When the original Xbox entered the console gaming race that was only ruled by Sony and Nintendo, Microsoft's first foray into living room gaming hit the ground running with Halo. Bungie's acclaimed sci-fi first-person shooter launched and became a mainstream phenomenon beyond the world of gaming. And at the front of that monumental first shot in the series long and storied history was Master Chief. He pretty much has been and always will be the face of the Xbox brand thanks to his unmistakable voice and esteemed feats of heroism against the aliens threatening the human race. The Halo games that feature him are celebrated for their strong single-player campaigns and winning formula when it comes to competitive multiplayer modes. If you're on the lookout for the best games like Halo to play, then allow us to lead you in the right direction.
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The 15 Best Games Like 'Halo'
Games Like 'Halo'
1. ‘Destiny 2’
Once Bungie finished up its work on the Halo franchise, it moved on to another major original IP of theirs that features first-person treks through the anals of space - Destiny. Now's the best time to dive into its sequel Destiny 2, which features a wealth of great content and is set to get even more later on. The well-tuned first-person shooter and MMORPG mechanics of this game guarantee you'll be addicted to it for a long time to come. You'll get a lot out of upgrading your chosen "Guardian" and taking on missions that involve battling with extraterrestrial foes on various neighboring planets. Linking up with other Guardians for super tough raids and engaging in thrilling multiplayer skirmishes will certainly keep incoming players busy. Destiny 2 main campaign, competitive online multiplayer, and its myriad expansions/updates will throw first-timers into a vortex full of awesome content.
2. ‘Titanfall 2’
Just like Halo, Titanfall 2 throws players into a far-flung future full of strife and war. What gives this second game in the series that extra oomph is the reliance on "Titans," which are towering robotic behemoths that are a true asset in battle. For those of you who haven't played this classic already, remedy that grave mistake by hopping into the game's amazing single-player campaign. You'll get so much enjoyment out of its trippy time-hopping mechanics, parkour sequences, and tight & snappy first-person gunplay.
3. ‘Splitgate’
Splitgate's Halo inspirations are readily apparent. Its armored characters and arena-style multiplayer gameplay focus point to the game's development team having a ton of love for Bungie's iconic IP. What sets this game apart from Halo is the focus on using portals, which add a nice wrinkle to the furious PvP matches as you use them to drop into different areas of the battlefield to get the drop on the opposition. Using those portals to quickly escape from the brink of death is also a useful maneuver that makes Splitgate's multiplayer mechanics so clever and masterfully implemented. When the topic of the finest games like Halo that are worth playing, this PvP-focused shooter should be one of the first options you consider.
4. ‘Crysis Remastered Trilogy’
All three Crysis games fulfill that same power fantasy the Halo games are best known for. The series' main protagonist is a living, breathing death machine that can seemingly take on the world thanks to his badass nanosuit that offers him enhanced strength and several tactical abilities that feel so awesome to whip out during combat. The single-player campaigns for all three games look and sound so much better thanks to the awesome package that makes up the Crysis Remastered Trilogy. When it comes to amazing games like Halo, this series that's all about super-soldiers should speak to your soul.
5. ‘Killzone’ (series)
Back in the day, the marketing hype behind Sony PlayStation's exclusive PS2 FPS labeled it as a "Halo killer." Now we all know that didn't end up being the case, sadly. Even still, that first game delivers a gritty and impactful military shooter experience with a sci-fi take on its proceedings. Check out this introductory game, hop into the awesome second & third mainline franchise entries, then finish off your journey with this IP by playing the underrated Killzone: Shadow Fall. You might just end up loving this game's weighty feel of combat and get sucked up into all the bedlam the "Helghast" throws you and your fellow ISA forces into.
6. ‘Resistance’ (series)
You can always rely on Insomniac Games to provide PlayStation console owners with some of the most revered games. And during the PS3's historic run, the development studio provided a quality rival to the Halo series with the Resistance trilogy. Set in an alternate version of 1951, players come in contact with an alien invasion brought on by the vicious "Chimera." Resistance: Fall of Man and its two amazing follow-ups give you traditional and clever weapons (the "Auger," "Dead Eye," and "Atomizer" guns go so hard!) to delve into massive firefights between human forces and their alien opposers.
7. ‘DOOM’ (series)
Master Chief is known worldwide as one of gaming's most revered badasses. But before he picked up his Assault Rifle to blast some aliens, DOOM's silent protagonist held the role of the ultimate "dude bro" representative. Starting with these series will take you on a fun history lesson that dives into the early origins of the FPS genre via DOOM and DOOM II. Then you can journey into the series' survival horror experience with DOOM 3 and one of the greatest series reboots of all time, DOOM (2016). And finally, you can end your trek through Mars and a ravaged Earth disturbed by the forces of Hell in DOOM Eternal.
8. ‘Wolfenstein’ (reboot series)
The OG Wolfenstein games are fun time capsules that provide an inside look at the early days of FPS titles. MachineGames eventually got the privilege of reviving the IP and created something truly memorable in the process. William "B.J." Blazkowicz comes back to the forefront of FPS games to do some good old Nazi hunting with a whole host of powered weaponry. And the best part about it? You can dual-wield some of those guns and really bring immense pain & displeasure to your oppressors. Wolfenstein: The New Order, its throwback-themed expansion Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, and the nutty sequel Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus are all great FPS experiences that should appeal to fans of games like Halo.
9. ‘PlanetSide 2’
Those awe-inspiring interplanetary wars you've laid eyes on during some of your favorite sci-fi movies can actually be replicated in the massively multiplayer online first-person shooter PlanetSide 2. Your jaw will drop when you get loaded onto a map filled with thousands of geared-up soldiers armed to the teeth and ready to put on a planetary war for the ages. Just imagine Battlefield, but with all the futuristic weapons and vehicles you'd expect to see in Titanfall and Halo.
10. ‘Serious Sam’ (series)
Serious Sam is such a throwback to the days of simple FPS games. All you need to be concerned about when you step into this series is who is coming at you from every direction. As the deadly mercenary Sam "Serious" Stone, you'll be thrown into arenas packed to the brim with enemies that rush you every chance they get. Your trusty assault rifle, shotgun, rocket launcher, miniguns, and so much more will keep you from the brink of death during those intense close encounters with punishing hordes of otherworldly foes. Check out Serious Sam 4 before you try out the third game that came before it since the fourth one is actually a prequel.
11. ‘Warframe’
It's so crazy how Warframe has been going strong since arriving in 2013. Today's version of the third-person shooter/melee game looks and plays so differently from its launch state. Choosing to hop in at this very moment means you'll be introduced to the most refined version of a game that pushes forth slick and incredibly fast traversal across spacious battlefields. You'll grow to love your mega-powerful and graceful "Warframe" battle class as you hunt down the opposition and hit extremely high speeds atop your trusty hoverboard. You'll become the most dangerous warrior in the universe with your combination of hyperfast melee/ranged weaponry skills.
12. ‘Half-Life’ (series)
Valve changed the landscape of PC gaming and first-person shooters when it launched Half-Life back in 1998. And it then went on to craft one of the greatest sequels of all time with Half-Life 2 back in 2004. Both sci-fi shooters follow the silent protagonist everyone loves, Gordon Freeman. After an experiment goes awry at the "Black Mesa Research Facility," he's put into action to take out the aliens that look to destroy him and the world he inhabits. In the follow-up, Freeman makes his return to take down an invading transdimensional race called the "Combine." If Halo's story stuck with you, then you'll feel the exact same way about Half-Life's gripping tale.
13. ‘ORION: Prelude’
Dealing with dinosaur hordes is quite a complicated issue to deal with. In ORION: Prelude, you get thrown into that messed-up ordeal. But, you won't be left unarmed since you'll get to blast them right alongside your friends within some intense co-op modes. And on top of all that, this indie developer-made FPS switches up the action via PvPvE and competitive dueling. Those prized generators aren't going to protect themselves, folks - keep those damned dinos at bay!
14. ‘Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered’
Master Chief has you taking on all sorts of terrestrial beings that are only interested in wiping out the human race. Red Faction, on the other hand, you'll take on the role of Alec Mason and rise up against the evil "Earth Defense Force" (EDF) regime. As one of the "Red Faction" guerrillas, you'll become a freedom fighter and smash everything in sight thanks to this game's revolutionary destruction system. Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered is the best version of this sci-fi third-person shooter and you'll love every minute of its action centered on a passionate uprising.
15. ‘Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’
At the time of its reveal and eventual release, Call of Duty fans had a lot of vitriol for Infinite Warfare. But in recent years, some fans have softened their stance on the game and spoken a bit more kindly about the game's focus on a far-flung future where soldiers are capable of donning super-powered armor, wielding out-of-this-world weapons, and wall-running. The more open-ended approach to this game's campaign is one of its best features - you'll get accustomed to changing up your weapon loadouts before every mission and heading out into space for spaceship battles & COD's traditional "boots-on-the-ground" gunplay. Infinite Warfare must have rubbed off on Halo Infinite since both games feature a grappling hook that improves your character's maneuverability.
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