The History of Halo

The Halo franchise has become one of the most renowned in gaming today. Master Chief has become ‘the face’ of the Xbox brand and is now a staple video gaming icon; Microsoft has even stated that Halo is the centerpiece of their first party portfolio. The Halo games have become some of the best selling games of all time and the online community continues to grow. ResumePlay is taking a look back at the origins of the Halo series from its inception to what it has evolved into today.

Halo: Combat Evolved

Halo was originally shown at a press event hosted by Apple in 1999. The attendees seemed to like it but there was also a certain group of people that viewed it that seemed to take a particularly keen interest in the new IP. This group was none other than Microsoft, who would eventually end up purchasing Bungie and adding Halo to their first party catalog; this would allow them to release the game as a launch title for the original Xbox.

Halo began life as a third person shooter, but after many iterations, it eventually became the first person shooter that fans know today. In November of 2001, the Xbox launched, and Halo was sitting in the games display cases at retail outlets right along with it. The Original story of Halo takes place after the battle of Reach, where a war with an alien race known as the Covenant has wiped out most of the Spartans. One ship managed to escape the Covenant onslaught, but after warping into space, it came into contact with a Halo ring; this is where most of the battle unfolds. Halo would end up becoming a hit, and the series would then go on to become one of the best selling Xbox franchises of all time.

Halo 2

After the success of the original Halo, it came as no surprise that Halo 2 was announced with a launch date in 2002. The story of the second game was split between the Master Chief and the Arbiter in the main campaign. It was comprised of a war between the Covenant and the denizens of earth, as well as an ongoing civil war between the Covenant Elites and a race known as the Brutes. However, the campaign was also accompanied by a new, robust online component, that would end up becoming a staple in the Halo franchise. The original Halo did not have online play although it would eventually be added in a PC port later down the road.

The multiplayer aspect is what made Halo 2 really shine. Bungie added the ability to duel wield and board enemy vehicles. The balance of weapons added great game-play, which included the addition of the series’ most recognizable weapon – the battle rifle. The covenant weapons had the advantage of draining shield energy, while the human weapons had a similar effect on player health. Add to that a robust online skill based matchmaking system, a variety of balanced multiplayer maps, and the overall fun factor, and Halo 2 would end up having some of the best multiplayer game-play of any game in the series. The real icing on the cake was the addition of Bungie.net. The website tracks player stats and adds them up to the minute for every aspect you can think of.

Halo 3

After the abrupt cliffhanger ending that took place in Halo 2, Halo 3 would end up releasing on Microsoft’s new console – the Xbox 360. Gamers were interested in “finishing the fight,” the eventual slogan for Halo 3. This time, the battle would be taken to earth, and Master Chief would face insurmountable odds against the Covenant forces as he tried to save the AI persona known as Cortana.

A variety of new weapons were added as well, and the assault rifle made a return as a starting weapon. Brute weapons were added, along with the Spartan laser, and a variety of different equipment such as the bubble shield and power drain. These new additions really added a lot of tactical variety to the multiplayer aspect of Halo 3. Bungie added a file share for each user – granting them the ability to upload photos and videos of game play situations that they wanted to save and share with online friends. A level editor know as forge was also put in place for users to create their own maps. Bungie has added a variety of new map updates throughout the years, and seems to be truly in sync with their fan base. Halo 2 and Halo 3 would end up becoming the most played online games for both the original Xbox and the Xbox 360.

Halo 3: ODST

Earlier this year, Microsoft launched the newest game in the Halo franchise known as Halo 3: ODST. The ODST – or orbital drop shock troopers – don’t come equipped with Spartan armor, and lack many of the abilities that Master Chief has, including a regenerating shield. This forces the player to take a much more stealth like approach to game-play, since the ODST are far more vulnerable. The Halo 1 pistol also made a return, as well as a new silenced version of the SMG. The story of ODST takes place in the streets of new Mombasa. The game itself tells a side story that takes place during the Covenant invasion of earth. The premise of the story is that you end up crash-landing there after a missed pod drop onto a Covenant ship, and are separated from your squad; you hope to come in contact with them, rescue any who are in danger, and flee the city. Halo: ODST also came packaged with its own online component known as “firefight.” During firefight, players take control of ODST soldiers and are placed on a variety of maps which feature waves of Covenant forces to eliminate. It can be played in both solo and cooperative modes.

Halo: Reach

Halo: Reach was announced earlier this year at Microsoft’s E3 ‘09 press conference. Very little is known about the title, as it is being kept tightly under raps. The fall of Reach is one of the most epic stories in the Halo time-line, so one would expect even larger scale battles than previous titles in the Halo series.

Bungie has stated previously that Halo: Reach will feature an all new graphics engine, as well as its own, brand-new multiplayer component. The game is due out in late 2010. It will be interesting to see what new features Bungie adds to Reach; with their focus on compelling game-play and community based features, fans no doubt have a reason to be excited.