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Edited by logan678910 65:
6/28/2026 3:40:58 AM
5
Ranking of the Halo games
Just got done replaying all the Halo games on MCC and thought I'd give my updated thoughts
Halo CE-Great, being the first game in the series, it sits in this weird paradox of being the most Halo but also feeling the least like Halo compared to the other games. I played with classic graphics and it adds a lot to the feel, tone, and atmosphere. Many areas feel much darker and more barren and gives an isolating feeling. Truly a masterpiece in subtlety and tone.
Halo 2-Great, also played through this one on classic graphics because 343 never bothered to optimize it more so it runs like -blam!- even on the series X. Halo 2 is also quite unique because even though its recognized as a legendary game, it almost feels overshadowed at times. It has the most ambitious changes made of any of the games and the most quirks. The story having two POVs was also great even though I despise some of Arbiter's levels.
Halo 3-Classic, feels good plays good looks good. Always fun to play and replay, that being said comparing it to Halo 2 makes you realize how lacking the story is in depth and how silly it can be at times. Not as much was innovated upon compared to Halo 2 and a lot of H2's quirks were toned down or removed.
ODST-Amazing, fun but a bit short. Makes me wish we had more games focused on soldiers that arent spartans. I also wish the ODSTs were more limited even though it wouldve made people pissed at the time (i.e. not being able to wield a gravity hammer).
Reach-Pure cinema. A little bit shorter than I remembered but great fun nonetheless. Best looking game, fairly innovative as well, just a great game to replay everytime.
Halo 4-Despite the many flaws this game has and the terrible retcons, I dont hate it. On its own it has a certain charm and I still enjoy playing through it. Prometheans dont bug me as much as they do other people (just in general, some of their mechanics drive me up a wall).
Im debating on installing Halo 5 for a replay but its like over a hundred gigs. One day 343 will have the resources to add it to Halo MCC.
English
#Offtopic
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2 RepliesI just want to add that Reach and ODST's Firefights against the enemy Horde's were a fun experience, even as a Solo. Halo 5's campaign had good planetary locales and its team based Firefight's against a Horde of enemies with various Bosses and the ability to use a vehicle was just peak. Although Halo 4 campaign was OK, I lived in its MM PVP and the Spartan Ops was like having another mini Campaign, thereby, it was still a good product. I didn't have an Xbox when Halo CE, 2, and 3 were released and only played them at my buddy's apartment or LAN parties. Eventually, I bought an Xbox and bought tons of games. Those three Halo games I venerate but my journey begins at Reach. You never forget Reach! Good campaign, MM PVP, and Firefights (I lived in them). It's funny that I wasn't a Day 1 Halo player nor a Day 1 Destiny 2 player, yet these two franchise have been my most favorite and obsessive games. LOL
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For me it's one and three. One because it was new and exciting and unlike anything I'd played before. Three because the story and characters were so compelling. Four was a cash grab in my opinion and five had too much pvp for my liking.
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2 RepliesSo which one is your favorite then? For me it is definitely 3 as I grew up on it. I was playing multiplayer matches from the age of 7 and onward and I was immediately hooked. There is no way of knowing how long I spent on the game, but I easily racked up at least 1000 hours. I have a lot of fond memories of this game, like the map Epitaph which reminded me of the Jedi Temple in the Prequels which I also loved. For all the time that I spent on the game, I never got much better, but I still look fondly back at those days. Definitely a top ten game for me.
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1 ReplyWhat a wonderful coincidence! I too and also doing a playthrough of each and am smack dab in the middle of 4 right now. It seems we have arrived at similar conclusions for most of the games. It is quite strange. I struggled the most with replaying 1. A lot. A whole lot more than I was expecting. Though I am going in chronological order and not release order, so dropping from Reach back to the OG was extremely difficult. There are some great elements in the performance of 1, but also… man. The age in some of the vocal performances is rough. Reach. I loved. It’s my favorite. Then again, while I love the games, I cannot stand Chief. I know he’s a faceless stand in for the player, but he is just too aggressively boring. Both the Rookie and Noble 6 are equally blank slates but with just a game of real estate they don’t overstay their welcome. And the rest of the cast of Reach I absolutely adore. Though they did Kat dirty. Halo 2 I’ve always loved. I love the risks they took with expanding it. It gave me my one true love, the battle rifle. Arbiter may not my favorite character, but unlike Chief he is a character, and I like how he grows and his dichotomy with Chief, Ship Master, Johnson. Some of the set pieces just go on for too long. Specifically High Charity. Agreed about some of the Arbiter segments being my least favorite sections. ODST is my second favorite. Honestly I love the ODSTs so much more than the Spartans. They have to earn their elite status and they are facing a threat that is stronger than them. The atmosphere of that game is hands down the best. The soundtrack is chef’s kiss. That silenced SMG is my second favorite weapon period. No notes. Give me another ODST adventure. Halo 3. The standard in gameplay for a reason. Superbly balanced, guns and movement feel great. I remember the story being more… epic. It seems so much more shallow narratively than I remember. Especially the Arbiter relationship. I remember him having a much more established role, but he’s just there for if you have a second player. His whole role in the story seems thrown in. The narrative assumes a much greater investment in the Chief/Cortana relationship than I had. She’s much more interesting than him, but her entire story is wrapped around him in a way that comes off to me as rather desperate. That said, best tank segments. And they let me fight scarabs. This game gets and properly balances huge field battles better than any other. Halo 4. Only halfway. Liking it way more than my previous plays. Not story, mind you. The story’s pretty weak and still assuming I care about the Chief/Cortana thing. Which… I don’t. I really don’t. Combat is not as fine tuned, but it is good. Forerunners I am not struggling with as much as before. All told… I’m enjoying it. Looking forward to 5–which I actually did like quite a lot when I played it before. Though they didn’t have the testicular fortitude to just make Locke the actual main character and follow through on Chief being the villain. Oh well.
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A couple things I forgot to mention. Reach has an absolutely amazing soundtrack. Shrimply stunning. Halo 2 classic on the other hand has a generally great soundtrack but theres a lot of time throughout the campaign where the music is just quiet or not there at all, particularly during whats supposed to be the climax of the mission. Maybe this is an MCC thing but I havent played an original H2 copy in 12 years.
