Best Of
10 Best Halo Games to Play
Choose ten Halo games for campaigns, co-op, strategy and replayable combat, with clear distinctions between originals, remakes and current editions.
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Halo offers more than one kind of good evening: a campaign mission, a cooperative replay, a strategic battle, or a few multiplayer matches. These ten choices explain which part of each game makes it worth considering. Campaign Evolved and Combat Evolved are listed separately as a remake and its original, while the Master Chief Collection is discussed as a way to access several games rather than an extra ranked adventure. Platform and online-service details matter, especially for older releases. A campaign recommendation should not be read as a promise that every original multiplayer service is still operating.
For a broader comparison, see our first-person shooters on Steam guide.
10. Halo 5: Guardians
Halo 5 shifts between Spartan teams, using squad-oriented encounters and movement abilities to give its campaign a different feel. Pick it if you already know the major characters and want to see another interpretation of Halo’s combat. It is a less straightforward first recommendation for someone who wants a simple introduction to Master Chief. The Xbox campaign is distinct from the limited Halo 5: Forge release on PC, which is not a PC port of the full story. Check current online requirements for cooperative play; the presence of a squad does not mean the campaign offers local split-screen.
Official Halo 5 campaign launch trailer, not a later multiplayer update. Halo 5: Launch Gameplay Trailer.
9. Halo Wars 2
Halo Wars 2 takes the universe into real-time strategy, with the Spirit of Fire’s crew confronting a dangerous force on the Ark. Instead of aiming a rifle yourself, you build up forces, consider unit strengths, and decide where to commit resources. Choose it if you want the setting in a different genre or prefer commanding a battle to controlling one soldier inside it. It follows Halo Wars, so the earlier game helps with the crew’s background. The base campaign and additional story content are separate package details. Review the current edition and platform support rather than assuming a bundle includes every expansion.
Official game trailer — XBOX. Halo Wars 2: Official Launch Trailer.
8. Halo 4
Halo 4 gives Master Chief and Cortana a more personal campaign within an unfamiliar setting and a changing conflict. Its appeal is the relationship at the center of the action, alongside encounters that introduce a different group of enemies. Choose it after the earlier Chief games if you want that history to carry weight. The version within the Master Chief Collection is a useful modern access point to compare with the original Xbox 360 release. Those versions do not share the same service situation. The opening return to action provides enough plot context without explaining the campaign’s later decisions.
Official game trailer — XBOX. Official Halo 4 Launch Trailer ‘Scanned’ Long Form.
7. Halo Infinite
Infinite gives Master Chief a larger area to explore between directed missions, with the Grappleshot encouraging a more playful approach to movement and combat. Pick its campaign if you like taking a detour, testing an approach, and making an encounter unfold differently on a replay. The free multiplayer game and the paid campaign are separate offers, so the store page needs a little care. Campaign co-op and competitive multiplayer also have different requirements and modes. It is a good choice for its moment-to-moment freedom, but it does not replace the earlier games when you want the full background to the story.
Official game trailer — HALO. Halo Infinite | Campaign Launch Trailer.
6. Halo 3: ODST
ODST puts you in the boots of a different kind of soldier, moving through New Mombasa while trying to understand what happened to a scattered squad. That change of scale gives the game a quieter, more investigative rhythm between its battles. Choose it if you want Halo’s familiar combat in a mood that feels distinct from Master Chief’s campaigns. The Master Chief Collection offers a modern version to investigate, including its listed campaign and Firefight features. It is not simply a small side mission inside Halo 3. The opening search is enough setup; discovering how the squad’s experiences connect is part of the appeal.
Official Master Chief Collection trailer for Halo 3: ODST. Prepare To Drop | Halo: The Master Chief Collection – Halo 3: ODST.
5. Halo: Campaign Evolved
Campaign Evolved rebuilds the first Halo campaign for a modern release, making it a useful option when you want the beginning of Master Chief’s journey with a newer presentation. The opening follows human forces into a conflict surrounding a mysterious ringworld, where military survival and exploration quickly overlap. Choose it if modern access and the remake’s own systems are more important to you than preserving the feel of the 2001 version. It is a campaign-focused release; do not assume that every original competitive mode is included. Read its specific platform, edition, and co-op details rather than relying on information about Combat Evolved Anniversary.
Official game trailer — HALO. Halo: Campaign Evolved | Launch Trailer.
4. Halo: Reach
Reach follows Noble Team as a major conflict closes around the planet that gives the game its name. Its appeal is the sense of fighting as part of a group, with missions that vary their scale and the tools available. Pick it for a self-contained campaign with a different cast and a strong military science-fiction atmosphere. It is a prequel, but playing the original Halo first can still help you appreciate its place in the series. The Master Chief Collection is a modern route to investigate on PC and Xbox. Leave detailed mission outcomes and character summaries unread until after the journey.
Official Master Chief Collection launch trailer for Halo: Reach. Halo Reach – X019 – The Master Chief Collection Launch Trailer.
3. Halo 2
Halo 2 builds its campaign around a wider conflict and more than one perspective, making the universe feel larger than the first game’s immediate struggle. Choose it after Combat Evolved, when that expanded view has some context behind it. Its encounters and weapons also give it a distinct rhythm that remains worth revisiting. The Anniversary presentation inside the Master Chief Collection is one way to experience it, with package and platform details worth checking. The campaign is part of a continuing story rather than a promise that every question is resolved here. Knowing the opening situation is enough; the shifts in perspective can introduce themselves.
Official Halo 2 Anniversary trailer for the remastered edition of the campaign. Halo 2 Anniversary Cinematic Launch Trailer [Official].
2. Halo: Combat Evolved
Combat Evolved remains a useful recommendation for the way its encounters let weapons, enemies, vehicles, and open space interact. The story starts with human forces arriving at a mysterious ringworld, and that unfamiliar environment gives the campaign a clear sense of discovery. Choose the original adventure when you want to understand the combat foundations that later entries revisit. Anniversary and the Master Chief Collection provide later versions, while Campaign Evolved is a separate remake. Be specific about which one you are buying. The age of an edition does not by itself tell you which multiplayer services or compatibility features remain available.
Official Combat Evolved Anniversary PC trailer; this is distinct from Campaign Evolved. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary PC | Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
1. Halo 3
Halo 3 brings the earlier Chief campaign arc into a sequence of encounters that moves confidently between close fighting, vehicles, and large battle spaces. It is the strongest recommendation here for players who want that broad Halo mix, particularly as a continuation of the first two campaigns. Choose it after those games instead of learning the story through a recap full of major reveals. The Master Chief Collection is a practical current package to compare for its campaign and multiplayer content. Original Xbox 360 service information is a separate matter. Its attraction is the room encounters give you to improvise, rather than a requirement to copy one perfect route.
Original official Halo 3 “Believe” promotional film from developer Bungie; it uses staged diorama imagery. Halo 3: Believe.
Which Should You Play First?
Start with Combat Evolved or Campaign Evolved for the beginning of Chief’s story, then follow the earlier campaigns in order. Reach and ODST offer different perspectives, while Wars 2 changes the genre. Choose Infinite when flexible movement is the main draw, and check the campaign purchase separately from its free multiplayer component.
If you want to explore another direction, our PvE co-op games on PC guide offers a useful next step.
