We’re eagerly awaiting the next Halo installment.
Until then we decided we look back at all the previous Halo Campaigns and rank them.
This is Xbox’s biggest franchise and we love these games.
We are only considering the Main Halo First-Person Shooter Campaigns, so no Halo Wars or Spartan Assault here.
With that said, welcome to No Time Gamer.
The website helps your gaming sessions be time well spent and today we are ranking the Halo campaigns from Worst to First.
6. Halo 5
Halo 5 was the best-looking Halo to date, but a few controversial decisions turned it into a mixed bag for Halo fans.
The first was the removal of split screen co-op.
Local Co-op had been a staple in the halo games and its removal was an immediate loss.
The second issue was the focus on Spartan Locke over the Master Chief.
343 Industries looked to pivot the Halo story away from the Chief and to a new lead, but fans were not having it.
The excellent game play along with solid visuals kept the game enjoyable to play even on repeat playthroughs, but these decisions led to a lot of backlash.
5. Halo 2
Halo 2 is considered one of the best games in the series when it comes to multiplayer, primarily due to the introduction of Xbox live, but we are only discussing the campaign.
It was exciting to get a sequel to one of our all-time favorite games, especially after such a long wait.
And the game introduced plenty of new elements like a new humanity hating race of aliens called the Brutes, new weapons, and vehicles, but the most memorable addition was playing as the Arbiter.
It was exciting to use the energy sword or fuel rod cannon along with driving a wraith in the campaign.
But switching back and forth between the Chief and the Arbiter caused the story to drag, even if it added intrigue.
But the first game conditioned us to hate the covenant and we struggled to not kill them even when playing as an Elite.
Grunts, however, are easy prey for any species, so they were still fair game.
The anniversary edition enhances the graphics up to our modern standards and yes, the gameplay is a blast, but there are better installments in the series.
4. Halo: Combat Evolved
Every great franchise needs a banger of a start and Halo: Combat Evolved is no exception.
As our first experience with Master Chief and the world of Halo, we were blown away from the start and the experience never let up.
From the opening mission battling to escape the Pillar of Autumn, landing on the mysterious Halo ring, the betrayal of 343 guilty spark, and discovering the terrifying Flood, Halo CE set the tone for Microsoft’s biggest series.
There are just so many amazing things this game introduced and did so successfully.
The AI, the guns, the Warthogs, Cortana, and the Chief.
So many great elements that still stand the test of time.
It may have been surpassed by other campaigns, but this game will always hold a special place in our hearts and shows the power of an amazing campaign to launch a franchise and legitimize a new console.
3. Halo 4
We were leery of 343 Industries taking control of the franchise away from Bungie.
However, 343’s first stab at Halo soon became one of our favorites.
Halo 4 introduced a fresh set of enemies, the Prometheans.
Along with them came some exciting new weaponry like the Binary Rifle and Lightrifle, among others.
We also saw additions to the armor abilities first introduced in Halo: Reach with the hardlight shield, promethean vision, autosentry, and more.
Even with these awesome additions, nothing could top the thrill we got seeing Master Chief emerge from his cryotank at the beginning of the game after waiting 5 years to know his fate following the major cliffhanger of Halo 3.
This campaign also hit us right in the feels with arguably the most emotionally-captivating end to any of the campaigns and left us anxious for more.
Halo 4 had some big shoes to fill, but the game over-delivered in almost every way.
2. Halo Reach
Prequels are a challenge to pull off, but Halo Reach told an intriguing story with badass elements tied to the original Halo game showing that prequels can be done and done well.
Following the missions of Noble Team and Six as they fight the Covenant, save New Alexandria, and most importantly, ensure the safe passage of the Chief and Cortana onboard the Pillar of Autumn before the destruction of the planet Reach.
The story of Noble Team is a harrowing one, that sees each member of the team sacrificing themselves for the greater mission and the final stand by Six still gives us chills when watched or played today.
Beyond the story, Reach is also the game that introduced the powerups that have become staples in the franchise.
This includes suite enhancements like the jet pack, sprint, and active camouflage.
These added some great strategy to the game and add a little customization to the gameplay.
Reach really is an outstanding campaign and a surprising one since little was expected of a Halo CE prequel.
1. Halo 3
Halo 3 is at the top of our list as the best campaign in the series, and to us, it’s no surprise.
When playing Halo, we want to play as the badass main character, Spartan 117 Halo Campaigns.
This fast-paced story gives us exactly that experience but keeps it interesting and focused by working alongside the Arbiter rather than playing as an exiled Elite.
And this time we had to rescue Cortana, which left Chief alone to figure things out rather than relying on her.
Halo 3 also added new weapons, like incendiary grenades and the all-powerful gravity hammer, along with a host of new vehicles.
Who doesn’t love jumping on a military armored ATV and quickly zipping around or climbing into the cockpit of a UNSC aircraft like the Hornet Halo Campaigns.
But the best additions were the new power ups like the bubble shield, power drain, health re generator, and the solar flare, Halo’s equivalent of a flash bang that completely washes out your screen.
This game did a spectacular job of bringing Halo back to the basics of being an unstoppable one-man army while adding new elements that enhanced the tools used to kill any enemy in our sights.
The only thing missing is an anniversary edition.
Come on 343, help us out here!
Conclusion
Let us know in the comments how you would rank the Halo Campaigns.
Since you’re here, why not check out our 2020 review of Halo: The Master Chief Collection.