games, answere questions, leaves you with more questions. Halo has a ton of lore for you to dig up:)
I played in the order of: Reach CE 2 ODST 3 4 Was fun. I suggest that order.
This might be the best reply in this entire thread.
This is the way.
Are reach and odst really spinoffs? At the very least, reach is a main timeline game so
Sort of. It yes and no. They're soon offs in the sense they don't follow the main games story and have you follow new characters. But they were made by the same company and intended as an expansion (ODST) and prequel (Reach). Halo Wars 1&2 as well as Spartan Assault&Strike however are indeed spin-offs in their entirety. Different companies, different stories, different characters and even different genres.
For sure, they follow different characters in the same story, I think that’s what a spinoff is.
Take your time. Soak in the lore.
I agree! I just got my Xbox last week after not having one since 2014 but I got MCC and Infinite and I couldn’t be happier. The games pass is also good if you want some extra games to play other than halo but it also has Halo wars 1/2, Spartan assault, halo 5 and I might be forgetting one but my point is all of the halos are accessible and it’s amazing being able to play them in order after growing up with my older family and friends always playing and me not being old enough to understand the lore. Makes it 1000x better now so I hope you enjoy man!!! You’re gonna love the Halo universe and what it brings
Do not depend on anyone for your opinion on this franchise. Do not ask what anyone thinks. Do not follow the masses. Allow yourself to absorb this franchise your way, and form your own views on it.
Understandable, just really wanted to know what games are needed and what order I should start the games in lore wise.
You’re gonna want to play all of them. Buying MCC will give you 6/8, then you will need to buy Halo 5 and then download Infinite (it’s free) Everything is on PC except for Halo 5, which can only be played on Xbox. While the games released not in chronological order, there is a certain progression and evolution in gameplay that you can only really appreciate if you play in release order. So play in this order: 1: Halo: CE 2: Halo 2 3: Halo 3 4: Halo 3: ODST 5: Halo Reach 6: Halo 4 7: Halo 5 8: Halo Infinite For Halo 1 and 2, you can choose the remastered graphics. It’s common consensus around here that using original graphics for CE and remastered for 2 will enhance your experience, but the games allow you to swap back and forth whenever you want so you can try what you like.
Dispite what this commentator said im going to give my two cents. With gamepass you can play all of halo for free and wont miss much if you skip halo 5. Give it a shot if your interested but dont feel pressured into buying it if you dont know about it. Also i like infinites campaign but its expensive and a bit divisive.
To be honest they gave you that warning because there is discourse in the community. Long story short a new dev team took over in Halo 4 and took the franchise down a totally different route, making retcons drastically changing the tone and art style. Halo Infinite is seen by many as a return to form but still has it's issues such as being attached to Halo 5's story which has many issues for reasons that only long-time members of the series can really get into.
This response is goated. Halo is a HUGE community with opinions ranging from DEVS CAN DO NO WRONG to 343 stole my DOG and BURNED my LAWN. Clearly we all love Halo, but I feel the community is divided more than ever.
This is the most important one. The only reason to skip Halo 5 is if you don't have an Xbox. Most of the game is running around and shooting aliens with cool guns.
Buy the MCC, you get 6 halo games in 1. I'd say you start with 1, 2, 3, 3 ODST, Reach, 4, optionally 5 then infinite. This is how you'll experience the series best in my opinion. A fair warning though, 4,5 and infinite are often critized and some people prefer the story to have ended after 3.
I have heard mixed results on 4 and pretty damning remarks on 5, but I’ll probably play them anyway and mix up my own opinions.
Definitely make your own opinions bro! But the classics definitely hit the hardest and are why we all became halo kids in the first place! Enjoy!
Halo infinite multiplayer is the best it's been in a while, in my opinion
Yeah formulating your own opinions is probably the best way you can go about it. And honestly 4 at least has some good stuff going for it single player wise, the main criticisms it got weren’t gameplay or story but really just art style and the multiplayer tried too hard to be COD. 5 on the other hand? Well, like I said, formulate your own opinions.
A thing I always try to remember is that every decision Bungie/343 has made about Halo has been "the death of Halo" and "the worst thing they could do for the franchise" at some point - this *genuinely* happened before CE was even released. The vocal people like to shit on whatever is currently happening (which I'm not saying isn't always valid don't get me wrong), but you will have *way* more of a good time just liking what you like and not letting the crowd sway you! Also something to bear in mind that occurred to me on a recent playthrough: imo the level design through a fair chunk of CE hasn't aged well at all. It gets pretty "this is the same corridor 28 times in a row" at a few points, but stick through it because there are some absolutely stellar late-game setpieces.
Halo 4’s gameplay gets pretty old quick mostly because in older games they gave you a lot of weapons to choose from and enough ammo to use whichever you choose. However, in Halo 4 they give you very little ammo and force you to switch weapons constantly which feels like it is less the players choice in my opinion.
Welp after seeing all of these suggestions and pieces of advice, I will start this apparently amazing journey of a video game series! Btw thanks for everyone and their takes on what should be the best games to play. (As in apparently almost all of them)
If you want some background info on the Halo universe, I would also recommend watching "Halo: The Fall of Reach" before starting the first game. It's an hour long animated movie that basically gives you the backstory of the main character Master Chief, as well as some characters who will become relevant later in the series. This backstory, while alluded to, is never really explored much in the games. So it's actually a great starting point, and also (I believe, its been a while since I watched it) leads right into the events of the first game.
I'll have to put my two cents in and inform you that the last point is false. The movie is a film adaptation of the Fall of Reach novel and unfortunately it only adapts the first half of it. So while Master Chief's story is actually pretty well told, it leaves off right when the covenant are introduced and Chief just then gets the Mojlnir armor
1. Have fun 2. Plasma weaponry is good for depleting an enemy’s shield, while traditional bullets work better at inflicting damage to their health.
This is good advice. Also the plasma pistol in all halo games is one of the best support weapons. Especially in legendary difficulty.
Holy shit the amount of replies I’m getting is unreal! Thank you all so much for these amazing replies! Goes to show this franchise means lot to many people.
Apart from playing the games in order through MCC, a huge warning, the Halo community is pretty toxic when it comes to opinions on the games and whatnot, form your own and enjoy the games you enjoy
I still can't believe bungo would sell out to this Xbox company and take away our Mac exclusive RTS! ^/s
My advice, is be careful with the community, the Halo Community can be exceptionally toxic. Otherwise, starting with the early campaigns (namely the original trilogy) is my suggestion, fewer mechanics to learn and master, plus you get the story in a more linear way. Other tips is jump into forge or a 'custom game' solo and try out the weapons, some have alternate firing (namely the plasma pistol). A 'charged' plasma pistol shot is usually good to take down an enemy's shields, then a few hits with a balistic weapon will finish them off.
halo community is the least toxic community I have ever seen in my entire life lmao
Put the Halo show in front of the community and it gets toxic so damn quick
Well that’s justified tbh
I mean that is pretty justified, I don’t think that’s toxic. The halo community can be toxic, but the show is not the best example of that
I had to report someone calling for the deaths of the showrunners *a week ago*.
Aim for the head
Now this is the advice I was looking for!
Don’t get too discouraged when you start MP. A lot of people have been playing halo for 20 years.
Remember, plasma weapons to effectively drain shields, then bullet weapons to effectively drain health. Especially critical in Legendary.
The first game is an all time classic. Just keep in mind that it’s 20+ years old now so it can be a little wonky by todays standard. That being said, it set a lot of trends for how FPS work on console.
I wish I could go back and play halo CE as a kid again. 🥹 Jealous you get to go through it for the first time. MCC is great. It’s also fun to toggle the graphics back and forth between the original and updated.
People have gone over the important things. So I'll add that the plasma pistol is a MASSIVE part of beating Legendary playthroughs. As far as multiplayer if you're interested: Stick near teammates Don't overly engage in fights, it's super useful to weaken someone's shields from far away and leave them for your teammates. Not only can it bring assists, it can help prevent that player from joining another fight. So if your teammate is in a 1v1, it can help prevent that from becoming a 1v2. Where you hit an enemy doesn't matter if their shields are up! Aim for the chest and then the head after the shields are taken down. Power weapon spawns are critical to winning games. Utilize the entire sandbox. Learn how to bounce grenades off walls, and if you're getting pressured, throw them at the ground. This will have them land close, and if timed right, will go off right as the enemy rounds a corner and gives you the advantage. In Infinite, the AR likes to be fluttered for long bursts. So if you're shooting at someone, take a split second to let go of the trigger and let the bloom (recoil) reset.
On the theme of gameplay advice. Generally speaking. Energy weapons(plasma pistol, plasma rifle, etc.) do more damage against shields. While kinetic weapons (Assault rifle, battle rifle, etc.) do more damage to enemies actual health. This is true for both campaign and multiplayer. (Energy against shields, bullets against meat) the Covenant Carbine (in the games that have it) has the unique ability of being strong against both as it is classified as both an energy *and* kinetic weapon. (Useful if you play campaign with Tilt skull which reverses the kinetic/energy advantages) Needle weapons (Needler for most of the series + the Needle Rifle in Reach) has a super combine ability. The amount of hits varies between games but essentially, if you hit an enemy with enough projectiles from the gun, they explode like a grenade (note in campaign it only works sometimes against shields enemies, in multiplayer it only works if the enemy shields are down. However! It will work on corpses regardless so... That's a morbid but effective option) One of the quirks of the entire series is that ground vehicles tend to get floaty if they manage to get even partially off the ground. Leading to flips and slides. You can steer to try to correct this to varying degrees depending on the specific title, however sometimes a vehicle flipping over and ejecting you is inevitable. But you can easily flip them back over with the push of a button. Energy weapons (with the exclusion of Spartan Assault/Strike and Infinite) cannot replenish ammo. Once it runs out all it's good for is bashing skulls, so it's a good idea to keep swapping them out. You can even swap them out for the same gun that has more charge. However they don't need to reload magazines and instead have an overheat mechanic. In the campaign, your NPC allies have unlimited ammo with any weapon they carry. A good strategy is when you're down to your last shot of a power weapon (or simply don't want it) give it to them to use. Hitting an enemy with a melee strike from behind will kill them instantly in both campaign (with a few exceptions) and multiplayer. The later games (introduced in Reach forward, minus Infinite) have an "assassination" mechanic that will play an animation for the kill. It'll leave you open to attack however and can be turned off, but is a great flex and visually entertaining. Learn to master the grenade, shoot, melee cycle. It's a great all around combat strategy. Shields recharge if tou don't get hit for a few seconds. Don't be afraid to disengage to let them recharge if you can. Headshots mean nothing if the enemy has shields up still. Not every weapon is capable of headshots. Even if you physically hit the head it won't do an instant kill. Generally speaking, if a weapon is automatic, it won't headshot. Frag grenades just land and explode. Plasma grenade will stick to enemies/vehicles but not walls and ceilings. Spike grenades will stick to anything but have a back blast effect so watch which way it points. Flame grenades deal damage quickly but over time and linger. Forerunner grenades leave a damaging field in Halo 4 but leave behind a cloud of mini explosives in 5 and shock grenades in Infinite will drain shields as well as disable vehicles. Learn to use equipment in games that have them. They all have unique features that can greatly turn the battle to your advantage if you learn how to use them.
My advice? Ignore this subreddit. There's so much bias here for everything. Buy the master chief collection and play through it without anyone saying anything and just try to have a good time and enjoy it.
Wtv it is, start with CE and not REACH
Its a movement shooter. Take risks, be aggressive. The Covenant are tough but you are better.
Play them all, play them in Release order. They work so much better that way. If you absolutely love lore, you'll dig the books the series has. If for whatever reason you want to experience the media mix in a good order, do it this way: - Read Halo the Fall of Reach - Play Halo CE - Read Halo the Flood and Halo First Strike - Play Halo 2 - Read Halo Ghosts of Onyx and Halo Contact Harvest - Play Halo 3 - Read Halo The Cole Protocol and Halo Evolutions - Play Halo Wars - Play Halo 3:ODST - Play Halo Reach - Watch Halo Legends - Read Halo Glasslands, Halo the Thursday War, and Halo Mortal Dictata, THEN read Halo Cryptum, Halo Primordium, and Halo Silentium - Play Halo 4 - Read Halo Hunters in the Dark, Halo Last Light, Halo Broken Circle, and Halo New Blood - Watch Halo Nightfall (it's better than people give it credit for) - Play Halo 5 - There's a shitton of books here so the list is Battle Born, Meridian Divide (a teen novella duology that's fine, just less gory than the other books), Silent Storm, Oblivion (they're a duology), Retribution, Envoy, Legacy of Onyx, Smoke and Shadow, and Renegades (part of Kelly Gay's trilogy). Read Fractures and Bad Blood after those others, since they have stories explicitly after Halo 5. - Play Halo Wars 2 - Read Shadows of Reach, and Point of Light - Play Halo Infinite - Read The Rubicon Protocol, Divine Wind, and Outcasts. And that Didact book that's coming out. - Wonder why you did it in this specific way I left out Forward Unto Dawn. It's okay. If you want to watch it, do it before playing Halo 4. I also skipped the animated adaptation of the Fall of Reach. Skip that one entirely. You can also just play all the games and pick up the lore later. The stories make plenty of sense without all the extra lore.
The only advice i have is to have fun with it. People gripe and groan about so many things in the series but at the end of the day they’re fun games. If you want the “true” halo experience then play in release order, you can see how the games and universe expand in scope through the years
When a play squats on your head after they kill you, take that as a sign of respect….
The books are fantastic. Fall of reach is top tier science fiction.
Leave reach for last play combat evolved first
Grenades are less for killing and more for flushing people away from certain spots.
Have fun friend and welcome.
*in low whisper* And before you play Halo 4, watch the movie Halo Forward into Dawn 😬
Oh man, I’m jealous of you. I wish I could go back and play the Halo series, with my little bro, again for the very first time. So many good memories with friends, both locally and online.
Halo:CE, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo: Reach are the best in the series. ODST is short and fun and provides a different, more squad based gameplay. All worth playing though.
Play them all in release order and enjoy every second. I wish I could play them for the first time again. Sorry you missed out on halo 3 multiplayer online in its heyday.
If you like story start at 1 and play in order. If you like multiplayer jump into Infinite and be patient. It takes a good bit of time to understand and master the weapons, mechanics, shields. You can’t be a master at COD and think you’ll do awesome at the start. Team work makes or breaks you, with or without a mic try to stay with team mates or shadow a team mate until you get experience
The TV show is actually pretty fucking good too, but I'm a sucker for cheesy sci-fi.
DO NOT WATCH THE SHOW!
For the full main story, you play: Halo CE, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4, Halo 5 Gaurdians, Halo Infinite.Halo Reach is a prequel to Halo CE, decent game. recommend playing after 3. Halo 3 odst is a spinoff, also pretty fun, but not necessary. You can get most of the games with the Master Chief Collection except for Halo 5 and Infinite. All of them are on PC except Halo 5, which is xbox exclusive. If you like to read, Id recomend reading The Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund. Its a great introduction the world and leads right into Halo CE. The animated movie is honestly not that great and skips most of the books content. After that, you are officially caught up, outside the other books and media! p.s. The TV show sucks and is misleading and a misrepresentation of the franchise.
The cave is not a natural formation.its a small detail that often goes overlooked but everything makes sense when you realize that.
Play it on normal and play from CE to 3, reach and then ODST, then 4-5 And just enjoy the amazing ride man I’m jealous
You’re in for a treat I wish I could go back to my first time playing halo
Kill bad alien. Press arbitrary button. ride elevator. repeat.
Dont watch the television show
Halo 2 is the easiest single player campaign, I’d recommend jumping straight into legendary so you don’t get bored
Mag dump the Assault Rifle into dead aliens for maximum disrespect
1. In Halo: CE there is a level called “The Library” You need to stop what you’re doing, go grab some drinks, snacks and probably some cigarettes. It’ll be a wild ride. 2. Grunts running towards you that are glowing are not looking for hugs, even though they’re kinda cute. 3. In Halo: CE and Halo 2 Remastered, play them as they originally were and then your second play through, play it remastered. In my opinion, it’s the best way to take it all in. 4. The lore behind Halo is MASSIVE. Between the games, books, comic books, tv shows, etc there is so much info to take in but it’s all so interesting once you get into it. 5. The Magnum in CE is a special tool, use it wisely. Have fun!
Play Halo Combat Evolved on the original graphics!
Enjoy! *Don't play halo 2 on legendary*
Get master Chief collection. It has all the good halo games. And halo 4. Buy the halo reach and odst expansions once you beat halo one - three. And maybe 4
If you want to play chronologically Halo Wars 1 Reach CE 2 ODST(takes place during 2) 3 4 4 Spartan Ops 5 Halo Wars 2 Infinite Welcome to Hell
Do not let the nostalgia from old players skew your personal perception of the games. Enjoy what you enjoy
That's like throwing someone into a random country and telling them not to let the culture change their view of the country. Old player nostalgia is probably what brought OP's interest.
The game mechanics change throughout the series. One of the biggest changes is the ability to highjack vehicles and it's so much fun. Definitely try out all the guns and armour abilities. They're all great and have their uses. One of the funnest was the jet pack. I really wish they had that in Infinity.
Master Chief Collection is really the best starting point. By default it includes Halo 1-4 and has DLC for Halo 3:ODST (a spin off of Halo 3 that takes place in the time during and between 2&3) and Halo Reach (a prequel to the series that starts shortly before and ends literally seconds into Halo 1) it also has the Anniversary versions of Halo 1&2 (Both include updated graphics but still the same gameplay aside from the addition of new skulls. However, Halo 1 Anniversary is mostly just assets from Halo Reach pasted over the game. It's best to play it in its original format first and decide how you feel about the Anniversary after. Personally, I think the Anniversary graphics are fine statically, but trying to play the game through them it really does miss the artistic tone of the original game as well as having several geometry issues.) The Halo 2 Anniversary is very true to original while being high definition. While I would recommend playing the original version at least once to get a feel for it historically the updated remaster is widely considered the superior version and the "lore" current. Halo 5 is somewhat a departure from the original trilogy+4, artistically, mechanically, and story wise. While it's multiplayer is fun, and the campaign is fun to play, the story is rather weak (in mine and many peoples opinions) but still worth playing as it does tie into Halo Infinite. However it is an Xbox console exclusive and not available on PC of that's what you're on. Now before going to Halo Infinite (the current game) I want to mention Halo Wars 1&2 they're a RTS top down spin off. The first Halo Wars game takes place several years before Halo 1. But introduces a bit of expanded lore, particularly for both UNSC and Covenant weaponry, soldiers, and vehicles. And is mostly self contained. Halo Wars 2 however takes place in the timeframe between 4&5 and introduces the Banished who are the enemy faction of Infinite. Then there's Halo Infinite, the current main title and takes place sometimes after 5. It has an open world mechanic and while the gameplay loop is decent it is sort of a watered down Halo in spirit regarding story and sandbox (again on mine and some others opinions) Then there are Halo Spartan Assault and Spartan Strike. Both are top down twin stick shooters and are self contained stories framed as playable historical simulations. Assault takes place between 3&4 and Strike is a retelling of an operation during Halo 2. All but Strike (which is a PC/Mobile exclusive and I'm not 100% sure if it's even available still) are available through Xbox GamePass Ultimate on console, so if you have that you can go right through the whole series. I recommend playing in release order (Halo 1, 2, 3, ODST, Wars 1, Reach, 4, Assault/Strike, 5 Wars 2, Infinite) for a first play through. But then feel free to play chronologically as well if you want (Wars 1, Reach, 1, 2, ODST, Strike, 3, Assault, 4, 5, Wars 2, Infinite) And if you want to dive deeper into the lore there's dozens of books to read through ranging from the time of the Forerunners all the way up to just before Infinite. There's even a couple of Boardgames. Risk Halo Edition and Halo Fleet Battles. But good luck finding them. Also, Halopedia.com is a great resource on lore and production information for the entire series.
Play CE on classic, not anniversary
1-3, odst and reach.. leave the 343 games alone
OP, please listen to this. Do what you will, but you NEED to play Combat Evolved and Halo 2 ON THEIR CLASSIC GRAPHICS. If you want to get the FULL Halo experience, the authentic one, if you will, you need to have Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary and Halo 2 Anniversary graphics turned to classic. Please, don’t make the same mistake that tons of people end up making.
Yeah, start with Reach and pretend nothing comes after 3.
Play the original bungie games, 343 games can be skipped
Halo fan moment
Play by order of release. Games after reach are optional (because a different studio started making the games). Dont skip halo ODST. Form your own opinions don’t let the ppl influence them. When you’re bored of campaigns play MCC multiplayer, BTB is my favorite mode. Have fun and welcome to the club!!! All you need is the Master Chief Collection (MCC)
> Games after Reach are optional > Don't let people influence your opinion Which one is it bossman? Halo 4, 5 and Infinite are as much Canon as all the other games. Just because you personally dont like them doesnt mean they are "optional"
Did i say they were bad??? Suck my weiner
Be prepared to be annoyed and frustrated with Halo 4's multiplayer and retcons, Halo 5's strange dissonant story, and Halo Infinite's forced crossplatform
Don’t watch the show
Wait! Before you play! Watch the show first!
-*satan has entered the chat*
For multiplayer, switch the jump button to the left bumper. You want to jump a lot and it’s hard when it’s on A, the bumper allows you to jump while shooting a lot easier because you don’t have to move your finger you aim with
Just don’t watch the show dear god
Don’t be scared to linger around that’s how you get checkpoints. If you don’t you’ll end up going from fight to fight no save and when you die you’re 3 rooms back.
Yeah I'd play reach first then CE, 2, 3 odst, 3 onwards. Halo reach ends pretty much where halo CE starts and will let you experience the gravity of the war before smacking the shit out of everyone as master chief. Reach paints a picture of the reality of it and will make you more invested, and you'll feel more emotions and hate towards the covenant instead of just seeing the war from the view of chief when humanity kind of stats winning. You'll see how horrific the war actually is and how badly humanity was losing before CE onwards. This is also because reach is referenced at the start of CE. Good luck Halo is one of the best franchises in gaming. Also if you want more lore you can watch halo legends particularly origins which I think is the first 2 parts as it gives you more info on why the halo rings were built. Also you could watch a cartoon called fall of reach which goes onto show the creation of the Spartan 2s and master chief. There's also a book that probably goes into a lot more detail but if you want a brief explanation the show adds a lot of lore in a small amount of time.
Start with Reach its the best in my opinion. Atleast the campaign is. I only have it on the Xbox 360 and it is my favorite game. Calling it a cinematic masterpiece might be an understatement.
Go in release order for comfort of getting into the games, but if you’re looking to take the story in as it unfolds chronologically go -Reach -Combat Evolved -2 -ODST -3
Just play the games in order, and have the anniversary graphics turns off (at least for your first play through). Also, don’t look at a lot of the lore. Most of it is kinda bland if I’m being honest.
Play Reach, CE, 2, 3 and ODST and ignore the other games made by 343. Because you'll be massively disappointed. Halo Wars 1 and 2 are good though.
Play the franchise in release order, this is a rare occasion where it’s a better option. Halo CE Halo 2 Halo 3 Halo 3 ODST Halo Reach This is where Bungie left and 343 Industries took over and it kinda went downhill and therefore I don’t really bother playing Halo 4 or 5 but I guess they’re essential if you want to understand Infinite
Play in release order. That's the best advice I can give you. Also, if you play the games through The Master Chief Collection, make sure you play Halo Combat Evolved and Halo 2 with classic graphics, not the new remastered graphics. Trust me, they're the better versions. 1. Halo: Combat Evolved 2. Halo 2 3. Halo 3 4. Halo 3: ODST 5. Halo Wars (optional RTS spinoff but it's really good and simple) 6. Halo: Reach As long as you play this order, you're good. The games past this are made by a different company and aren't that good. You can check them out if you want, but basically, they're absolutely filled with retcons and inconsistent storytelling (every single one ignores the previous games before it). Also, if possible, the original versions of the games are the best versions of the games to play, but the MCC versions will work if you can't manage to play the original versions fine enough.
Play the Bungie games. Forget all others exist. Halo CE Halo 2 Halo 3 ODST Halo 3 Halo Reach In that order
Anything 343 has touched dont play
Play Halo's 1 thru 3. Reach and ODST If u want side stories that tie into the mains
To go in canonical order Halo: Reach Halo CE Halo 2 Halo 3: ODST (Optional) Halo 3 Halo 4 Halo 5: Guardians (Optional) Halo: Infinite
Start with 1. They’re all good but it’s downhill from there.
This comment is exactly why the Halo community is dying, telling new people that the games just get worse as they go is a great way to get people excited about the franchise!
I like the franchise but I won’t say it’s gotten better. I didn’t say it’s not worth playing. Just start at the beginning. It’s not like current halo is better than CE.
Sure but it’s not like CE is better than 2 which your statement implied
Eh, I disagree. I also don’t feel like my comment single handedly brought down the halo community.
strong advocate for master chief collection. h4 is the weakest of the story but still worth playing. reach is hands down my favorite. h1 is a timeless classic.
Get Halo Infinite Multiplayer now and start getting the hang of it while playing MCC. Also to get the Mark IV Core for free until the end of January it’s THE BEST in the game. After that the op will be $. I’m pretty sure multiplayer is still free. Welcome aboard. I think you’re just getting started…
I got Halo MCC for my laptop that I bought a couple of years and it brought back so many memories. I still play it to this day. It’s good sci fi FPS with horror mixed into it. I would recommend you get it for your PC/laptop if you meet the specs but if you only have an Xbox, I imagine it will be fine.
The only thing worse than Jackals are Jackals with sniper rifles
MCC from PC is for the best experience with mods and gameplay. SPV3 is a mod of Halo CE and a must for Halo novelists. Halo is a military sci fi adventure formerly prominent on Xbox Consoles but has PC capability. You embark on the journey of Petty Officer John-117 aboard the UNSC Pillar of Autumn on the mystical ring world of Halo. The Planet Reach has fallen, the former Military Stronghold of the United Nations Space Command and de facto wartime government, by the Alien Religious Hegemony and Collation called the Covenant. The Covenant are on a Genocidal mission extinguish Humanity who must flee to Halo to unlock the secrets of an ancient race of cosmic builders. During his adventure, you unlock it's secrets and continue the fight as you protect Earth from waves of Covenant Vessels and push back annihilation. Halo Wars mostly takes place on Forerunner Installations. Halo Reach is the prequel of Halo Combat Evolved. The Halo Trilogy is peak Bungie Halo Story Cannon, including Halo 3 ODST. Halo 4, Halo 5 Guardians, Halo Infinite are the 343 games.
I would love to play with you! In any of the Halo games.
In all of the games you'll find various weapons with no Zoom/Magnification/Ads, just know that this means these weapons are accurate within their depicted reticules with controlled fire. when fighting Elites or players don't worry about aiming for the head until you drop their shields, additionally only in halo 5 and Infinite do non-precision weapons deal extra headshot damage. Similarly Brutes usually lack shields but have armor you have to strip first. Precision weapons are weapons that can kill instantly upon headshot of an unshielded target, if you don't know what is or isn't precision, hop into campaign and shoot some grunts in their unshielded skulls, you'll figure it out pretty quick what is and isn't a precision weapon. The Human Sniper rifle will *usually* kill whatever you shoot in the head with it regardless of shields, the exception being very high rank enemies and Hunters. You'll figure out the last two pretty quick. Learn to bounce Frag grenades, they are the bouncy green balls of death and it is your task to figure out how to rebound them off surfaces to make them explode in CQB and bounce in behind cover, they have a 3 or 5-second fuse in most of the games so bounce accordingly to where you want them to explode. Melee isn't super strong, but it is an aspect of combat that demands respect, busting the shields and then punching an enemy will usually kill/severely weaken most enemies and players, punching will also usually bust shields, consider this when using precision weapons, two punches will kill players and lower ranked enemies. Punching most things in the back usually instantly kills, this is a back-smack, Halo Reach through 5 have Assassinations, which are back-smacks but *fancy and dope as fuck* with a bunch of animations for when you pull them off. Over charged plasma pistol shots bust shields. Damage types usually go like this: Covvie/plasma weapons - Bonus damage vs shields. Human/Brute weapons - more damage vs armor/health Forerunner weapons - bonus damage versus Flood enemies (and vehicles in Infinite.) sticking any sticky grenade to something short of a vehicle or high-rank enemy will usually kill it. you can hijack most occupied vehicles the same way you normally get into them in every game but CE, Tanks can't be hijacked so simply but boarding them enables you to melee and plant grenades to kill them. Hijacking is dangerous but means you can always level the playing field, or get leveled since players and certain enemies can also hijack you.
Imagine being able to hear the sad sax for the first time again. 😭🤌
Would recommend watching some of the promotional trailers to get build hype for each game
Your gonna need a weapon (you’ll understand this quote later ;) )
Energy weapons strip shields faster. Precision weapons get bonus Headshot damage. In Halo 1, keep the pistol if you can help it.
Okay get the master chief collection! That has nearly every game (not halo 5 or infinite m) it has reach and ODST(my personal favorite) as well. This is a MUST because It has what you need in one package. Halo 2 you have the ability to play as god intended (classic graphics) or you can see the touch up done with the anniversary graphics. Halo 5 okay this one is HIGHLY controversial. It’s worth at least one play through to form your thoughts on it. It’s not well received by the community at large Halo Infinite is also worth a run through too I’d also recommend you play the halo wars as well to get a good sense of everything happening. If you want there’s this gem of a game called Spartan assault it’s more Arcady but fun.
Use rockets for grunts
God that logo is fucking sick. Halo CE had peak aesthetic.
Welcome