While there have been plenty of popular gaming franchises, few are as beloved as Halo. As a franchise, Halo has sold tens of millions of copies and has loyal fans across the planet. People have loved to play these games for decades and some still play them religiously to this day. Are you looking to play these Halo games in order? Well, read our guide below to help you play Halo games in chronological order.
Not only that, but many people have even elected to make their own hacks for the game to expand on what it can do and have some fun in single-player and custom games – learn more on Guided Hacking website. The point is, the Halo franchise is still one of the most popular in gaming history. If you want to relive this franchise in all its glory (or play it for the first time), we recommend playing the main games in the order they were released.
Halo Games in Chronological Order – Play Halo Games in Order
1) Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
The game that started it all. This game was a launch title for the Xbox console and was the first time players assumed the role of Master Chief and attempted to uncover the secrets of Halo. The game was a smash-hit success and this success led to a media franchise that spawned multiple decades. The game helped bring the FPS (first-person-shooter) genre forward and helped the Xbox become as successful as it is today.
2) Halo 2 (2004)
After years of waiting, Halo lovers finally got their sequel in 2004. The game, which was also released on the original Xbox, came complete with new weapons, new enemies to fight, and fun new vehicles to drive. The game also came with online multiplayer, a feature that would revolutionize the franchise. Halo 2 was even more beloved than the original and also went on to be one of the most impressive and highest-selling first-generation Xbox games.
3) Halo 3 (2007)
Halo 3 was the first Halo game to come out for the Xbox 360, and as such, offered a major graphical boost over the last games. While the online multiplayer continued to be popular, the new Forge map editor also stole the show, as it let players make edits to the different multiplayer maps. It went on to be the best-selling game in the USA in 2007. While people certainly enjoyed the game, the single-player experience was a little underwhelming in terms of the plot.
4) Halo Wars (2009)
While the other Halo games have been shooters, Halo Wars was an RTS (real-time strategy) game. The game is set in the same universe as Halo, but 21 years before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. The game looked good and was relatively straightforward to control. While the game was solid and sold well, this was likely more due to the game title than the game itself being anything special. Many who were experienced with RTS games would see the game as a little lacking in terms of depth.
5) Halo 3: ODST (2009)
Halo 3: ODST was released the same year as Halo Wars, and is a prequel to the popular Halo 3 game from two years prior. During the game, players take on the role of ODST’s (orbital drop shock troopers) and explore to discover what happened to their missing team members. Despite not featuring Master Chief, the game was still a critical success and had a great atmosphere and fantastic music.
6) Halo Reach (2010)
Halo Reach was released as a prequel to the original Halo: Combat Evolved game. It has players take on the role of Noble Six, a super-soldier who fights against the Covenant to protect Reach. While the plot and characters weren’t as strong as some of the other games, the setting, sound, and graphics were praised. This game went on to gross $200 million on its launch day, which set a record for the franchise.
7) Halo 4 (2012)
After a few years, Halo fans got their next installment with Halo 4. The game was the first original game in the series for 343 studios, as the previous games were developed by Bungie, who created the whole series in the first place. The game once again focused on Master Chief and his battle against his enemies but also got more in-depth into his relationship with his AI construct, named Cortana. The game looked incredible and sought out to include more human elements than previous titles.
8) Halo 5: Guardians (2015)
While a few smaller Halo games were released, Halo 5 was the first main series Halo game to come out in three years and launched on the Xbox One console. The direct sequel to Halo 4, this game was very fun to play and made strides to improve single player, but the multiplayer aspect suffered due to the removal of the split-screen feature that was so popular within the franchise.
9) Halo Wars 2 (2017)
Halo Wars 2 was another RTS game released in the Halo franchise and was generally enjoyed by most. It was very beginner-friendly and had great animations, but once again struggled to be as deep as many other RTS games were. Your goal in the game is to destroy enemy bases, and the game made use of automation in a big way.
10) A New Addition to our Halo Games in Order Guide – Halo Infinite (2021)
The next Halo game to keep your eye out for (as of the writing of this blog post) is Halo Infinite. While this game was initially supposed to release as a launch title with the Xbox Series X and S in 2020, it has been delayed until December 8th, 2021. This game is the end of the trilogy that began with Halo 4 and is sure to be another smash hit. The game will also feature free-to-play multiplayer, which should see a massive influx of new players trying out the game.
In conclusion, the Halo franchise is one of the biggest and best of all time, and we hope this guide has been able to help you get back into it or immerse yourself for the very first time. Are you playing the Halo games in chronological order? Or do you play Halo games in order of when you buy them?
Last Updated: November 11, 2021
