Halohas become a staple in not just first-person shooters but the video game community as a whole. Master Chief is possibly one of the most recognizable characters in the world, and it is not just because of therecent release ofHalo Infinite. TheHaloseries has been around for over 20 years, and though the franchise has grown and developed over time, many lifelong fans still believe that the first few games perfectly captured the essence of the series.
The firstHalohad humble beginnings on the Xbox that blossomed into a massively popular series for its story as well as its highly competitive multiplayer. As franchise started to expand, the original trilogy not only created a huge fan base for itself, but also helped put the Xbox console on the map and essentially kickstarted the beginning of Xbox Live. Even though many otherHalogames have come out since the series first began, none have been able to truly recapture the feeling of the original games or their astonishing impact on the world of video games.
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How the First Halo Games Curated the Perfect Gaming Experience
On the surface, theHalo: Combat Evolvedlooks to be a simple FPSset in a futuristic environment. The idea was not exactly new and bold, but it was the execution that really piqued players’ interest.Halointroduced fans to Master Chief, a stoic and grizzled super soldier who did not say much but still had a personality, and the game guided players through his story and mission to save Earth. During the time ofHalo’s release, not many single-player FPS games had much of a story or memorable characters, butHalostood out from the pack and made an effort to actually tell a story and make the players care about Master Chief and his A.I. companion, Cortana.
Not only did the originalHalohave solid FPS mechanics and a standout set of characters, but it also had the benefit ofXbox exclusivity. Back in the days of console wars, Sony and Microsoft were constantly attempting to gain a higher fan base by releasing console-exclusive games, andHalobecame the Xbox’s flagship FPS that some argue PlayStation has still never been able to top. With that said,Haloquickly made a name for itself and, in turn, the Xbox console.
Though the originalHalodid have split-screen multiplayer and LAN multiplayer capabilities, the series’ multiplayer did not truly take off untilHalo 2, which was released three years after the original. Just as the first game helped kickstart the Xbox console,Halo 2had a huge role to play in the popularity of Xbox Live. As one of the first popular and competitive FPS games for consoles,Halo 2’s multiplayerhelped put Xbox Live on the map, and its simplistic yet effective matchmaking and ranking systems have influenced not only futureHalogames but many other competitive multiplayer FPS titles.
The Legacy Left Behind by Halo
After the first twoHalogames, the series began to rapidly expand, and most of the new games in the series followed the same formula as the original game and were met with equal success. New game modes such as Warzone and Firefight changed the way players would go about the multiplayer, but theclassicHalogame modeswill always be a staple of the series’ multiplayer. Many of the newer titles also introduced gameplay mechanics such as sprinting or equipment, which proved jarring for longtime fans but ultimately made sense to keep up with modern FPS games.
TheHalostory has remainedcentered around Master Chiefand Cortana, barring a few one-off games, but with so many titles now in theHaloseries, few of the stories have the same impact and feel as the original games. Fans may begin to wonder how much longer Master Chief can remain the face of the Xbox console, but withHalo Infinite’s campaign being praised by fans, it seems that Master Chief is still as iconic as ever.
Though theHalofranchise remains exceptionally popular, it is impossible to deny the impact of the first few games in the series. With a franchise that has been around for so long, fans may forget where it all began, and some currentHaloplayers may not have even played the original games. Fortunately,Halo: The Master Chief Collectionallows newcomers and lifelong fans torevisit the classicHalotitles, which have been polished and ported to PC as well. Though the initial feeling of booting upHaloon the original Xbox or logging into Xbox Live onHalo 2’ multiplayer may be a distant memory, for manyHalofans, these classic moments are the fondest and most groundbreaking experiences in all of gaming.
Halo Infiniteis available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
