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Rank All The Halo Campaigns And Why (I Just Beat The Masterchief Collection)
- Thread starter Star-Lord
- Start date
3
1
2
5
Odst
Reach
4
I think I generally gravitate to stronger mission variety over story beats for sure.
1
2
5
Odst
Reach
4
I think I generally gravitate to stronger mission variety over story beats for sure.
I'd go with ODST, 3, Reach, 1, 2. Haven't played 4 yet.
Halo 2 is actually so bad in comparison to the rest of the series that even the library level and other repetitive shit in Halo 1 can't manage to leverage 2 ahead of it.
It's not a bad game in total, but it's so much weaker than the rest of the series.
Halo 2 is actually so bad in comparison to the rest of the series that even the library level and other repetitive shit in Halo 1 can't manage to leverage 2 ahead of it.
It's not a bad game in total, but it's so much weaker than the rest of the series.
3
1
2
ODST
4
Reach
5
I know 2 seems a bit high but I enjoyed most of the campaign. Replayed Reach recently and found it a bit boring. Loved it when it first released though.
1
2
ODST
4
Reach
5
I know 2 seems a bit high but I enjoyed most of the campaign. Replayed Reach recently and found it a bit boring. Loved it when it first released though.
Thats one hell of a list OP. I hated 2's campaign when it came out and found it to age much worse over time.
3
Reach
1
ODST
4
2
3
Reach
1
ODST
4
2
Quick list with some thoughts;
Reach: Bungie's peak, plain and simple. Fantastic level variety, a self-contained story with vaguely empathetic characters and one of the best videogame endings and the best Elite design
ODST: Jazz Halo ftw - i wish more (any?) fps's had this sort of dynamic range in narrative and aesthetic
5: fuck the haters - went in fresh earlier this year expecting it to be a shitshow and ended up enjoying it more than any Halo since ODST. The revive mechanic and Promethan Bullet Sponge effect lessening were both big wins for me.
1: hard to be objective on this one after so many playthroughs. I definitely have early-mid game fatigue, but the post-Library campaign is still a hell of a rollercoaster
2: loved it at launch but MCC replay at the start of the year def made me appreciate how development hell compromised it. Also, idgaf about dual wielding.
3: Underwhelmed by a sea of brown at launch (seriously, this was never an attractive game) and I remember the campaign as a never ending trudge with an incoherent plot that finished off most of the enthusiasm I had for Halo lore. Due another crack at this via MCC tho I wish there was an anniversary edition
4: Stunning gfx demo at the cost of corridor levels & miserable teleporting bullet sponge enemies. The only Halo I've struggled to finish.
Reach: Bungie's peak, plain and simple. Fantastic level variety, a self-contained story with vaguely empathetic characters and one of the best videogame endings and the best Elite design
ODST: Jazz Halo ftw - i wish more (any?) fps's had this sort of dynamic range in narrative and aesthetic
5: fuck the haters - went in fresh earlier this year expecting it to be a shitshow and ended up enjoying it more than any Halo since ODST. The revive mechanic and Promethan Bullet Sponge effect lessening were both big wins for me.
1: hard to be objective on this one after so many playthroughs. I definitely have early-mid game fatigue, but the post-Library campaign is still a hell of a rollercoaster
2: loved it at launch but MCC replay at the start of the year def made me appreciate how development hell compromised it. Also, idgaf about dual wielding.
3: Underwhelmed by a sea of brown at launch (seriously, this was never an attractive game) and I remember the campaign as a never ending trudge with an incoherent plot that finished off most of the enthusiasm I had for Halo lore. Due another crack at this via MCC tho I wish there was an anniversary edition
4: Stunning gfx demo at the cost of corridor levels & miserable teleporting bullet sponge enemies. The only Halo I've struggled to finish.
Yea, I'm kinda baffled at Halo 2 being low on people's list. I assumed it was generally agreed to be the best.
It certainly has the strongest narrative out of the pack.
I guess some people don't care about that????
My ranking, from best to worst:
1) Halo CE. I love the sheer scale of the levels, something that still hasn't been properly replicated in a Halo game since (though Infinite looks to finally be remedying this). The combat loop is also the most satisfying in the series thanks largely to the challenging but fair difficulty balancing. Even on Legendary, it allows you to experiment and try different strategies instead of pressuring you to engage in a narrow selection of tactics. It's amazing how you can make for tough yet fun encounters by focusing on things other than making it to where a single enemy can kill you in half a second or less with a regular gun.
2) Reach. Though the story wasn't anything to write home about (plus it retcons established plot points from the novels), the enemy AI was improved from Halo 2 & 3, as was the combat & level design.
3) ODST. Shorter than the other games, but improves on a lot of Halo 3's shortcomings. The new musical direction and the cool aesthetic of New Mombasa at night were nice touches as well.
4) Halo 2 & Halo 3 (tie). Halo 2 saw a big step up in terms of storytelling, with the Arbiter's arc being quite enjoyable, but the level designs were far more linear than in CE, the Flood missions were an aggravation, there was that awful cliffhanger, and the difficulty was ridiculously punishing compared to CE, with the damage scaling being passed on to future Halo games. In Halo 3, the Brutes are less fun to fight than Elites, the AI took a step down from previous games, and the first four missions are mostly pointless filler, but the levels are better designed and more consistent in quality than in Halo 2 and the difficulty isn't quite as punishing despite the damage scaling being the same (lackluster enemy AI, lower enemy health, and toned down Sniper Jackals probably helped).
5) Halo 5. The level design was a huge improvement over Halo 4, and the Prometheans aren't as big of a pain in the ass as in Halo 4... except the repetitive Warden boss battles. The squad mechanics seemed interesting at first, but, as per normal, friendly AI in Halo isn't good at all, not to mention the difficulty has been cranked up to compensate, resulting in you getting quickly downed Gears-style, having to wait for your peabrained AI squad mates to show up and revive you. The story is serviceable, but that's it.
6) Halo 4. While the Chief-Cortana dynamic was the highlight of this game and was done very well, the level designs are perhaps the most linear in the series, the Prometheans aren't fun to fight, and it was just a boring campaign in general. I rarely feel like replaying this one.
1) Halo CE. I love the sheer scale of the levels, something that still hasn't been properly replicated in a Halo game since (though Infinite looks to finally be remedying this). The combat loop is also the most satisfying in the series thanks largely to the challenging but fair difficulty balancing. Even on Legendary, it allows you to experiment and try different strategies instead of pressuring you to engage in a narrow selection of tactics. It's amazing how you can make for tough yet fun encounters by focusing on things other than making it to where a single enemy can kill you in half a second or less with a regular gun.
2) Reach. Though the story wasn't anything to write home about (plus it retcons established plot points from the novels), the enemy AI was improved from Halo 2 & 3, as was the combat & level design.
3) ODST. Shorter than the other games, but improves on a lot of Halo 3's shortcomings. The new musical direction and the cool aesthetic of New Mombasa at night were nice touches as well.
4) Halo 2 & Halo 3 (tie). Halo 2 saw a big step up in terms of storytelling, with the Arbiter's arc being quite enjoyable, but the level designs were far more linear than in CE, the Flood missions were an aggravation, there was that awful cliffhanger, and the difficulty was ridiculously punishing compared to CE, with the damage scaling being passed on to future Halo games. In Halo 3, the Brutes are less fun to fight than Elites, the AI took a step down from previous games, and the first four missions are mostly pointless filler, but the levels are better designed and more consistent in quality than in Halo 2 and the difficulty isn't quite as punishing despite the damage scaling being the same (lackluster enemy AI, lower enemy health, and toned down Sniper Jackals probably helped).
5) Halo 5. The level design was a huge improvement over Halo 4, and the Prometheans aren't as big of a pain in the ass as in Halo 4... except the repetitive Warden boss battles. The squad mechanics seemed interesting at first, but, as per normal, friendly AI in Halo isn't good at all, not to mention the difficulty has been cranked up to compensate, resulting in you getting quickly downed Gears-style, having to wait for your peabrained AI squad mates to show up and revive you. The story is serviceable, but that's it.
6) Halo 4. While the Chief-Cortana dynamic was the highlight of this game and was done very well, the level designs are perhaps the most linear in the series, the Prometheans aren't fun to fight, and it was just a boring campaign in general. I rarely feel like replaying this one.
6. Halo 4
The only Halo campaign I've finished once and never touched again.
5. Halo 2
Kind of a half-finished, ill-conceived, repetitive mess, but it's still Halo.
4. Halo: Combat Evolved
Kind of a half-finished, ill-conceived, repetitive mess, but an iconic mess all the same.
3. Halo 3
An actually finished, well-conceived, less repetitive mess with codified sandbox elements for its campaign, at least of which was inexplicably removed from the MCC (competitive campaign scoring).
2. Halo: ODST
An actually finished, well-conceived, not repetitive great game. A little slight in some regards, but stylish and quirky in surprising ways.
1. Halo: Reach
Some mechanical grievances (reticle bloom, armor abilities) aside, the best balanced, polished, and compulsively replayable Halo, with the most coherent story and, like, resonance.
The only Halo campaign I've finished once and never touched again.
5. Halo 2
Kind of a half-finished, ill-conceived, repetitive mess, but it's still Halo.
4. Halo: Combat Evolved
Kind of a half-finished, ill-conceived, repetitive mess, but an iconic mess all the same.
3. Halo 3
An actually finished, well-conceived, less repetitive mess with codified sandbox elements for its campaign, at least of which was inexplicably removed from the MCC (competitive campaign scoring).
2. Halo: ODST
An actually finished, well-conceived, not repetitive great game. A little slight in some regards, but stylish and quirky in surprising ways.
1. Halo: Reach
Some mechanical grievances (reticle bloom, armor abilities) aside, the best balanced, polished, and compulsively replayable Halo, with the most coherent story and, like, resonance.
Best to worst.
Halo CE - Repetitive yes but the gun play and encounters with some real level highlights.
Halo 3 - I never much liked the gun play in this one but the sandbox and some of the levels are fantastic.
Halo Reach - Plays it pretty straight but probably the most consistent set of levels with solid gun play.
Halo ODST - The hub is okay but I dig the atmosphere and the missions are pretty good.
Halo 2 - Never been much of a fan, don't care for most of the levels, the guns are pretty rubbish, multiplayer saved it.
Halo 4 - It's a looker for the most part, gun play is very good but shortcomings in the sandbox, encounters are obvious, missions are dull, enemies annoying.
Halo 5 - Gun play is again quite good but I didn't care for the missions at all, the squad didn't add anything interesting, story was bobbins, boss fights were terrible.
Halo CE - Repetitive yes but the gun play and encounters with some real level highlights.
Halo 3 - I never much liked the gun play in this one but the sandbox and some of the levels are fantastic.
Halo Reach - Plays it pretty straight but probably the most consistent set of levels with solid gun play.
Halo ODST - The hub is okay but I dig the atmosphere and the missions are pretty good.
Halo 2 - Never been much of a fan, don't care for most of the levels, the guns are pretty rubbish, multiplayer saved it.
Halo 4 - It's a looker for the most part, gun play is very good but shortcomings in the sandbox, encounters are obvious, missions are dull, enemies annoying.
Halo 5 - Gun play is again quite good but I didn't care for the missions at all, the squad didn't add anything interesting, story was bobbins, boss fights were terrible.
1 > Reach > 2 > 3 > ODST >>>>>>>>>> 4 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 5
1 is just simply amazing. It's straight to the point, it doesn't beat you over the head with lore, and it throws you straight into the action
Reach is also simply amazing. Such a great prequel to Halo 1
2 had issues, but is still great. That ending still hurts to this day.
ODST was pretty cool. Nice to see what was going on on Earth. Characters were enjoyable.
3 finally finished 2's story. It should have been the end of Chief's and Cortana's story, though.
4 was just boring. I really didn't like that they made Cortana be this huge deal, in all honesty. The prometheans were so boring as an enemy, too.
5 :
"Go get chief, chief bad"
"Why chief bad?"
"Because chief bad"
"Wait, chief good?"
"Yes, chief good. Cortana bad"
Fuck that game. trash ass story.
1 is just simply amazing. It's straight to the point, it doesn't beat you over the head with lore, and it throws you straight into the action
Reach is also simply amazing. Such a great prequel to Halo 1
2 had issues, but is still great. That ending still hurts to this day.
ODST was pretty cool. Nice to see what was going on on Earth. Characters were enjoyable.
3 finally finished 2's story. It should have been the end of Chief's and Cortana's story, though.
4 was just boring. I really didn't like that they made Cortana be this huge deal, in all honesty. The prometheans were so boring as an enemy, too.
5 :
"Go get chief, chief bad"
"Why chief bad?"
"Because chief bad"
"Wait, chief good?"
"Yes, chief good. Cortana bad"
Fuck that game. trash ass story.
There's very clearly two types of responses going on.
There are long-time Halo fans who have probably played the franchise since the original Xbox - and they are basically universally rating Halo 4 and Halo 5 as the worst in the franchise because they are the least 'Halo' games. They rate Halo CE very highly because it was the start of the franchise, an absolutely amazing game at its release and for years after, and has some of the original components of what most long-time fans consider the foundation of what makes a Halo game a 'Halo' game.
And then there are the fans who started playing with MCC in 2015 to present - and they rate Halo 4 incredibly high because it's a polished modern shooter. They have no stake in playing a 'Halo' game so the missing elements of the franchise, the radical shift in narrative direction, the change to more modern shooter mechanics don't track as negatives - but as positives. And Halo CE - in 2020 - is incredibly dated. Playing it now, with basically no frame of reference, is probably a mediocre time at best.
Not exactly. Halo 4 and 5 are still canon, but 343 have described Infinite as a soft reboot like The Force Awakens. 5 ends on a cliffhanger which Infinite is certainly distancing itself from, if not outright ignoring. They've also excised the squad system, the new characters (or they're at least not playable), and the visual design has reverted back to the Bungie era.
My ranking as follows (best to worse):
1. Halo: Combat Evolved. This is my top one for multiple reasons. The level and encounter design is best here in the series. The soundtrack is perfect, every weapon is useful and has a role in the sandbox. Plus the levels are the largest in the series with great sandbox elements.
2. Halo 2: This one has overall the most expanded story in the series, the Arbiter was a great addition and there are some excellent vehicle encounters. What brings this one down a bit though are some of the Flood stages, more linear mission design and the awful difficulty balancing.
3. Halo 3: ODST. I enjoy this one because of it fulfills alot of the false promises from Halo 2's marketing and that is fighting the Covenant on earth in a major urban city. The overall design of New Mombasa here is more inline with the E3 2003 demo than it is in the final version of Halo 2. In addition it's got a more focused and character driven story, an excellent soundtrack that is different and experimental and almost semi-open world. The biggest issue I have with it is that I feel the hub city could have used more stealth mechanics and it was overall a bit short.
4. Halo 3. They made some great improvements to alot of the mission design here. Unfortunately though I feel the Brutes are to weak and predictable, the voice actor change with prophet of truth takes me out of it a bit, Cortana is a bad mission, and overall the games story is just a disappointment after the epic that was Halo 2, especially after downgrading the arbiter to sidekick and the game being the shortest in the trilogy.
5. Halo: Reach. The AI was improved alot and the game is overall larger than Halo 3, I enjoyed brining in a customizable spartan. But the enemeis are extremily cheap with the difficulty balancing and I feel Bungie retconed way to much from the novels. I'm not a fan of the scripted CoD ride along segments aswell.
6. Halo 5: Guardians. I felt this was an improvement overall from Halo 4. The levels are less linear, Grunts speak english again, more varied encounters, plus the return of the arbiter and the sanghelios missions are positives. Prometheans are also more fun to fight with the exception of the repeated warden fights. The squad mechanics unfortuantely did negatively impact aspects of the game, difficulty balancing is still an issue, plus even though I didn't mind the story, it still could have been done better in hindsight.
7. Halo 4: Cortana and Chief were done really well in this game and the graphics still hold up. But there is alot I have issues with. Ammo can be scarce, AI seems dumb at times, Grunts sound really weird, levels are the most linear, ect. In addition the soundtrack isn't well used during gameplay segments and the storyline relies alot of prior knowledge of expanded material. I' don't like most of the art design changes aswell.
Keep in mind I don't think none of these campaigns are bad, they are all above average campaigns in my books and they all have their ups and downs.
1. Halo: Combat Evolved. This is my top one for multiple reasons. The level and encounter design is best here in the series. The soundtrack is perfect, every weapon is useful and has a role in the sandbox. Plus the levels are the largest in the series with great sandbox elements.
2. Halo 2: This one has overall the most expanded story in the series, the Arbiter was a great addition and there are some excellent vehicle encounters. What brings this one down a bit though are some of the Flood stages, more linear mission design and the awful difficulty balancing.
3. Halo 3: ODST. I enjoy this one because of it fulfills alot of the false promises from Halo 2's marketing and that is fighting the Covenant on earth in a major urban city. The overall design of New Mombasa here is more inline with the E3 2003 demo than it is in the final version of Halo 2. In addition it's got a more focused and character driven story, an excellent soundtrack that is different and experimental and almost semi-open world. The biggest issue I have with it is that I feel the hub city could have used more stealth mechanics and it was overall a bit short.
4. Halo 3. They made some great improvements to alot of the mission design here. Unfortunately though I feel the Brutes are to weak and predictable, the voice actor change with prophet of truth takes me out of it a bit, Cortana is a bad mission, and overall the games story is just a disappointment after the epic that was Halo 2, especially after downgrading the arbiter to sidekick and the game being the shortest in the trilogy.
5. Halo: Reach. The AI was improved alot and the game is overall larger than Halo 3, I enjoyed brining in a customizable spartan. But the enemeis are extremily cheap with the difficulty balancing and I feel Bungie retconed way to much from the novels. I'm not a fan of the scripted CoD ride along segments aswell.
6. Halo 5: Guardians. I felt this was an improvement overall from Halo 4. The levels are less linear, Grunts speak english again, more varied encounters, plus the return of the arbiter and the sanghelios missions are positives. Prometheans are also more fun to fight with the exception of the repeated warden fights. The squad mechanics unfortuantely did negatively impact aspects of the game, difficulty balancing is still an issue, plus even though I didn't mind the story, it still could have been done better in hindsight.
7. Halo 4: Cortana and Chief were done really well in this game and the graphics still hold up. But there is alot I have issues with. Ammo can be scarce, AI seems dumb at times, Grunts sound really weird, levels are the most linear, ect. In addition the soundtrack isn't well used during gameplay segments and the storyline relies alot of prior knowledge of expanded material. I' don't like most of the art design changes aswell.
Keep in mind I don't think none of these campaigns are bad, they are all above average campaigns in my books and they all have their ups and downs.
1- Reach but just barely. It is a self contained story, it does what it came to do, it has just the right amount of fanservice and good variety. But aside from Long Night of solace, I don't think there are any "best ever" elements to it. It is the most consistently good campaign, but has only the one shwostopper when most halo games have several. it also suffers from having several obvious cut elements. An entire member of noble team, the fact that there was clearly supposed to be another level between the last two. The lack of a scarab fight. Reach could have been so much worse but it also could easily have been better.
2- Halo 4. Best story hands down. Good mission variety and several awesome moments. Flying a pelican gunship? Doing a halo style trench run? Rolling around in a giant mobile fortress? Multiple sequences with an awesome mech? The game is like a laundry list of awesome shit we wanted from a halo game.
3- ODST- Halo 3 with a better sandbox. The superintendant is also one of the most criminally underrated gaming systems of all time and I don't get how it hasn't been ripped off by some immersive sim. The city's ai will repurpose street signs, and various every day electronic systems to point you in the right direction and guide you through the city. It will play an ad for healthcare to alert you to nearby med packs. It will turn on street lights to funnel you where it wants you to go. It will use payphones ringing to direct you to hidden items. It will put up stop signs and pedestrian crossing signs to warn you of patrolling enemies. You can navigate the whole city with just environmental storytelling....and there's a canonical reason why it does this was well. It's so fucking good.
4-- Halo 3. Halo 3 I would argue has the weakest fundamentals of the core bungie games. You don't fight elites, and having your main adversary essentially lose their clothes every time you beat them undercuts any sense of drama or danger. The feel of the weapons is worse than the previous games- they posess neither the crunch of the CE weapons, or the speedy feel of Halo 2. Halo 3 weapons just feel cheap. Also the first half fo the game is just 'get to the ark'. The campaign is stretched out from the remaining 2 levels cut from halo 2 and it shows. That said, when it works, IT WOKS. The scarab fight is still one of the most impressive boss fights in gaming history, and really sells the scale of the conflict in a way that even later games would struggled to. There's a reason why every sony first sci fi shooter for like 4 years talked up their giant monster fight in their marketing. The scarab fight is still a master class. And then they make a double scarab fight which has like 80 enemy and friendly AI milling about. Halo 3 on the whole is meh, but it has some of the highest peaks in the franchise.
5- I have played 5 the least. But whenever I do I have the same basic thought "Oh yeah, I forgot that the gunplay in this literally flawless." Halo 5's campaign gets pulled down by a story that felt like a spinoff or prequel instead of a full sequel, but you'd be hard pressed to find a bad level in the game. As i said before, the gameplay of h5 is polished to some kind of unholy mirror sheen and just fucking towers above other shooters. Once you learn the ins and outs of it, it becomes like a ballet with you boosting and sliding in and out of cover. The mission 'blue team' is pretty much the best halo has ever been in temrs of pure gunplay. What the campaign lacks is big vehicle playgrounds. The Phaeton level is fun and inventive, but there's no equivalent to the awesome vehicle segments of the previous games, so the experience somewhat runs together, and while the Warden eternal was a cool fight the first time, they really should not have had you fight him every other level.
6- Halo 1. Halo 1 does not have a good campaign. It just has a nostalgic one. And that's fine. You like it for the same reasons you like Tobey Mcguire as spider-man and any cartoon made in the 80s despite the obvious flaws that would prevent you form paying attention to it if it was released in that state today. It's video game comfort food. But on a technical level it is inferior to every other game in the series. The physics system and weapon effects give it a certain visceral nature that only halo 4 has tried to emulate which gives it a unique, almost arcadelike feel. But there's a small number of weapons, a small number of enemies and the final warthog run makes no sense. Why is there a racetrack in the middle of a battlehship? other games had warthog runs that actually made sense.This one just has a damn race track in the middle of a ship for no reason. It is so fucking stupid.
7- Halo 2. Half the game is the flood. And all but one of the big vehicle playground levels are the flood. The earth missions are amazing and we should have gotten a full game of just that, but they comprise like 15% of the game. The story is neat but half the levels I barely ever replay. The flood are in nearly every level and they are least interesting here. They have neither the terror of the CE version, nor the varied combat of 3. And you have to fight them with covenant weapons. There's a reason the flood are only in 3 levels of halo 3 and have not appeared since. This game is why.
2- Halo 4. Best story hands down. Good mission variety and several awesome moments. Flying a pelican gunship? Doing a halo style trench run? Rolling around in a giant mobile fortress? Multiple sequences with an awesome mech? The game is like a laundry list of awesome shit we wanted from a halo game.
3- ODST- Halo 3 with a better sandbox. The superintendant is also one of the most criminally underrated gaming systems of all time and I don't get how it hasn't been ripped off by some immersive sim. The city's ai will repurpose street signs, and various every day electronic systems to point you in the right direction and guide you through the city. It will play an ad for healthcare to alert you to nearby med packs. It will turn on street lights to funnel you where it wants you to go. It will use payphones ringing to direct you to hidden items. It will put up stop signs and pedestrian crossing signs to warn you of patrolling enemies. You can navigate the whole city with just environmental storytelling....and there's a canonical reason why it does this was well. It's so fucking good.
4-- Halo 3. Halo 3 I would argue has the weakest fundamentals of the core bungie games. You don't fight elites, and having your main adversary essentially lose their clothes every time you beat them undercuts any sense of drama or danger. The feel of the weapons is worse than the previous games- they posess neither the crunch of the CE weapons, or the speedy feel of Halo 2. Halo 3 weapons just feel cheap. Also the first half fo the game is just 'get to the ark'. The campaign is stretched out from the remaining 2 levels cut from halo 2 and it shows. That said, when it works, IT WOKS. The scarab fight is still one of the most impressive boss fights in gaming history, and really sells the scale of the conflict in a way that even later games would struggled to. There's a reason why every sony first sci fi shooter for like 4 years talked up their giant monster fight in their marketing. The scarab fight is still a master class. And then they make a double scarab fight which has like 80 enemy and friendly AI milling about. Halo 3 on the whole is meh, but it has some of the highest peaks in the franchise.
5- I have played 5 the least. But whenever I do I have the same basic thought "Oh yeah, I forgot that the gunplay in this literally flawless." Halo 5's campaign gets pulled down by a story that felt like a spinoff or prequel instead of a full sequel, but you'd be hard pressed to find a bad level in the game. As i said before, the gameplay of h5 is polished to some kind of unholy mirror sheen and just fucking towers above other shooters. Once you learn the ins and outs of it, it becomes like a ballet with you boosting and sliding in and out of cover. The mission 'blue team' is pretty much the best halo has ever been in temrs of pure gunplay. What the campaign lacks is big vehicle playgrounds. The Phaeton level is fun and inventive, but there's no equivalent to the awesome vehicle segments of the previous games, so the experience somewhat runs together, and while the Warden eternal was a cool fight the first time, they really should not have had you fight him every other level.
6- Halo 1. Halo 1 does not have a good campaign. It just has a nostalgic one. And that's fine. You like it for the same reasons you like Tobey Mcguire as spider-man and any cartoon made in the 80s despite the obvious flaws that would prevent you form paying attention to it if it was released in that state today. It's video game comfort food. But on a technical level it is inferior to every other game in the series. The physics system and weapon effects give it a certain visceral nature that only halo 4 has tried to emulate which gives it a unique, almost arcadelike feel. But there's a small number of weapons, a small number of enemies and the final warthog run makes no sense. Why is there a racetrack in the middle of a battlehship? other games had warthog runs that actually made sense.This one just has a damn race track in the middle of a ship for no reason. It is so fucking stupid.
7- Halo 2. Half the game is the flood. And all but one of the big vehicle playground levels are the flood. The earth missions are amazing and we should have gotten a full game of just that, but they comprise like 15% of the game. The story is neat but half the levels I barely ever replay. The flood are in nearly every level and they are least interesting here. They have neither the terror of the CE version, nor the varied combat of 3. And you have to fight them with covenant weapons. There's a reason the flood are only in 3 levels of halo 3 and have not appeared since. This game is why.
In 2015 I would have said
Campaign for each
3
Reach
2
1
ODST
4
5
Now, after Titanfall and Doom and all the evolution of movement and shooting mechanics and speed I would say mostly from a gameplay perspective:
5
4
Reach
3
2
ODST
1
playing anything older than 4 feels like a slog to me now. I still have much love and nostalgia for the early Halos though and I hope Infinite can merge all the more modern stuff with some of that old fashioned Halo to get to a gameplay pinnacle again.
Campaign for each
3
Reach
2
1
ODST
4
5
Now, after Titanfall and Doom and all the evolution of movement and shooting mechanics and speed I would say mostly from a gameplay perspective:
5
4
Reach
3
2
ODST
1
playing anything older than 4 feels like a slog to me now. I still have much love and nostalgia for the early Halos though and I hope Infinite can merge all the more modern stuff with some of that old fashioned Halo to get to a gameplay pinnacle again.
For me it's Halo 1, Halo 3, Halo 2, Halo Reach, Halo 4, ODST, Halo 5.
Im not a massive fans of halo without master chief which is why I rank the traditionally liked games like ODST and reach a little bit lower.
Im not a massive fans of halo without master chief which is why I rank the traditionally liked games like ODST and reach a little bit lower.
I think the games are all about the same, all good, different strengths and weaknesses.
Halo 2 has the best story and best soundtrack, which makes it more memorable to me.
Halo 3 has probably the best overall gameplay (minus the Cortana level).
The others are similar, either with some weaknesses (Halo 1's indoor level design) or are solidly good but not separating from the pack.
Halo 2 has the best story and best soundtrack, which makes it more memorable to me.
Halo 3 has probably the best overall gameplay (minus the Cortana level).
The others are similar, either with some weaknesses (Halo 1's indoor level design) or are solidly good but not separating from the pack.
it's just Halo 3 set in a city with smooth jazz, gameplay is almost identical to halo 3 just without dual wielding and it has health packs
Halo 2 is storytelling Masterclass. So unique.
how they show us the covenants side with this religious aspect, the arbiter and his common convictions with Chief etc ...
H2A is insane.
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Halo 3
Halo Reach
Halo 4
Halo CE
Halo Wars 2
We don't like Halo 5 Campaign.
how they show us the covenants side with this religious aspect, the arbiter and his common convictions with Chief etc ...
H2A is insane.
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Halo 3
Halo Reach
Halo 4
Halo CE
Halo Wars 2
We don't like Halo 5 Campaign.
What in the world? Wow. Goes to show the vast differences in opinion. I don't know how anyone can not appreciate the music in CE. My favorite video game music of all time bar none. Mind you I hear people rave about music in some JRPGs that I can't stand cause it sounds like generic forgettable orchestral music with no punch to it at all. Not saying anything about ODST since I haven't played it but the soundtrack in CE is amazing.
Halo 4 has the worst moment to moment gameplay of any of the games by far. By a ridiculous country mile. The encounter design is shit and the AI is easily the worst of any Halo game. The AI is absolutely brain dead. Worst AI that I can remember in any game even outside of Halo. The guns also generally feel like shit. Especially the covenant ones. It also has the worst soundtrack. I remember the music being good precisely once and it's a track that plays when you're trying to inject Cortana into the system in a few separate spots near the end of the game.
I haven't played 5 so maybe 4 won't be the worst. I played and finished 4 for the first time last week.
My rankings:
Halo 3
Halo CE
Halo Reach
Halo 2
Halo 4
Abstained: ODST and 5. Haven't played them.
Halo 3 - I think this game his the absolute right balance between levels that have considerable replayability, while also not overstaying their welcome. The buildup from the start of the game, through the hidden base and Tsavo Highway, and assaulting the AA guns might be my favorite sequence of levels in the series.
Halo ODST - The mood of the city was just spot on; helped along with a soundtrack that was different than the series norm. Some of the later levels definitely dragged on, especially after "the team" got back together, but the single soldier dedicated ones were well done.
Halo 2 - Highest of highs, and lowest of lows. Some of the levels just dragged on for what seemed like forever.
Halo Reach - Everything felt like it was building up to something huge, but that something huge always happened off screen.
Halo CE - There was still some old DNA from the PC shooters of the past, and it hurts the experience with some levels ending up with a lot of hallway runs or being in somewhat confusing open environments.
Halo 4 - Beautiful, but just very soulless and by the numbers.
Halo ODST - The mood of the city was just spot on; helped along with a soundtrack that was different than the series norm. Some of the later levels definitely dragged on, especially after "the team" got back together, but the single soldier dedicated ones were well done.
Halo 2 - Highest of highs, and lowest of lows. Some of the levels just dragged on for what seemed like forever.
Halo Reach - Everything felt like it was building up to something huge, but that something huge always happened off screen.
Halo CE - There was still some old DNA from the PC shooters of the past, and it hurts the experience with some levels ending up with a lot of hallway runs or being in somewhat confusing open environments.
Halo 4 - Beautiful, but just very soulless and by the numbers.
I agree with the time divide being the main differentiator, but I'd argue that the mechanics of CE are what the entire franchise is based on and only small tweaks refined it along the way. The drastic changes are what makes the more recent entries weaker IMO, as well as the "open" feeling and approach that culminated in 3. Playing through the stand out levels of CE now still holds up to me, just because the gameplay is so damn solid when combined with the enemy AI and sandbox.
Campaign order:
Top tier
Halo CE - Encounter design is best in the series, the AI still, despite being part smoke and mirrors, holds up and is the finest in the series and even holds it's own against modern titles. The atmosphere is amazing with landscapes and locations reminiscent of pulp sci-fi fiction novel covers. The high concept plot is accessible and is aided with hints at a bigger world dropped through ambient dialogue which felt really unique at the time.
Great
Halo 2 - The art direction and story are great, sure it never reached the high points of the best CE levels and legendary is poorly balanced but man what an epic assortment of locations and variety of gameplay situations. I think a lot of criticism is valid but there's a lot to like.
ODST - The only game that gives CE a run for its money in the atmosphere department. Marty creates a soundtrack that so perfectly compliments the game's aesthetic and story beats that it's as iconic as the first games and as enjoyable as 2's. I still feel the 'AI helping you' hook was underutilised and still needs properly exploring...(give us ODST 2, you cowards)
Good
Halo 3 - I kind of hated this first time I played through, it was somehow the most polished of the Halo games released thus far and yet lacking anything unique that made it memorable. The fear from Halo 2 's development difficulties has, to me, made Bungie put in the safest game design with a broad and linear direction for levels that no longer hint at any light exploration; Just expertly crafted funnels to move you along which, apart from ODST, was to become the mainstay of the series going forward. I have to say the deaths for death's sake was a poor decision and could have been handled better. It's still pretty good though and not half as brain dead as what was to come in the 343 campaigns.
Okay, maybe
Reach - I really wanted to like it and somewhere there's a good game but despite the nice visuals it's just filled with weak encounters. An unlikeable cast of characters too which was frustrating to see coming off of ODST. Fuck that spaceship mission.
Bad
Halo 4 - I've only played through once and ugh, the upending of mystery in the Halo universe was sad to see. Levels were just mostly bland small/mid-size arenas fighting the worst bullet spongy enemies. Mustering the desire to try and replay this again has been hard. I think a lot of people are wowed by the graphics, and they are pretty great but the cost to gameplay was not worth it, these static landscapes were so obviously hamstrung by the priority of being pretty.
Baddest yet
Halo 5 - Oh boy, the shoehorning of abilities into the level design was so obvious it really took me out of the game. Like "here's where you can use your spartan charge" and "look at this, it would be perfect if you would ground pound from here". Prometheans are still un-fun to fight zzz. Great MP though.
Top tier
Halo CE - Encounter design is best in the series, the AI still, despite being part smoke and mirrors, holds up and is the finest in the series and even holds it's own against modern titles. The atmosphere is amazing with landscapes and locations reminiscent of pulp sci-fi fiction novel covers. The high concept plot is accessible and is aided with hints at a bigger world dropped through ambient dialogue which felt really unique at the time.
Great
Halo 2 - The art direction and story are great, sure it never reached the high points of the best CE levels and legendary is poorly balanced but man what an epic assortment of locations and variety of gameplay situations. I think a lot of criticism is valid but there's a lot to like.
ODST - The only game that gives CE a run for its money in the atmosphere department. Marty creates a soundtrack that so perfectly compliments the game's aesthetic and story beats that it's as iconic as the first games and as enjoyable as 2's. I still feel the 'AI helping you' hook was underutilised and still needs properly exploring...(give us ODST 2, you cowards)
Good
Halo 3 - I kind of hated this first time I played through, it was somehow the most polished of the Halo games released thus far and yet lacking anything unique that made it memorable. The fear from Halo 2 's development difficulties has, to me, made Bungie put in the safest game design with a broad and linear direction for levels that no longer hint at any light exploration; Just expertly crafted funnels to move you along which, apart from ODST, was to become the mainstay of the series going forward. I have to say the deaths for death's sake was a poor decision and could have been handled better. It's still pretty good though and not half as brain dead as what was to come in the 343 campaigns.
Okay, maybe
Reach - I really wanted to like it and somewhere there's a good game but despite the nice visuals it's just filled with weak encounters. An unlikeable cast of characters too which was frustrating to see coming off of ODST. Fuck that spaceship mission.
Bad
Halo 4 - I've only played through once and ugh, the upending of mystery in the Halo universe was sad to see. Levels were just mostly bland small/mid-size arenas fighting the worst bullet spongy enemies. Mustering the desire to try and replay this again has been hard. I think a lot of people are wowed by the graphics, and they are pretty great but the cost to gameplay was not worth it, these static landscapes were so obviously hamstrung by the priority of being pretty.
Baddest yet
Halo 5 - Oh boy, the shoehorning of abilities into the level design was so obvious it really took me out of the game. Like "here's where you can use your spartan charge" and "look at this, it would be perfect if you would ground pound from here". Prometheans are still un-fun to fight zzz. Great MP though.
So I decided to go back to the MCC over Christmas just to see if my opinions have changed any since those original releases. To set a more accurate list based on how the games are now rather than how much I liked them initially.
I finally forced myself through the slog that is halo CE remake (it only took about 3 years lol), and my opinions havn't changed all that much. It's just a very repetitive game that hasn't aged well and the flood just aren't fun to fight. Flicking between old and new visuals is pretty amazing though.
I'm currently running through halo 2 remake. And something I didn't remember was how drawn out and unengaging a lot of the encounters were. Especially your first stint as the arbiter and the lead up to playing as him as chief. There's times where you can clear the "combat arena" of enemies, but no doors have opened and no more enemies spawn so you're just left...waiting. you see checkpoint notifications but are still left wondering if the game has broken or the pacing is just that bad... Fighting the flood is also very much some of the least fun you can have in an FPS and it leans heavily into this almost immediately. The remake cutscenes though are đź‘Ś and are close to what I would have liked infinite to have looked like stylistically (had it not gone the open world route)
It's going to be interesting playing the likes of halo 3 and reach (my favourite) again. I only ever played those games during their initial release. So I may not even like how they've aged either.
I finally forced myself through the slog that is halo CE remake (it only took about 3 years lol), and my opinions havn't changed all that much. It's just a very repetitive game that hasn't aged well and the flood just aren't fun to fight. Flicking between old and new visuals is pretty amazing though.
I'm currently running through halo 2 remake. And something I didn't remember was how drawn out and unengaging a lot of the encounters were. Especially your first stint as the arbiter and the lead up to playing as him as chief. There's times where you can clear the "combat arena" of enemies, but no doors have opened and no more enemies spawn so you're just left...waiting. you see checkpoint notifications but are still left wondering if the game has broken or the pacing is just that bad... Fighting the flood is also very much some of the least fun you can have in an FPS and it leans heavily into this almost immediately. The remake cutscenes though are đź‘Ś and are close to what I would have liked infinite to have looked like stylistically (had it not gone the open world route)
It's going to be interesting playing the likes of halo 3 and reach (my favourite) again. I only ever played those games during their initial release. So I may not even like how they've aged either.
-- Completed on Legendary --
3 - This game swallowed all of my gaming time for a long period. The music, the levels, the combat, the multiplayer it was all just right at the time. I played the campaign for this more times than any other Halo game combined. Parts of it are ingrained and I still hum music, remember lines of dialogue, know the skull locations... I even like the Cortana level.
Reach - I loved every moment of this game, for me it was the last good Halo. The story was good and a nice change from MC. I didn't mind the multiplayer, it was a bit off compared to previous games but it felt different enough.
ODST - Another not-MC game that had it's own tone and atmosphere that was done well.
2 - Hearing this was a pain on Legendary put me off doing it for a while but it was one of the more satisfying games to beat on that difficulty. MP was ok, it was filled with people being shitlords though. Playing as the Arbiter was a nice contrast (story-wise). It's not the best Halo, but it's far from the worst.
-- Not completed on Legendary --
1 - I wasn't all that impressed when I first played it. I liked other FPS games a lot more but over time came to appreciate and enjoy it more. Legendary on this felt a lot harder than 2, less forgiving and less fun.
4 - I hate the knights, they're bullet sponges that are annoying to fight. The new spartans, the new enemies, the QTE's - I hated them.
5 - This took the issues I had with 4 and somehow made them worse. The boss that you fight numerous times, the retcon of the story, encounter design, playing as Locke, the MP... I didn't like anything about this game.
3 - This game swallowed all of my gaming time for a long period. The music, the levels, the combat, the multiplayer it was all just right at the time. I played the campaign for this more times than any other Halo game combined. Parts of it are ingrained and I still hum music, remember lines of dialogue, know the skull locations... I even like the Cortana level.
Reach - I loved every moment of this game, for me it was the last good Halo. The story was good and a nice change from MC. I didn't mind the multiplayer, it was a bit off compared to previous games but it felt different enough.
ODST - Another not-MC game that had it's own tone and atmosphere that was done well.
2 - Hearing this was a pain on Legendary put me off doing it for a while but it was one of the more satisfying games to beat on that difficulty. MP was ok, it was filled with people being shitlords though. Playing as the Arbiter was a nice contrast (story-wise). It's not the best Halo, but it's far from the worst.
-- Not completed on Legendary --
1 - I wasn't all that impressed when I first played it. I liked other FPS games a lot more but over time came to appreciate and enjoy it more. Legendary on this felt a lot harder than 2, less forgiving and less fun.
4 - I hate the knights, they're bullet sponges that are annoying to fight. The new spartans, the new enemies, the QTE's - I hated them.
5 - This took the issues I had with 4 and somehow made them worse. The boss that you fight numerous times, the retcon of the story, encounter design, playing as Locke, the MP... I didn't like anything about this game.
I've never played Halo games before getting game pass. I started the first game last week with the intention of playing them all in order of release over the break. I thought I'd be well on my way to being able to post in this thread by now just ripping through the campaigns on easier dfifficulties, but I just cannot get into this game, to the point where I can think of a dozen things I'd rather being doing that include maybe doing housework. Playing on Series S.
I was never big on shooters of any sort, Medal of Honor was the only one I can remember enjoying bitd then I suppose it would be all the way to Killzone 2 on ps3 that I kinda didn't hate (and only played through because I was obliged to, lol). But I've had fun with plenty more since including over 4000 hours in the 2 Destiny games. I suppose I'll just have to jump in to them in release order and see when they start to hook me. My kid started at the top of the list, not sure which game it is but imgine it's a prequel made much later. That looked great and seemed to play nicely and he certainly had fun with it when I was watching, but I dont want to start there if it doesn't make sense to or if there's older games that I'll click with.
EDIT: sorry this is off topic in that I'm not listing the games, hope to be able to soon!
Halo CE has aged really really badly imo. I can understand it being at the top of people's lists as a "first time playing" viewpoint. But there's only 1 good level imo. And it's the silent cartographer. Where you're first given some actual freedom. That still holds up well. But the rest...it's just tedious.
P.S. How the fuck do these games not have in-game subtitles? I thought I was just struggling to find the option in the menu's but apparently they just don't have them. 343 could have at least added subs to the in-game dialogue for the earlier games, you know, the times you actually need them...I get that they're remakes of old games that never had them to begin with. But the MCC is a newer release...they should have put them in for accessibilities sake.
Played through all of them through the MCC on PC recently all on legendary. Halo 4 was the only one I did not play before the MCC playthrough. This is all based on Legendary difficulty.
1) ODST
2a) Halo 3
2b) Reach
3) Halo 1
4) Halo 4
5) Halo 2
Halo 2 is the clear loser on legendary as it is the worst designed game at that level. I felt that Halo 4 had some decent set pieces but the enemies were piss poor to fight and the story didn't really capture me.
ODST is the best and I don't think it is really close. Halo 3 and Reach are close but Halo 3 has the best multiplayer of the lot so I put that above Reach even though I think the Reach campaign is better than 3 but just by a little.
1) ODST
2a) Halo 3
2b) Reach
3) Halo 1
4) Halo 4
5) Halo 2
Halo 2 is the clear loser on legendary as it is the worst designed game at that level. I felt that Halo 4 had some decent set pieces but the enemies were piss poor to fight and the story didn't really capture me.
ODST is the best and I don't think it is really close. Halo 3 and Reach are close but Halo 3 has the best multiplayer of the lot so I put that above Reach even though I think the Reach campaign is better than 3 but just by a little.
Having just Finished Halo Reach on the PC at 120fps 4k I have to say it has been my favourite campaign of the lot.
