The Halo Universe Hub

Welcome to the Dadnology HQ for Halo, the franchise that walked onto a black box from a software company in 2001 and taught the entire industry how to do a first-person shooter with a controller. Two and a half decades later, Master Chief and Cortana are still two of gaming's most iconic figures, and the rings are still rising over the horizon.

This hub is your complete map of the saga. We have reviewed every game — the three perfect Bungie classics (*Combat Evolved*, *Halo 2*, and *Halo 3*), the beloved spin-offs *Reach* and *ODST*, the more uneven 343 era of *Halo 4*, *Halo 5*, and the grappleshot-powered *Halo Infinite*, and both *Halo Wars* real-time strategy games. Each one gets an honest score, from a flat 10 down to a strong 8.

The single most important thing to know: not all of Halo lives in one box. The Master Chief Collection bundles six of the games, but *Halo 5*, *Halo Infinite*, and the *Halo Wars* games are sold separately. Use the cards and links below to find the right starting point, the best play order, and where every game fits — whether you are a returning fan or a dad introducing a kid to the rings for the first time.

A personal word, because this one matters to me: the original Xbox was the first console I ever bought, and Halo is the reason. It is, for my money, the best shooter series ever made — I have replayed Halo 1 through 3 multiple times, all the way through on Legendary, which is something I almost never do. The local co-op nights with my best friend, fighting through the hardest difficulty inch by inch, are gaming memories I still treasure. This hub is written from that place: real love, honest scores.