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{{Era|H1|FA|RW|}}
{{Title|''Halo: Combat Evolved''}}
{{ratings}}
{{Disambig header|the game|the [[Halo 5: Guardians]] and [[Halo Infinite]] medal|Combat Evolved (medal)}}
{{Game Info Box
{{Status|RealWorld}}
|name=Halo: Combat Evolved
{{Game infobox
|image=Halo_Combat_Evolved_(Xbox)_Platinum_Hits_box_art.JPG
|name= ''Halo: Combat Evolved''
|imageSize=250
|image= [[File:Halo Combat Evolved cover.png|250px]]
|Developer=[[Bungie Studios]]
|developer= [[Bungie|Bungie Studios]]<br> [[Gearbox Software]] (PC)<br> Westlake Interactive (Mac)
|Publisher= [[wikipedia:Microsoft Game Studios|Microsoft Game Studios]]
|writer=[[Joseph Staten]]
|US Date Released= November 15, 2001
|composer=[[Martin O'Donnell]]<br>[[Michael Salvatori]]
|UK Date Released= March 14, 2002
|publisher= [[Microsoft Game Studios]]<br> [[Gearbox Software]] (PC)<br> MacSoft (Mac)
|Genre= [[First-person shooter]]
|engine=[[Blam engine]]
|Game modes=[[Campaign Mode]], [[multiplayer]]
|platform= [[Xbox]], PC, Mac
|ESRB= Mature for Blood, Gore, and Violence (M)
|releasedate= '''Xbox:'''<br> '''US''': November 15, 2001<br />
|Platform=[[Xbox]]<BR>[[Halo PC|PC]], [[Halo Mac|Mac]]
'''UK''': March 14, 2002<br>'''PC:'''<br> '''US''': September 30, 2003<br />
|Media=CD, DVD
'''UK''': October 10, 2003<br>'''Mac:'''<br> '''US''': December 3, 2003
|Website=[http://www.bungie.net/Projects/Halo/default.aspx '''Bungie.net''': ''Halo: Combat Evolved Project Page'']
|genre= [[First-person shooter]]
|modes= [[Campaign]]<br>[[Multiplayer]]
|rating= [[Wikipedia:Entertainment Software Ratings Board|ESRB]]: Mature (M) for Blood, Gore, and Violence<br>
[[Wikipedia:Pan European Game Information|PEGI]]: 16+ (Europe only post-2003)<br>
[[Wikipedia:The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment|ELSPA]]: 15+ (Europe only pre-2003)<br>
[[Wikipedia:Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle|USK]]: 18 (Germany only)<br>
[[Wikipedia:Australian Classification Board|ACB]]: 15+ Restricted (R15+) for Medium Level Animated Violence
}}
}}
{{Quote|Halo: Combat Evolved! Buy one! Heck, buy two! That's an order, soldier!|[[Avery Junior Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] upon completion of the [[Halo: Combat Evolved Trial|''Halo: Combat Evolved'' demo]]}}
'''''Halo: Combat Evolved''''' is a [[2001]] [[first-person shooter]] science-fiction video game developed by [[Bungie|Bungie Studios]] and published by [[Microsoft|Microsoft Game Studios]]. It is the first game in the ''[[Halo (disambiguation)|Halo]]'' series. It focuses on [[John-117]] and the crew of the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}} who, fleeing from the [[Fall of Reach]], stumble on the [[Forerunner]] [[Halo]] [[Installation 04]], only to be forced into a [[Battle of Installation 04|desperate battle]] against the [[Covenant]] and the [[Flood]]. Considered a classic, ''Combat Evolved'' is one of the most popular video games for the Xbox with eight million copies sold. Its sales are rivaled only by its sequels, ''[[Halo 2]]'' and ''[[Halo 3]]''.


{{quote|Halo: Combat Evolved! Buy one! Heck, buy two! That's an order, soldier!|[[Avery Junior Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] after the player completed the [[Halo Trial|Halo: Combat Evolved demo.]]}}
''Halo: Combat Evolved'' was made available as an ''Xbox Original'' game title for Xbox 360 on December 4, 2007 for download on [[Xbox LIVE|Xbox Live Marketplace]] for 1200 Microsoft Points.<ref>[http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8024d53084c/ '''Xbox Marketplace''': ''Halo: Combat Evolved'']</ref> It was also [[Halo: Combat Evolved (PC port)|released for PC and Mac]]. The game was remastered as ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' and was released on the original game's tenth anniversary on November 15, 2011 for the Xbox 360. Along with ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]'', ''[[Halo 3]]'', and ''[[Halo 4]]'', ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary'' was released on the [[Xbox One]] as part of ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]'' on November 11, [[2014]]. ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection'' also features the multiplayer component of ''Combat Evolved'', with online play enabled on dedicated servers.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halo-the-master-chief-collection '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection'']</ref> All versions of the game besides ''The Master Chief Collection'' were removed from digital sale in 2020.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/sunsetting-halo-xbox-360-game-services-in-2021 '''Halo Waypoint''': Sunsetting Halo Xbox 360 Game Services in 2021]</ref>


'''''Halo: Combat Evolved''''' is a [[First Person Shooter|first person shooter]] science-fiction video game, created by [[Bungie Studios]], which was a subsidiary of [[Microsoft Game Studios]] at that time. It was released for the original [[Xbox]] game console on November 15, 2001, and is backwards compatible with the [[Xbox 360]] by downloading a free code patch on [[Xbox Live]]. It was also released for PC and Mac and it is one of the most popular video games for the Xbox with eight million copies sold. Its sales are rivaled only by its sequels, ''[[Halo 2]]'' and ''[[Halo 3]]''. This game has been a classic even though it was released in 2001.  
== Synopsis ==
=== Characters and setting ===
''Halo''<nowiki />'s storyline is linear; there is a single ending in contrast to other first person shooters such as ''[[wikipedia:Deus Ex|Deus Ex]]'' that could have several different endings. The storyline is presented to the player through an instruction manual, scripted events and conversations during the game, and a number of cut-scenes rendered using the game's graphics engine. This method of storyline delivery is common among modern video games. The Xbox version of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' allows one player to play the campaign alone, as well as allowing two players to play through the campaign in split screen. The [[Halo: Combat Evolved (PC port)|PC version of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'']] allows only one player to play through the campaign.


Halo: Combat Evolved has been made available as an Xbox Original game title for Xbox 360 since December 4th, 2007 for download on [[Xbox Live|Xbox Live Marketplace]] for 1200 Microsoft Points.<ref>http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/xboxoriginals/default.htm</ref>
=== Plot synopsis ===
<onlyinclude>{{Spoiler/begin}}
<!-- Synopsis means keeping the minor details out and just focus on the big picture! Don't elaborate! -->
''Halo: Combat Evolved'' begins with the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}} emerging out of [[slipstream space|slipspace]] after the [[Fall of Reach]], only to find [[Installation 04|a huge ring world]]—a "[[Halo Array|Halo]]"—floating in space. [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]] (although his name is never mentioned throughout the game), a [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II]], is aboard the ''Pillar of Autumn'' when the ship comes under attack by the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]], a religious alliance of aliens and the archenemy of humanity.


== Campaign ==
With the ship about to be overrun, [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Jacob Keyes]], the commander of the ''Autumn'', orders John-117 to protect the ship's [[artificial intelligence]], [[Cortana]]. She carries highly sensitive information about the [[United Nations Space Command]], including the location of [[Earth]], which would prove disastrous if captured by the Covenant. John-117 evacuates the doomed ship to the surface of Halo in order to protect Cortana. With the UNSC Marines by his side, Cortana providing direction, and his [[MA5B assault rifle|assault rifle]] ready and loaded, John-117 sets out to uncover the mysteries of Halo and fight the Covenant.
[[Image:Halo.gif|thumb|right|Halo Art (Installation 04)]]


''Halo''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s storyline is linear. There is a single ending in contrast to other first person shooters such as ''[[wikipedia:Deus Ex|Deus Ex]]'' that could have several different endings. It is presented to the player through an instruction manual, scripted events and conversations during the game, and a number of cut-scenes rendered using the game's graphics engine. This method of storyline delivery is common among modern video games. The Xbox version of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' allows one player to play the campaign alone, as well as allow two players to play through the campaign in split screen. The [[Halo PC|PC version of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'']] allows only one player to play through the campaign.
After meeting up with surviving UNSC forces under [[Staff Sergeant]] [[Avery Johnson]], John-117 participates in a mission to rescue Captain Keyes from the Covenant battlecruiser ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]''. After rescuing the Captain, Cortana learns that [[Installation 04|Halo]] appears to be a weapon that holds great religious significance to the Covenant. Realizing that the Covenant cannot be allowed to control Halo, Keyes dispatches John-117 to secure Halo's control room while he leaves with Johnson to secure a Covenant weapons cache.  


''Halo Combat Evolved'' Campaign consists of 10 levels:
With UNSC Marines as support, John-117 leads an assault on the [[Cartographer#Installation 04|Silent Cartographer]], a map room which holds information on every location on the ring, including the control room. Heading to the ring's control room, Cortana is inserted into the ring's computer system and learns that Halo was made by the [[Forerunner]]s, an ancient alien race that the Covenant worship as gods. However, Cortana soon learns that there is something else on Halo, something that terrifies the Covenant. Frightened, she says that John has to stop Keyes from accessing the "weapons cache" before it is too late. John-117 leaves for the last spot where Captain Keyes and Sergeant Johnson's squad were seen, an underground facility in a swamp. He finds evidence of battle all over the facility, and soon finds a recording of [[Wallace A. Jenkins|one Marine]], which details Keyes' squad encountering a new threat: the [[Flood]].
#[[The Pillar of Autumn (Level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]
#[[Halo_(Halo:_Combat_Evolved_Level)|Halo]]
#[[The Truth and Reconciliation (Level)|The Truth and Reconciliation]]
#[[The Silent Cartographer (Level)|The Silent Cartographer]]
#[[Assault on the Control Room (Level)|Assault on the Control Room]]
#[[343 Guilty Spark (Level)|343 Guilty Spark]]
#[[The Library (Level)|The Library]]
#[[Two Betrayals (Level)|Two Betrayals]]
#[[Keyes (Level)|Keyes]]
#[[The Maw (Level)|The Maw]]


=== Brief Summary ===
The Flood is a parasitic species which received their name due to the way they assimilate all resistance with overwhelming numbers. Free for the first time in a hundred thousand years, the Flood sweeps across Halo, devastating Human and Covenant forces alike. The release of the Flood prompts [[343 Guilty Spark]], the eccentric AI [[Monitor]] of the ring, to activate Halo's defense systems. The AI instructs the SPARTAN-II to activate Halo by obtaining the [[Activation Index]] from the Installation's [[Library]]. The Chief does so, battling hordes of Flood along the way, and returns to the control room. Before Halo initiates its systems, Cortana intervenes and tells John the truth about the Forerunner structure and its purpose- Halo was designed to eliminate the Flood threat by starving the Flood of any life source large enough to sustain them; when fired, it would essentially wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy. Realizing the threat of Halo, Cortana instructs John-117 to detonate the ''Autumn''<nowiki />'s fusion reactor. This detonation would result in the destruction of Halo, which was against 343 Guilty Spark's protocol.
''Halo'', like Bungie's previous releases such as the ''[[Marathon]]'' series, has an intricate plot:


The {{UNSCship|Pillar of Autumn}} emerges out of [[Slipspace]] to find a huge ring--a "halo" floating in space. The main character, [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]], is aboard the ''Autumn'' when the ship comes under attack by the [[Covenant]], an alliance of aliens and the arch-enemy of humanity. John-117 evacuates the doomed ship for the surface of Halo to protect the ''Autumn's'' artificial intelligence, [[Cortana]]. She carries highly sensitive military information, which would prove disastrous if she were captured by the Covenant. With the UNSC Marines by his side, Cortana providing direction, and his assault rifle ready and loaded, the Master Chief sets to finding out the mysteries of Halo and defeating the Covenant.
Before doing so, the two sabotage three generators needed to power Halo, which buys them enough time to locate Captain Keyes, now succumbed to the Flood, and steal his neural implants to operate the ''Autumn''. After battling his way through scattered and disorganized Covenant forces, the spreading Flood, and the Sentinels under direct command of 343 Guilty Spark, John-117 successfully overloads the ship's engine, and he and Cortana evacuate from Halo in a [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword]] before the ''Autumn''<nowiki />'s engine detonates and destroys Halo. The pair appears to be the only survivors, and John-117 realizes that they are simply beginning a harrowing battle.
{{Spoiler/end}}</onlyinclude>


=== Game plot ===
==Appearances==
The first few levels of the game deal with an attempt to reach Halo's [[Control Room|Control Center]] to uncover its purpose. It is soon discovered that the Covenant have accidentally released something from an ancient containment and research facility on the ring: [[The Flood]]. The Flood is a parasitic race which received their name because of the way they swarm over all resistance. Free for the first time in thousands of years, the Flood sweeps across Halo, devastating [[Human]] and [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] forces alike. The release of the [[Flood]] prompts [[343 Guilty Spark]], the eccentric [[Forerunner]] Artificial Intelligence, to activate Halo's defense systems. Most obvious among these are the [[Sentinels]], flying robots equipped with beam projectors, but Halo's most powerful weapon is much more subtle and far more dangerous. Halo can fire a pulse that will wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy. As sentient life is the Flood's food, the Flood will not be able to survive, and will therefore perish. Technically the [[Installation 04|Installation]] only has a maximum effective radius of 25,000 light years, but the pulse would trigger other installations as well. This system is designed to stop the Flood from spreading through the universe if they escape confinement from Halo, by starving the Flood of any life source large enough to sustain them. This is the only possible solution to the destructive parasite.
{{Featurelist|secondcolumn=title-5
|title-1=Characters|
;Human
*[[Avery Johnson]]
*[[Bisenti]]
*[[Carol Rawley|Carol "Foehammer" Rawley]] {{1st}}
*[[Chips Dubbo]] {{1st}}
*[[Jacob Keyes]]
*[[John-117]]
*[[Kappus]] {{1st}}
*[[Lovik]] {{1st}}
*[[M. Fitzgerald]] {{1st}}
*[[Manuel Mendoza]] {{1st}}
*[[Marcus Stacker]] {{1st}}
*[[Riley]] {{1st}}
*[[Samuel Marcus]] {{1st}}
*[[Thom Shepard]] {{1st}}
*[[Wallace Jenkins]]  


Naturally, this would wipe out Humanity as well as the Covenant, and so the final levels of the game revolve around the Chief's attempt to destroy Halo before it fires.
;AI
*[[343 Guilty Spark]] {{1st}}
*[[Cortana]]


The game leaves the story open to further developments, with the revelation that there are several Halo ring worlds in the galaxy, due to Halo being numbered [[Installation 04]] by 343 Guilty Spark, the [[Monitor]] of the Installation. It is revealed later in Halo 2 that there were seven Halos before [[Installation 04]]'s destruction.
;Sangheili
*[[Lat 'Ravamee]] {{1st}}
*[[Zuka 'Zamamee]] {{1st}}


=== Backstory ===
;Mgalekgolo
The events which transpire in ''Halo''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s gameplay must be understood in the context of its backstory, created by Bungie and elaborated in several novels written after the release of the game. Noteworthy is its use of the oft-used battle between monoculture radicalism and free culturalism. Also present, although less pronounced, is the likewise popular theme of blind religion (Covenant) versus free-thought secularism ([[UNSC]]). A summary of this back story is presented below.
*[[Igido Nosa Hurru]] {{1st}}
*[[Ogada Nosa Fasu]] {{1st}}


==== Early Conflicts ====
;Forerunner
2160-2200: This is a period of brutal unrest in Human history in which Governments and Factions fight for control of Earth and its colonies.
*[[IsoDidact]] {{Fm}} {{Im}}


As overpopulation and unrest mounted on [[Earth]], a number of new political movements were formed including the left wing '''[[Koslovics]]''' led by Vladimir Koslov and the neo Jovian '''Frieden, '''which attacked the UN Colonial Advisers on the moon, and UN-sponsored military forces began a pattern of massive build-ups which culminated in the first Interplanetary and Rain Forest Wars of the Jovian Moons Campaign. After the successful Marine attack on Mars, recruitment drives and propaganda tactics strongly bolstered UNSC forces. They defeated the Koslovics and the Frieden on Earth and crushed their remnants throughout the Solar System. Both factions were defeated in the face of massive, unified UN military.
|title-2=Species and entities|
*[[Flood]] {{1st}}
**[[Pod infector]] {{1st}}
**[[Flood combat form]] {{1st}}
**[[Flood carrier form]] {{1st}}
*[[Human]]
**[[UNSC Marine Corps]]
***[[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]]
*[[Kig-Yar]] (''Ruuhtian'')
**[[Kig-Yar Minor|Minor]] {{1st}}
**[[Kig-Yar Major|Major]] {{1st}}
*[[Lekgolo]]
**[[Mgalekgolo]]
*[[Sangheili]]
**[[Field Master]] {{1st}}
**[[Sangheili Major|Major]] {{1st}}
**[[Sangheili Minor|Minor]]
**[[Special Operations Sangheili|SpecOps]] {{1st}}
**[[Stealth Sangheili|Stealth]] {{1st}}
**[[Sangheili Zealot|Zealot]] {{1st}}
*[[Sentinel]] {{1st}}
**[[Aggressor Sentinel]] {{1st}}
*[[Unggoy]]
**[[Special Operations Unggoy|SpecOps]] {{1st}}
**[[Unggoy Major|Major]]
**[[Unggoy Minor|Minor]]


==== The Human Colonization of the Orion Arm ====
|title-3=Organizations|
In the year 2291, the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) successfully developed humanity's first [[Slipspace]] drive, the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine. For the first time in history, the rapid colonization of other worlds was made possible. By 2390, 210 worlds had been occupied by humans, and were being actively terraformed (Built) to suit man's needs. These worlds were to become known as the Inner Colonies. By 2490, the UNSC's fledgling interstellar empire had expanded to over 800 planets throughout the [[wikipedia:orion arm|Orion Arm]] of the [[wikipedia:milky way galaxy|Milky Way Galaxy]]. During this period, the planet [[Reach]] became the headquarters of the UNSC military, and was destined to become the most heavily fortified world under human control.
*[[Covenant]]
**[[Covenant military]]
***[[Covenant Special Operations]]
**[[Covenant fleet]]
***[[Fleet of Particular Justice]]
*[[Unified Earth Government]]
**[[United Nations Space Command]]
***[[UNSC Marine Corps]]
***[[UNSC Navy]]
****[[Naval Special Warfare Command]]
*****[[SPARTAN-II program]]


==== The Spartan-II Project ====
|title-4=Locations|
{{Main|SPARTAN-II Program}}  
*[[Sol system]]
In 2517, several years before contact with the Covenant, the UNSC military embarked on a secret project to create a group of elite soldiers that would deal with occasional unrest in the Colonies. Codenamed SPARTANs, these [[Spartans#Augmentation_Procedures|genetically enhanced]] troops were trained from the age of 6 into a life of battle, and became a great asset against the Covenant. While humans suffered defeat after defeat in space, they could almost always prevail with the help of the SPARTANs in ground engagements. The main character of ''Halo''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s gameplay, the Master Chief, is a veteran SPARTAN of the SPARTAN II project after an unfortunate failure of the first SPARTAN program. All SPARTANS were given special armor designated MJOLNIR, which can increase their strength and speed. They were the only ones who could wear it as those without upgrades would not be able to withstand the reaction times of the armor and die.
**[[Earth]] {{Mo}}
*[[Epsilon Eridani system]]
**[[Reach]] {{Mo}}
*[[Soell system]]
**[[Threshold]]
***[[Installation 04]]
****[[Cartographer]] {{1st}}
****[[Control Room (Installation 04)|Control Room]] {{1st}}
****[[Index chamber]] {{1st}}
****[[Library]] {{1st}}
***[[Basis]]


==== The Fall of the Outer Colonies ====
|title-5=Events|
{{main|United Nations Space Command}}
*[[Human-Covenant War]]
<!-- Shouldn't there be something here about the first contact with the Covenant? -->
**[[Battle of Installation 04]] {{1st}}
Cole's fleet managed a victory at Harvest, but at a high cost - two thirds of his ships were destroyed. Despite significant tactical brilliance on the part of Human [[Commander (UNSC)|commanders]], Covenant technology guaranteed a four to one kill/loss ratio in most space battles. One by one, the Outer Colonies fell below the onslaught, and by 2535, virtually all had been destroyed.
**[[Fall of Reach]] {{Mo}}


====Fall of Reach====
|title-6=Weapons|
{{Main|Fall of Reach}}
====UNSC====
By 2552, the Covenant had destroyed many of Humanity's Inner Colonies. In a move of desperation, UNSC orders a secret plan to capture a Covenant ship using a SPARTAN task force and find the coordinates of their home planet. All of the Spartans except three are chosen for this mission, and, led by the Master Chief, board a specially outfitted ship known as the ''Pillar of Autumn'' (under the command of Captain [[Jacob Keyes]]). This plan, however, is interrupted when the Covenant launch a surprise attack on the fortress world of Reach.
;Usable
*[[M231 machine gun]]
*[[M41 rocket launcher]]
*[[M41 Vulcan]]
*[[M512 smooth-bore high-velocity cannon]]
*[[M6D magnum]]
*[[M7057 flamethrower]] {{C|''Halo PC'' and ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection'' only}}
*[[M9 fragmentation grenade]]
*[[M90 shotgun]]
*[[MA5B assault rifle]]
*[[SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle]]


During this battle, Reach is overrun and the human fleet is obliterated. Worse still, the Master Chief thinks that all of the SPARTANs but himself are killed on the surface of the planet. The (supposedly) last remaining spartan, the Master Chief, escapes with the ''Pillar of Autumn''. In accordance with the [[Cole Protocol]], the ''Autumn'' makes a blind Slipspace jump, and emerges in the vicinity of an unexplored and remarkable world.
;Unusable
*[[110mm rotary cannon]] {{1st}}
*[[120mm ventral gun]] {{1st}}
*[[M370 autocannon]]
*[[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]]
*[[Point-defense gun]]
**[[M910 point defense network]]


==== Arrival at Halo ====
====Covenant====
{{main|Alpha Halo}}
;Usable
The ''Pillar of Autumn'' exits Slipspace to find a mysterious ring shaped space station orbiting a [[Threshold|gas giant]]. The ring, quickly named "Halo", is obviously artificial. A Covenant [[Fleet of Particular Justice|fleet]], however, is also present, and a subsequent battle heavily damages the ''Autumn''. Captain Keyes initiates the Cole protocol 2 - all records of Earth's location are erased, the shipboard AI Cortana is given to the Master Chief to protect from the Covenant, and the ''Autumn ''is crash landed onto Halo. Cortana leaves the ''Autumn'' with John 117 in a [[Bumblebee]] escape pod which also crash lands on Halo.
*[[Class-2 directed energy cannon]]
*[[Fuel rod gun]]
**{{Pattern|Zasqi|fuel rod gun}}
*[[Plasma grenade]]
**{{Pattern|Anskum|plasma grenade}}
*[[Plasma pistol]]
**{{Pattern|Eos'Mak|plasma pistol}}
*[[Plasma rifle]]
**{{Pattern|Okarda'phaa|plasma rifle}}
*[[Shade]]
**{{Pattern|Mamua'uda|Shade}} {{1st}}
*[[Needler]]
**[[Type-33 needler]]


Game play begins in earnest with the Master Chief's escape from the ''Autumn'', and continues upon landing. The player will soon discover the origins and purpose of this world - and uncover a threat that forces even the Covenant into retreat.
;Unusable
*[[Energy projector]]
*[[Heavy plasma cannon]]
*[[Class-1 directed energy cannon#Medium plasma cannon (Wraith)|Medium plasma cannon]]
*[[Plasma cannon (starship)|Plasma cannon]]
*[[Pulse laser turret]]
*[[Energy sword]]
**[[Type-1 energy sword]] {{1st}}
*[[Plasma mortar#Type-26 35cm Directed-Energy Mortar|Type-26 Directed-Energy Mortar]]
*[[Unidentified fuel rod gun]] {{1st}} {{C|Usable in ''Halo PC'' and ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection''}}


As a literary side note, the ring, "Halo", borrows heavily from the [[wikipedia:Ringworld|Ringworld]] of [[wikipedia:Larry Niven|Larry Niven]] and the [[wikipedia:Culture Orbital|Culture Orbitals]] of [[wikipedia:Iain M. Banks|Iain M. Banks]].
====Forerunner====
;Unusable
*[[Sentinel beam]] {{1st}}


{{col-begin}}
|title-7=Vehicles|
{{col-2}}
====United Nations Space Command====
;Usable
*[[M12 Warthog]]
**[[M12 Chaingun Warthog]]
**[[M12A1 Rocket Warthog]] {{C|''Halo PC'' and ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection'' only}}
*[[M808B Scorpion]]


===Main Characters===
;Unusable
*[[John-117|Master Chief]]
*[[GA-TL1 Longsword]] {{c|C709 variant}}
*[[Cortana]]
*[[D77-TC Pelican]]
*[[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Jacob Keyes]]
*{{Class|Halcyon|light cruiser}}
*[[343 Guilty Spark (Monitor)|343 Guilty Spark]]
**{{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}
*[[Captain Carol "Foehammer" Rawley |Captain Carol "Foehammer" Rawley ]]
*[[Class-3 Bumblebee]]
{{col-2}}


===Minor Characters===
====Covenant====
*[[Staff Sergeant]] [[Avery Junior Johnson| Johnson]]
;Usable
*[[Private First Class|(First Class) Private]] [[Wallace A. Jenkins|Wallace A Jenkins]]
*[[Banshee]]
*[[Private]] [[Manuel Mendoza]]
**{{Pattern|Oghal|Banshee}}
*[[Sergeant]] [[Pete Stacker]]
*[[Ghost]]
*[[Chips Dubbo|(First Class) Private Chips Dubbo]]
**{{Pattern|Karo'etba|Ghost}}
*[[M. Fitzgerald|(First Class) Private M Fitzgerald]]
*[[Private]] [[Bisenti]]
*[[Private]] [[Hosky]]
*[[Sergeant]] [[Waller]]
*[[Private]] [[Riley]]
*[[Private]] [[Kappus]]
*[[Corporal|Corporal ]][[Lovik]]
*[[Private|Private ]][[O'Brien]]
{{col-end}}


==Features==
;Unusable
[[Image:1220238670 Menu.png|thumb|right|[[Halo PC]] main menu.]]
*[[Wraith]]
=== Summary ===
**{{Pattern|Zurdo|Wraith}}
''Halo'''s gameplay was characterized by several features which set it apart from less acclaimed first-person shooter games of its time.
*{{Pattern|Brhi Xur|Leech}} {{1st}}
*[[Covenant cruiser|Cruiser]]
**{{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}} {{1st}}
***''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]'' {{1st}}
*[[Spirit]]
**{{Pattern|Dextro Xur|Spirit}}


* '''Storyline Execution:'' '''Halo'''s gameplay and storyline are tightly interwoven, delivering in a convincing manner being consistent with the flow of the game.
|title-8=Technology and equipment|
* '''Vehicular Incorporation:''' ''Halo'' includes the option for players to control multiple land and air based [[vehicles|Vehicles]]. (In third-person view.) This Third-Person vantage brings a welcomed sense of immersion and enhances the specific points of gameplay, again setting Halo apart from contemporary First Person Shooters.
;[[Power-up]]s
* '''Weapons System:'' '''Halo'''s new weapons system was unique in two major respects. The first is allowing players to carry only two [[weapons|Weapons]] at a time, thus forcing the player to make trade-offs as they progress throughout the game. The second is a separate button for throwing [[Type-1 Antipersonnel Grenade|Grenades]].
*[[Active camouflage]]
* '''Artificial Intelligence:'' '''Halo'''s AI was quite sophisticated for its era. With a brand new advanced AI system, actions performed by the AI such as panicking after the death of a superior, diving out of the way of an oncoming [[vehicle|Vehicle]], or taking cover from explosives and suppressive fire, helped ''Halo'' stand out from the rest of the first-person shooters being released at the time.
*[[Overshield]] {{1st}}


Movement in ''Halo'' is similar to other first-person shooters (FPS), allowing the player to move forwards, backwards, and strafe left and right independently of their aim. On the Xbox, moving and aiming are normally separated between the two analogue sticks; and on the [[Halo PC|PC]], between the mouse and the keyboard. ''Halo'' also allows the player to crouch and jump, although jumping from a high ledge will often result in death, or at least major fall damage. Damage from falling can be reduced or negated entirely with a well-timed crouch right as one lands. Additionally, if the player crouches at the peak of his jump he will be able to land on something slightly taller than if he were to jump without crouching. Also, if the player is jumping from a cliff he can make sure he is touching the wall periodically while he is falling. This will count as if he is touching floor, and every time the player touches the wall, the damage counter goes to zero.
;Armor
*[[Kig-Yar combat harness]]
*[[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]]
**[[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|Mark V]]
*[[Sangheili harness]]
**[[Combat harness]]
**[[Sangheili Zealot#Ceremonial battle harness|Ceremonial battle harness]]
*[[Unggoy combat harness]]


===Levels Of Difficulty===
;Other
There are short summaries that describe the difficulties in Halo: Combat Evolved.
*[[Artificial intelligence]]
 
**[[Smart AI]]
* '''[[Easy]]:''' Your foes cower and fall before your unstoppable onslaught, yet final victory will leave you wanting more.
**[[Monitor]] {{1st}}
* '''[[Normal]]:''' Hordes of aliens vie to destroy you, but nerves of steel and a quick trigger finger give you a solid chance to prevail.
*[[Covenant portable shield]] {{1st}}
* '''[[Heroic]]:''' Your enemies are as numerous as they are ferocious; their attacks are devastating. Survival is not guaranteed.
*[[Covenant storage device]] {{1st}}
* '''[[Legendary]]:''' You face opponents who have never known defeat, who laugh in alien tongues at your efforts to survive. This is suicide.
*[[Energy shielding]]
 
**[[Sangheili personal energy shield]]
=== Enemies ===
*[[Fusion drive]]
The A.I. in ''Halo'' was superior to many other games at the time because the A.I. was sophisticated enough to attack other enemies in the vicinity, not just the Master Chief. If there is another faction in the area, the A.I. will engage it in the same way as they would fight the Master Chief.
*[[Fusion reactor]]
*[[Identification friend or foe]] {{1st}}
*[[Kig-Yar point defense gauntlet]]
*[[Methane tank]]
*[[Repulsor engine]]
*[[Sentinel]] {{1st}}
**[[Aggressor Sentinel]] {{1st}}
*[[Spoofer]] {{1st}}
*[[Stim-pack]] {{Fm}}
*[[Methane tank]]
*[[Data crystal chip]]
*[[M4 field disk]]
*[[Health pack]]
*[[Unggoy combat harness]]
*[[UNSC Navy uniforms]]
**[[UNSC Navy Service Uniform]]
**[[UNSC Navy working uniform]]
}}


Three factions of enemies are encountered on Halo:
== Gameplay ==
* '''[[Covenant Empire|The Covenant]]:''' The Covenant, whose Fleet of Particular Justice was led by the [[Supreme Commander]], [[Thel Vadam]] (the Future Arbiter), is an alliance of different species. This includes the cowardly [[Grunt]]s, the [[Jackals]] with their portable [[Jackal Personal Arm Shield|Energy Shields]], the [[Elites]], master tacticians with their body covering [[Elite Personal Energy Shield|Energy Shields]], and the huge, metal [[Hunters]] with remarkably strong armor composed of some unknown alloy. The Covenant troops mostly carry plasma weapons of various power. They also make extensive use of vehicles such as Ghosts, Wraiths, Shades, and Banshees.
''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki />'s gameplay was characterized by several features which set it apart from less acclaimed first-person shooter games of its time.
* '''[[The Flood]]:''' The parasitic Flood are encountered in 3 forms. The [[Infection Forms]] themselves, which usually die from a single shot or the Master Chief's energy shield. Exploding [[Carrier Form]]s, which cause major splash damage and release [[Infection Forms]]. Not forgetting the [[Combat Form]]s of former Humans or Sangheili whose nervous systems have been taken over by the parasite. Combat forms are the main and toughest of the three types. They often carry a Human or Covenant weapon.
* '''Storyline execution:''' ''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki />'s gameplay and storyline are tightly interwoven, delivered in a convincing manner consistent with the flow of the game.
* '''[[Sentinels]]''': These ancient robotic constructs are controlled by the Forerunner AI Monitor of Installation 04, 343 Guilty Spark. He is tasked with the defense of the ring against possible threats and to control the Flood infestations. Sentinels fire an orange colored beam that can strip hostiles of their [[Energy Shields]]. This weapon is designed to burn the Flood and has proven effective against many other enemies.
* '''Vehicular incorporation:''' ''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki /> includes the option for players to control multiple land and air based vehicles in third-person view. This vantage brings a welcomed sense of immersion and enhances specific points of gameplay, again setting Halo apart from contemporary first person shooters.
* '''Weapons system:''' ''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki />'s new weapons system is unique in two major respects. The first is only allowing players to carry two weapons at a time, thus forcing the player to make trade-offs as they progress throughout the game. The second is a single, separate button for throwing grenades, making them much more significant in both campaign and multiplayer games.
* '''Artificial intelligence:''' ''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki />'s AI is quite sophisticated for its era. With a brand new advanced AI system, actions performed by the AI such as panicking after the death of a superior, diving out of the way of an oncoming vehicle, or taking cover from explosives and suppressive fire, helped ''Halo'' stand out from the rest of the first-person shooters being released at the time.


=== Allies ===
Movement in ''Halo'' is similar to other first-person shooters, allowing the player to move forwards, backwards, and strafe left and right (including diagonally) and jumping independently of their aim. On the Xbox, moving and aiming are normally separated between the two analogue sticks, and on the [[Halo: Combat Evolved (PC port)|PC]], between the keyboard and the mouse. ''Halo'' also allows the player to crouch and jump, although jumping from a high ledge will often result in death, or at least major fall damage. Damage from falling can be reduced or negated entirely with a well-timed crouch right as one lands. Additionally, if the player [[crouch jumping|crouches at the peak of his jump]], he will be able to land on something slightly taller than if he were to jump without crouching. Also, if the player is jumping from a cliff he can make sure he is touching the wall periodically while he is falling. This will count as if he is touching floor, and every time the player touches the wall, the damage counter goes to zero (there is no visible damage counter during gameplay).
* '''[[Marine|UNSC Marines]]: '''The''''' '''Pillar of Autumn's ''complement of Marines assists the player often in the game. They are helpful, but on higher difficulties they are easily killed by enemies. They wield a variety of weapons. These include the [[MA5B ICWS Assault Rifle|Assault Rifle]], [[SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle|Sniper Rifle]], [[M90 Shotgun|Shotgun]], [[Needler]], and [[Plasma Rifle]]. Marines armed with Assault Rifles will occasionally throw [[M9 HE-DP Grenade|Fragmentation Grenades]]. The Marines will willingly ride in [[Scorpion]]s and [[Warthog]]s with the player and use the [[M41 Light Anti-Aircraft Gun|Chaingun]] on the Warthog while the player is driving. Unfortunately they are incapable of actually driving either vehicle. The only vehicle that Marines can drive is the [[Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle|Ghost]], which they pilot only briefly. They appear in every level until [[The Library (Level)|The Library]]. When Marines are near death they will go into a berserk state, attacking every visible enemy.


*'''UNSC Crewmen:''' The crewmen of the ''Pillar of Autumn'' appear briefly as allies in the game. They are armed with [[M6D Pistol|Pistols]], but occasionally appear in combat unarmed. They have lower health than Marines and are prone to retreating and cowering in battle. They only appear in the levels ''Pillar of Autumn'' and ''Halo''. One melee is often enough to kill them and their habit of cowering tend to make them an obstacle to their comrade.
=== Environment ===
''Halo: Combat Evolved'' features a wide variety of environments including human and Covenant starships, ancient buildings on [[Installation 04|Halo]] itself, and expansive outdoor climates. The first level, ''Pillar of Autumn'', is fought entirely on the human starship of the same name. The next level, ''Halo'', takes place in a temperate highland climate with open-air Forerunner structures scattered about. This level also contains the famous "Blue Beam Towers". ''Truth and Reconciliation'' begin in a rocky desert, but the setting changes to the titular Covenant cruiser about one-third of the way through. ''The Silent Cartographer'' occurs on a tropical island, with substantial combat both outdoors and inside futuristic Forerunner installations. ''Assault on the Control Room'' takes place in a snowy, icy area of towering cliffs and underground tunnels as well as high-tech suspension bridges and oft-repeated Forerunner structures built into and through cliff walls.


* '''[[Sentinels]]:''' Part of Halo's defense system, the Forerunner Sentinels, led by the Monitor 343 Guilty Spark, are hovering robotic drones. They attack the Flood, Covenant, and eventually the Master Chief. Although possessing a powerful [[Sentinel Beam|Beam Weapon]], they are not particularly resistant to damage (Their shields are especially vulnerable to Covenant weaponry, especially overcharged [[Plasma Pistol|Plasma Pistols]] and explosives.) They are seen as Normal and Shielded variants although both can be destroyed relatively easily. They help the player in the levels ''343 Guilty Spark'' and ''The Library'', but are enemies from the level ''Two Betrayals'' until the end of the game. Acting as a Fourth Faction that attacks the Flood, Covenant, and the player when encountered.
''343 Guilty Spark'' is a significant departure from these majestic environments, with combat in gloomy, exotic swamps and equally gloomy underground complexes that host the player's introduction to the Flood. The player is then teleported to the second of three entirely indoor levels, ''The Library'', encountering repetitive, forbidding hallways and massive elevators. Master Chief returns to the snowy climate of Assault on the Control Room for ''Two Betrayals'', visiting almost no new areas but, interestingly, travelling in the opposite direction. ''Keyes'' occurs in the same Covenant ship from ''Truth and Reconciliation'', albeit now heavily damaged, but this time the Flood are present in huge numbers. Finally, ''The Maw'' is set on the Pillar of Autumn with three major differences: the presence of the Flood, the heavy structural damage, and access to the Engineering section and service corridors of the ship, which were previously off-limits. In total, six of the ten levels feature a substantial amount of combat outdoors.


===Weapons ===
=== Player damage system ===
All usable weapons in Halo: Combat Evolved belong to either the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] or the [[UNSC]]. The player can carry two weapons and up to 8 grenades (Four Fragmentation Grenades and Four Plasma Grenades).
In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', the player has a limited, non-regenerating [[health]], which can be fully restored by picking up [[health pack]]s. Running completely out of health will result in death, but having lower health does not impede player actions. A player's health can be reduced only if his shields have been depleted. If the player's health is at minimal levels they will faintly hear John-117's heartbeat.


Covenant weapons are better suited for reducing shields and typically fire slower than human weapons. With the exception of the Needler, they do not require ammunition or reloading. Instead, each weapon comes with its own battery. Once the battery is depleted the weapon must be discarded. Covenant weapons can also overheat (except the Needler) if fired for too long, after which they must be given time to cool down before they can be used again. There are a total of five Covenant weapons in the Campaign, three of which are usable by the player: the [[Plasma Pistol]], [[Plasma Rifle]], and the [[Needler]]. The two weapons the player can't use are the [[Energy Sword]] (It disappears after you kill the Elite using it) and the [[Fuel Rod Gun]]. There are two additional weapons in the multiplayer mode of the PC version only, the Fuel Rod Gun and [[M7057 Defoliant Projector|Flamethrower]]. A plasma based weapon of the same type but with greater charge than the player's current one will appear as a swappable weapon. If the weapon has lesser charge, it is not swappable until the player's current charge falls low enough. Needlers automatically collect any ammunition from other needlers the player moves over. Needlers can also use some very rare individual packs of projectiles.
Serving as the first layer of protection is the shielding system specially built for the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR Mk. V armor]]. The shield will decrease in strength every time it is hit by a weapon and will fail after taking too many hits or freefall from certain altitude. The amount of shield drain depends on the attacker's weapon but will quickly regenerate if it is not hit for a brief period of time. The shield represents a marked departure from most first-person shooters, in which one's health bar is basically augmented by picking up "armor".


Human weapons, on the other hand, require ammunition and constant reloading. They are better suited for reducing health and do not overheat. However, on the Easy and Normal difficulty settings the difference is often negligible. There are five human weapons (not counting Fragmentation Grenades) usable in the Campaign and six in the [[multiplayer|Multiplayer]] of the Halo PC.
=== Damage Environment Mechanics ===
In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', splatter kills are an easy task for all vehicles. With a simple touch, most characters, including John-117 and [[Mgalekgolo|Hunters]] can die instantly. This also includes the Shade Turret; if the Turret moves and hits someone, the victim will die instantly. Fall damage also has limits; if falling speed exceeds the maximum shield and health cap, the player will be killed instantly, regardless of whether they are touching a wall in the environment, though the damage can be nullified if player is using vehicles, unless out of bounds. Scorpion tanks and Warthogs are invulnerable to any attack, with damage taken to either vehicles will instead be applied to the driver. Ghosts and Banshees, however, can be destroyed if the pilot is mounting it.


==== UNSC Weapons ====
=== Campaign ===
*[[M6D Personal Defense Weapon System|Pistol]] - The M6D is a powerful, accurate weapon that can be used up to 124 meters. It has good clip capacity (12 rounds), a 2X zoom scope for semi-sniping, and its bullets create a very small explosion on impact. The M6D Pistol is semi-automatic and recoil operated. If used correctly it can be the best back up weapon in the game, especially when you are sniping and don't have a Sniper Rifle. It can kill another player with three shots to the head and can dispatch a [[Hunter]] with one shot if you accurately hit their exposed flesh. It has been said to be one of the most effective weapons in the game, as it is fast, accurate, and deadly in the hands of a professional. In fact, the only level it does not appear in, "Truth and Reconciliation", is made difficult without this weapon, so the Sniper Rifle with more ammo capacity is used instead. Incidentally, this is also the only weapon that does not have a revival in Halo 3, though a similar weapon is used in ODST.
The campaign in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' can be played by single-player or cooperatively. In [[cooperative play]], the second player takes control of an identical copy of the Master Chief. This second player, however, will not appear in any cutscene in the game.
*[[MA5B ICWS Assault Rifle|Assault Rifle]] - The MA5B Assault Rifle is an automatic gas operated rifle that fires 7.62mm armor-piercing rounds. It has low damage per hit, and low accuracy at medium to long ranges. This weapon is good for close and medium ranges. The player will start off with one in most levels. It is a decent all around weapon, with a fast melee and good maneuverability. It is one of the best weapons against infection forms, grunts, invisible Elites, and sometimes Hunters. An interesting note is that no matter what weapons you're wielding, all of the cutscenes in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' have the Master Chief holding an Assault Rifle - even in ''Two Betrayals'', where your starting weapons are the M90 Shotgun and the Plasma Pistol.
*[[Shotgun]] - the M90 Shotgun is practically the best weapon for picking off Flood Combat Forms and Carrier Forms, killing them with one hit if you are close enough. It is highly effective against Elites also. The shotgun fires a burst of 15 pellets, causing enemies in close range to be completely decimated in less than a second. Medium range is not so effective, and long range is useless altogether. Its close range capabilities are unmatched and are what makes it so effective against the flood.
*[[SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle|Sniper Rifle]] - The S2 variant of the Sniper Rifle features a night vision enhancement to the scope, which plays an essential part at the start of [[Truth and Reconciliation (Level)|Truth and Reconciliation]]. Its devastating power and range make it a formidable part of your arsenal. It carries four bullets per magazine and can pick off most enemies instantly, depending on their rank and the difficulty the player is playing. The Flood are barely affected by this weapon, sometimes taking 12 sniper shots to kill one. Thus, it is not worth the ammunition, which is often hard to come by on levels featuring flood.
*[[M19 SSM Rocket Launcher|Rocket Launcher]] - The Rocket Launcher is a devastating piece of equipment when used correctly. The Rocket Launcher will kill anything with one direct hit except Hunters and higher-ranking Elites on Legendary difficulty. It is the player's best choice against vehicles and groups of infantry.
*[[M9 HE-DP Grenade|Fragmentation Grenade]] - The technically named M9 HE-DP grenade, more commonly known as a Frag Grenade, will easily kill anything without a shield. Its bounciness gives it the edge in distance over the Plasma Grenade and it also packs a lot of force and splash damage. This means it is useful for [[Explosive Jumping|Grenade Jumps.]]
*[[M41 LAAG|Warthog Chaingun Turret]] - The LRV Light Anti Aircraft Turret is always equipped on the back of a Warthog, serving its purpose of eliminating enemies and vehicles quickly and effectively. Prolonged fire degrades accuracy.
*[[M7057 Defoliant Projector Flamethrower|Flamethrower]] - Usable only in multiplayer in Halo PC and the Custom Mapping Team level "343 Guilty Spark." It launches a stream of burning fuel over a relatively short distance, causing damage to enemies in front of the weapon and hurting them after they have been hit. It also has a very limited ability to set a surface on fire for a very short period of time. It fires from a unit mounted fuel tank that counts down from 100 to 0 units of fuel.


==== Covenant Weapons ====
The game's campaign consists of ten levels:
*[[Energy Sword]] - A deadly weapon used by Zealot Elites and Field Master Elites. It can kill the player in one hit (although not on Easy difficulty where it takes three). It is advisable to dispatch the wielder quickly. The player cannot use the Energy Sword due to a built in fail safe.
#[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|The Pillar of Autumn]] - ''"Escape intact as Covenant forces board your ship."''
*[[Plasma Rifle]] - It is a common light weapon in the Covenant army, primarily wielded by Elites. The Plasma Rifle has a high rate of fire and deals out a moderate amount of damage. A Plasma Rifle with a shotgun makes a good combo, Plasma Rifle for medium range and shotgun for close range. On Legendary, the Plasma Rifle is the most effective mid to close range weapon, best paired with an M90 Shotgun.It is also very useful for depleting elite shields.
#[[Halo (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|Halo]] - ''"Seek out surviving Marines and help them fight the Covenant."''
*[[Plasma Pistol]] - The Plasma Pistol, like the Plasma Rifle, is a directed energy weapon that fires bolts of superheated ionized gas otherwise known as plasma. Dumping energy into the firing mechanism will allow a build up of plasma that, when fired, will instantly and completely deplete shields regardless of strength. This overcharging makes it a valuable weapon in Multiplayer and against Elites, Jackals, and Sentinels in Campaign, usually when paired with an M6D Pistol.
#[[The Truth and Reconciliation]] - ''"Board a Covenant ship in an attempt to rescue Captain Keyes."''
*[[Needler]] - The Needler fires semi-homing crystal shards that explode approximately ten seconds after being launched and ignore most forms of personal energy shielding. While one explosion produces fairly light damage, several crystals exploding in succession can multiply the damage to fatal levels, and even more crystals in the same enemy will produce a large explosion. It is strange that independent ammunition that isn't already in another Needler is exceedingly rare.
#[[The Silent Cartographer]] - ''"Search for the map room that will lead you to the secrets of Halo."''
*[[Fuel Rod Gun]] - The Fuel Rod Gun is used by the strongest and weakest of the Covenant species. It is carried on the shoulders of many [[SpecOps Grunts|Special Operation Grunts]], and a modified version is directly attached on the right arm of Hunters. In Campaign mode the gun explodes like a green Plasma Grenade when its Covenant wielder is killed. It is wieldable in Halo PC on most multiplayer maps. It has a limited battery when used by a player.
#[[Assault on the Control Room]] - ''"Defend the Control Room against wave after wave of Covenant troops."''
*[[Plasma Grenade]] - The Covenant Plasma Grenade is one of the most ingenious weapons in the game. Once activated, its outer layer converts to plasma, enabling it to fuse/stick to whatever it impacts (except for most walls and Hunter armor). It generates an electro-magnetic pulse that drains instantly any kind of shielding, no matter how strong it is, making it deadly even to enemies who survive the initial explosion. It is also handy for sticking enemies themselves, especially Grunts, who tend to run toward their comrades when panicking, as well as Elite Zealots.
#[[343 Guilty Spark (level)|343 Guilty Spark]] - ''"Creep through a swamp to meet the only enemy the Covenant fear."''
*[[Shade]] - A stationary gun turret manned in third-person like a vehicle. It consists of a stand and a floating 360 degree rotating turret-like seat with control systems to its gun. It has a strong anti-tank ability, but the Covenant use it mainly against infantry. It can be manned by Elites and Grunts, and is similar to the turret mounted on ''Spirit''-class drop ships.
#[[The Library]] - ''"Fight your way through an ancient security facility in search of the Index."''
#[[Two Betrayals]] - ''"Re-activate the weapon at the heart of Halo... and learn the truth."''
#[[Keyes]] - ''"Stage a one-cyborg assault on a Covenant ship and bring back the Captain."''
#[[The Maw]] - ''"Destroy Halo before Halo destroys all life in the galaxy."''


=== Vehicles ===
=== Multiplayer ===
Up to four players can play together using the same-console splitscreen mode. It is also possible for up to 16 players to play together in one ''Halo'' game over a [[wikipedia:LAN|local area network]], using Xbox and/or Xbox 360 consoles that have been connected through an [[wikipedia:ethernet|Ethernet]] hub, or via XB Connect. The game's seamless support for this type of play, and a few large maps that can accommodate up to 16 combatants, is a first for console games. Since the game was released before the launch of Xbox Live, mainstream online play was not available for this title.


[[File:Halo banshee.jpg|200px|thumb|The Halo: Combat Evolved Banshee.]]
A total of 13 multiplayer maps are available:
[[Image:Halo_1_scorpion_tank.jpg|200px|thumb|Halo CE Scorpion Tank on one of Halo's most celebrated Multiplayer maps, Blood Gulch]]
[[File:4wiki.jpg|200px|thumb|This image shows vehicle-on-vehicle combat a tactic that is repeated throughout the game.]]
The vehicles available to the player in this game are listed below:
 
*[[M12 Warthog LRV|Warthog]] - A UNSC Light Reconnaissance Vehicle. The Warthog sports a 12.7mm M41-LAAG Ground To Air/Ground Gatling-type rotating automatic chaingun turret that can tear through armor and shields alike.
*[[M12A1 Warthog LAAV|Warthog LAAV]] - A UNSC Light Anti-Armor Vehicle. The M12A1 is another variant of the Warthog with a triple barreled 102mm Rocket Launcher. It only shoots three rockets before reloading. Available only in Multiplayer on the PC version of Halo: Combat Evolved.
*[[M808B Scorpion MBT|Scorpion]] - A UNSC Main Battle Tank. It has a powerful cannon mounted on a turret, affixed to the rear of the chassis. It also features a machine gun aside the main cannon. It should be noted that both the main cannon and machine gun are inaccurate at medium to long range distances.
*[[Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle|Ghost]] - A Covenant Reconnaissance and Rapid Attack Vehicle. Its twin Plasma Cannons complement its high speed and agility, Allowing the user to blast enemies with the guns and run them into the ground. It is destructible in Campaign. It also has a feature that increases anti-gravity power in the front, causing the Ghost to nose up. This can be used to stabilize the Ghost after gliding over a cliff or hill, or to splatter opposition. Unlike Halo 2 and 3, this model has no boost but fires faster than its later models.
 
*[[Banshee]] - A Covenant Aerial Assault Aircraft. Very maneuverable. Armed with two plasma cannons and a fuel rod cannon. The Banshee's armor is strongest in front and very weak on the sides and back. It is destructible in Campaign but is, like all vehicles, impervious to permanent destruction in Halo PC's multiplayer. Unlike Halo 2 and 3, this model has no boost, and fires slower, making it an earlier, less effective model. The Banshee is unavailable in Multiplayer in the Xbox version. It is probably the lightest vehicle as it can take less than a M6D clip before it blows.
Several vehicles are not controllable by the player, like the UNSC [[D77-TC Pelican Dropship|Pelican Dropship]], the Covenant [[Spirit]] dropship, and the Covenant [[Type-25 Assault Gun Carriage|Wraith Mortar Tank]]. The Wraith requires ballistic aiming, firing large Plasma Bombs in arcs towards its enemies. These bombs, if they score a direct hit, will often destroy vehicles or kill a Spartan if he/she is not equipped with an [[Overshield]]. Wraiths can be destroyed with explosive weapons such as the [[Scorpion Tank|Scorpion]]'s Main Cannon and the [[M19 SSM Rocket Launcher|Rocket Launcher]]. Note: both the Pelican and Wraith can be controllable via modding; the Wraith can be fired by the player, and features the M41 Rocket Launcher's targeting reticule. The Pelican can be flown, and if any Marines are alive and nearby, they may decide to hop in the player's Pelican.
 
Also, it is very easy to splatter enemies in Halo: Combat Evolved because the game's physics engine cannot discern between a fast and slow-moving vehicle, thus making it so that a slight touch, even by accident, will kill it. This is especially frustrating on the level "The Silent Cartographer"'s LZ, as Marines tend to dive underneath the level's many Warthogs, and in multiplayer, since the player can easily be killed by unoccupied vehicles.
 
=== Environments ===
''Halo'' features a wide variety of environments including human and Covenant star ships, ancient buildings on [[Installation 04|Halo]] itself, and expansive outdoor climates. The first level, ''Pillar of Autumn'', is fought entirely on the human star ship of the same name. The next level, ''Halo'', takes place in a temperate highland climate with open-air Forerunner structures scattered about. This level also contains the famous "Blue Beam Towers". ''Truth and Reconciliation'' begins in a rocky desert, but the setting changes to the titular Covenant cruiser about one-third of the way through. ''The Silent Cartographer'' occurs on a tropical island, with substantial combat both outdoors and inside futuristic Forerunner installations. ''Assault on the Control Room'' takes place in a snowy, icy area of towering cliffs and underground tunnels as well as high-tech suspension bridges and oft-repeated Forerunner structures built into and through cliff walls.
 
''343 Guilty Spark'' is a significant departure from these majestic environments, with combat in gloomy, exotic swamps and equally gloomy underground complexes that host the player's introduction to the Flood. The player is then teleported to the second of three entirely indoor levels, ''The Library'', encountering repetitive, forbidding hallways and massive elevators. Master Chief returns to the snowy climate of Assault on the Control Room for ''Two Betrayals'', visiting almost no new areas but, interestingly, traveling in the opposite direction. ''Keyes'' occurs in the same rocky deserts and the same Covenant ship from Truth and Reconciliation, albeit now heavily damaged, but this time the Flood are present in huge numbers. Finally, ''The Maw'' is set on the Pillar of Autumn with three major differences: the presence of the Flood, the heavy structural damage, and access to the Engineering section and service corridors of the ship, which were previously off-limits. In total, six of the ten levels feature a substantial amount of combat outdoors.
 
== Multiplayer ==
Up to four players can play together using the same-console split screen mode. It is also possible for up to 16 players to play together in one ''Halo'' game over a [[wikipedia:LAN|local area network]], using Xbox and/or Xbox 360 consoles that have been connected through an [[wikipedia:ethernet|Ethernet]] hub, or via Xbox Connect, which is a way of tunneling a connection via a PC. The game's seamless support for this type of play, and a few large maps that can accommodate up to 16 combatants, is a first for console games. Since the game was released before the launch of Xbox Live, mainstream online play was not available for this title. The Halo PC|PC version of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' officially adds online play, also new vehicles ([[Banshee]] and [[M12A1 Warthog LAAV|Rocket Warthog]]), weapons ([[Fuel Rod Gun]] and [[Flamethrower]]) and maps (see list below) for multiplayer. The PC version of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' does not support split screen multiplayer.
 
===Multiplayer Maps===
Multiplayer maps in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'':
*[[Battle Creek]]
*[[Battle Creek]]
*[[Sidewinder]]
*[[Sidewinder]]
Line 210: Line 318:
*[[Derelict]]
*[[Derelict]]
*[[Boarding Action]]
*[[Boarding Action]]
*[[Chiron TL-34|Chiron TL 34]]
*[[Chiron TL-34]]
*[[Blood Gulch]]
*[[Blood Gulch]]
*[[Wizard]]
*[[Wizard]]
*[[Longest]]
*[[Longest]]


===Exclusive Multiplayer Maps (PC/Mac)===
== Development ==
*[[Death Island]]
{{Main|Development of Halo: Combat Evolved}}
*[[Danger Canyon]]
=== Design ===
*[[Infinity]]
{{Main|Pre-Xbox Halo}}
*[[Timberland]]
[[File:PXH FirstOfficial Screenshot.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The first official screenshot of Halo.]]
*[[Ice Fields]]
[[File:PreXbox Ring.jpg|thumb|200px|The old heads-up display and a Halo that has fallen under disrepair. This design was eventually [[Installation 08|incorporated]] into [[Halo 3]].]]
*[[Gephyrophobia]]
On July 21, 1999, during the Macworld Conference & Expo, Steve Jobs announced that ''Halo'' would be released for Mac OS and Windows simultaneously.<ref>[http://pc.ign.com/articles/068/068975p1.html '''IGN''': ''Heavenly "Halo"'']</ref> Before this public announcement, game industry journalists under a non-disclosure agreement had previewed the game in a private showing during [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3 1999]], and were reportedly amazed.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=pcgamerusoct99 '''PC Gamer''': ''Your first look at... "Halo"'']</ref> Bungie Studios later stated an even earlier development build of the game centered on [[real-time strategy]] and was "basically ''[[Myth]]'' in a sci-fi universe."<ref>[http://bungie.net/Inside/CustomPage.aspx?section=History&subsection=Main&page=6 '''Bungie.net''': ''Inside Bungie: History'']</ref>
 
At [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3 2000]], the first trailer of ''Halo'' was well-received.<ref>[http://www.bluesnews.com/a/38 '''Blue's News''': ''Blue's News Best of E3 2000'']</ref> The version shown there differed greatly from the one exhibited previously, marking the first major overhaul in the game's development.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/faq/media.html '''halo.bungie.org''': ''Frequently Asked Questions about "Halo"'']</ref> At this point, ''Halo'' was a third-person action game, in which a transport starship crashlands on a mysterious ring world that orbits a star. Early versions of Covenant aliens appear in great numbers and loot what they can, and war erupts between them and the humans. Unable to match the technologically advanced alien race, the humans on the ring world resort to guerrilla warfare.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=cgw1199 '''Computer Gaming World''': ''Games That Will Change Gaming'']</ref> This version of the game featured ''Halo''-specific fauna, which were later dropped because of design difficulties and the creatures' "detract from the surprise, drama and impact of the Flood."<ref>[https://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?cid=630 '''Bungie.net''': ''One Million Years B.X. (Before Xbox)'']</ref>


=== Damage System ===
[[Microsoft]] announced on June 19, 2000 that it had acquired Bungie Studios.<ref>[http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2000/Jun00/BungiePR.mspx '''Microsoft''': ''Microsoft to Acquire Bungie Software'']</ref> ''Halo'' became an exclusive game for Microsoft's [[Xbox]], and Bungie Studios rewrote the game's engine, heavily altering its presentation and turning it into a [[first-person shooter]].<ref>[http://www.gamecritics.com/feature/preview/halo_xbox/page01.php '''GameCritics''': ''"Halo" (Xbox) Preview'']</ref> Originally a key element, the game's online multiplayer component was dropped because [[Xbox Live]] would be unfinished at the time of ''Halo''<nowiki />'s release. While a playable demonstration of the game at Gamestock 2001 was well-received,<ref>[http://xbox.ign.com/articles/098/098271p1.html '''IGN''': ''Playable "Halo" at GameStock'']</ref> critics had mixed reactions to its exhibition at E3 2001.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=nextgen.0501 '''halo.bungie.org''': ''"Next Generation Magazine"'']</ref><ref>[http://www.firingsquad.com/features/2001e3part1/ '''FiringSquad''': ''2001 E3 Part 1''']</ref><ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=gamepro.0501 '''halo.bungie.org''': ''"GamePro"'']</ref> Roughly 90% of the final product was developed in just nine months of development, with team members working 16–20 hours a day for six days per week between January and October 2001.<ref>[https://twitter.com/Dr_Abominable/status/1061172229990481920 Paul Russel on Twitter]</ref>
* '''[[Health]]:''' The player in ''Halo'' has limited, non-regenerating health, which can be fully restored by picking up health-packs. This aspect of the game was changed in Halo 2. Running completely out of health will result in death, but having lower health does not impede player actions. A player's health can be reduced only if his shields have been depleted. If the player's health is at minimal levels they will faintly hear John 117's heartbeat. When the non-regenerative health idea was abandoned in Halo 2 the medic packs disappeared completely.
* '''[[Shields]]:''' Master Chief's [[MJOLNIR]] Mk. V armor has a built-in shield, which protects all parts of his body from damage. The shield will decrease in strength every time it is hit by a weapon and will fail after taking too many hits. The amount of shield drain depends on the attacker's weapon but will quickly regenerate if it is not hit for a brief period of time. The shield represents a marked departure from most first-person shooters, in which one's health bar is basically augmented by picking up "armor". It is possible, in the single-player campaign at least, to have insufficient health points to survive the next section of game-play. ''Halo'' players, on the other hand, have a more-or-less permanent buffer of health at their disposal (assuming they manage to find time to regenerate the shield), making it less of a disaster to take hits in combat.


=== Power Ups ===
The novel ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' by [[Eric Nylund]] was commissioned by Microsoft to serve as a prequel to ''Halo: Combat Evolved''. During the writing of ''The Fall of Reach'', Bungie reportedly almost cancelled the novel but was convinced by [[Eric S. Trautmann]] to approve it in exchange for himself, [[Matt Soell]] and [[Brannon Boren]] writing an estimated "80 percent" of the in-game dialogue of ''Halo: Combat Evolved''. The dysfunctional relationship between Bungie and the Microsoft team working on the game created some disconnect - the notorious "this cave is not a natural formation" line was caused by Bungie promising that the environment would not be immediately obvious as an artificial formation. According to Trautmann, a number of Bungie employees resented the presence of Microsoft employees.<ref>[http://scifishow.libsyn.com/005-dc-reboot-trautmann-interview-round-2-of-our-quiz '''The Sci Fi Show''': ''Episode 005: DC Reboot/Eric Trautmann'']</ref>
There are three power ups available in ''Halo'':


* '''[[Health Pack]]:''' (White octagon with red cross) Fully restores the player's [[health]].
The game was released in North America simultaneously with the Xbox, on November 15, 2001; the "Combat Evolved" subtitle was an addition by marketers at Microsoft, who felt that ''Halo'' alone was not a descriptive enough title to compete with other military-themed games.<ref>'''Edge''': ''A Space Odyssey'' (''"Quote"'' '''Jaime Griesemer''': At the time, Microsoft marketing thought ''Halo'' was not a good name for a videogame brand. It wasn't descriptive like all the military games we were competing with. We told them ''Halo'' was the name. The compromise was they could add a subtitle. Everyone at Bungie hated it. But it turned out to be a very sticky label and has now entered the gaming lexicon… so I guess in hindsight it was a good compromise. But the real name of the game is just ''Halo''.)</ref>
* '''[[Active Camouflage]]:''' Drastically reduces the player's visibility for approximately 45 seconds, making all but a faint outline of him transparent. This effect is reduced or void if the player is holding a skull (in multiplayer), hit by weapons fire, fires their weapon, or when time runs out.
* '''[[Overshield]]:''' An enhanced, non-regenerating shield which is two times, (three times on enemies) the strength of the normal one. The overshield functions on top of the regular shield; when it is active, the normal shield does not take damage. In the single player game, the overshield is reduced only when the player is hit, while in the multiplayer game, it weakens gradually over time. One fully charged Plasma Pistol shot can take out the overshield and regular shield entirely. Additionally, while the over shield is charging, the player is completely invincible against almost every type of damage. The player can still be killed by [[assassination]], however.


== Marketing Promotions and Release ==
=== Audio ===
===Demonstration===
{{Main|Music of Halo: Combat Evolved}}
[[File:HaloSoundtrackCover.jpg|200px|thumb|Cover art.]]
''Halo''<nowiki />'s soundtrack was created by [[Bungie Studios]]' audio director, [[Martin O'Donnell]], and received a large amount of praise from many critics. Martin O'Donnell has stated that his goal was to provide "a feeling of importance, weight, and sense of the 'ancient'."<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070301150741/http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/themakers3.htm '''Xbox.com''': ''Just the Right Sense of Ancient'']</ref> He designed the music so that it "could be dissembled and remixed in such a way that would give [him] multiple, interchangeable loops that could be randomly recombined in order to keep the piece interesting as well as a variable length". Development involved the creation of "alternative middle sections that could be transitioned to if the game called for such a change (i.e. less or more intense)."<ref>[http://www.music4games.net/Features_Display.aspx?id=24 '''Music4Games''': ''The Use and Effectiveness of Audio in "Halo": Game Music Evolved'']</ref>
 
Martin O'Donnell has remarked that he "sat with the level designers and 'spotted' the level as though it was a movie, with the knowledge that the music would have to be malleable rather than static... [T]he level designer would tell me what he hoped a player would feel at certain points or after accomplishing certain tasks". Based on this information, O'Donnell would "go back and develop appropriate music cues, then have the designer script the cues into the level, and then we'd play through it to see if it worked as desired."<ref>[http://www.music4games.net/Features_Display.aspx?id=24 '''Music4Games''': ''The Use and Effectiveness of Audio in Halo: Game Music Evolved'']</ref> He explained that the use of music in ''Halo'' is sparse because he believes that "[music] is best used in a game to quicken the emotional state of the player and it works best when used least", and that "[if] music is constantly playing it tends to become sonic wallpaper and loses its impact when it is needed to truly enhance some dramatic component of game play."<ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/misc/gdc.2002.music/ '''halo.bungie.org''': ''Producing Audio for "Halo"'']</ref>
 
==== Halo: Original Soundtrack ====
{{Main|Halo: Original Soundtrack}}
''Halo: Original Soundtrack'', composed and produced by [[Martin O'Donnell]] and [[Michael Salvatori]] for the video game ''Halo: Combat Evolved,'' is one CD comprising 26 tracks. Some editions include a bonus DVD with game trailers for ''Halo 2''. Most of the music from ''Halo: Combat Evolved ''is present on the CD, although some songs are remixed and some tracks are intermixed with others in medley form. It was released in 2001.
 
== Marketing and release ==
=== Demonstration ===
{{main|Halo E3 2000 Trailer}}
{{main|Halo E3 2000 Trailer}}
In 2000 at E3, Bungie showed off a trailer of the upcoming game to the public. This trailer featured Marines along with the Master Chief scouting out a Forerunner structure and the Covenant fighting them. During this trailer there was still no active AI so all the Covenant was actually controlled by Bungie. This trailer was before the conversion to the Xbox as an FPS.
In 2000 at E3, Bungie showed off a trailer of the upcoming game to the public. This trailer featured Marines along with the Master Chief scouting out a Forerunner structure and the Covenant fighting them. During this trailer there was still no active AI so all the Covenant was actually controlled by Bungie. This trailer was before the conversion to the Xbox as an FPS.


===Viral Campaign===
=== Viral campaign ===
{{Main|Cortana Letters}}
{{Main|Cortana Letters}}
Before ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' was released, a series of cryptic emails were sent to [http://marathon.bungie.org/ marathon.bungie.org]. The emails were supposedly written by Cortana, but the contents written were greatly out of her character. Her hacking skills, however, were shown, having some of the messages from other email accounts and even from the 1.3 version of the Bungie game ''Myth: The Fallen Lords'' CD. These messages provided a small glimpse of the ''Halo'' Trilogy plot.
=== Package ===
The game shipped with a game disc, and a [[Halo: Combat Evolved Manual|manual]] detailing how to play the game and why everything is happening so far in the story.
=== Reception ===
''Halo'' was the main launch title for Xbox and is said to be the game that made the Xbox what it is today. It was widely renowned for saving the fledgling Xbox platform, as the Xbox lacked any titles to compete with Sony's PlayStation 2 or Nintendo's GameCube. ''Halo'' became an overnight success and managed to drive the platform from the brink of an early death. It went on to sell 6.43 million copies; in other words, 26% of all Xbox owners also owned ''Halo''.<ref>[http://www.vgchartz.com/game/939/halo-combat-evolved/ '''VG Chartz''': ''Halo: Combat Evolved'']</ref><ref>[http://www.vgchartz.com/platforms/ '''VG Chartz''': ''Platforms'']</ref>


{{Sectstub}}
It was also critically acclaimed. IGN gave the game a 9.7 out of 10 and stated it to be the best Xbox game of all time. X-Play gave it a perfect 5 out of 5. The game got a perfect ten from EGM, and was 2002 Game of the Year for IGN, EGM, OXM, and AIAS. It got a 9.5 out of 10 from Game Informer, and an average meta-score of 97 out of 100, making it the most highly rated Xbox game of all time. It also got a score of 9.0 for the PC version and 9.7 for the Xbox version from Gamespot. It was also called the game that reinvented a genre. OXM rated ''Halo: CE'' Number 1 in a list of the 100 best games of recent memory, saying "''The Xbox did not create Halo, Halo made the Xbox''".


===Reception===
===Rereleases===
[[Image:Halo_Combat_Evolved_box_art_(PC).jpg|thumb|right|200px|The box art for ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' on PC.]]
*'''2003''' - Rereleased for PC and Mac platforms as ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved (PC port)|''Halo: Combat Evolved'' for PC]]''.
''Halo'' was the main launch title for Xbox and is said to be the game that made the Xbox what it is today. It is widely renowned for saving the fledgling Xbox platform, as the Xbox lacked any titles to compete with Sony's PlayStation 2 or Nintendo's GameCube. ''Halo'' became an overnight success and managed to drive the platform from the brink of an early death. It went on to sell 8 million copies, in other words, 33% of all Xbox owners also owned ''Halo''. It was also critically acclaimed. IGN gave the game a 9.7 out of 10 and stated it to be the best Xbox game of all time. X-Play gave it a perfect 5 out of 5. The game got a perfect ten from EGM, and was 2002 Game of the Year for IGN, EGM, OXM, and AIAS. It also got a 9.5 out of 10 from Game Informer, and an average meta-score of 97 out of 100, making it the most highly rated Xbox game of all time. It was also called the game that reinvented a genre. OXM rated ''Halo: CE'' Number 1 in a list of the 100 best games of recent memory, saying "''The Xbox did not create Halo, Halo made the Xbox''".
*'''2004''' - Rereleased with a special version of the Xbox in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. This version was translucent green and came with a copy of Halo: Combat Evolved and a matching translucent green Controller S. The console case featured the Halo logo and the words "Special Edition"; the controller had a jewel that had the Halo logo in place of the normal Xbox logo. The version of Halo that came with this bundle was identical to other versions of Halo, with the exception of a "NOT FOR RESALE" notice placed on the front of the game case. - <ref>[http://xfusion2010.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/xbox-halo-combat-evolved-edition.html#sthash.yxiJFJQ4.dpuf '''xfusion2010''' - '''Xbox Halo Combat Evolved edition''']</ref>
*'''2004''' - Rereleased as part of Action Double Pack which included ''Brute Force'' and ''Halo: Combat Evolved''.<ref>[http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/05/04/call-it-halo-force '''IGN''' - ''Call it Halo Force'']</ref>
*'''2005''' - Rereleased as part of the ''Halo Triple Pack'' which contained ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', ''Halo 2'', and ''[[Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack]]''.
*'''2007''' - Rereleased as part of the Japan exclusive ''Halo History Pack'', which contained ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', ''Halo 2'', and a sneak peek of ''Halo 3'',<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/halo-history-pack/ '''Gamespot''' ''Halo History Pack'']</ref> and as part of [[Xbox LIVE]]'s Xbox Originals.
*'''2011''' - Remade as ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' to tie in with ''Halo''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> tenth anniversary.
*'''2014''' - Rerelease of ''Anniversary'' as part of ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]'' on [[Xbox One]], with the original ''Halo'' multiplayer compatible for the first time ever with console [[matchmaking]].
*'''2020''' - Rerelease of ''Anniversary'' as part of ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection'' on Windows 10 and Steam.


=== Future developments ===
==Original Halo team==
The next episode in the ''Halo'' story, ''Halo 2'', was released on November 9, 2004. <ref>http://www.bungie.net/News/Story.aspx?link=5B522E9E-A265-409E-9267-EB2EDCFD50B4</ref> Like the previous fan-beloved ''Marathon'', ''Halo 2'' has a return of old characters and new technology in attempt to further a complicated plot line, the object of which is to be deciphered by the end.
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== Halo: Original Soundtrack ==
[[Image:HaloSoundtrackCover.jpg|120px|right|thumb|Cover Art]]
{{Main|Halo: Original Soundtrack}}
Halo Original Soundtrack, composed and produced by [[Martin O'Donnell]] and [[Michael Salvatori]] for the video game ''Halo: Combat Evolved,'' is one CD comprising 26 tracks. Some editions include a bonus DVD with game trailers for Halo 2. Most of the music from ''Halo: Combat Evolved ''is present on the CD, although some songs are remixed and some tracks are intermixed with others in medley form. It was released in 2001.
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== Original Halo Team ==
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== Trivia ==
==Production notes==
*''Halo'' was originally being developed for the Mac and PC as a third person shooter, before Microsoft took interest in its development and purchased Bungie Studios, thereby owning a promising video game to use exclusively with Xbox.
*''Halo: Combat Evolved'' was not the original title made by Bungie; the original title of the game had always been intended to be simply "''Halo''". The subtitle ''"Combat Evolved"'', which Bungie has stated they "hated", was suggested by Microsoft Game Studios during the Halo's development phase in order to make the title more descriptive and indicative of a shooter game.<ref>[http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=249196 '''ComputerAndVideoGame''': ''Microsoft forced Bungie to accept 'Combat Evolved' name'']</ref>
*There are 8,087 lines of dialog, most of them randomly triggered during combat.<ref>[http://nikon.bungie.org/news.html?item=20971 Halo Dialogue Statistics, from the source] - HBO, November 12, 2007</ref>
*There are 8,087 lines of dialog, most of them randomly triggered during combat.<ref>[http://nikon.bungie.org/news.html?item=20971 '''halo.bungie.org''', ''Halo Dialogue Statistics''] - ''November 12, 2007''</ref>
*On the Halo: Combat Evolved cover the Banshees in the background are shown in their pilotless stance, yet they are still flying. Similarly, they are shown firing thin laser beams, rather than the plasma orbs that they actually fire in-game.
*The ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' box art shows the Banshees in the background in their pilotless stance, yet they are still flying. Similarly, they are shown firing thin beams, rather than the bolts that they actually fire in-game.
*Bungie mentioned that none of the characters in the E3 video for ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' had AI. In fact, all of the movement was actually scripted. This, however, was proven to be partly false. The AI will move to what are called "firing positions", which are not only places that the AI fire from, but places which the AI will not stop moving unless already in one, save for scripted command lists, although the AI will usually attempt to move to a firing position.
*''Halo: Combat Evolved ''was originally going to have most of the weapons that were introduced in ''Halo 2'' and ''Halo 3'', but due to time constraint, most of the weapons were cut from the final version.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dydfehQBaGE '''Youtube''': ''Evolution of Halo Part 2: Pre-Xbox 1999 Version to 2000 Demo '']</ref>
*''Halo: Combat Evolved ''was originally going to have most of the weapons that were introduced in Halo 2 and Halo 3 although it is unknown why the weapons were cut from the final version.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dydfehQBaGE</ref>
*In the game's manual, the {{Pattern|Okarda'phaa|plasma rifle}}'s blueprint is an overlap of a [[Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher|needler]] underneath and the rifle on top.
*In the ''Halo: Combat Evolved ''handbook, the [[Plasma Rifle]]'s "blueprint" is an overlap of a [[Needler]] underneath and the rifle on top.
*''Halo'' was originally planned to have a changing weather system which was mentioned in the August 2000 issue of ''PC Gamer'' magazine.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=pcgamer.0800 '''halo.bungie.org''': ''PC Gamer August 2000'']</ref>
*[[Halo Custom Edition]] has provided near-limitless possibilities of modding, as long as it's possible with the engine.
*''Halo: Combat Evolved'' was originally planned to have a changing weather system which was mentioned in the August 2000 issue of ''PC Gamer'' magazine.<ref>http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=pcgamer.0800</ref>
*On the cover of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', it shows a [[Warthog]] being driven by a Marine, while in the game Marines can only drive [[Ghosts]]. They do have the animations, however, although the Warthog driving AI for the marines is a bit sketchy, as they tend to drift the Warthog, so Bungie likely didn't make them automatically enter the Warthog's driver seat.


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
===Cover art===
<gallery>
File:Halo - Combat Evolved Logo Huge.png|Title art.
File:HCE BoxArt.png|Cover art.
File: HCE Cover Art.jpg|Cover art variant used in the "Classics" and "Platinum Hits" covers for the game.
File:HCE Cover Art Variant.jpg|Unused cover art variant.
File:HCE Japan cover.jpg|The "Japan" cover for the game.
File:HCEX Classics Cover Art.jpg|The "Classics" cover for the game.
File:Halo_Combat_Evolved_(Xbox)_Platinum_Hits_box_art.JPG|The "Platinum Hits" cover for the game.
File:HCE_FlawlessCowboy_Covermockup_PaulR.jpg|Cover art mockup created by [[Paul Russel]].
File:HCE prerelease box art.jpg|The "Prerelease" cover for the game.
File:HCE steel prototype case.jpg|Halo CE Steel Prototype Case.
File:HCE steel prototype case side.jpg|Halo CE Steel Prototype Case (side).
File:HCE steel prototype case back.jpg|Halo CE Steel Prototype Case (back).
File:CE Artwork CoverArt-Magazine.jpg|Another version of the cover art without text and logos, used on the cover of the June [[2002]] issue of the Japanese [[Wikipedia:Famitsu|Famitsu Xbox]] magazine.{{Ref/Site|https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w396424921|Yahoo! Japan|Page=ヤフオク! - 0612g-030 ファミ通Xbox 2002.6 エンターブレイ...|Y=2020|M=Jun|D=27}}
File:HINF - Charm icon - Halo VHS.png|A [[Weapon customization|weapon charm]] in ''[[Halo Infinite]]'' featuring the cover of ''Halo: Combat Evolved''.
</gallery>
===Concept art===
<gallery>
File:HCE Logos Concept.jpg|Concept sketches for the game's logo.
File:HCE ControlRoom_Concept_1.png|Concept art for the ring's control room.
File:HCE Elite Concept 2.png|Sangheili concept art.
File:Early Hunter.jpg|Hunter concept art.
File:HCE RingSurface Concept 1.jpg|Installation 04 concept art.
File:HCE RingSurface Concept 2.jpg|Installation 04 concept art.
File:HCE RingSurface Concept 3.jpg|Installation 04 concept art.
File:HCE RingSurface Concept 4.jpg|Installation 04 concept art.
File:HCE RingSurface Concept 5.jpg|Installation 04 concept art.
File:HCE RingSurface Concept 6.jpg|Installation 04 concept art.
File:HCE RingSurface Concept 7.jpg|Installation 04 concept art.
File:HCE RingSurface Concept 8.jpg|Installation 04 concept art.
File:HCE RingSurface Concept 9.jpg|Installation 04 concept art.
File:HCE RingSurface Concept 10.jpg|Installation 04 concept art.
File:HCE_CNPT_plant-group1.jpg|Installation 04 concept art.
</gallery>
===Promotional images===
<gallery>
File:Halo-combat-evolved.jpg|The Master Chief next to a Scorpion and marines.
File:HCE-MasterChief-Wallpaper.jpg|The Master Chief leading marines.
</gallery>
===Screenshots===
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Halo-combat-evolved.jpg|Cover art for the game.
File:HCE ChiefFiringAR.jpg|The Master Chief firing an assault rifle.
File:HCE Chief&Shotgun.jpg|The Master Chief holding a shotgun.
File:HCE FlamethrowerVsJackalMinors.jpg|The Master Chief uses a flamethrower.
File:HCE Needler HUD.jpg|First-person view of the needler and a Sangheili Minor.
File:HCE M41SPNKr HUD.jpg|First-person view of the rocket launcher.
File:HCE BeaconTower Firing.jpg|The Master Chief watches as a beacon fires.
File:Johnson-warthog.jpg|The marine on Master Chief's Warthog firing the mounted machine gun.
File:HCE T&R Charging.jpg|The Master Chief and a group of marines onboard a Covenant ship.
File:Jackals.jpg|Two Kig-Yar using plasma pistols.
File:HCE Banshee&Spirit.jpg|The Covenant Banshee and Spirit dropship.
File:HCE Chief Swamp.jpg|The Master Chief in a swamp.
File:HCE ParanoidMarine.jpg|The Master Chief encounters a marine.
File:HCE Chief&Swarm.jpg|The Flood approaches the Master Chief.
File:HCE LibraryFight.jpg|The Master Chief fighting the Flood.
File:Scrn 067.jpg|A Sangheili Zealot and a defeated Flood attacker form.
File:HCE GruntMinors&Flood.jpg|Two Unggoy surrounded by the Flood.
File:HCE Chief&Cortana.jpg|The Master Chief and Cortana.
File:HCE Echo419 Destruction.jpg|The Master Chief watches as a damaged Pelican approach him.
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Sources==
==Sources==
<references/>
{{Ref/Sources|2}}


==Links==
==See also==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
===Internal===
*[[Blam!]]
*[[Blam!]]
*[[Halo: Combat Evolved Credits]]
*[[Halo: Combat Evolved credits|Halo: Combat Evolved Credits]]
*[[Action Figures]]
*[[Archive:Xbox.com/Halo|Archived Xbox.com portal page for ''Halo: Combat Evolved'']]
*[[Halo PC]]
 
*[[Halo Cache Editor 0.7]]
== External links ==
*[[Halo: Combat Evolved (PC) patches ]]
*[http://halo.bungie.net/Projects/Halo/default.aspx ''Official project page'' on '''Bungie.net''']
*[[Halomaps.org]]
*[http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halocombatevolved#video_1 ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' on '''Halo Waypoint''']
{{col-2}}
*[https://medium.com/@Oozer3993/the-making-of-halo-how-combat-evolved-from-blam-part-1-f6b58fcc4ade#.i02dmu1px ''The Making of Halo: How Combat Evolved from Blam!— Part 1'']
===External===
*[http://http://www.bungie.net/Projects/Halo/default.aspx Official site]
*[http://www.xbox.com/en-us/halo/default.htm Official Xbox.com site]
*[http://halo.bungie.org Halo.Bungie.Org] ''Halo'' fansite and resource center
*[http://www.subnova.com/halopc/ Subnova.com] ''Halo'' Information & FAQs
*[http://www.apple.com/games/articles/2003/11/halo/ ''Halo'' for Mac OS X]
*[http://www.haloplanet.com/ Halo Planet]
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{{Halo Games}}


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[[Category:Canon]]
[[Category:Bungie games]]

Latest revision as of 08:54, November 7, 2024

This article is about the game. For the Halo 5: Guardians and Halo Infinite medal, see Combat Evolved (medal).
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo Combat Evolved cover.png

Developer(s):

Bungie Studios
Gearbox Software (PC)
Westlake Interactive (Mac)

Publisher(s):

Microsoft Game Studios
Gearbox Software (PC)
MacSoft (Mac)

Writer(s):

Joseph Staten

Composer(s):

Martin O'Donnell
Michael Salvatori

Engine:

Blam engine

Platform(s):

Xbox, PC, Mac

Release date(s):

Xbox:
US: November 15, 2001
UK: March 14, 2002
PC:
US: September 30, 2003
UK: October 10, 2003
Mac:
US: December 3, 2003

Genre(s):

First-person shooter

Mode(s):

Campaign
Multiplayer

Rating(s):

ESRB: Mature (M) for Blood, Gore, and Violence
PEGI: 16+ (Europe only post-2003)
ELSPA: 15+ (Europe only pre-2003)
USK: 18 (Germany only)
ACB: 15+ Restricted (R15+) for Medium Level Animated Violence

 

"Halo: Combat Evolved! Buy one! Heck, buy two! That's an order, soldier!"
— Sergeant Johnson upon completion of the Halo: Combat Evolved demo

Halo: Combat Evolved is a 2001 first-person shooter science-fiction video game developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It is the first game in the Halo series. It focuses on John-117 and the crew of the UNSC Pillar of Autumn who, fleeing from the Fall of Reach, stumble on the Forerunner Halo Installation 04, only to be forced into a desperate battle against the Covenant and the Flood. Considered a classic, Combat Evolved is one of the most popular video games for the Xbox with eight million copies sold. Its sales are rivaled only by its sequels, Halo 2 and Halo 3.

Halo: Combat Evolved was made available as an Xbox Original game title for Xbox 360 on December 4, 2007 for download on Xbox Live Marketplace for 1200 Microsoft Points.[1] It was also released for PC and Mac. The game was remastered as Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and was released on the original game's tenth anniversary on November 15, 2011 for the Xbox 360. Along with Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was released on the Xbox One as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection on November 11, 2014. Halo: The Master Chief Collection also features the multiplayer component of Combat Evolved, with online play enabled on dedicated servers.[2] All versions of the game besides The Master Chief Collection were removed from digital sale in 2020.[3]

Synopsis[edit]

Characters and setting[edit]

Halo's storyline is linear; there is a single ending in contrast to other first person shooters such as Deus Ex that could have several different endings. The storyline is presented to the player through an instruction manual, scripted events and conversations during the game, and a number of cut-scenes rendered using the game's graphics engine. This method of storyline delivery is common among modern video games. The Xbox version of Halo: Combat Evolved allows one player to play the campaign alone, as well as allowing two players to play through the campaign in split screen. The PC version of Halo: Combat Evolved allows only one player to play through the campaign.

Plot synopsis[edit]

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Halo: Combat Evolved begins with the UNSC Pillar of Autumn emerging out of slipspace after the Fall of Reach, only to find a huge ring world—a "Halo"—floating in space. Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 (although his name is never mentioned throughout the game), a SPARTAN-II, is aboard the Pillar of Autumn when the ship comes under attack by the Covenant, a religious alliance of aliens and the archenemy of humanity.

With the ship about to be overrun, Captain Jacob Keyes, the commander of the Autumn, orders John-117 to protect the ship's artificial intelligence, Cortana. She carries highly sensitive information about the United Nations Space Command, including the location of Earth, which would prove disastrous if captured by the Covenant. John-117 evacuates the doomed ship to the surface of Halo in order to protect Cortana. With the UNSC Marines by his side, Cortana providing direction, and his assault rifle ready and loaded, John-117 sets out to uncover the mysteries of Halo and fight the Covenant.

After meeting up with surviving UNSC forces under Staff Sergeant Avery Johnson, John-117 participates in a mission to rescue Captain Keyes from the Covenant battlecruiser Truth and Reconciliation. After rescuing the Captain, Cortana learns that Halo appears to be a weapon that holds great religious significance to the Covenant. Realizing that the Covenant cannot be allowed to control Halo, Keyes dispatches John-117 to secure Halo's control room while he leaves with Johnson to secure a Covenant weapons cache.

With UNSC Marines as support, John-117 leads an assault on the Silent Cartographer, a map room which holds information on every location on the ring, including the control room. Heading to the ring's control room, Cortana is inserted into the ring's computer system and learns that Halo was made by the Forerunners, an ancient alien race that the Covenant worship as gods. However, Cortana soon learns that there is something else on Halo, something that terrifies the Covenant. Frightened, she says that John has to stop Keyes from accessing the "weapons cache" before it is too late. John-117 leaves for the last spot where Captain Keyes and Sergeant Johnson's squad were seen, an underground facility in a swamp. He finds evidence of battle all over the facility, and soon finds a recording of one Marine, which details Keyes' squad encountering a new threat: the Flood.

The Flood is a parasitic species which received their name due to the way they assimilate all resistance with overwhelming numbers. Free for the first time in a hundred thousand years, the Flood sweeps across Halo, devastating Human and Covenant forces alike. The release of the Flood prompts 343 Guilty Spark, the eccentric AI Monitor of the ring, to activate Halo's defense systems. The AI instructs the SPARTAN-II to activate Halo by obtaining the Activation Index from the Installation's Library. The Chief does so, battling hordes of Flood along the way, and returns to the control room. Before Halo initiates its systems, Cortana intervenes and tells John the truth about the Forerunner structure and its purpose- Halo was designed to eliminate the Flood threat by starving the Flood of any life source large enough to sustain them; when fired, it would essentially wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy. Realizing the threat of Halo, Cortana instructs John-117 to detonate the Autumn's fusion reactor. This detonation would result in the destruction of Halo, which was against 343 Guilty Spark's protocol.

Before doing so, the two sabotage three generators needed to power Halo, which buys them enough time to locate Captain Keyes, now succumbed to the Flood, and steal his neural implants to operate the Autumn. After battling his way through scattered and disorganized Covenant forces, the spreading Flood, and the Sentinels under direct command of 343 Guilty Spark, John-117 successfully overloads the ship's engine, and he and Cortana evacuate from Halo in a Longsword before the Autumn's engine detonates and destroys Halo. The pair appears to be the only survivors, and John-117 realizes that they are simply beginning a harrowing battle.

Spoilers end here.

Appearances[edit]

Characters

Human
AI
Sangheili
Mgalekgolo
Forerunner
  • IsoDidact (First mentioned) (Indirect mention)

Species and entities

Organizations

Locations

Events

Weapons

UNSC

Usable
Unusable

Covenant

Usable
Unusable

Forerunner

Unusable

Vehicles

United Nations Space Command

Usable
Unusable

Covenant

Usable
Unusable

Technology and equipment

Power-ups
Armor
Other



Gameplay[edit]

Halo: Combat Evolved's gameplay was characterized by several features which set it apart from less acclaimed first-person shooter games of its time.

  • Storyline execution: Halo: Combat Evolved's gameplay and storyline are tightly interwoven, delivered in a convincing manner consistent with the flow of the game.
  • Vehicular incorporation: Halo: Combat Evolved includes the option for players to control multiple land and air based vehicles in third-person view. This vantage brings a welcomed sense of immersion and enhances specific points of gameplay, again setting Halo apart from contemporary first person shooters.
  • Weapons system: Halo: Combat Evolved's new weapons system is unique in two major respects. The first is only allowing players to carry two weapons at a time, thus forcing the player to make trade-offs as they progress throughout the game. The second is a single, separate button for throwing grenades, making them much more significant in both campaign and multiplayer games.
  • Artificial intelligence: Halo: Combat Evolved's AI is quite sophisticated for its era. With a brand new advanced AI system, actions performed by the AI such as panicking after the death of a superior, diving out of the way of an oncoming vehicle, or taking cover from explosives and suppressive fire, helped Halo stand out from the rest of the first-person shooters being released at the time.

Movement in Halo is similar to other first-person shooters, allowing the player to move forwards, backwards, and strafe left and right (including diagonally) and jumping independently of their aim. On the Xbox, moving and aiming are normally separated between the two analogue sticks, and on the PC, between the keyboard and the mouse. Halo also allows the player to crouch and jump, although jumping from a high ledge will often result in death, or at least major fall damage. Damage from falling can be reduced or negated entirely with a well-timed crouch right as one lands. Additionally, if the player crouches at the peak of his jump, he will be able to land on something slightly taller than if he were to jump without crouching. Also, if the player is jumping from a cliff he can make sure he is touching the wall periodically while he is falling. This will count as if he is touching floor, and every time the player touches the wall, the damage counter goes to zero (there is no visible damage counter during gameplay).

Environment[edit]

Halo: Combat Evolved features a wide variety of environments including human and Covenant starships, ancient buildings on Halo itself, and expansive outdoor climates. The first level, Pillar of Autumn, is fought entirely on the human starship of the same name. The next level, Halo, takes place in a temperate highland climate with open-air Forerunner structures scattered about. This level also contains the famous "Blue Beam Towers". Truth and Reconciliation begin in a rocky desert, but the setting changes to the titular Covenant cruiser about one-third of the way through. The Silent Cartographer occurs on a tropical island, with substantial combat both outdoors and inside futuristic Forerunner installations. Assault on the Control Room takes place in a snowy, icy area of towering cliffs and underground tunnels as well as high-tech suspension bridges and oft-repeated Forerunner structures built into and through cliff walls.

343 Guilty Spark is a significant departure from these majestic environments, with combat in gloomy, exotic swamps and equally gloomy underground complexes that host the player's introduction to the Flood. The player is then teleported to the second of three entirely indoor levels, The Library, encountering repetitive, forbidding hallways and massive elevators. Master Chief returns to the snowy climate of Assault on the Control Room for Two Betrayals, visiting almost no new areas but, interestingly, travelling in the opposite direction. Keyes occurs in the same Covenant ship from Truth and Reconciliation, albeit now heavily damaged, but this time the Flood are present in huge numbers. Finally, The Maw is set on the Pillar of Autumn with three major differences: the presence of the Flood, the heavy structural damage, and access to the Engineering section and service corridors of the ship, which were previously off-limits. In total, six of the ten levels feature a substantial amount of combat outdoors.

Player damage system[edit]

In Halo: Combat Evolved, the player has a limited, non-regenerating health, which can be fully restored by picking up health packs. Running completely out of health will result in death, but having lower health does not impede player actions. A player's health can be reduced only if his shields have been depleted. If the player's health is at minimal levels they will faintly hear John-117's heartbeat.

Serving as the first layer of protection is the shielding system specially built for the MJOLNIR Mk. V armor. The shield will decrease in strength every time it is hit by a weapon and will fail after taking too many hits or freefall from certain altitude. The amount of shield drain depends on the attacker's weapon but will quickly regenerate if it is not hit for a brief period of time. The shield represents a marked departure from most first-person shooters, in which one's health bar is basically augmented by picking up "armor".

Damage Environment Mechanics[edit]

In Halo: Combat Evolved, splatter kills are an easy task for all vehicles. With a simple touch, most characters, including John-117 and Hunters can die instantly. This also includes the Shade Turret; if the Turret moves and hits someone, the victim will die instantly. Fall damage also has limits; if falling speed exceeds the maximum shield and health cap, the player will be killed instantly, regardless of whether they are touching a wall in the environment, though the damage can be nullified if player is using vehicles, unless out of bounds. Scorpion tanks and Warthogs are invulnerable to any attack, with damage taken to either vehicles will instead be applied to the driver. Ghosts and Banshees, however, can be destroyed if the pilot is mounting it.

Campaign[edit]

The campaign in Halo: Combat Evolved can be played by single-player or cooperatively. In cooperative play, the second player takes control of an identical copy of the Master Chief. This second player, however, will not appear in any cutscene in the game.

The game's campaign consists of ten levels:

  1. The Pillar of Autumn - "Escape intact as Covenant forces board your ship."
  2. Halo - "Seek out surviving Marines and help them fight the Covenant."
  3. The Truth and Reconciliation - "Board a Covenant ship in an attempt to rescue Captain Keyes."
  4. The Silent Cartographer - "Search for the map room that will lead you to the secrets of Halo."
  5. Assault on the Control Room - "Defend the Control Room against wave after wave of Covenant troops."
  6. 343 Guilty Spark - "Creep through a swamp to meet the only enemy the Covenant fear."
  7. The Library - "Fight your way through an ancient security facility in search of the Index."
  8. Two Betrayals - "Re-activate the weapon at the heart of Halo... and learn the truth."
  9. Keyes - "Stage a one-cyborg assault on a Covenant ship and bring back the Captain."
  10. The Maw - "Destroy Halo before Halo destroys all life in the galaxy."

Multiplayer[edit]

Up to four players can play together using the same-console splitscreen mode. It is also possible for up to 16 players to play together in one Halo game over a local area network, using Xbox and/or Xbox 360 consoles that have been connected through an Ethernet hub, or via XB Connect. The game's seamless support for this type of play, and a few large maps that can accommodate up to 16 combatants, is a first for console games. Since the game was released before the launch of Xbox Live, mainstream online play was not available for this title.

A total of 13 multiplayer maps are available:

Development[edit]

Main article: Development of Halo: Combat Evolved

Design[edit]

Main article: Pre-Xbox Halo
An early screenshot of Halo: Combat Evolved.
The first official screenshot of Halo.
Cool looking cyborgs, broken Halos, dodgy graphics. Is this 1998 or 2022 Halo?
The old heads-up display and a Halo that has fallen under disrepair. This design was eventually incorporated into Halo 3.

On July 21, 1999, during the Macworld Conference & Expo, Steve Jobs announced that Halo would be released for Mac OS and Windows simultaneously.[4] Before this public announcement, game industry journalists under a non-disclosure agreement had previewed the game in a private showing during E3 1999, and were reportedly amazed.[5] Bungie Studios later stated an even earlier development build of the game centered on real-time strategy and was "basically Myth in a sci-fi universe."[6]

At E3 2000, the first trailer of Halo was well-received.[7] The version shown there differed greatly from the one exhibited previously, marking the first major overhaul in the game's development.[8] At this point, Halo was a third-person action game, in which a transport starship crashlands on a mysterious ring world that orbits a star. Early versions of Covenant aliens appear in great numbers and loot what they can, and war erupts between them and the humans. Unable to match the technologically advanced alien race, the humans on the ring world resort to guerrilla warfare.[9] This version of the game featured Halo-specific fauna, which were later dropped because of design difficulties and the creatures' "detract from the surprise, drama and impact of the Flood."[10]

Microsoft announced on June 19, 2000 that it had acquired Bungie Studios.[11] Halo became an exclusive game for Microsoft's Xbox, and Bungie Studios rewrote the game's engine, heavily altering its presentation and turning it into a first-person shooter.[12] Originally a key element, the game's online multiplayer component was dropped because Xbox Live would be unfinished at the time of Halo's release. While a playable demonstration of the game at Gamestock 2001 was well-received,[13] critics had mixed reactions to its exhibition at E3 2001.[14][15][16] Roughly 90% of the final product was developed in just nine months of development, with team members working 16–20 hours a day for six days per week between January and October 2001.[17]

The novel Halo: The Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund was commissioned by Microsoft to serve as a prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved. During the writing of The Fall of Reach, Bungie reportedly almost cancelled the novel but was convinced by Eric S. Trautmann to approve it in exchange for himself, Matt Soell and Brannon Boren writing an estimated "80 percent" of the in-game dialogue of Halo: Combat Evolved. The dysfunctional relationship between Bungie and the Microsoft team working on the game created some disconnect - the notorious "this cave is not a natural formation" line was caused by Bungie promising that the environment would not be immediately obvious as an artificial formation. According to Trautmann, a number of Bungie employees resented the presence of Microsoft employees.[18]

The game was released in North America simultaneously with the Xbox, on November 15, 2001; the "Combat Evolved" subtitle was an addition by marketers at Microsoft, who felt that Halo alone was not a descriptive enough title to compete with other military-themed games.[19]

Audio[edit]

Main article: Music of Halo: Combat Evolved
The cover of the Halo: Original Soundtrack.
Cover art.

Halo's soundtrack was created by Bungie Studios' audio director, Martin O'Donnell, and received a large amount of praise from many critics. Martin O'Donnell has stated that his goal was to provide "a feeling of importance, weight, and sense of the 'ancient'."[20] He designed the music so that it "could be dissembled and remixed in such a way that would give [him] multiple, interchangeable loops that could be randomly recombined in order to keep the piece interesting as well as a variable length". Development involved the creation of "alternative middle sections that could be transitioned to if the game called for such a change (i.e. less or more intense)."[21]

Martin O'Donnell has remarked that he "sat with the level designers and 'spotted' the level as though it was a movie, with the knowledge that the music would have to be malleable rather than static... [T]he level designer would tell me what he hoped a player would feel at certain points or after accomplishing certain tasks". Based on this information, O'Donnell would "go back and develop appropriate music cues, then have the designer script the cues into the level, and then we'd play through it to see if it worked as desired."[22] He explained that the use of music in Halo is sparse because he believes that "[music] is best used in a game to quicken the emotional state of the player and it works best when used least", and that "[if] music is constantly playing it tends to become sonic wallpaper and loses its impact when it is needed to truly enhance some dramatic component of game play."[23]

Halo: Original Soundtrack[edit]

Main article: Halo: Original Soundtrack

Halo: Original Soundtrack, composed and produced by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori for the video game Halo: Combat Evolved, is one CD comprising 26 tracks. Some editions include a bonus DVD with game trailers for Halo 2. Most of the music from Halo: Combat Evolved is present on the CD, although some songs are remixed and some tracks are intermixed with others in medley form. It was released in 2001.

Marketing and release[edit]

Demonstration[edit]

Main article: Halo E3 2000 Trailer

In 2000 at E3, Bungie showed off a trailer of the upcoming game to the public. This trailer featured Marines along with the Master Chief scouting out a Forerunner structure and the Covenant fighting them. During this trailer there was still no active AI so all the Covenant was actually controlled by Bungie. This trailer was before the conversion to the Xbox as an FPS.

Viral campaign[edit]

Main article: Cortana Letters

Before Halo: Combat Evolved was released, a series of cryptic emails were sent to marathon.bungie.org. The emails were supposedly written by Cortana, but the contents written were greatly out of her character. Her hacking skills, however, were shown, having some of the messages from other email accounts and even from the 1.3 version of the Bungie game Myth: The Fallen Lords CD. These messages provided a small glimpse of the Halo Trilogy plot.

Package[edit]

The game shipped with a game disc, and a manual detailing how to play the game and why everything is happening so far in the story.

Reception[edit]

Halo was the main launch title for Xbox and is said to be the game that made the Xbox what it is today. It was widely renowned for saving the fledgling Xbox platform, as the Xbox lacked any titles to compete with Sony's PlayStation 2 or Nintendo's GameCube. Halo became an overnight success and managed to drive the platform from the brink of an early death. It went on to sell 6.43 million copies; in other words, 26% of all Xbox owners also owned Halo.[24][25]

It was also critically acclaimed. IGN gave the game a 9.7 out of 10 and stated it to be the best Xbox game of all time. X-Play gave it a perfect 5 out of 5. The game got a perfect ten from EGM, and was 2002 Game of the Year for IGN, EGM, OXM, and AIAS. It got a 9.5 out of 10 from Game Informer, and an average meta-score of 97 out of 100, making it the most highly rated Xbox game of all time. It also got a score of 9.0 for the PC version and 9.7 for the Xbox version from Gamespot. It was also called the game that reinvented a genre. OXM rated Halo: CE Number 1 in a list of the 100 best games of recent memory, saying "The Xbox did not create Halo, Halo made the Xbox".

Rereleases[edit]

  • 2003 - Rereleased for PC and Mac platforms as Halo: Combat Evolved for PC.
  • 2004 - Rereleased with a special version of the Xbox in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. This version was translucent green and came with a copy of Halo: Combat Evolved and a matching translucent green Controller S. The console case featured the Halo logo and the words "Special Edition"; the controller had a jewel that had the Halo logo in place of the normal Xbox logo. The version of Halo that came with this bundle was identical to other versions of Halo, with the exception of a "NOT FOR RESALE" notice placed on the front of the game case. - [26]
  • 2004 - Rereleased as part of Action Double Pack which included Brute Force and Halo: Combat Evolved.[27]
  • 2005 - Rereleased as part of the Halo Triple Pack which contained Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack.
  • 2007 - Rereleased as part of the Japan exclusive Halo History Pack, which contained Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and a sneak peek of Halo 3,[28] and as part of Xbox LIVE's Xbox Originals.
  • 2011 - Remade as Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary to tie in with Halo's tenth anniversary.
  • 2014 - Rerelease of Anniversary as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One, with the original Halo multiplayer compatible for the first time ever with console matchmaking.
  • 2020 - Rerelease of Anniversary as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Windows 10 and Steam.

Original Halo team[edit]

Project Lead
Jason Jones
Lead Producer
Hamilton Chu
Executive Producer
Alexander Seropian
Producer
Rick Ryan
Programmers
Chris Butcher
Bernie Freidin
Charlie Gough
Mat Noguchi
Matt Segur
Art Director
Marcus Lehto
Assistant Art Lead
Steve Abeyta
Artists
Eric Arroyo
Chris Barrett
Mark Bernal
David Dunn
Chris Hughes
Stephen Okasaki
Chris Lee
Robert McLees
Paul Russel
Shi Kai Wang
Michael Wu
Brian Schultz
Lead Designer
John Howard
Designers
Paul Bertone
Tyson Green
Jaime Griesemer
Dan Orzulak
Additional Writing
Brannon Boren
Matt Soell
Eric Trautmann
Multiplayer Lead Programmer
Michael Evans
Multiplayer Programmers
Adrian Perez
Stefan Sinclair
Multiplayer Lead Designer
Hardy LeBel
Multiplayer Artists
Chris Carney
David Dunn
Peter Marks
David Moore
Stephen Okasaki
User Interface Lead
Max Hoberman
User Interface Designer
David Candland
User Interface Programmer
Stefan Sinclair
Cinematics Director
Joseph Staten
Cinematic Artists
Steve Abeyta
Paul Clift
Adam Crockett
Lorraine McLees
Stephen Okasaki
Craig Mullins
Lee Wilson
Audio Lead/Original Music
Martin O'Donnell
Additional Music
Michael Salvatori
Sound Designers
Jay Weinland
Adam Tewes
Test Manager
Harold Ryan
Test Leads
Curtis Creamer
Ryan Hylland
Keith Steury
Testers
Chris Chamberlain
Mike Cody
Chuck Cooper
Erik Davis
John Frey
Rick Lockyear
Paul Peterson
Zach Russel
Mathew Shimbaku
Luke Timmins
Jeff Wilson
Roger Wolfson
Voice Talent
Keny Boynton
Tim Dadabo
Mark Dias
Steve Downes
Todd Licea
Mike Madeoy
Andy Mckaige
Tawnya Pettiford-Waites
David Scully
Pete Stacker
Jeff Steitzer
Jen Taylor
Chris Wicklund
Additional voices
Folks at Bungie
Damage and Spin
Matt Soell
Draft Dodgers
Pete Demoreuille
Tom Gioconda
Joshua Grass
Justin Hayward
Jason Major
Juan Ramirez
Bob Settles
Product Manager
Steve Fowler
Product Planner
Jon Kimmch
Localization Program Manager
Ji Hong

Production notes[edit]

  • Halo: Combat Evolved was not the original title made by Bungie; the original title of the game had always been intended to be simply "Halo". The subtitle "Combat Evolved", which Bungie has stated they "hated", was suggested by Microsoft Game Studios during the Halo's development phase in order to make the title more descriptive and indicative of a shooter game.[29]
  • There are 8,087 lines of dialog, most of them randomly triggered during combat.[30]
  • The Halo: Combat Evolved box art shows the Banshees in the background in their pilotless stance, yet they are still flying. Similarly, they are shown firing thin beams, rather than the bolts that they actually fire in-game.
  • Halo: Combat Evolved was originally going to have most of the weapons that were introduced in Halo 2 and Halo 3, but due to time constraint, most of the weapons were cut from the final version.[31]
  • In the game's manual, the Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle's blueprint is an overlap of a needler underneath and the rifle on top.
  • Halo was originally planned to have a changing weather system which was mentioned in the August 2000 issue of PC Gamer magazine.[32]

Gallery[edit]

Cover art[edit]

  • Title art.

    Title art.

  • Cover art.

    Cover art.

  • Cover art variant used in the "Classics" and "Platinum Hits" covers for the game.

    Cover art variant used in the "Classics" and "Platinum Hits" covers for the game.

  • Unused cover art variant.

    Unused cover art variant.

  • The "Japan" cover for the game.

    The "Japan" cover for the game.

  • The "Classics" cover for the game.

    The "Classics" cover for the game.

  • The "Platinum Hits" cover for the game.

    The "Platinum Hits" cover for the game.

  • Cover art mockup created by Paul Russel.

    Cover art mockup created by Paul Russel.

  • The "Prerelease" cover for the game.

    The "Prerelease" cover for the game.

  • Halo CE Steel Prototype Case.

    Halo CE Steel Prototype Case.

  • Halo CE Steel Prototype Case (side).

    Halo CE Steel Prototype Case (side).

  • Halo CE Steel Prototype Case (back).

    Halo CE Steel Prototype Case (back).

  • Another version of the cover art without text and logos, used on the cover of the June 2002 issue of the Japanese Famitsu Xbox magazine.[33]

    Another version of the cover art without text and logos, used on the cover of the June 2002 issue of the Japanese Famitsu Xbox magazine.[33]

  • A weapon charm in Halo Infinite featuring the cover of Halo: Combat Evolved.

    A weapon charm in Halo Infinite featuring the cover of Halo: Combat Evolved.

Concept art[edit]

  • Concept sketches for the game's logo.

    Concept sketches for the game's logo.

  • Concept art for the ring's control room.

    Concept art for the ring's control room.

  • Sangheili concept art.

    Sangheili concept art.

  • Hunter concept art.

    Hunter concept art.

  • Installation 04 concept art.

    Installation 04 concept art.

  • Installation 04 concept art.

    Installation 04 concept art.

  • Installation 04 concept art.

    Installation 04 concept art.

  • Installation 04 concept art.

    Installation 04 concept art.

  • Installation 04 concept art.

    Installation 04 concept art.

  • Installation 04 concept art.

    Installation 04 concept art.

  • Installation 04 concept art.

    Installation 04 concept art.

  • Installation 04 concept art.

    Installation 04 concept art.

  • Installation 04 concept art.

    Installation 04 concept art.

  • Installation 04 concept art.

    Installation 04 concept art.

  • Installation 04 concept art.

    Installation 04 concept art.

Promotional images[edit]

  • The Master Chief next to a Scorpion and marines.

    The Master Chief next to a Scorpion and marines.

  • The Master Chief leading marines.

    The Master Chief leading marines.

Screenshots[edit]

  • The Master Chief firing an assault rifle.

    The Master Chief firing an assault rifle.

  • The Master Chief holding a shotgun.

    The Master Chief holding a shotgun.

  • The Master Chief uses a flamethrower.

    The Master Chief uses a flamethrower.

  • First-person view of the needler and a Sangheili Minor.

    First-person view of the needler and a Sangheili Minor.

  • First-person view of the rocket launcher.

    First-person view of the rocket launcher.

  • The Master Chief watches as a beacon fires.

    The Master Chief watches as a beacon fires.

  • The marine on Master Chief's Warthog firing the mounted machine gun.

    The marine on Master Chief's Warthog firing the mounted machine gun.

  • The Master Chief and a group of marines onboard a Covenant ship.

    The Master Chief and a group of marines onboard a Covenant ship.

  • Two Kig-Yar using plasma pistols.

    Two Kig-Yar using plasma pistols.

  • The Covenant Banshee and Spirit dropship.

    The Covenant Banshee and Spirit dropship.

  • The Master Chief in a swamp.

    The Master Chief in a swamp.

  • The Master Chief encounters a marine.

    The Master Chief encounters a marine.

  • The Flood approaches the Master Chief.

    The Flood approaches the Master Chief.

  • The Master Chief fighting the Flood.

    The Master Chief fighting the Flood.

  • A Sangheili Zealot and a defeated Flood attacker form.

    A Sangheili Zealot and a defeated Flood attacker form.

  • Two Unggoy surrounded by the Flood.

    Two Unggoy surrounded by the Flood.

  • The Master Chief and Cortana.

    The Master Chief and Cortana.

  • The Master Chief watches as a damaged Pelican approach him.

    The Master Chief watches as a damaged Pelican approach him.

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ Xbox Marketplace: Halo: Combat Evolved
  2. ^ Halo Waypoint: Halo: The Master Chief Collection
  3. ^ Halo Waypoint: Sunsetting Halo Xbox 360 Game Services in 2021
  4. ^ IGN: Heavenly "Halo"
  5. ^ PC Gamer: Your first look at... "Halo"
  6. ^ Bungie.net: Inside Bungie: History
  7. ^ Blue's News: Blue's News Best of E3 2000
  8. ^ halo.bungie.org: Frequently Asked Questions about "Halo"
  9. ^ Computer Gaming World: Games That Will Change Gaming
  10. ^ Bungie.net: One Million Years B.X. (Before Xbox)
  11. ^ Microsoft: Microsoft to Acquire Bungie Software
  12. ^ GameCritics: "Halo" (Xbox) Preview
  13. ^ IGN: Playable "Halo" at GameStock
  14. ^ halo.bungie.org: "Next Generation Magazine"
  15. ^ FiringSquad: 2001 E3 Part 1'
  16. ^ halo.bungie.org: "GamePro"
  17. ^ Paul Russel on Twitter
  18. ^ The Sci Fi Show: Episode 005: DC Reboot/Eric Trautmann
  19. ^ Edge: A Space Odyssey ("Quote" Jaime Griesemer: At the time, Microsoft marketing thought Halo was not a good name for a videogame brand. It wasn't descriptive like all the military games we were competing with. We told them Halo was the name. The compromise was they could add a subtitle. Everyone at Bungie hated it. But it turned out to be a very sticky label and has now entered the gaming lexicon… so I guess in hindsight it was a good compromise. But the real name of the game is just Halo.)
  20. ^ Xbox.com: Just the Right Sense of Ancient
  21. ^ Music4Games: The Use and Effectiveness of Audio in "Halo": Game Music Evolved
  22. ^ Music4Games: The Use and Effectiveness of Audio in Halo: Game Music Evolved
  23. ^ halo.bungie.org: Producing Audio for "Halo"
  24. ^ VG Chartz: Halo: Combat Evolved
  25. ^ VG Chartz: Platforms
  26. ^ xfusion2010 - Xbox Halo Combat Evolved edition
  27. ^ IGN - Call it Halo Force
  28. ^ Gamespot Halo History Pack
  29. ^ ComputerAndVideoGame: Microsoft forced Bungie to accept 'Combat Evolved' name
  30. ^ halo.bungie.org, Halo Dialogue Statistics - November 12, 2007
  31. ^ Youtube: Evolution of Halo Part 2: Pre-Xbox 1999 Version to 2000 Demo
  32. ^ halo.bungie.org: PC Gamer August 2000
  33. ^ Yahoo! Japan, ヤフオク! - 0612g-030 ファミ通Xbox 2002.6 エンターブレイ... (Retrieved on Jun 27, 2020) [archive]

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

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List of games in the Halo franchise
Original trilogy
Sequel FPS games
Standalone FPS games
Strategy games
Twin-stick shooter games
Virtual reality games
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Cancelled projects
Rejected pitches and internal prototypes
*Asterisks indicate upcoming releases
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