The Halo games are exceptionally popular and their take on first-person shooters has set a very high standard for both singleplayer and multiplayer. Fans who have followed the series from the beginning have seen firsthand how the series has grown and developed.
The series launched in 2001 on the original Xbox and has since accrued a large base of diehard fans who have been following not only Master Chief's journey but also the ever-changing experience of Halo multiplayer. The multiplayer has changed between each iteration, and so each version of Halo’s multiplayer is a new and different experience for better or worse.
S-Tier
Halo 3 - Halo 3 was not only the pinnacle of the original trilogy but the multiplayer experience's peak as well. This title took everything from the first two entries and polished it to perfection. Halo 3 featured new vehicles and guns, but also introduced the utilization of equipment such as the Bubble Shield and Grav Lift that really diversified the classic gunplay while still feeling very grounded in the series’ roots. Modes that have since become staples in Halo such as Forge and Theater were introduced in this entry, which greatly expanded the player’s creativity and gameplay options.
A-Tier
Halo 2 - The second entry in the series was the first one to introduce online multiplayer and really put Halo and Xbox Live on the map. This game helped lay down the framework for not just other Halo titles, but many other online FPS games on consoles. The simplicity of the matchmaking and familiar feel of the original game made Halo 2 a pillar of online multiplayer.
Halo Infinite - The latest entry in the long list of Halo games, Halo Infinite, has added a good amount of changes to the core multiplayer of the original trilogy but also feels reminiscent of what made the first few titles great. Though it had a bit of a rocky start, Halo Infinite has been adapting to players’ desires and has a lot of potential to supersede its predecessors. The addition of new abilities and different types of game modes such as Last Spartan Standing makes Halo Infinite stand out from the rest of the crowd.
B-Tier
Halo: Combat Evolved - Halo: Combat Evolved was released on the original Xbox before online multiplayer existed on the console. That being said, it featured split-screen and LAN multiplayer which laid all the groundwork that allowed for the next titles to become online juggernauts. Through TheMaster Chief Collection, players are able to enjoy the first Halo’s multiplayer with online play.
Halo: Reach - Halo: Reach drastically changed the multiplayer. It introduced game modes like Invasion and armor abilities that were the precursors to many of the skills in later titles such as the much-debated sprint. Many fans were displeased with the way the series was shifting to feel more like other first-person shooters, but many of the features in Halo Reach have since become mainstays in the series.
C-Tier
Halo 3: ODST - This title in the series is definitely the oddball of the group, providing an entirely different experience in both the campaign and the multiplayer. Halo 3: ODST stripped away the traditional Spartan armor and had players in the boots of an ODST Marine. Instead of focusing on competitive multiplayer, ODST put a heavy focus on cooperative play and introduced the Firefight mode where players work together to fend off waves of Covenant enemies.
Halo 5: Guardians - Halo 5 has received a lot of mixed reviews from fans of the series. The multiplayer strayed further from the original trilogy and leaned more into movement-based combat. Features such as the slide, thrusters, unlimited sprint, and aiming down weapon sights really changed the pace of the combat in this version of the multiplayer, but it was more finely polished than the previous entries with similar features.
D-Tier
Halo 4 - As the first Halo game developed by 343 Industries, Halo 4 had some big shoes to fill, and it might have been overly ambitious. Many fans were displeased with the way the multiplayer was set up because it included features such as weapon loadouts and ordinance drops that feel more similar to a Call of Duty title rather than Halo. Luckily the developers were able to either fine-tune or remove the unfavorable features in later titles.
Halo Infinite is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.