The game that defined FPS on console. Master Chief, the Flood, the Ring - the Halo universe is immediately iconic. 4-player splitscreen multiplayer is legendary. One of the foundational moments of modern gaming. Indispensable for every Xbox owner.
The Master Chief lands on a mysterious ring to battle the Covenant and uncover the structure's origin in this iconic Xbox launch title. Published by Microsoft Game Studios, released in 2001 in the United States and in 2002 in Europe, Asia, and Japan. Epic solo campaign, local cooperative mode, System Link multiplayer, and an orchestral score by Martin O'Donnell.
Halo - Combat Evolved review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
Epic science fiction with grandiose landscapes, a majestic orbital ring and careful light: the game unfurls a universe of remarkable coherence and breadth. The design of the Covenant and the extraterrestrial architecture compose an iconic vision of the future. This art direction, vast and inspired, defines the modern science-fiction FPS.
Signed by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori, the music combines Gregorian chant, epic orchestra and electric guitars in an immediately legendary grandeur. The main theme, etched into collective memory, embodies the Master Chief's odyssey. This symphonic breadth, iconic and powerful, redefined action-game music.
Awakened aboard a mysterious ringworld, a super-soldier and his AI face an alien alliance and a threat far worse still. Blending space opera and archaeological mystery, the tale lays the foundations of an ambitious science-fiction mythology. Its emblematic duo and its universe gave birth to a legendary saga.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Juggling two weapons, grenades and vehicles against a wily AI sets up a combat sandbox whose balance has never once been caught out. The regenerating shield rewards boldness and smooths the rhythm of every firefight. A handful of levels do repeat themselves, yet the rightness of the feel and the clarity of each duel still stand as a benchmark for the console FPS.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
First-person shooting designed for the console: dual-stick handling of perfect fluidity, a varied arsenal and a gameplay loop where the regenerating shield pushes you to be bold. The tactical freedom in open arenas and the cleverness of the enemies deliver an instant thrill. Spectacular, balanced and founding, one of the most influential FPS ever devised.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Dealing with shield regeneration, juggling two weapons, and improvising against a cunning enemy AI sets up a nervy, tactical shooting loop that pushes you to chain outposts. Vehicles and open arenas constantly relaunch the action. A few corridors repeat, but this finely honed playability and this epic sweep remain a still-captivating peak of console shooting.
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Landing on the mysterious ring as the Master Chief delivers an epic solo campaign best savored in two-player local co-op as well. Yet replayability seals the longevity: higher difficulties, System Link matches between consoles and multiplayer clashes stretch the fun hundreds of hours past the story's end. As the Xbox's launch title, its place in console FPS history remains unshakable.
A Bungie first-person shooter that was the Xbox launch standard-bearer and redefined the genre on console, the founding work of a colossal saga. Made at very large scale in the West, its collecting interest lies in this status as a founding icon rather than scarcity, but the markedly rarer Japanese, Asian and Korean pressings are prime targets. An essential piece of any Xbox collection.
Better with friends
A cornerstone of console first-person shooting, whose campaign is savored two-player in split-screen and whose system-link clashes set evenings ablaze. The cooperation shines in coordinating weapons and vehicles, while arena versus becomes a ground for memorable trash talk. Readable and wonderfully balanced, it redefined living-room multiplayer and remains a must to restart among friends.
A cult cover
Green helmet and golden visor, the Master Chief stands with rifle in hand while the vast Halo ring traces its dizzying arc across the sky: the composition instantly sets the epic scale and science-fiction mystery. The silent hero, never shown unmasked, becomes an instant icon. Spare and magnetic, it sums up on its own the promise of military, cosmic adventure.
Is Halo - Combat Evolved still worth playing in 2026?
Released alongside the Xbox in 2001, Bungie's project redefined first person shooting on consoles. The Covenant AI, the regenerating shield, the two weapon limit and the open vehicle handling set a template followed for two decades. The Halo level reveal and its accompanying theme remain anthology moments. Some interior level design, with its notoriously repetitive corridors, has aged a little, but the whole still carries an astonishing force. A strong pick today for any first person shooter fan and for anyone curious about the foundational moments of console game history on Microsoft hardware.
