If you had to pick the best ten levels across the entireHaloseries, I bet you’d instantly start thinking along the same lines as me: ‘But there are so many!’ It’s true. And I’ve found it a real challenge to whittle it down to the best.
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Nevertheless, here we are. Any level from any of the main FPSHalogames was eligible.
Although unintentional, I’ve selected three levels from what I consider the bestHalogame of all, with the majority of my picks coming from the much-loved original trilogy.Nothing fromHalo 5, I’m afraid.
10The Sequence
Halo: Infinite
Let’s kick things off withHalo: Infinite’s ‘The Sequence’. In the starting cutscene, Master Chief’s AI, the Weapon, asks - innocently - “Are you okay?” It’s probably one of the most impactful conversationsHalohas ever produced, where he admits his weakness and his defeat at the hands of Atriox.
Your mission is to infiltrate the Command Spire by activating the terminals in the surrounding beacons. Each one is defended by a variety of Banished forces, each presenting an enjoyable yet not impossible combat challenge.
Although ‘The Sequence’ doesn’t have the same all-out craziness as other missions on this list, it makes it on here for its variability.Whether you want to fight everything out with an assault rifle or use the Grappleshot to hijack a Banshee (or several), you’ll methodically make your way through.
It’s in this level that you start to bond a bit more with the Weapon. Up until now, she’s been little more than a semi-irritating Cortana replacement, but now, she seems occasionally alarmed and unsure of herself. That’s a vital part of reinforcing Master Chief’s relationship with her.
9Tsavo Highway
The third mission inHalo 3is ‘Tsavo Highway’. One of the more iconic levels, it’s set in Tsavo, Kenya, just after Master Chief and a group of marines escape from the UNSC base, Crow’s Nest.
By now, the Covenant has discovered Earth, and the Prophet of Truth is excavating the Ark portal in Voi. This is the central threat Master Chief has to deal with in the immediate moment, and ‘Tsavo Highway’ is him clearing a path to get there.
This is one of the best levels inHalobecauseit includes a good mix of vehicles (especially Brute choppers) and standard weapons combat. If you aren’t driving, the Battle Rifle or Carbine is an excellent choice because you’re free to flank your enemies from a distance.
It’s a good mission, but the reason it’sreallygood is that this is the pivotal moment where humanity switches from defence to offence. Jack Sparrow is well-known for saying, “We must fight to run away.” Here, Master Chief has run away to fight.
Halo Reach
‘Exodus’ picks up immediately after the first gut-wrenching sacrifice of Noble Team (and don’t worry, I’m coming to that later). Dog tags in hand, Six is trying to regroup with the surviving Spartans, and along the way, helps bolster security in New Alexandria.
Halo Reachis a dark game, inHaloterms.‘Exodus’ is filled with civilians, and because Bungie chose to have Brutes as the main aggressors, it feels even more traumatic.You’re doing everything you can to save them and get them evacuated, sure in the knowledge that you’re probably going to fail.
I feel this mission is underrated and not talked about enough. I always found it one of the most exciting because it’s close-quarter, fast-paced urban warfare. It’s 720-degree fighting, with everything moving quickly. If you’re handy with DMR headshots - which I found myself getting pretty good at - it’s great fun.
And on top of all this, you get a jetpack. And everyone loves a jetpack. And that’s not even to mention the Falcon machine gun part.
7Metropolis
‘Metropolis’ is an all-out urban warfare mission inHalo 2set in New Mombasa.
It begins with you and a couple of Marines getting a tank dropped off, courtesy of Sergeant Johnson. Drive it over the bridge in your quest to take down that mighty Scarab.
It’s the scale of ‘Metropolis’ that makes it one of the best levels in anyHalogame. Sure, in modern games, mass brawls are common, but this was 2004!It’s utter carnage, and it’s beautiful.
And it’s all about destroying the Scarab. It’s the first time you’re ever quested with taking down something that big, and sets up that feeling of being an absolute boss.
That said, being given a free, undamaged Scorpion is a sure-fire way to forget all your worries and ‘Ooh rah!’ through the level.
6Pelican Down
‘Pelican Down’ is undoubtedly my most memorable mission inHalo: Infinitefor pure fun.
Echo 216 (your pilot friend) is grounded because of a Banished anti-air fortress network in the middle of Zeta Halo. This mission was probably the only timeInfinite’s campaign that I thought the open-world approach worked exceptionally well.
This level is critical to the story in a couple of ways. First, it solidifies the bond between Master Chief and Echo 216. And second, it’s one of the first times you feel reallycapable and ready to take on this strange worldby yourself, including defeating at least two bosses, Tovarus and Hyperius.
Most importantly, though, ‘Pelican Down’ is a blank slate.Approach it with stealth, tactics, by hijacking vehicles, or by simply running out there with your Assault Rifle firing wildly.
You can also complete your objectives in any order. It’s a whale of a time, and definitely one of the best levels theHaloseries has ever put together.
5Coastal Highway
Halo 3: ODST
Halo 3: ODSTremains, with the possible exception ofReach, the most gritty in tone of anyHalogame. For me, it’s that human aspect. Because you don’tplay as a Spartan, there are very real existential threats around every single corner.
And ‘Coastal Highway’, the last mission of the game, sums it all up.It’s bleak and dark and desperate, yet also witty, banterous, and strangely nonchalant.
You kick things off with desperate close combat, then switch into a range of increasingly powerful UNSC vehicles (including the ever-satisfying Gauss Warthog), and round things off with power weapons and sniping.
Plus, despite the grim atmosphere, you actually manage to save the day and meet up with the loved-by-all Sergeant Johnson in the epilogue. As Buck says, “It was a hell of a night.”
4Tip of the Spear
ThisHalo Reachmission has it all. You’ll be kicking things off as part of the massive UNSC counterattack on Reach. In ‘Tip of the Spear’, you embark on an all-out assault with Kat by your side.
The objective? Take down anti-aircraft guns and infiltrate the Covenant spire.You’ll be engaging in open warfare across large distances and elevation changes.
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There’s plenty of opportunity to hijack Covenant vehicles and, most enjoyable of all, you get to take a Falcon ride and fire unlimited missiles at Covenant ground troops. What’s not to love?
It’s a trueHalo Reachmission, because although you succeed in achieving your objectives, everything goes wrong at the end anyway. There’s nothing you can do but watch as the tides of war turn ever against you.
3Long Night of Solace
‘Long Night of Solace’ is a special level. You, Kat, and Jorge assault a launch facility to reclaim it from Covenant hands. Then you get to go to space (insert excited giggles here).
This was Bungie’s first and only foray into playableHalospace dogfighting, and they nailed it.
LikeHalo 3: ODST,Reachis a dark game. You’re well aware that Noble Team is fighting a losing battle right from the start, and the fast pacing of this level actually ties into that.
Humanity and the UNSC don’t have the resources available for all these different combat fields. I guess that means you’re up.
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It’s exciting, extremely fast-paced, andJorge’s sacrifice at the end(the first heartbreak of many) makes you feel tragically hopeless. There’s no chance of fighting back.
All this is to buy humanity time to run away from Reach with their lives, something Noble Team doesn’t expect for themselves.
2’The Covenant'
‘The Covenant’ inHalo 3is another one of those absolute epics, although it doesn’t quite take my top spot. It’s another full-on frontal assault level, but there’s so much more to it.
For example,this is the first time you actually fly a UNSC aircraft inHalo.And the mechanics for piloting your Hornet work so well.
Most importantly of all, there’s the storyline. It’s here that Master Chief’s relationship with the Arbiter finally crystalises into something more than an uneasy truth.
It’s here that you finally defeat the Covenant with the death of the final Prophet, Truth. And it’s here that the Flood end up (momentarily) on your side?
Well, briefly, but it’s such a twist, and the way the entire plot winds together. Gravemind infecting the Prophet of Truth, the Arbiter executing him, and Master Chief’s war coming to an end (not before you need to escape the Flood yourself!). And it’s set to some of themost epic music ever.
1The Silent Cartographer
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo: Combat Evolvedwas a trailblazer in so many ways. And one mission exemplifies this particularly well for me, and thus takes my top spot: ‘The Silent Cartographer’.
By today’s standard, missions like ‘The Silent Cartographer’ are pretty standard. But it was here that it all started. Remember, this was 2001. Video games scenes this dramatic and cinematic simply had never been done before.
That’s why, for me, it’s the bestHalolevel of the entire series. Ever.It gives players the freedom to roam and use their own tactics, but without letting you lose focus.
Bungie (and later 343 Industries) would use this exact structure in every subsequent game. And that’s why, as I mentioned at the start, there are so many fantastic levels to choose from.
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