As one of the most iconic franchises in history, Halo set the standard for many first-person shooter (FPS) norms in console gaming since its inception in 2001 on the original Xbox. Online multiplayer, radiant enemy AI, FPS campaigns. While Halo isn't at the top of its game these days, one thing remains that puts the franchise forever above all its competition over the past 20+ years: its soundtracks.
6 Best Video Game Soundtracks
The best video game soundtracks of all time stick with players long after their stories are complete.
With tracks that bring out a range of emotions, from sadness, to exhilaration, to wonderment and awe, Halo has consistently crafted excellent soundtracks to couple their excellent storytelling. It is almost impossible to rank the tracks without bringing a scourge of frustration down, but which track is the greatest?
10 Halo 4: Arrival (Neil Davidge)
Cortana splits her rampant personality The Didact must be stopped. At the end of Halo 4's emotional campaign, the Master Chief pushes on alone against countless Prometheans to prevent The Didact from Composing all of Earth with this track blasting in the background.
With the slow, somber build up of Cortana's rampancy expanding, to the hordes of Promethean Crawlers, Knights and Watchers barreling down onto the player, Arrival brings out that desperate last bit of heroism from the Master Chief to save Earth once again. The track symbolizes Cortana and Master Chief's journey throughout Halo 4. One of dire straits, sheer determination and a never-say-die attitude that elevates the track to one of the franchises best.
9 Halo 5: The Trials (Kazuma Jinnouchi)
There was only one way to reveal Master Chief and introduce Blue Team into Halo 5 and that was through a track that was a culmination of other iconic Halo tracks. From 117, to One Final Effort, the Halo theme itself, The Trials is Kazuma Jinnouchi's greatest track of Halo 5's strong soundtrack.
Coupling the track itself with the epic introduction cutscene of Master Chief and Blue Team boosting through space to assault the UNSC research station Argent Moon that has been occupied by Storm Covenant forces, Jinnouchi perfectly displays Blue Teams expertise, despite their age, and why they are still the greatest Spartan team around.
8 Halo Reach: Winter Contingency (Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori)
Everyone's introduction to Bungie's final Halo game. Winter Contingency is an epic twelve-minute suite that takes the player through a journey across humanity's last stronghold before Earth, Reach.
With an emphasis on mystery, the introduction to the track establishes the planet of Reach. Noble teams investigation of a sabotaged communications relay and missing troopers leads them to an encounter with the formidable Covenant. A threat they were unaware knew of Reach's location. The track then directs the listener and player through a journey deep into the relay where deadly Covenant Zealots seek to prevent humanity being warned of their arrival. This culminates with an epic guitar section when the Covenant is engaged inside the tight corridors of the communications relay.
7 Halo Wars: Insignificantia (All Sloppy/No Joe) (Stephen Rippy)
A beautiful mix of acoustic guitars, to the traditional Halo vocals and piano iconic of the series, Insignificantia is the jazzy end credits song to put the player in a good mood after the desperate battle and bittersweet ending to Halo's first divergence from FPS games with this legendary real-time-strategy game.
Most Iconic Alien Races in Video Games
Video games have introduced audiences to some incredible and iconic alien races, with some as allies, and others, enemies.
Halo Wars, the strategy game developed by Ensemble Studios has many excellent tracks, but none hold the listeners' attention quite like Insignificantia. A beautiful track accompanied by a beautiful message from the development team thanking their fans as the ship, The Spirit of Fire, flies off into the sunset as the credits roll.
6 Halo 2: Epilogue (Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori)
Like returning home after a long time away, Halo 2's credits song, Epilogue, bottles that feeling of nostalgia up nice and tight. Once that smooth guitar comes in the clock rolls back to 2004 once again and all is good.
The homecoming feel of this track wasn't lost on Bungie either, as it was reused somewhat at the end of Halo 3 when The Arbiter and Rtas 'Vadum (Shipmaster) leave Earth to return to their own home world.
Even with this melancholy feeling O'Donnell and Salvatori made sure to remind players to 'Finish the Fight' with a little Flood themed crescendo at the end.
5 Halo Theme Mjolnir Mix (Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori)
The metal remix of the classic. The Halo 2 theme takes everything from the first games theme and amplifies it up to eleven! The track perfectly summarized the gaming industry during Halo 2's launch. Heavy guitar riffs and the absolute hype behind the release of Halo 2.
While the original Halo theme feels more grounded with its boots on the ground aesthetic, Salvatori's guitar solos make it a theme song for all FPS gamers from 2004 onwards. An iconic re-imagining that earns it spot within the top five of the franchises best. Makes hopping on a Scarab, killing everything onboard and slowly walking away that much cooler.
4 Halo 3: ODST: Deference for Darkness (Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori)
The first Halo FPS to take the player out of the Master Chief's shoes puts them firmly in those of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST). Deference for Darkness goes all in on the jazz style of music with a smooth piano and a gorgeously soft saxophone section.
The tracks latter stage add a more boots on the ground feeling and ends with a mysterious, Forerunner-esque synth melody. Foreshadowing the plot point with the Engineer and reminding the player that they have a job to do: Find their squad and get out of the city of New Mombasa.
3 Halo 2: Blow Me Away (Breaking Benjamin)
The first time a band external from Bungie studios added their talent to the making of a Halo soundtrack. Blow Me Away by the rock band Breaking Benjamin appears instrumentally during the penultimate Master Chief mission in Halo 2's campaign, Gravemind. Entering the Mausoleum of the Arbiter to witness a free-for-all between the Brutes and Hunters against the Elites, Cortana suggests to the Master Chief (and the player) to "sit this one out."
8 Weirdest Aspects Of Halo's Lore
Halo is much more than a Sci-Fi FPS. Its lore spans eons, questioning humanity's very essence and far beyond.
Doing so welcomes the aforementioned track. Breaking Benjamin's epic guitar work and heavy drums makes it almost impossible not to jump into the deluge of violence unfolding before the players eyes. Truly cementing its spot as one of Halo's most iconic tracks.
2 Halo 3: One Final Effort (Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori)
The greatest Halo mission of all time needs an equally great track. One Final Effort falls just short of top spot, however, this phenomenal track is coupled with one of the greatest opening cutscenes to a mission ever.
Master Chief, Sergeant Johnson and the Elites. Each with their own objective take on the Prophet of Truths forces at the end of the Human-Covenant war and this track starts off that great final assault. One Final Effort was so good they threw it in at the end of the Warthog run at the end of Halo 3 for added tension in those final moments. This track was why so many decided to learn piano.
1 Halo Combat Evolved: Halo (Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori)
Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori have swept this list and for good reason. Their compositions have created a legacy that may never be topped. Soundtracks that have transcended video games into other forms of media.
The Halo theme is everything the Halo franchise is, was, and forever will be. Fast-paced, boots on the ground action, wonderful bewilderment at alien architecture, high octane vehicle sections escaping exploding Halo rings. They even sprinkled in a little Marathon Easter egg at the end with "The Siege of Madrigal". The Halo theme is the pinnacle of the franchises musical genius and, arguably, of gaming itself.