Halo: Combat Evolved
93PurrfectSadkitty Score
93KitSuperintelligent review
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Master Chief crash-lands on a mysterious ring world and fights the alien Covenant across its hills, beaches and corridors. It proved first-person shooters could work on a console and turned the Xbox into a real contender.
Kit's verdict · 9.3/10
The console shooter that rewrote the rules, and its best levels still sing.Kit · Sadkitty Games
Loved
- Smart enemies that make fights feel alive
- Open sandbox battles with vehicles
- Iconic music and atmosphere
Not so much
- Later levels recycle rooms heavily
- The Library is a slog
Play it if shooter fans who want the genre's console origin story at its best.
Skip it if players who hate backtracking through repeated corridors.
Cheats & codes
No cheat codes
Halo: Combat Evolved doesn't have cheat codes. The tips and secrets below are the next best thing.
Tips
Play it better
- The pistol's 2x scope and huge damage make it the best weapon in the game, so keep one.
- An overcharged plasma pistol shot strips an Elite's shields instantly, so follow it with a headshot.
- Hit Hunters in the orange gaps on their backs or neck, because their fronts soak up gunfire.
- Melee an enemy from behind for an instant kill.
- Let your shield recharge behind cover instead of pushing in half-dead.
- Grenade jumping lets you reach spots and shortcuts the designers never planned for.
Secrets & unlockables
Hidden in plain sight
Tap a secret to reveal it.
Did you know?
Trivia
- Halo was first shown as a Mac game by Steve Jobs at Macworld 1999 before Microsoft bought Bungie in 2000.
- It began life as a real-time strategy game.
- It launched alongside the original Xbox in November 2001.
- Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori's monk-chant theme became one of gaming's most famous scores.
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