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LTTP: Halo (A Chronological Playthrough)

Grimminski

Grimminski

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,136
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Yeah, yeah. I've never played them. Get your snickers and snark out of the way.

Reach
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This one seems to be a bit divisive among fans (because of the multiplayer? 🤷‍♂️). I finished it last night and had a really good time with it, owing less to the gameplay and more to it not overstaying its welcome. I wish some more time was given to fleshing out Noble Team, if only to give their deaths a bit more impact. Though I guess it doesn't really matter, because even if you know very little about Halo, it's obvious you were doomed from the very start.

Combat Evolved:
halo-combat-evolved.jpg

I was having a lot of fun with this right up until I finished The Silent Cartographer. The next two missions, Assault on the Control Room and 343 Guilty Spark, are some of the most bland and boring levels in any shooter I've ever played. The same room and corridor repeated a half dozen times, I've honestly had more fun doing busy work in Assassin's Creed. Now I'm on The Library, and it looks like it's going to be more of the same, like the whole game drove a Warthog off a fucking cliff. God I miss being able to sprint.

And screw the Flood. Discount Necromorph rat bastards.

I'll play more tomorrow, maybe even finish CE. I can already say it's going to rank low on my list.
 
Masterz1337

Masterz1337

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,802
H1 is def a game of its time, but the gunplay is so great. In the modern day, you can't really appreciate it as the games are played in a way to be quickly consumed, and on to the next. It's really hard to appreciate how good the gameplay is, when the objective of playing is to move onto the next area or game, and be dazzled by spectacle.
 
Bor Gullet

Bor Gullet

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
12,399
Assault on the Control Room and 343 Guilty spark are levels I that love, if you thought those were tedious you would likely hate levels 7-9.

Now those are tedious.
 
gnexus

gnexus

Member
Mar 30, 2018
2,286
Do yourself a favor and if you keep up with the games, don't bother with 5's campaign unless you REALLY want to. All the rest are quite good, though. So you're lucky to be able to experience these for the first time. Stick with CE, I think it's worth it to at least experience the time capsule of an awesome 2001 console shooter. The bland corridors and repeating structures are definitely a result of constraints on development time, and a brand new console from a brand new console maker. So, it's kind of a wonder that it's still a really good game.
 
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Grimminski

Grimminski

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,136
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
gnexus said:
Do yourself a favor and if you keep up with the games, don't bother with 5's campaign unless you REALLY want to. All the rest are quite good, though. So you're lucky to be able to experience these for the first time. Stick with CE, I think it's worth it to at least experience the time capsule of an awesome 2001 console shooter. The bland corridors and repeating structures are definitely a result of constraints on development time, and a brand new console from a brand new console maker. So, it's kind of a wonder that it's still a really good game.
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I'm planning on playing through everything currently available on PC (Reach, CE, 2, ODST, 3). I'm hoping 4 and 5 aren't too far away.
 
Pulp

Pulp

Member
Nov 4, 2017
3,023
Halo CE still holds up I think. Though I can see coming from a more modern Halo title it could be a little jarring. Still though, the encounters and soundtrack is just as amazing.
 
Prolepro

Prolepro

Ghostwire: BooShock
Banned
Nov 6, 2017
7,310
H2A doesnt fix the weird plot pacing, but it puts the game on the best pedestal it couldve gotten. The presentation, especially due to the Bluepoint cutscenes as well as the fixed audio, is amazing.
 
Alex Connolly

Alex Connolly

Member
Oct 27, 2017
596
Kagoshima, Japan
Grimminski said:
The Necromorph are actually good though
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The Flood backstory comes to the fore in later games. I used to hate them back in the day, but honestly, they're all sorts of great.

They offer an interesting counterbalance to Covenant engagements, not just in the obvious rush, but in terms of verticality. Lots of leaping up and down in multi-level environments. Covenant are much better suited to broad, lateral combat, given their AI.
 
btags

btags

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,087
Gaithersburg MD
Grimminski said:
I'm planning on playing through everything currently available on PC (Reach, CE, 2, ODST, 3). I'm hoping 4 and 5 aren't too far away.
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I'll say you should play halo 5. The story isn't anything good really, but especially in coop the single player can be really fun. Technologically speaking it is the smoothest in terms of online coop if you want to do that.
 
DangerByrnes

DangerByrnes

Member
Oct 25, 2017
36
do not listen to people who say skip halo 5's campaign, other than a very overused boss mechanic and a lackluster ending its one of the better games in the series in terms of combat and level design. much better than halo 4's bad level design, boring combat encounters, and bizarre story decisions.

but everyone has a different opinion on every halo game, so its best if you see for yourself. for example a lot of people really like reach, i personally hated it. i look forward to how you feel about 2, my personal favorite.
 
Virtua Sanus

Virtua Sanus

Member
Nov 24, 2017
6,492
I strongly recommend playing or even replaying the games in co-op. In most cases it seriously amplifies them because the combat sandboxes become so much more interesting.
 
Tawpgun

Tawpgun

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,861
Halo CE was a product of its time.

It's best features from a campaign perspective are scale, gunplay, and AI.

I'd argue the AI is better in CE than in most modern games and even modern Halo's. Reach's and Halo 3's is good as well. Halo 3 has smart AI but the enemies are kinda easy.

In Reach, fighting an elite ultra/zealot was like a mini boss battle on heroic and up.
 
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Grimminski

Grimminski

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,136
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
I have *never* thrown a controller in my life, but I came so close 10 minutes ago escaping the Pillar of Autumn in that fucking Warthog. I was right there at the end and I missed it by 2 seconds. Now I have to start the whole sequence over again.
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Edit: And scene. To the bottom of the list you go Combat Evolved, never to be played again.
 
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Scottoest

Scottoest

Member
Feb 4, 2020
11,356
Halo CE is the one Halo game I don't think holds up by modern standards, at all.

I think you'll have a better time going forward - just make sure you don't play H2A with original graphics.
 

Brandino

Banned
Jan 9, 2018
2,098
I'm doing the same playing through on heroic. I kept Halo CE in it's original graphics form. The remaster seemed to ruin the atmosphere of the place. The remaster for 2 is much better so far, and I'm loving the soundtrack
 
Grazzt

Grazzt

Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,540
Brisbane, Australia
Grimminski said:
I have *never* thrown a controller in my life, but I came so close 10 minutes ago escaping the Pillar of Autumn in that fucking Warthog. I was right there at the end and I missed it by 2 seconds. Now I have to start the whole sequence over again.
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Edit: And scene. To the bottom of the list you go Combat Evolved, never to be played again.
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LOL after Halo 2 Legendary my tolerance is so much higher.
Try dying a million times right after restart killed by the same Jackal sniper
 

Deleted member 39374

Banned
Feb 1, 2018
5,083
You can skip CE and just watch it on youtube. It has horrible (for 2020 standards) level design. Just endless boring corridors that all look the same and tons of annoying backtracking

Reach is great
2 is great except quarantine zone
3 is all great, a classic
ODST is also a classic and peak Bungie

And skip 4/5 as its like the dark ages of the franchise thanks to 343
 
Defect

Defect

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,706
Halo 2 has the best story. Halo 3 has the most fun Campaign, especially if played with a friend.
 
Gen X

Gen X

Member
Oct 31, 2017
987
New Zealand
I'm actually replaying these all for the first time since each in released, Halo 2 was my least played only completing it once. Just finished CE yesterday, I think it still holds up well but then nostalgia plays a part too. The last level gave me such a rush. Started 2 straight after and boy, this remaster is the business, looks phenomenal imo. Loving the grittiness of the cut scenes.
 
Yes

Yes

Member
Oct 28, 2017
848
Grazzt said:
LOL after Halo 2 Legendary my tolerance is so much higher.
Try dying a million times right after restart killed by the same Jackal sniper
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Yeah, I don't think OP knows what legendary is. It's the only way Halo to be played. CE GOAT SP if you know what you are doing.
 
TheBaldwin

TheBaldwin

Member
Feb 25, 2018
8,285
BeaconofTruth said:
No
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Yet the humans were able to evade your ships, land on the sacred ring, and desecrate it with their filthy footsteps!

On that note, reach is a solid 7-8 throughout thewhole thing and remains very consistent with good story beats, decent character moments, great visual design and some good pacing levels with a mix of open and wide spaces, vehicles, and unique areas to fight in. The opening level is easily the worst

1's gunplay still holds up magnificently and it's world and music are still wonderful.Some of its missions have aged like milk however and are simply a case of taking the first 5 levels and basically reversing them for the finale, but now with the much more boring, both visually and mechanically, flood.

Great missions: Pillar of autumn, silent cartographer, assault on control room

Good-okay: two bettayels, halo ( amazing open world, but the pacing of some of the fights are very slow), truth and reconciliation

worst: everything else, with 343 guilty spark being the absolute worst level in any halo game and the library being bad.

the campaigns get better from here but my pure campaign ranking is
  1. Halo 3
  2. Halo 2
  3. ODST
  4. 4
  5. Reach
  6. 1
  7. 5

3 easily has the best missions and pacing and variety. But twos story and writing is superb
 
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Grimminski

Grimminski

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,136
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
I played more Halo 2 today, after taking a week break. Did the Quarantine Zone and the one before it, met the Gravemind (seems nice), and made serious progress into the next mission before rage quitting after getting killed a few dozen times by Brutes.

Fuck the Brutes, but not as much as the Flood.
 
SoulBrothaNum2

SoulBrothaNum2

Member
May 17, 2018
344
I love these threads. I almost started my own series replay until Halo Infinite got delayed. Don't skip anything!

and yea.. Halo: CE hasn't aged particularly well. Bungie got better and better at putting these campaigns together as the series went on peaking with 3
 
AlmostMilk

AlmostMilk

Member
Oct 27, 2017
736
Grimminski said:
I played more Halo 2 today, after taking a week break. Did the Quarantine Zone and the one before it, met the Gravemind (seems nice), and made serious progress into the next mission before rage quitting after getting killed a few dozen times by Brutes.

Fuck the Brutes, but not as much as the Flood.
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The Brutes have the same problem Prometheans have in Halo 4. Fortunately Bungie acknowledged it and they are much more fun to fight in Halo 3. Unfortunately 343 did not change a thing for Halo 5 and Prometheans still suck to fight. The trick with Brutes in Halo 2 is to do headshots. Also Needlers wreck Brutes. If you are in a Brute focused level, keep a Needler handy.

Pretty sure you are going to enjoy Halo 3 the most. It definitely is the best all around Halo game, except for one specific level...
 
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Grimminski

Grimminski

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,136
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
AlmostMilk said:
The Brutes have the same problem Prometheans have in Halo 4. Fortunately Bungie acknowledged it and they are much more fun to fight in Halo 3. Unfortunately 343 did not change a thing for Halo 5 and Prometheans still suck to fight. The trick with Brutes in Halo 2 is to do headshots. Also Needlers wreck Brutes. If you are in a Brute focused level, keep a Needler handy.

Pretty sure you are going to enjoy Halo 3 the most. It definitely is the best all around Halo game, except for one specific level...
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The Needler has been my saving grace, and the Brute Shot is great too. I also wish I could carry the Brute Plasma Rifle with me constantly since it wrecks all things.
 
TolerLive

TolerLive

Senior Lighting Artist
Verified
Nov 15, 2017
1,857
Redmond, WA
I've been taking my girlfriend through the games (her first time aside from a little playing 7ish years ago) over the past few months. We're almost done with 3 now- It's been a slow progression since were both pretty busy right now. Once we finished 3 were going to do ODST then move on to 4 and 5! Halo 2 remains one of my favorites to co-op. We spent the last few missions just glitching out of maps and messing around. Brings me back to those nostalgic memories of when I was playing through the games with my friends in my early teens.
 
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Grimminski

Grimminski

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,136
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Finished Halo 2. All in all it is much better game than Combat Evolved, even if it did get a bit frustrating towards the end.

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I think I'm going to start ODST in a few minutes, since that's the one I really want to play. Not like there's anything better to do 🤷‍♂️ .
 
AlmostMilk

AlmostMilk

Member
Oct 27, 2017
736
Grimminski said:
Finished Halo 2. All in all it is much better game than Combat Evolved, even if it did get a bit frustrating towards the end.

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I think I'm going to start ODST in a few minutes, since that's the one I really want to play. Not like there's anything better to do 🤷‍♂️ .
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It honestly might be my favorite Halo. All of the missions are fun and unique. Be sure to collect all the audio logs and listen to them. That story is an awesome side story. Also if you aren't playing on Legendary, after you listen to the audio logs on your play through, load up the first mission again and look to the left.
 
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Grimminski

Grimminski

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,136
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Alright, it took me a while but I finished ODST on Friday. Absolutely adored it. The art, the music, the writing and gameplay were all top notch. Nathan Fillion essentially being Capt Reynolds was fun, in fact, the whole squad were a bunch of likeable assholes. Not being a super solider this time was nice, made it feel could all go wrong at any moment. Oh and the engineer is too adorable.

I started 3, the opening was unintentionally funny with Chief being yeeted out of a crashing ship and absolutely eating it a few seconds later.
 
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Grimminski

Grimminski

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,136
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Over a year later and I'm back, bitches.

I started Halo 3 some time last year and quit because of burn out. But I just finished Tsavo Highway, and honestly, fuck that mission. I still hate the Warthog so much.

Need to power through 3 and 4 before Infinite in December. LET'S GO!
 
Leo-Tyrant

Leo-Tyrant

Member
Jan 14, 2019
5,095
San Jose, Costa Rica
Just chiming in to remind everybody that Halo CE classic graphics actually got fixed after 2 decades in Season 7

And Halo 2 classic graphics also got fixed in Season 8.

They both now look exactly like the original (shaders, fog, shadows, effects, glitches removals, etc.) but in 4K, 120 fps and Dolby Vision. Meaning: a true remaster.

This is above and beyond what I expected to eventually get from a big studio so Im very happy both games got fixed and want to encourage you all to play them again in the classic modes.
 
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