If you’ve ever stared at Game Pass, looked at all those green Halo tiles, and thought “Where on Earth do I start?”, this one’s for you. The Halo franchise has grown from a single Xbox launch title in 2001 into a sprawling universe of shooters, strategy games, and twin-stick spin-offs that have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide and helped define modern console gaming.
Different outlets and fan communities argue endlessly over which Halo game is bestsome put Halo: Reach on top, others swear by Halo 3, and plenty of old-school players still insist nothing beats the original Halo: Combat Evolved. This ranking blends critic scores, community sentiment, historical impact, and how each game plays today to create a balanced, big-picture list of the major Halo releases you can still realistically track down and enjoy.
We’ll focus on the core campaigns and widely available spin-offs: the mainline FPS games, ODST and Reach, the two Halo Wars strategy titles, and the twin-stick shooters Spartan Assault and Spartan Strike. Collections, remasters, and arcade curiosities are mentioned where relevant, but they’re not ranked as separate entries.
#1 – Halo: Reach (2010)
Halo: Reach is Bungie’s farewell love letter to the series, and for many players and critics, it’s the franchise at its emotional and mechanical peak. Set just before the events of Combat Evolved, Reach follows Noble Team’s doomed last stand on the planet Reach. You know from the opening minutes that this story will not end welland that sense of tragic inevitability gives every mission extra weight.
From a gameplay standpoint, Reach refines almost everything Bungie learned over a decade: tight gunplay, smart enemy AI, vehicles that feel powerful without being unwieldy, and armor abilities that spice up movement and tactics without completely breaking the “Golden Triangle” of guns, grenades, and melee. Its campaign is varied and cinematicone moment you’re defending a farm from Covenant dropships, the next you’re in low-orbit ship-to-ship combat.
Multiplayer, especially in its prime, was dangerously addictive. Classic modes like Slayer and Big Team Battle sat alongside Firefight, custom games, and an upgraded Forge mode that turned players into amateur level designers. Even on modern hardware via the Master Chief Collection, Reach holds up shockingly well, which is why so many modern rankings still put it at or near the top.
#2 – Halo 3 (2007)
If Reach is the bittersweet prequel, Halo 3 is the bombastic finale to the original trilogythe “Finish the Fight” era. It wraps up the Master Chief–Cortana saga with massive set pieces, memorable boss encounters, and some of the most iconic co-op moments in console gaming. Its campaign isn’t just about spectacle; it’s also about clever sandbox encounters where AI, vehicles, and physics systems collide in delightful chaos.
Halo 3’s true legacy, though, is its multiplayer ecosystem. Forge, Theater mode, file sharing, and deep custom game options turned the community into co-developers. Players invented new modes, made their own obstacle courses and race tracks, and kept the game alive for years beyond launch. Many pros and longtime fans still regard Halo 3’s arena multiplayer as the gold standard for the series.
Today, the Xbox 360 original is a museum piece, but its MCC version runs beautifully in higher resolution and framerates. If you want to understand why the 360 era felt so special, a weekend with Halo 3’s campaign and a few late-night multiplayer sessions will do the trick.
#3 – Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
Halo: Combat Evolved is the reason we’re even having this conversation. It launched alongside the original Xbox and almost single-handedly sold the console, reshaping expectations for how a first-person shooter should feel on a gamepad. Its two-weapon limit, recharging shields, and mix of vehicle and on-foot battles changed the genre and influenced everything from Call of Duty to Destiny.
Yes, some level designs feel repetitive now (everyone remembers “The Library” with… mixed feelings). But the moment you first step onto the surface of Installation 04, see the ringworld curve into the sky, and grab a Warthog to explore, you understand why this game blew minds. Even decades later, its combat sandbox is tight, readable, and incredibly replayable on higher difficulties.
These days, the best way to play is through Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary inside the Master Chief Collection, where you can toggle between classic and remastered visuals. It’s both a history lesson and still a great time.
#4 – Halo 2 (2004)
Halo 2 is notorious for its cliffhanger ending, but it also introduced features that would shape online console gaming for years. Xbox Live matchmaking, party systems, and stat tracking all came of age with Halo 2’s multiplayer. It was the game you rushed home from school or work to play “just one more match” of, only to realize it was 2 a.m.
The campaign takes bigger narrative swings, splitting time between Master Chief and the Arbiter and diving deeper into Covenant politics. It’s uneven in places, but the highs are very highNew Mombasa’s urban firefights, the Scarab battle, and the tension of that final mission still stand out. Dual-wielding, new weapon types, and expanded vehicle options pushed the sandbox forward in meaningful ways.
Halo 2 Anniversary, as part of MCC, cleans up the visuals and cinematics while preserving the overall feel. If you’re interested in Halo’s story, you can’t skip itand if you’re into competitive play, Halo 2’s multiplayer DNA still runs through the franchise.
#5 – Halo Infinite (2021)
Halo Infinite is the series’ modern course correction. After a rocky first reveal, 343 Industries retooled the game into an open-ring sandbox that feels like a spiritual successor to Combat Evolved. Zeta Halo is packed with outposts to liberate, Marines to rescue, and Banished patrols to mess withall inviting you to experiment with grappleshots, vehicles, and hilariously explosive chain reactions.
The campaign story is more intimate, centering on Master Chief, the Weapon, and Echo-216 as they wrestle with loss, guilt, and the aftermath of Halo 5’s events. It doesn’t reach the emotional gut-punch of Reach, but it does a good job of rebuilding the Chief as a character rather than just a walking tank in green armor.
Infinite’s free-to-play multiplayer went through ups and downs with content droughts and balance changes, but at its core, the gunplay feels fast, fair, and distinctly “Halo.” As the game winds down its major updates, it remains one of the best ways to experience classic arena-style Halo in a modern package.
#6 – Halo 3: ODST (2009)
Halo 3: ODST started life as an expansion but ended up being one of the franchise’s most intriguing experiments. Instead of playing as a Spartan demigod, you’re an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper dropped into a rain-soaked New Mombasa, piecing together the fate of your scattered squad through noir-style flashbacks.
The slower pace, jazz-infused soundtrack, and city hub structure give ODST a very different vibe from the main trilogy. Combat is more dangerous because you’re squishier than the Chief, forcing you to play more carefully, rely on positioning, and respect enemy fire. Firefight, ODST’s co-op survival mode, became a fan favorite and helped lay the groundwork for later Horde-style modes in other games.
It’s not the biggest or flashiest Halo, but ODST’s mood, music, and structure give it a cult classic status that earns it a respectable mid-table rank.
#7 – Halo Wars 2 (2017)
Halo Wars 2 proves that Halo’s universe works beautifully outside the first-person perspective. Building on the original Halo Wars, this real-time strategy game refines controls for gamepads and introduces the Banished, a brutal splinter faction that later becomes the main enemy force in Halo Infinite.
On the campaign side, Halo Wars 2 offers slick cutscenes and a surprisingly engaging story about Captain Cutter and the crew of the Spirit of Fire waking up decades after the original conflict. Multiplayer and Blitz mode give strategy fans something deeper to sink their teeth into, with unit counters, leader powers, and tight, fast-paced matches.
If you’re into RTS games at allor you just want more lore on Atriox and the BanishedHalo Wars 2 is absolutely worth your time and sits high among the spin-offs.
#8 – Halo 4 (2012)
Halo 4 marks 343 Industries’ first full swing at a mainline Halo campaign, and it’s a bold one. Visually, it pushed the Xbox 360 hard, with rich lighting, detailed armor, and moody Forerunner environments. The story digs into the relationship between Master Chief and Cortana, exploring themes of identity, aging AI, and what it means to be a soldier built for war.
Not everyone loved the shift toward a more cinematic, story-driven tone, and multiplayer changes (like loadouts and ordnance drops) sparked heated debate. Still, the campaign features some fantastic set pieces, new enemies like the Prometheans, and a score that absolutely slaps in key moments.
As the start of the “Reclaimer Saga,” Halo 4 is essential context for Halo 5 and Infinite, even if its competitive meta didn’t eclipse the Bungie-era games for most of the community.
#9 – Halo Wars (2009)
Halo Wars was the franchise’s first serious step into real-time strategy. Developed by Ensemble Studios (of Age of Empires fame), it follows the UNSC Spirit of Fire on a prequel-era adventure against the Covenant and the Flood. The story isn’t as central to the broader saga as the mainline titles, but it fleshes out UNSC military life and early Covenant encounters in fun ways.
The game’s real magic is its console-friendly control scheme: radial menus, simple unit groups, and streamlined base building make RTS surprisingly playable with a controller. It’s not as deep as hardcore PC strategy titles, but it nails the fantasy of commanding Scorpions, Warthogs, and Spartan squads from above.
Via Halo Wars: Definitive Edition on modern systems, it’s still a solid way to see the Halo universe from a commander’s chair rather than behind a visor.
#10 – Halo 5: Guardians (2015)
Halo 5: Guardians is the most polarizing game on this list. On the plus side, its core gunplay is incredibly smooth, with clamber, smart-scope, and thruster boosts adding a layer of mobility that makes firefights feel fast and stylish. The arena multiplayer, especially early on, was widely respected among competitive players, and Warzone offered a chaotic, large-scale alternative to classic modes.
The campaign, though, is where many fans felt let down. Marketing framed Halo 5 as an epic showdown“Hunt the Truth”between Master Chief and Spartan Locke, but the story doesn’t fully deliver on that promise. Chief spends much of the game off-screen, and Locke’s squad never quite gets the character development they deserve. Combined with some confusing plot beats involving Cortana, the narrative can feel like homework for Infinite rather than a satisfying arc on its own.
Still, judged purely on mechanics, Halo 5 is far from a bad game; it just doesn’t reach the series’ highest highs and sits lower on the ranking as a result.
#11 – Halo: Spartan Assault (2013)
Halo: Spartan Assault shifts the action into a top-down twin-stick shooter format, originally designed for mobile and Windows 8 devices and later ported to consoles. You play through simulated Spartan ops, mowing through Covenant forces across bite-sized missions that are perfect for short sessions.
It’s a surprisingly faithful translation of Halo’s feel into a completely different camera angle. Weapons, vehicles, and enemies behave the way you expect, and optional skulls and challenges give completionists something to chase. Just don’t expect a sweeping narrative or huge open battlefieldsthis one is about quick hits of Halo flavor rather than epic storytelling.
As a side dish to the mainline games, Spartan Assault works well, but it’s not essential. That’s why it lands near the bottom of the ranking.
#12 – Halo: Spartan Strike (2015)
Halo: Spartan Strike is essentially “more Spartan Assault,” with some refined mission design, tighter controls, and slightly better visual flair. Once again, you’re dropping into virtual training scenarios, blasting your way through Covenant and Promethean enemies from an overhead view.
It’s fun, polished, and inexpensive, but very much a spin-off for people who already love Halo and want a portable fix. The lack of multiplayer or a meatier campaign keeps it from climbing higher on this list. If you’ve played everything else and still want more, Spartan Strike is a pleasant extra chapternot a must-play pillar of the franchise.
How to Approach the Halo Franchise Today
Looking at this ranking, you might be wondering: should you play in release order, story order, or “quality” order? For most people, release order still works best. Start with Combat Evolved, continue through Halo 2 and Halo 3, then branch into ODST and Reach before diving into Halo 4, Halo 5, and Infinite. Fit the Halo Wars games and Spartan titles wherever you want extra lore or a change of pace.
The good news is that the Master Chief Collection makes almost this entire journey available in one place on modern hardware, with improved performance and visual options. Whether you’re a brand-new recruit or a lapsed Spartan returning after years away, there has never been a better time to take the Great Journey from start to finish.
of Halo Experiences: What It Feels Like to Play Them All
Reading a ranking is one thing. Actually living through the Halo franchise, game by game, is something else entirely. For a lot of players, it starts in a dorm room or a childhood bedroom with a chunky TV, four wired controllers, and an original Xbox humming away. The first time you and your friends load into Blood Gulch, argue about who gets the sniper rifle, and flip the Warthog three times trying to show off, you understand why Halo became a phenomenon.
Working through the campaigns in order is like watching the evolution of shooter design in fast-forward. In Combat Evolved, the joy is in the discoverythose long, quiet drives across alien landscapes, the shock of meeting the Flood for the first time, the dawning realization that this ringworld is both beautiful and terrifying. Halo 2 cranks up the pacing and drama, but it also introduces the idea that your enemies have their own politics and conflicts. By the time you hit Halo 3, the series has found its blockbuster rhythm: co-op sessions where someone always “accidentally” sticks a plasma grenade to a teammate just before the cutscene, and nobody even gets mad because it was too funny.
Drop into ODST or Reach and the tone shifts. Instead of feeling invincible, you feel vulnerable, even a little small in this huge war. Many players remember wandering around New Mombasa’s dark streets with ODST’s sax-heavy soundtrack in their headphones, feeling like they were in a sci-fi detective movie. In Reach, that last missionwhere you fight until you literally can’t anymoresticks with people long after the credits roll. It’s the kind of ending that makes you sit in silence for a minute before backing out to the menu.
Playing through Halo 4 and 5, you can feel the franchise searching for its new identity. For some players, seeing Master Chief’s relationship with Cortana explored more deeply is a highlight; for others, the focus on new characters and complex Forerunner lore is a speed bump. Either way, you get the sense that Halo refuses to stay frozen in 2007, even when fans sometimes wish it would.
Then there’s Halo Infinite, which feels like a nostalgic reunion and a fresh start at the same time. Roaming Zeta Halo with a grappleshot, rescuing stranded Marines, and hijacking Banished vehicles taps directly into that old Combat Evolved magicbut you’re also sprinting, sliding, and zipping up cliffs in ways that would have melted an original Xbox. For many players, Infinite becomes a sandbox of “Did you see that?” moments: launching a fusion coil across a canyon, chaining explosions to wipe out an entire patrol, or grappling onto a passing Banshee like an action hero.
Outside the games themselves, Halo also brings people together. LAN parties, midnight launches, shared campaign marathons, and endless debates about which game has the best pistol or the most broken multiplayer map are all part of the experience. The franchise has grown up alongside its audience; people who played Halo CE in high school are now introducing their kids to the series through the Master Chief Collection or Infinite. For them, replaying the campaigns isn’t just about better graphics or higher frame ratesit’s about revisiting a familiar universe that has been quietly aging right alongside them.
So when you fire up the first mission of Halo: Reach or Combat Evolved today, you’re not just starting another shooter. You’re stepping into a twenty-plus-year conversation between developers, critics, and millions of players around the world. This ranking is one snapshot of that conversationbut the real fun starts when you pick up the controller and decide your own order of favorites.