It’s seen its highs and lows, but to this day, theHaloseries remains as beloved as ever. Playing as the iconic Master Chief and battling hordes of distinctive aliens with many unique guns and vehicles. It’s no wonder Halo is consideredone of the most iconic FPS franchises in gaming. With every best-selling product, however, sometimes you need to shake up the formula.
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Sure, it never gets old blasting bad guys on an artificial world, but given Halo’s massive world and lore, there’s no limit to what you can do with it. Well, it depends on the gaming budget, but that’s not important. What matters is that Halo has seen its fair share of spin-offs, and it’s time to pick which stands out as the best.
7Halo: Spartan Assault
From First-Person to Top-Down
June 29, 2025
Developer(s)
343 Industries, Vanguard Games
Xbox Game Studios
Twin-Stick Shooter
FromXbox Game Studioscomes a new generation of Spartans. Taking place between the events of Halo 3 and 4, a Covenant splinter group attacks a human colony while searching for a lost Forerunner weapon. In two-player co-op, you play as Sarah Palmer or Spartan Davis as you engage the alien zealots.
Halo: Spartan Assault was a curious game that tried to switch things up by making it a top-down shooter. The concept sounds interesting and worth expanding upon. The overall game was well put together, but all in all, Spartan Assault was incredibly short and incredibly unmemorable. The entire game can be finished in one sitting, not enough to make a lasting impression. Spartan Assault does have the honor of being the first Halo mobile game, though.
6Halo: Spartan Strike
New Spartan, Same Shtick
Halo: Spartan Strike
From a Spartan Assault comes a Spartan Strike. Though it’s a successor to the first game, the story is completely different, occurring during the events of Halo 2 and 4. The Covenant are at it again, searching for Forerunner artifacts to win the war, and it’s up to you to stop them.
Spartan Strike was a bigger improvement compared to the first top-down shooter. The weapons feel more balanced, there are more guns to play with, and it features not only the classic Covenant enemies but even the Prometheans from the newer games. Overall, Spartan Strike has more to offer than the first, but it’s still relatively short, and it doesn’t help matters that the game has no co-op either.
5Halo: Fireteam Raven
Bring Tokens
July 22, 2025
343 Industries, Play Mechanix
Raw Thrills
Rail Shooter
Halo is Infinite, but arcades are endless. Marvel and Star Wars have had legions of arcade cabinets, so it was only a matter of time before Halo got one. In a campaign set during the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, you are Fireteam Raven, a squad of four elite ODSTs tasked with aiding the Master Chief and UNSC forces against the Covenant and the dangers of Halo.
The on-rails shooter has already made a name for itself asone of the best experiences in a modern arcade. Supporting over four players, the game is mindless fun as you’re battling the iconic enemies from the first game, including the Flood, using familiar weapons from the series. Sure, the enemies can be a bit bullet-spongey, and the whole thing is more or less a gimmick game, but Fireteam Raven is still an enjoyable experience, especially with friends.
4Halo Wars
Halo Wars was the first spin-off in the franchise and one of the best. Instead of making it another mindless shooter, Ensemble Studios turned it into a real-time strategy game that blew everyone away. Set decades before the first Halo ring was discovered, you command the warship known as the Spirit of Fire and its vast forces.
You aren’t an unbeatable super soldier, you’re a commander with an army to control. Construct bases, assemble troops, take down enemy bases, and complete objectives as you move onward in the Human-Covenant War. Even Halo fans unfamiliar with RTS games fell in love with Halo Wars’ style of gameplay. Besides the easy-to-learn combat and controls, the story was interesting, the missions felt vast with diverse settings, and the cutscene animations still look amazing to this day.
3Halo Wars 2
Battle The Banished
Halo Wars 2
The Human-Covenant War is finished, but the fight is far from over. After being lost in space for almost 30 years, the Spirit of Fire’s crew discovers that the Ark, a massive Forerunner installation, has been taken over by a new faction: The Banished, former Covenant forces that have united under a new confederation.
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Some fans might critique that the maps are a bit lacking when compared to the first game, but on the whole, Halo Wars 2 is a blast to play. The battles, weapons, and vehicles all feel bigger, and the online multiplayer is amazing too. It also helps that it introduces a new enemy faction that feels like a breath of fresh air to the series. Instead of another overdone Covenant extremist group, the Banished are an incredible new threat, especially their leader, Atriox.
2Halo 3: ODST
Prepare To Drop
Halo 3 ODST
Halo 3: ODST was the first and only Halo first-person shooter where you don’t play as a Spartan. Instead, you’re an ODST, an elite soldier trapped in a city that’s fallen under Covenant control. With hostile aliens around every corner, it’s a fight to survive as you search for answers regarding the whereabouts of your missing team.
When first released, Halo 3: ODST was discarded by fans as a failed cash grab, not helped by its incredibly short campaign. However, the game has rightfully gained a cult following. Halo 3: ODST was the first to feature a whole map to explore, long beforeHalo Infinite, with secrets and hidden weapon caches. Since you’re a human, the enemies feel bigger, stronger, and more threatening. The atmosphere was also amazing, with the rain, the darkness, and the extraordinary soundtrack by legendary Halo composer Martin O’Donnell.
1Halo Reach
Spartans Never Die, They’re Just Missing in Action
Halo Reach
This might be cheating, but Halo Reach blurs the line between a prequel and a spin-off as it takes place before the main storyline. There’s no Master Chief and no Halo—except at the end—just you and your team of hardened Spartans. As Noble Six, a Spartan whose armor and gender can be customized by the player, it’s up to you to face one of the most unforgettable and grueling invasions in human history. Prepare for the downfall.
For years, players have wanted to experience the infamous Fall of Reach,just like how it was described in the books, and Bungie’s last Halo release delivered. It’s without question that Halo Reach is the best spin-off in the entire franchise for its campaign, online features, along with its tragic story. Because even when you know what’s coming, the story still manages to break the hearts of the most hardened fans.
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