Halo: Combat Evolved is a classic that will forever stand the test of time. A game that transformed the FPS genre and whose franchise has garnered numerous awards and over $5 billion in global sales to date, Halo is a gaming phenomenon that is not showing any signs of slowing down.
Though many Halo games have made their marks and have contributed something to the overall franchise over the last couple of decades, the original Halo is where it all began. Despite decades of innovation though, there are just some things that the original Halo does better than the other Halo games.
5 Grenades Have More ‘Oomph’
In Halo, nothing can turn the tide of a firefight more than a well-placed grenade. Halo gave players access to two types of grenades: fragmentation and plasma. Each created its own unique form of chaos, as fragmentation grenades covered more area whilst plasma grenades could stick onto enemies. Many fans will likely have fond memories of sticking plasma grenades onto Elites and Grunts, and then watching in glee as foes ran in panic before exploding.
Though subsequent Halo games brought back the grenades, kept them powerful, and even introduced more variants, the grenades in the original Halo packed a severe punch, more so than the ones found in any of its sequels. A well-thrown grenade by the enemy could mean the death of a player’s entire squad of marines or shred the most powerful golden sword elites to smithereens. Future Halo games just didn’t have that same dread or ‘oomph’ that the classic grenades in Halo did.
4 The Flood Are Genuinely Terrifying
Although the Flood is a terrifying threat in all of the Halo games, the infamous 343 Guilty Spark level on Halo struck fear into the hearts of all those who experienced it. The mission shifted the tone of the series and changed the way engagements worked, as players had to adapt to changing their weapon roster to whatever they could find.
Many online videos capture the terror of newcomers facing the Flood for the first time in 343 Guilty Spark, and most of them show panic and fear of facing such foes. 343 Guilty Spark was an excellent level that introduced an eerie ambiance and slowly made the game veer off into the survival horror category, pulling off an excellent and unsuspecting twist. Though the Flood does return in subsequent Halo games, the initial interaction from the first Halo game would remain the most terrifying and creepy.
3 It Killed Off Allied Marines Faster
Many FPS shooters before Halo had players operate as a one-man army. In the original Halo, however, marine allies were introduced and would fight alongside players. Whether they are actually useful is perhaps a matter for debate as players would typically watch their allied AI do some pretty questionable things and they generally performed pretty poorly in combat without the player’s help.
In the years since the game's release, online videos on sites like YouTube have been able to prove that Halo 1 marines are the worst in the franchise and have the least health. Although when equipped with the sniper rifle, marines can hold their ground and kick some butt, other weapon load-outs just don’t do as well. Because of this, players are then divided into two camps: those who protect their fellow marines and those who abandon them to their fate.
2 It Has The Best Multi-Sided War Within The Franchise
Halo did many things that set the bar high for FPS shooters and storytelling. One such thing was establishing a multi-sided conflict between the Covenant, Flood, and Sentinels. It was definitely a feature that was ahead of its time as players were immersed in a multi-sided conflict that not only opened up opportunities in how firefights could be approached, but also enhanced the game's narrative.
Other Halo games have tried to reintroduce this feature to varying degrees, namely having players engage in the Covenant Civil War (Halo 2) and clashing against the Covenant remnants and Prometheans (Halo 4). However, the intention and effect just weren’t the same.
1 It Spawned One Of The Greatest FPS Mods Ever
Though Halo: Combat Evolved and its anniversary edition are brilliant games, several modders and game designers have enhanced the main campaign from Combat Evolved and have created the SPV series or Single Player Version of the first Halo campaign. The SPV (now SPV 3) is a complete overhaul of the original Halo which adds new weapons, vehicles, creatures, enemies, level extensions, and entirely new levels whilst remaining faithful to the original game and world-building.
Players will explore reimagined campaign levels that positively enhance the game in every way. The Assault On The Control Room level features additional allied units and level extensions so that it feels like a genuine assault. Meanwhile, The Library (perhaps the least popular level in Halo) features Covenant as well as vehicles that the player can commandeer throughout various parts of the level. Finally, new levels involve attempting to save more marines from the Flood and an entire mini-campaign focused on Thel Vadam (Arbiter) and fellow Elite allies as they attempt to break through the Flood, all of which are welcomed additions to this fantastic game.
Halo: Combat Evolved is available on Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.