Halo: The Master Chief Collection – Basic Info Guide

More Halo: The Master Chief Collection Guides:

• A Monument to All Your Sins & Gods Must Be Strong Achievements.
• Forza in the Fall Achievement Guide (Reach Racer Easter Egg).
• Club Errera Easter Egg Guide (New Alexandria Mission).
• Jorge Can’t Have All the Big Guns Achievement Guide.
• One Final Firefight Achievement Guide.
• Tips & Tricks (for Multiplayer).

New to the Halo series or just need a refresher from a casual gamer’s POV? Then come forth as I fill you in on what you’re missing out!

Introduction

All credit goes to BigTigerM!

‘Halo: Combat Evolved’ released on the original Xbox on November 15th, 2001, and seven mainline titles have released since then. It gave console gamers the first glimpse of the power and might the Xbox contained. Now PC players can experience these titles for the second time in fifteen years. The series’ beauty can be seen in its vast, glorious landscapes, felt through the NPC’s exaggerated personalities, and heard in its ancient yet exciting soundtrack. The game takes the player through a moving story about the luckiest supersoldier alive trained with the sole purpose of kicking alien ♥ with his blue companion. This guide should fill in people new to the Halo games precisely what they have been missing and what it brings to the table. Without further ado, let us get this ball rolling!

Oversimplified Lore

Here are the essential basics of each main Halo game to date, in order based on the dates in-universe. Beware – there are minor spoilers ahead!

Game 1: Halo Reach
Release Date: 9/14/2010

Story: The player is a lieutenant that has to hitch up with a group of supersoldiers, also called Spartans, dubbed ‘Noble Team.’ The player does stuff like shooting religious aliens called the ‘Covenant’ on a planet named ‘Reach.’ The alien bastards begin obliterating the beautiful planet. Some old lady named Dr. Halsey gives the player an AI that they do nothing with – absolutely nothing. Everyone around the player dies, and the player gives some other old hag the AI. He then flies back to his big ship called the ‘Pillar of Autumn’, and then straight up leaves the player on the devastated planet. The player is screwed. The End.

Game 2: Halo: Combat Evolved
Release Date: 11/15/2001

Story: Stepping into the shoes of the Master Chief / John 117, the army’s best Spartan, and the main character of the series. The player awakes on-board the ‘Pillar of Autumn’ and fights their way off of the ship due to aliens conveniently having ships that can board it. They become acquainted with that AI from the last game, whose name is Cortana. The crew accidentally discovers forerunner technology called ‘Halo’ – a massive ringworld that the Covenant particularly likes. So, the player hops on the ringworld and discovers alien zombies known as the ‘Flood,’ realizing that they should get the hell off of it. Well, they do precisely that, blowing it up said ancient tech in the process.

Game 3: Halo 2
Release Date: 11/9/2004

Story: The Covenant accidentally finds Earth, goes with the flow and invades it. The player retakes the role of Master Chief, and-

Game 4: Halo 3: ODST
Release Date: 9/22/2009

Story: The player finds their regular soldier buddies who are as weak as them, and escape the dark, dreary, jazzy streets of New Mombasa during the Covenant invasion.

Getting back to Halo 2, the Covenant nukes Africa, and then the player switches roles with another character. This new character is called the Arbiter and is essentially the Chief’s rival, and a Covenant alien called a Sangheili. After failing to make the ‘Prophets’ happy in Halo: CE, the Prophets send him out to get rid of some alien heretics who do not like what the Covenant is doing. They become plasma marks beneath the player’s feet. Back to the cool Earth people, they find yet another ‘Halo’ and board that, but the Covenant managed to find it first, so you fight the aliens. Some big hairy apes join up with the Covenant and kick the Arbiter’s ♥, so he joins the Earth army. Master Chief hops on-board the Covenant mothership ‘High Charity,’ kicks more ♥, fights the Flood again, and then rides a forerunner ship back to Earth.

Game 5: Halo 3
Release Date: 9/25/2007

Story: Master Chief crash-lands on Earth and almost dies, but since he is fortunate, he is fine. Waking up, he realizes he left Cortana on-board High Charity and goes to save her. Finally, meeting the Arbiter, they do not exactly like each other since they are both aliens, but they become buddies in a bit. The two go on a safari, travel a desert, and discover the Halo of all the Halos – ‘The Ark.’ Chief finishes this fight by finding Cortana, escaping The Ark through an epic chase sequence, jumps onto the ship ‘Forward Unto Dawn,’ and escapes the Ark, which blows up. He then hibernates until the next time the world needed him using cryogenic stuff on board.

Game 6: Halo 4
Release Date: 11/6/2012

Story: Master Chief was needed once again, and he wakes up from his slumber to find a NEW Covenant. Oh, and the ancient forerunner aliens he has been screwing with in the past games. He blows up their king. The End.

Game 7: Halo 5: Guardians
Release Date: 10/27/2015

Story: Some guys we never really heard about are trying to find Master Chief and get his autograph. Cortana could not log in to her Bethesda account, so she gets outraged and kicks their ♥, teams up with the ancient aliens, and creates a massive AI army. That is about it.

What is In-Store

This section contains info on what each game offers the player without modifications.

Title: Halo: Combat Evolved
Campaign: Lots of exploring. Enemies are fun to battle yet still challenging.
Multiplayer: Radical. Physics are strange, offers strangely enticing combat scenarios.
Unbiased rating: 7.5/10

Title: Halo 2
Campaign: Straightforward paths that make the player explore every nook and cranny.
Multiplayer: Tense fights and unpredictable assaults by the enemy.
Unbiased rating: 8/10

Title: Halo 3
Campaign: Vast maps with many ways to kill the player’s foes.
Multiplayer: The most fun a player will ever have. Custom content made by players. Regular interactions leave the player wanting to strange themselves when they encounter enemies, so they have to get creative.
Unbiased rating: 9/10

Title: Halo 3: ODST
Campaign: ‘Open world’ and forced linear exploration. Jazz.
Multiplayer: Nonexistent.
Unbiased rating: 6/10

Title: Halo Reach
Campaign: More large maps, limited ways to kill enemies. Enemies keep the player on their toes.
Multiplayer: The best multiplayer experience one could wish for, including even more custom content. It is an authentic MLG experience. Killing players feels fantastic.
Unbiased rating: 8.5/10

Title: Halo 4
Campaign: Lackluster. The game takes a drastic leap in design and somehow turns out bleak.
Multiplayer: There is always something to do, and boggles the mind how fun it can get.
Unbiased rating: 5.5/10

Title: Halo 5
Campaign: Chunky mess with gameplay that should not be in Halo. The game feels like a generic FPS.
Multiplayer: Way too much for casual players to handle. Creative modes feel restricted because of how great and huge it is.
Unbiased rating: 3/10

The Hud

Let us talk about Halo’s hud. This visor is in-your-face and tells everything typically to the player during gameplay. Eh, might as well tell the players here about the layout!

ENERGY SHIELD: Big blue bar generally at the top of the screen. If the player gets shot, it depletes. The player has to wait for it to recharge. Since they have no health, they have to consider their moves very carefully.

ENEMY LOCATOR: Ye Olde player and enemy tracker at the lower left-hand corner of the screen. Very helpful, so make sure to check it out periodically.

WEAPON SELECTOR: On the top left / right-hand corner of the screen, it displays the icon of the weapon you are currently holding.

Choosing Your Weapon

Now that you know the layout of your game, it is time I fill you in on the weapons that are typically on display in the series.

Weapon: Assault Rifle
Action: Automatic
Range: Close quarters
Use: Pump your enemies full of lead until they finally drop to the floor.

Weapon: Battle Rifle
Action: ‘Selective’ fire
Range: Knows no bounds
Use: A small handful of shots will get the job done.

Weapon: Magnum
Action: Semi-auto
Range: Absurdly close quarters
Use: Do not use this weapon unless you are playing Halo: Combat Evolved – you essentially have an Executioner in your hands with a scope.

Weapon: RPG
Action: Semi-auto
Range: Medium
Use: Be very careful while you’re operating it; someone may conveniently walk in front of you. Otherwise, it is a weapon that should be feared by all.

Weapon: Shotgun
Action: Semi-auto
Range: CQC – Medium
Use: Aim at the chest and press the trigger. It only works when you’re not using it.

Weapon: Plasma Rifle
Action: Automatic
Range: Medium
Use: Energy shield drainer. Do not use it actually to kill anything unless you are desperate.

Weapon: Covenant Carbine
Action: Semi-auto
Range: Medium
Use: Easy ‘Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free’ card.

Weapon: Plasma Pistol
Action: Semi-auto
Range: Close quarters
Use: Energy-shield repellent. Terrifying combo if paired with Battle Rifle.

Weapon: Fuel Rod Cannon
Action: Semi-auto
Range: Medium
Use: Become the laughing stock of the party with one simple click. If you are not in a party, then prepare yourself mentally.

Weapon: Needler
Action: Automatic
Range: CQC – Medium
Use: Aim at any part of the enemy and let it rip. Like the shotgun, it runs on luck.

Enemy of My Enemy is My Enemy

You will encounter lots of evil extraterrestrials on your journey. Here is who they are and how to get rid of them.

Enemy: Grunt
Description: High-pitched cry-baby.
Damage Output: Laughable
Health: Equally laughable
Class: Offence
Specialty: Running away, suicide bombing.
Tips: Pick these guys off easily with a quick shot at the head.

Enemy: Jackal
Description: Bird.
Damage Output: Moderate / Dangerous
Health: Laughable
Class: Defence / Support
Specialty: Huge blue shield they can hide behind / Snipers.
Tips: For the shield users, there are convenient little holes on the sides you can shoot, which will cause them to flinch. Snipers, however? Get to cover; they do not mess around.

Enemy: Elite
Description: Big tall boi.
Damage Output: Moderately Dangerous
Health: Impressive
Class: Offence
Specialty: Dodging any attacks. Bludgeoning. It has the same energy shield health system you have.
Tips: Give em some space; he may try to take a swing at you.

Enemy: Drone
Description: Insectoid nuisance.
Damage Output: Laughable, but excellent in numbers.
Health: Depressing
Class: Support
Specialty: Flying.
Tips: If there is a wall, you can get behind, then do it, and fast. These buggers pop out of nowhere and pelt you with plasma bolts.

Enemy: Brute
Description: Poorly armoured ape.
Damage Output: Dangerous
Health: Impressive
Class: Offence
Specialty: Bullet sponge rage mode.
Tips: Sidestep. Seriously, move out of the way.

Enemy: Hunter
Description: Walking tank.
Damage Output: Inconceivable.
Health: Unbelievable.
Class: Defence
Specialty: Damage? What is that?
Tips: Shoot at its gross tentacle back. Alternatively, whack it. Make sure to keep a moderate distance, and sidestep a ton.

Enemy: Flood Spore
Description: Popcorn.
Damage Output: Depressing
Health: Depressing
Class: Support
Specialty: Reanimating the dead.
Tips: Let it hit you, but do not let it touch any corpse whatsoever.

Enemy: Flood Anything Else
Description: What the ♥ is that
Damage Output: Get it away from me
Health: Please stop
Class: You are hurting me
Specialty: Dear god
Tips: Run