By: Jacob Anderson
OwlFeed Journalist

The Halo franchise is known by many; it revolutionized gaming as we know it, as well as being a stable series since its debut in 2001.

As background, Halo is a game created predominantly by Bungie, as well as 343 Studios and Microsoft. The first game, Halo: Combat Evolved, takes place in the distant 26th century, where “Super-soldier John-117, Master Chief of the United Nations Space Command, must battle a genocidal alien race known as the Covenant following his violent crash-landing on Halo, an ancient and mysterious ring-world,” according to IMDb. Reviewers gave the game an 8.9/10.

Combat Evolved was released in November of 2001, and sold millions of copies by 2005.

This game led to the creation of Halo 2, which released in 2004. The game takes place sometime after the events of Combat Evolved and expands on the world created. This sequel brings the fight to our planet, where “Master Chief must defend Earth from invading Covenant forces” (IMDb). More gameplay mechanics are created, and some are improved upon in the story continuation. It was given 8.7/10.

Later on, in 2007 to be exact, Halo 3 was released. This title in the franchise features another return to Earth, this time dominated by aliens. The player once again plays as the Master Chief, as he “…and the Arbiter must join together to attack the Covenant and destroy the Flood” (IMDb). The game received an 8.8/10.

Next came Halo: Reach, which was released in 2010. It takes place on the planet Reach, a Covenant occupied planet mentioned in previous games. The game features “A highly-trained branch of the UNSC known as the Noble Team “who…must defend the planet of Reach from a massive Covenant invasion” (IMDb). This game was my personal favorite, as it has nostalgic ties to my childhood and introduction to the gaming genre. It deserves its 8.6/10 rating.

The last Halo before the newest title was Halo 4. Master Chief yet again makes a return as the player-character. This time, “After being awoken from cryogenic sleep, Master Chief crash lands on a planet infested by aliens known as Prometheans” (IMDb). Being released in 2012, this was the last Halo title to come out on the Xbox 360, aside from Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which came out for the Xbox One.

Finally was Halo 5: Guardians. This game changed Halo as a whole, from a new world of weapon and armor customization to new vehicles and enemies. “Peace is shattered when colony worlds are unexpectedly attacked. And when humanity’s greatest hero goes missing, Spartan Jameson Locke is tasked with hunting the Master Chief and solving a mystery that threatens the entire galaxy” (IMDb). This game was one of the few titles in the series to not let the player control Master Chief.

Halo 5 is the lowest rated game in the series, getting a 7.5 rating compared to the 8.5-8.9 of past titles.

With all the games in the series, Halo has been a game loved by many. The series was the roots of multiple fan-created games and series, from simple Let’s Play series to the well known Red Vs Blue, a cinematic series created by Rooster Teeth.

Overall, Halo provides players with a sense of nostalgia and charm.