One of the most popular science fiction video games series of all time, Halo stars John, Master Chief Petty officer SPARTAN-117 (often called simply “Master Chief”), a human super-soldier in possession of some pretty fantastic battle armor that’s been technologically enhanced. John is assisted by Cortana, a smart artificial intelligence, constructed by Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey.
It’s the year 2552 and together, Master Chief and Cortana fight a futuristic battle against an alien civilization called the Covenant. The Covenant is comprised of many different alien species, but they are all warlike and see themselves as superior to the human race. In their eyes, humanity is a form of heresy against their religion, which centers around the Great Journey.
The Great Journey begins when a series of ring-like weapons, called Halos, are fired off into space. Though the Halos have long since been abandoned by their ancient creators, the Forerunners, the Covenant was infuriated that humans found and destroyed one of the worlds on which a Halo landed. Master Chief, along with a small force of soldiers, is on a mission to destroy all Halo installations in the universe.
Halo: Combat Evolved was the first game in the Halo series, released on November 15, 2001 exclusively for Xbox. Players of Halo: Combat Evolved found themselves at the helm of the “Pillar of Autumn,” a lone starship to survive the Covenant’s attack on humans. As Master Chief, players travel with Cortana and discover Halo, promptly landing on the planet’s surface to fight the Covenant. In the process, players discover important Halo secrets, vital to the understanding the game and continuing in gameplay. Halo: Combat Evolved was heaped with critical acclaim, ranking fourteenth best game ever by IGN. In 2003, both a PC and Mac-compatible version were released.
Halo 2 the sequel to Halo: Combat Evolved was release on November 9, 2004, again exclusively for Xbox. The sequel story introduces new characters, technology, and AI into the story, enhanced by more advanced graphics than in the original. Halo 2 generated $125 million of revenue on its first day, securing it the title of fastest selling U.S. media product in history.
Today, on September 25, 2007, the world is introduced to Halo 3, the third and final installment in the Halo franchise. Master Chief returns to finish the fight against the Covenant, the Flood, and what’s left of the human race. The game will be released for Xbox 360 and sales are expected to be even greater than those of the record-breaking Halo 2. At more than 4,000,000 preorders — more than double the 1.5m for Halo 2 — Halo 3 will be played by millions on its premiere day. Will you be one of them?
