Fans may be divided on Paramount’s Halo series, but the premiere episode doesn’t hold back on the Halo easter eggs fans would expect. Gamers would be happy to know that the first episode features some pretty interesting Halo easter eggs, with some being rather obscure, and only known to true die-hard Halo fans.
The first Halo episode has many things that only gamers would notice, and to casual viewers, or people checking out Halo for the first time, it may go completely under the radar. However, the audio and visuals of certain moments will be sure to raise eyebrows in familiar moments.
7 Master Chief’s HUD
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Considering that the Halo games are all from the first-person perspective, it’s rather sweet of the Halo show to take that into account. For a few scenes in the first episode, players return to the helmet of Master Chief and see the combat through his eyes, just as they would have experienced if they were in another Halo game.
It’s quite the spectacle to see the live-action combat, as well as see Master Chief go toe-to-toe with members of the Covenant in a war. However, what’s eye-catching is the detail in Master Chief’s HUD, which has a strong resemblance to the HUD seen in video games.
6 Melee Madness
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Running out of bullets is never fun, especially considering reloading could mean death. Bullets can’t be infinite, and players will often find themselves in trouble due to a lack of time to reload or the fact that they have no ammo left. Luckily for Master Chief, this is not a problem, as he is happy to just beat people to death with his fists.
This isn’t uncommon in games, especially Halo, where the melee button can be a great source of damage when it’s quicker to hit something than reload. It can also be used to one-shot enemies from behind if the player is still in stealth.
5 “This Cave Network Does Not Appear To Be A Natural Formation”
Throwbacks can be hard to notice sometimes, especially when the lines spoken are not exactly the most famed. However, in the first episode, the line “This cave Network does not appear to be a natural formation” can be heard - a line taken from Halo: Combat Evolved that has been the result of many memes.
The line in the game is uttered by Cortana, Master Chief’s AI in Halo: Combat Evolved. It’s a fun line to hear again, and the most die-hard Halo gamers would recognize this line and the nostalgia that comes with it, as Cortana states an obvious structure made by someone is not a natural cave.
4 Prophet Of Mercy
The leaders of the Covenant are the Prophets. Their words influence the cultures that they have invaded and thrown under their banner and grand mission. It’s rather a cultist in nature, and one Prophet, in particular, makes an appearance strongly so in the first episode, that of the Prophet of Mercy.
To casual fans, the Prophet of Mercy might just be a regular seeming antagonist for the show, but gamers that have enjoyed the Halo titles before would know the importance of this Prophet, and how integral he was into the fall of the Covenant.
3 Energy Shield SFX
Throughout the Halo games, players have become familiar with the sound effect that occurs when Master Chief’s shield takes too many hits. This “beep” sound lets players know that Master Chief’s futuristic shield that covers his armor needs a few seconds without damage so that it can regenerate to its full potential.
This same sound effect features in the show, a niche easter egg that rewards gamers that pay close attention to the sound design of the Halo TV series. The shield sound effects are just one of a few resembling identities that the Halo games and Halo show have in common.
2 Commander Sheperd
Fans of Halo and Mass Effect have debated which series is superior for a while now. Whilst gamers continue to debate, the Halo TV series seeks to tie the two together, spiritually, considering that the universes are vastly different and seemingly centuries apart. The first episode features someone requesting “Commander Sheperd.”
Commander Sheperd is the well-known protagonist of the Mass Effect trilogy. The games are similar due to their use of sci-fi, world-building, heroes, and galactic conflict. Only gamers would know the identity of Commander Sheperd from Mass Effect; otherwise, this would just sound like a regular commander being called.
1 Demon
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One of the coolest aspects of the Halo games is how much the Covenant fears Master Chief. Considering Master Chief has been fighting them for years and is one of the most famous Spartans that humanity has, it’s no surprise that he has become a legend for humanity and a bogeyman for the Covenant.
Many of the Covenant characters, including the Prophets, refer to Master Chief as “Demon.” Although this may not seem like anything in particular to Halo gamers, they would know that this title is bestowed to Master Chief due to the high population of Covenant members that he has killed in his fight against them.
Halo is currently available to stream on Paramount Plus.