By The Stratos Group
Design by Katie Bush

Introduction

Halo has a history that stands as a microcosm of the gaming industry itself. Originally slated as a revolutionary game for the PC and Mac, Microsoft bought out the developers and signed Halo as the signature title for their soon-to-come console, the Xbox. On the Xbox, Halo met with universal praise and piles of awards, despite the controversy involved in the delay of the PC/Mac versions. Two years later, Halo finally got re-ported back to the PC, along with a few changes and improvements.

In Halo, you play as the Master Chief, the last of a group of cybernetically-enhanced soldiers created by humanity to defend themselves from a group of religious-fanatic aliens known as the Covenant. Halo is an action game, and one that shows an astounding blend of balance and polish. You will fight incredibly strong enemies and hordes of weak ones. You will fight in beautiful outdoor locales, in cramped underground bases, and in spectacular starships. Sometimes you will fight on foot, alone and outnumbered, other times you will drive (or fly) a variety of vehicles, with a squad of United Nations Space Command (UNSC) Marines alongside you. There is enough variety and style (and just a bit of comic relief) here to keep you coming back for more.

In this guide, we will provide you with a detailed walk-through of every level of the single-player campaign, designed to help you make your way through the world of Halo and have fun doing it. Also provided is an extensive listing of the enemies you will encounter, along with the weapons and vehicles you will use to fight them. Tactics and techniques are given to help you use these tools with maximum efficiency against both the devious aliens in the campaign and against the even more dangerous human opponents you will face in multiplayer. Finally, you will find a comprehensive set of techniques, tricks, tactics, and strategies to make you a winner in any of Halo's extensive multiplayer modes.