Summary
TheHalofranchise has been a titan of the video game industry since its first release in 2001, spawning various sequels and spin-offs. The games feature high-octane action andincredible lore for fansto dive into, with the iconic main protagonist of the series, Master Chief, being immediately recognizable to gamers worldwide.Halois a worldwide phenomenon with incredible sales numbers and theSpartan helmets being forever linked to the success of the Xbox brand.
With the mass success of the game series,Halohas seen many other media products, with TV series, movies and novels all being set within theHalouniverse. With so many offerings, what are the seven bestHalomedia products that aren’t games?
When it was announced that the streaming juggernaut Paramount+ was set to develop a TV series following Master Chief, fans were both excited and nervous by the prospect of a big budget adaptation.
Based on the events of theHalogames series, theTV show featured huge battleswith Spartans aiming to defeat the threat of the Covenant. Series two upped the ante, introducing the Arbiter, a formidable foe that fans of the games couldn’t wait to see on the screen.Halois a great TV series, but it madechanges to the source materialthat some fans couldn’t see past. Worthy of being on this list due to its quality, but unable to place any higher when looking for the bestHalomedia outside the games.
6Halo: The Fall Of Reach - TV Mini Series
The Prequel To Halo: Combat Evolved Showing Master Chief’s Origin
Based on the novel of the same name,Halo: Fall of Reachwas released in 2015,chronicling the creation of Master Chief. Diving deep into the lore of theHalofranchise, the world depicted is dark with humanity on the brink of war.
The animation is solid if not spectacular and shows the lengths' humanity will go to for the sake of survival. It’s a dark anddramatic telling of the Spartan project’s origin, and is a great jumping on point for fans. However, it is eclipsed by the book of the same name, still making it one of the bestHaloproducts that isn’t a game.
Intended to serve as a story to bridge the gap betweenHalo 4andHalo 5: Guardians,telling the story of Agent Locke,who becomes a secondary protagonist inHalo 5. The story centers on Locke and his team looking to stop a bio-terrorist threat on the planet, Sedra.
After the plan to stop the weapon fails, it is discovered to be a bio-terrorist weapon that only affects humans. This leads Locke and his team to find the origin of the weapon and attempt to destroy it before things escalate. With an engaging plot and the legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott on board for the production,Halo: Nightfall, is an excellent addition to theHalofranchise and gives extra depth toLocke’s character inHalo 5: Guardians.
Halo: Fall of Reach by Eric S. Nylund
Adapted into the mini-series mentioned above,Halo: Fall Of Reach,details the origins of Master Chiefin an excellent novel by Eric Nylund. The novel expands on the lore of Master Chief and theHalofranchise, wowing readers since its release in 2001.
Detailing the war efforts to fight the Covenant in harsh detail,Halo: Fall Of Reachpulls no punches with the feeling of desperation and the efforts needed to win the war. An excellent origin for Master Chief and giving readers adeeper understanding of the Spartan program,Halo: Fall Of Reachis one of the best Halo products that’s not a game.
Halo Legendsis an anthology mini-series adapted into a full-length feature, withseven different stories set inside theHalouniverse. Particular highlights come from “The Babysitter” and “Homecoming”, providing a different outlook on the war stories theHalofranchise is synonymous with.
With seven unique episodes in the line-up forHalo Legends,the element that shines is its anime-inspired art-style, specifically in the episodes “Odd Man Out” and “Prototype”, offering a juxtaposition of a bright and colorful fight, versus a dark and gritty war. Reception toHalo Legendswas mixed with some fans loving it while others despised it, but its unique depiction of the Halo universe makes it worth consideration.
2Halo: Ghosts Of Onyx - Novel
A Battle Between The Spartans And The Covenant To Set Up Halo 2
The best novel to come from theHalofranchise,Halo: Ghosts of Onyx,begins with the Spartan-II project becoming public knowledge, with Team Blue aiming to recover stolen nuclear warheads.
Following the Spartan project becoming public knowledge, Onyx is being used by humans as a planet to begin the Spartan-III program. With crash landings,threats of both the Covenant and The Flood, and plenty of action make this novel an excellent read and a great part of theHalofranchise that’s not a game.
1Halo: Contact Harvest - Novel
A Novel Detailing Humanity’s First Contact With The Covenant
Halo: Contact Harvestdetails the first meeting between humanity and the Covenant, following fan-favorite character Avery Johnson. The noveldetails the Covenant’s first attack, initially beginning with a few raids.
The Covenant initially arrange a peaceful meeting, with Yull turning things sour by killing Private Osmo, the initial act that begins a mass evacuation and leads to an all-out war. Providing an introduction to how the war between humanity and the Covenant started,Halo: Contact Harvestis an outstanding novel and one of the best pieces of Halo media that’s not a game. It was also written by Joseph Staten, who was a writer forHalo 3and was involved in the development of everyHalogame released by Bungie. As far as story outside of the games go, it doesn’t get much better than when it’s directly from the source.
