Every Level in Halo 3, Ranked

It says a lot when a game that was released toward the end of the 2000s is still massively popular. It seems that Halo 3 is going to enjoy its status as a legendary video game for a long time to come. However, there was a lot of pressure on Bungie as they geared up to release the concluding chapter in the first Halo trilogy. Fortunately, Halo 3 was met with praise and adoration, and fans still love revisiting this entry in the franchise. Some of that praise was geared toward the online co-op play; however, the best part of Halo 3 is its campaign mode.

The nine levels in Halo 3 see Master Chief and the Arbiter in a race to find the ark, stop Truth, and finish the fight. This journey takes the player through a mix of levels, each one sporting their own challenges and highlights.

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9 Cortana

The introduction of The Flood as a new enemy in the first Halo was a stroke of genius. However, by the time Halo 3 rolled around their welcome had long been worn out. Unfortunately, the penultimate level in Halo 3 has players fighting through wave after wave of different flood forms to find Cortana.

What makes this level so dismal is the dark and uninspired level design. Both the walls and floors are muddy beige, and it is easy for players to get lost in the very familiar-looking tunnels. Also, there is little strategy for fighting The Flood here. The enemy just keeps pushing toward the player, and each flood form is taken out in the same way, bullets.

8 Crow's Nest

There is nothing wrong with the second level of Halo 3, Crow's Nest, for those new to the Halo series. Unfortunately, this run of corridors and military personnel is all too familiar for gamers who enjoyed the last two Halo games. Every Halo begins in this way. Pitting Master Chief against a bunch of Covenant forces in an enclosed space. The difficulty level isn't too high in Crow's Nest, and players do not gain access to any fun vehicles or weapons either.

Instead, this level serves as mini-tutorial for the game. Sadly, that means the players who are used to the Halo series will have to slog through another set of copy/pasted corridors and minimal threat. There is little character development or story progression in Crow's Nest, but players do get a healthy dose of Sergeant Johnson here so that's something.

7 Sierra 117

As the first proper level in Halo 3, Sierra 117 had the difficult job of following up the cliffhanger left by the previous game. Luckily, the developer's decided not to bog the player down with too much story and let them continue on in this action-packed opener. Those playing in co-op mode would also realize that the second player could control The Arbiter on this level as well.

Sierra 117 isn't the most difficult level, but it is fun. Players have to navigate through waves of jackal snipers, brutes, and hammer-wielding chieftains for the first time. It is one long push, but gamers do get an idea of everything that Halo 3 is about from this frantic opening.

6 Floodgate

Floodgate is the first level in Halo 3 that introduces the player to The Flood. As gamers who are used to playing against this particular enemy knows, The Flood that show up in Floodgate are relentless. Players find themselves enveloped in a much darker version of the previous level as The Flood devour all those in their way, human and Covenant alike.

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This is a great new introduction to The Flood, and players have a chance to breathe and discover how to take down this new threat. There are several new flood forms that are new to Halo 3, so Floodgate doesn't end up being another retread of other flood levels from the previous games.

5 Tsavo Highway

As the Crow's Nest goes down, Master Chief and his allies need to regroup. They do this by taking the Tsavo Highway, the first level in Halo 3 that lets the player experiment with a slew of vehicles, some of which are new and some are very familiar.

This level can be quite difficult for gamers who choose to run through it on foot instead, and Tsavo Highway shows off how big and detailed the levels in this game can be. However, the player can also opt to miss out on most of the action in this level by hopping in a Warthog or Chopper and just driving straight to the finish line. However, this is not recommended on higher difficulties since.

4 The Storm

The Storm is a level that encompasses a lot of what makes the Halo series so great. The level is very simple but also has a lot going on. It is this variety that makes Halo 3 such a fun game.

The player must run down corridors to mow down grunts, brutes, and jackals. There is even a section where the players have to contend with some hunters. On top of this, there are also vehicle sections that take place outside and a memorable encounter with a Scarab. All this action is capped off with a final push uphill against a mountain of enemies to take down a massive anti-air gun. What's best is that players can choose to face any of these objectives however they want.

3 Halo

The final level in Halo 3 is more focused on finishing off the story than anything else, and that is most evident by the fact that it is yet another level where the player is forced to face-off against a swarm of The Flood. What makes Halo far more enjoyable is the fact that players get to fight The Flood in a brightly lit snow scape. Also, traversing up each section of the main structure poses new challenges that require new ways to think when progressing.

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Although the final boss fight with 343 Guilty Spark leaves a lot to be desired, the decision to end the level with an iconic Warthog run as the Halo ring collapses is a stroke of genius. Unfortunately, the choice to kill off Sergeant Johnson in the end costs this level some points.

2 The Ark

As players begin their journey through The Ark, it makes sense that they wouldn't expect much. The level begins by equipping the player with a sniper rifle and having them sneak through rocks to stealthily take out the Covenant.

However, this level quickly changes tact as the level opens up into a huge desert where the player needs to navigate on foot or in a vehicle to take out the endless variety of enemies. Players get to use a tank to fight Choppers, Banshees, and even a Scarab. It is a long level, but every second of The Ark is intense.

1 The Covenant

Of course, the best level in Halo 3 has the player making a final stand against Truth and the Covenant. This level starts with a beach assault, leads to a vehicle chase, has the Master Chief fight Phantoms in the sky and features not one but two Scarabs. Oh, and the end of the level sees the player team up with The Flood in an exciting twist.

However, the thing that truly makes The Covenant the best level in Halo 3 is that it features everything that the series does so well. Players have to fight through a myriad of unique forces using their wits and whatever the sandbox affords them at the time.