The Halo Games in Chronological Order
Embarking on the Halo journey offers two paths: following the release order or the narrative chronology. This guide provides both options, beginning with the narrative timeline.
Which Halo Game Should You Play First?
For newcomers, the best starting points are Halo: Reach or Halo: Combat Evolved. Reach presents the first full-fledged first-person shooter experience, while Combat Evolved marks the series’ inaugural entry.
Available on Game Pass Halo: The Master Chief Collection
A convenient option for experiencing the core Halo saga is the Master Chief Collection. This comprehensive package bundles several Halo games, allowing for a streamlined experience.
1. Halo Wars (2531)
Halo Wars, set 21 years before Halo: Reach, introduces the early stages of the Human-Covenant War. Players engage in real-time strategy combat, experiencing the conflict as the UNSC combats the Covenant across various planets and Forerunner installations.
2. Halo: Reach (2552)
Halo: Reach plunges players into the summer of 2552. Noble Team, facing overwhelming Covenant forces, valiantly fights to protect humanity’s vital colony. This pivotal moment sets the stage for the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, allowing the escape of the Pillar of Autumn and Cortana.
3. Halo: Combat Evolved (2552)
Following the events of Reach, the Pillar of Autumn crashes on Installation 04, a Halo ring. Master Chief, aboard the vessel, faces Covenant forces and inadvertently unleashes the Flood. This introduces key characters and sets the stage for the ongoing conflict.
4. Halo 2 (2552)
Halo 2 occurs shortly after Combat Evolved, presenting a dual narrative. One focuses on the Arbiter, a Covenant Sangheili, while the other continues Master Chief’s struggle against the Covenant and Flood. The story spans approximately one month, culminating in Chief’s iconic line, “Sir, finishing this fight.” Key antagonists and allies, like the Covenant Hierarchs and Miranda Keyes, are introduced.
5. Halo 3: ODST (2552)
Halo 3: ODST takes place concurrently with Halo 2, specifically after the Halo 2 mission Metropolis. This game’s narrative focuses on a team of ODSTs, as they engage in combat across New Mombasa during the Covenant invasion of Earth. The story offers a less linear experience, introducing players to a squad of highly trained troops, including characters like Edward Buck.
6. Halo 3 (2552–2553)
Halo 3 concludes the original trilogy, featuring the final months of the Human-Covenant War. Master Chief and the UNSC strive to prevent the Halo Array detonation, which would endanger all sentient life. The Flood intensifies the threat, demanding Master Chief’s heroic efforts. The game culminates in Chief’s iconic cryosleep declaration: “Wake me when you need me.”
7. Halo: Spartan Assault (2554)
Set between Halo 3 and Halo 4, Spartan Assault offers a top-down shooter perspective. Players experience a post-war conflict, where Spartan-IV soldiers navigate the battlefield against Covenant forces, including Sangheili warlord Merg Vol. Sarah Palmer, a significant character, appears again in subsequent games.
8. Halo 4 (2557)
Halo 4 marks a pivotal shift, launching the Reclaimer Saga under 343 Industries. Four years after Halo 3, Master Chief, awakened from cryosleep, confronts Cortana’s instability and the return of the Forerunners, led by the Didact. The game presents new adversaries and allies, including Dr. Catherine Halsey and the Librarian.
9. Halo: Spartan Strike (2557)
Halo: Spartan Strike, set in 2552 and 2557, follows UNSC forces in their mission to locate a Forerunner artifact, the Conduit. The narrative impact on the main Halo storyline is limited; however, the game provides a glimpse into the conflict between humanity and the Covenant.
10. Halo 5: Guardians (2558)
Halo 5: Guardians significantly alters the series’ focus by centering the narrative around Fireteam Osiris, led by Jameson Locke, rather than Master Chief. Players follow the team’s mission to locate Master Chief while Blue Team concurrently tracks a rogue Cortana. The campaign features alternating narratives to illustrate these parallel storylines.
11. Halo Wars 2 (2559)
Set between Halo 5 and Halo Infinite, Halo Wars 2 introduces Atriox, the Brute warlord, and his Banished forces. Red Team and the Spirit of Fire return to the narrative, facing these new antagonists. The conflict between the UNSC and the Banished continues into Halo Infinite.
12. Halo Infinite (2560)
Halo Infinite, the latest chronologically, returns Master Chief to the spotlight. Players experience an open world on Zeta Halo, encountering the Banished and the Endless. New allies, including UNSC pilot Fernando Esparza and the Weapon (an AI replica of Cortana), join Master Chief’s fight, along with a diverse array of antagonists like Atriox and the Harbinger.
How to Play The Halo Games By Release Date
Here’s the order of release for all games, including mainline and spin-offs.
- Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
- Halo 2 (2004)
- Halo 3 (2007)
- Halo Wars (2009)
- Halo 3: ODST (2009)
- Halo: Reach (2010)
- Halo 4 (2012)
- Halo Spartan Assault (2013)
- Halo: Spartan Strike (2015)
- Halo 5: Guardians (2015)
- Halo Wars 2 (2017)
- Halo Infinite (2020)
Halo: The Complete Playlist
iGV’s Halo Playlist offers a comprehensive overview of the entire franchise, allowing players to organize and track their gaming progress.
The Future of Halo Games
The Halo franchise remains a significant presence in gaming. However, the future of the series is subject to continued development and potential new avenues for story and game expansion.
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