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[Captain Zyrain]

3 years is a long time to go between gamelore dumps.. We need a yearly franchise!

The amount of books and comics and audio and toys and everything we got in the past year is insane. Wonder when we'll get some info on next years haul.. I think our info ends with Shadow of Intent.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

Hmm. I didn't feel like anything was missing here. To me, it showed that Ol' Johnny isn't as simple and naive as he might seem sometimes, that he might have considered that possibility from the very beginning of this story and chose how he's going to behave even before the choice was presented to him.

It was clear that Chief was always going to side against Cortana, because yes, he is far from naïve and he knows what is the "right" thing. But you really don't think though that it's odd that Chief deciding to go against Cortana wasn't even on-screen though? Their relationship is the heart of the entire series, especially now with the plot-lines established in Halo 4 and 5. So Chief deciding that the most important "person" in his life, who he's risked everything for time and time again, must be stopped at all costs should be a pretty damn huge moment. It's a missing bit of characterization, one that if shown in-game could have added a ton to the weight of Cortana's choices and the changing dynamic between her and Chief. Their relationship falling apart loses a lot of impact by not giving us that quiet moment between Chief and Blue Team where he actually says "We have to stop her".

He's also a person imbued with independent opinions as a valuable aspect of his persona, literally just like you.

I wish we could have seen more of him. He seems like he could become a really interesting character.

Also, I realize I may have grossly misunderstood Frankie's post now haha. Oops, sorry haha. I have edited my original response to reflect this.

 

[Flipyap]

It was clear that Chief was always going to side against Cortana, because yes, he is far from naïve and he knows what is the "right" thing. But you really don't think though that it's odd that Chief deciding to go against Cortana wasn't even on-screen though? Their relationship is the heart of the entire series, especially now with the plot-lines established in Halo 4 and 5. So Chief deciding that the most important "person" in his life, who he's risked everything for time and time again, must be stopped at all costs should be a pretty damn huge moment. It's a missing bit of characterization, one that if shown in-game could have added a ton to the weight of Cortana's choices and the changing dynamic between her and Chief. Their relationship falling apart loses a lot of impact by not giving us that quiet moment between Chief and Blue Team where he actually says "We have to stop her".

I think it works because while he understands that she's dangerous, he hasn't completely given up on her. He's not treating her like an enemy just yet and the real change of their dynamic doesn't happen until he confronts her "in person."
Plus, it's John. He has to work with limited tools when it comes to expressing himself. It is an important decision, but I think they've made the right choice by not showing it until he came helmet-to-face with Cortana, allowing her to handle the emoting for the both of them.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

I think it works because while he understands that she's dangerous, he hasn't completely given up on her. He's not treating her like an enemy just yet and the real change of their dynamic doesn't happen until he confronts her "in person."
Plus, it's John. He has to work with limited tools when it comes to expressing himself. It is an important decision, but I think they've made the right choice by not showing it until he came helmet-to-face with Cortana, allowing her to handle the emoting for the both of them.

I mean, I disagree, but there's really no where to go from there with just dragging it out, so I guess I'll just leave it at that haha.

 

[LordOfChaos]

3 years is a long time to go between gamelore dumps.. We need a yearly franchise!

As much as the wait is agonizing, noplzno.gif. The nice thing about Halo is it's not-CoD-not-Assassins Creed not-yearly-pacing. At least for the main series titles. Each title should matter, and have care put into it.

To go yearly they'd probably need ancillary studios. Maybe for side-tales that would be fine.

 

[shiba5]

3 years is a long time to go between gamelore dumps.. We need a yearly franchise!

The amount of books and comics and audio and toys and everything we got in the past year is insane. Wonder when we'll get some info on next years haul.. I think our info ends with Shadow of Intent.

As much as I hate waiting, I'd hate to see Halo become a churned out, thoughtless product. Some people love to shit on 343, but you can see the love they put into the franchise.
That said, as long as we're fantasizing, I'd like the Arbiter to star in an ODST-style side game - along with his kickass team of female Elites. Just... no love story because I don't want to even think about what that would look like. ;-)

 

[AusRoachman]

Just finished halo 5 and as completely let down by the story, where was the epic locke versus john plotline? All the marketing made it sound like locke was hunting the chief for crimes and the world would know john as a traiter, but none of the plot even revolved around that except for the 1 fight.

Marketing just seems completely different to the actual story that was told here.

 

[shiba5]

Just finished halo 5 and as completely let down by the story, where was the epic locke versus john plotline? All the marketing made it sound like locke was hunting the chief for crimes and the world would know john as a traiter, but none of the plot even revolved around that except for the 1 fight.

Marketing just seems completely different to the actual story that was told here.

Well, now we're hunting Cortana - or running away from her - and they didn't want to spoil the twist.
I like where they are going with the plot which is mirroring Mendicant Bias's betrayal. MB literally ripped apart the Forerunner homeworld.
The AIs shut off all technology and now humanity is enslaved and basically stuck in the Dark Ages unless the AIs decide to humor them. Step out of line and your toaster will strangle you in your sleep.
It's a pretty terrifying concept really.

In the legendary ending, is it Cortana humming? I can't tell.

 

[Human_me]

In the legendary ending, is it Cortana humming? I can't tell.

That's what I gathered, which makes you wonder what would she want with a

Spoiler

Halo. It's either Flood related or she's going to use it in case of a mass rebellion.

 

[LordOfChaos]

In the legendary ending, is it Cortana humming? I can't tell.

Was that olly olly oxen free, more importantly?

It being earlier in the game was pretty cool if you read the books.

 

[shiba5]

That's what I gathered, which makes you wonder what would she want with a

Spoiler

Halo. It's either Flood related or she's going to use it in case of a mass rebellion.

Spoiler

Mendicant Bias used the Halos to attack the Forerunners. Cortana has the Guardians though...
Also, if there's a Monitor on that Halo, I doubt it would just give over control. Interesting.

 

[shiba5]

Was that olly olly oxen free, more importantly?

It being earlier in the game was pretty cool if you read the books.

I don't think it's olly olly oxen free, but I couldn't place the tune. It does sound like a female voice.

 

[LordOfChaos]

Spoiler

Mendicant Bias used the Halos to attack the Forerunners. Cortana has the Guardians though...
Also, if there's a Monitor on that Halo, I doubt it would just give over control. Interesting.

Say...Why didn't MB have the guardians? I guess outside of "they weren't narratively invented"

 

[Fuchsdh]

Say...Why didn't MB have the guardians? I guess outside of "they weren't narratively invented"

What's the point of MB using them? The Halos are far more effective weapons, on both a local and galactic scale, and by the end of the war star roads and other Precursor constructs were also much more useful.

The Guardians seem sort of like detritus from the Forerunner's earlier days that everyone forgot about because they were obsessed with Shield Worlds or Halos.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Say...Why didn't MB have the guardians? I guess outside of "they weren't narratively invented"

Could be they were Warrior Servant things, and MB had no interest in using them. Or they hadn't been used in a longass time for some reason. A lot of Forerunner history was lost and covered up over time, yeah?.

 

[shiba5]

MB wanted to wipe them all out, not just threaten them. A Halo is a much better tool for mass killing than a Guardian. We haven't really seen what a Guardian can do yet other than emit a giant EMP burst and rip itself out of the ground, but it appears that its range is limited to a planet/planetary system.

 

[LordOfChaos]

What's the point of MB using them? The Halos are far more effective weapons, on both a local and galactic scale, and by the end of the war star roads and other Precursor constructs were also much more useful.

The war was at a stalemate for a time, and the Halos were fired by the opposition, not him, it was a struggle to control them. If he had access, they certainly would have been an asset worth using; anything would have for a minor edge.

Those EMP bursts taking fleets or planets offline would be huge in such a war. Though maybe the answer is forerunner engines became immune and the Guardians were obsolete weapons.

Could be they were Warrior Servant things, and MB had no interest in using them. Or they hadn't been used in a longass time for some reason. A lot of Forerunner history was lost and covered up over time, yeah?.

There's that, like the War Sphinxes were obsolete for centuries during the war.


If Halo 6 is named Mendicant do you guys know how much splooshage there will be? All of it. All of the splooshage.

 

[Fuchsdh]

Actually, that's a good question about who developed them, because they seem like Warrior-Servant creations (put down the rabble if they get out of line) but doesn't Exuberant mention something about the Builders? I might be conflating her talking about Genesis versus the Guardians, though.

 

[shiba5]

The war was at a stalemate for a time, and the Halos were fired by the opposition, not him, it was a struggle to control them. If he had access, they certainly would have been an asset worth using; anything would have for a minor edge.

Those EMP bursts taking fleets or planets offline would be huge in such a war. Though maybe the answer is forerunner engines became immune and the Guardians were obsolete weapons.



There's that, like the War Sphinxes were obsolete for centuries during the war.


If Halo 6 is named Mendicant do you guys know how much splooshage there will be? All of it. All of the splooshage.

It's been awhile since I read the trilogy, but iirc MB managed to take control of 5 out of 12 Halos parked around the Forerunner homeworld. There was a massive struggle for control and only one managed to fire - pretty much obliterating the planet. The Guardians may have been obsolete, as you said, which would explain why they were put away and buried. I don't know if it was said whether any of the Guardians were buried on planets with a large Forerunner presence, but it makes sense to dump your dangerous trash where you never expect to go again.

 

[Fuchsdh]

It's been awhile since I read the trilogy, but iirc MB managed to take control of 5 out of 12 Halos parked around the Forerunner homeworld. There was a massive struggle for control and only one managed to fire - pretty much obliterating the planet. The Guardians may have been obsolete, as you said, which would explain why they were put away and buried. I don't know if it was said whether any of the Guardians were buried on planets with a large Forerunner presence, but it makes sense to dump your dangerous trash where you never expect to go again.

The presumption is the Guardians were on worlds inhabited by non-Forerunner species, as a measure to deal with them if they got out of line.

The more I think about it, the more "obsolete" seems like the right answer, because why wouldn't there be a Guardian on Earth if they Guardians were still being used close to the Forerunner-Human War?

 

[spootime]

The war was at a stalemate for a time, and the Halos were fired by the opposition, not him, it was a struggle to control them. If he had access, they certainly would have been an asset worth using; anything would have for a minor edge.

Those EMP bursts taking fleets or planets offline would be huge in such a war. Though maybe the answer is forerunner engines became immune and the Guardians were obsolete weapons.

I doubt it works against forerunner technology, seeing how cortana is having trouble even tracking the infinity. Maybe they were designed to police human and san shyuum worlds.

 

[shiba5]

The presumption is the Guardians were on worlds inhabited by non-Forerunner species, as a measure to deal with them if they got out of line.

The more I think about it, the more "obsolete" seems like the right answer, because why wouldn't there be a Guardian on Earth if they Guardians were still being used close to the Forerunner-Human War?

I meant later when they were no longer being used, they buried them. And then humans and Elites built right on top of them anyway.

Hey guys, you could avoid a hell of a lot of destruction by not building right there.

Nah, it'll be fine.

 

[spootime]

I meant later when they were no longer being used, they buried them. And then humans and Elites built right on top of them anyway.

Hey guys, you could avoid a hell of a lot of destruction by not building right there.

Nah, it'll be fine.

How do they not find the giant death robots under their cities???

 

[LordOfChaos]

The presumption is the Guardians were on worlds inhabited by non-Forerunner species, as a measure to deal with them if they got out of line.

The more I think about it, the more "obsolete" seems like the right answer, because why wouldn't there be a Guardian on Earth if they Guardians were still being used close to the Forerunner-Human War?

I doubt it works against forerunner technology, seeing how cortana is having trouble even tracking the infinity. Maybe they were designed to police human and san shyuum worlds.

Yeah, mulling it over the combination of these seems like it may be it. Not advanced enough to take down Forerunner things, so they were obsolete in that sense, but were used to impose their

Spoiler

Space last-century Brittain Style

"protection" (which really meant holding back their progress) on other species.

 

[Fuchsdh]

How do they not find the giant death robots under their cities???

Because they weren't looking. I mean there's a certain amount of handwaving necessary, because how no one noticed the Ark in Africa stretches credulity.

The Guardians on far-flung planets, however, seems more likely. And remember the Elites knew that the guardian was at Sunaion.

 

[AlStrong]

How do they not find the giant death robots under their cities???

Difficult to scan through soil & rock ?

Or... No one cared to do such a thing?

 

[LordOfChaos]

How do they not find the giant death robots under their cities???

We have not probed under the vast majority of the earths surface. Especially when a city is already built on top, it gets more difficult. So it's really far less likely that we would have accidentally hit the giant robot with the, say, 0.01% of the earths surface we ever deep probed, and that's probably being generous.

Plus the Elites knew about theirs since they're cooler than us and made pyramid equivalents while we were figuring out sticks and stones.

 

[blamite]

The audio logs on the last level make me think the next game is gonna be called Halo 6: Bastion. Or maybe just Halo: Bastion of they decide to drop the numbers.

Do we have any idea what Bastion actually is though?

 

[Captain Zyrain]

As much as I hate waiting, I'd hate to see Halo become a churned out, thoughtless product. Some people love to shit on 343, but you can see the love they put into the franchise.
That said, as long as we're fantasizing, I'd like the Arbiter to star in an ODST-style side game - along with his kickass team of female Elites. Just... no love story because I don't want to even think about what that would look like. ;-)

Yeah, I mean I'd like to see the story line continued across the games.. so we get Halo 5 this year, Halo Wars 2 next year, maybe an ODST-style game in 2017 and Halo 6 in 2018.

Just make sure thematically they're all intertwined I suppose. We did get Spartan Assault/Spartan Strike between Halo 4 and Halo 5.. but.. ehh I didn't feel either one of them really advanced the narrative much.

I doubt it works against forerunner technology, seeing how cortana is having trouble even tracking the infinity. Maybe they were designed to police human and san shyuum worlds.

Yeah, likely they'd make their own stuff impervious to it's effects. I do want to see what kind of damage the Guardians can do though.. haven't really seen anything offensive from them yet.

The audio logs on the last level make me think the next game is gonna be called Halo 6: Bastion. Or maybe just Halo: Bastion of they decide to drop the numbers.

Do we have any idea what Bastion actually is though?

Not really.. assuming it's a place where the remaining Forerunners gathered before the Halo's fired?

 

[rakkadakka]

Yeah, likely they'd make their own stuff impervious to it's effects. I do want to see what kind of damage the Guardians can do though.. haven't really seen anything offensive from them yet.

That EMP the guardian released at the end of the game looked pretty offensive to me.

But yeah the whole toolkit will be interesting to see.

 

[Rentahamster]

I think I liked the idea of Humans being the chosen ones of the Forerunners better than Humans being their equals a long long time ago, then getting the ass kicked to Earth.

Do the games or the novels ever explain how it looks like humans evolved on Earth even though Earth isn't their home planet? (IIRC)

 

[TheOddOne]

The audio logs on the last level make me think the next game is gonna be called Halo 6: Bastion. Or maybe just Halo: Bastion of they decide to drop the numbers.

Do we have any idea what Bastion actually is though?

It sounds either like a location or device.

Spoiler

Reunion:

"With Bastion beyond my grasp, I turn to the possibility of the Domain. However, there is corruption. The source, untraceable. Investigations, but no returns. Time runs short."

"Bastion's location is confirmed. How, though? After dispersal of the Halos, an impossible act of reconciliation would be required...it may still be possible."

"Acquisition of Endurance proved difficult in these final days. An [___] ancilla has agreed to aid my efforts, yet there is concern if he will follow through. However, if Bastion has indeed achieved the impossible, I must find a way of reaching them. If that path be through death and Domain, so be it."

"Bastion is absent. Not destroyed, simply...missing. No other facility is near enough. A new course of action is required.

Genesis:

"Wh-Where am I? Is this...Domain?"

"Designation: Genesis. How? Where is Bastion?"

"Communications few. Constructor network picking up echoes. Confusing."

"Organon Gone, Domain burned, damaged. So many lost. Missing."

Guardians:

"Ancilla distracted. Warden as well. Domain repairing, healing. I feel clear for the first time in...there! Finally I see! After so long! Bastion! Bastion still lives!"
"Bastion..."

"Constructor [_____] Warden control. Control can be taken back. External, though. The Monitor could help if only I could speak to her."

"Bastion...Bastion..."

Source.

 

[Captain Zyrain]

That EMP the guardian released at the end of the game looked pretty offensive to me.

But yeah the whole toolkit will be interesting to see.

Yeah, it was definitely used in an offensive capability.. but I am talking about destructive force I guess. I want to see what kind of armaments it's packing!

I think I liked the idea of Humans being the chosen ones of the Forerunners better than Humans being their equals a long long time ago, then getting the ass kicked to Earth.

Do the games or the novels ever explain how it looks like humans evolved on Earth even though Earth isn't their home planet? (IIRC)

I think Earth (Erde-Tyrene) WAS humanities home planet, even in ancient times, they just had abandoned it at some point when they went to the stars.

http://www.halopedia.org/Erde-Tyrene_civilization

It sounds either like a location or device.

Source.

Interesting.. here's my version from a couple of days ago..

Spoiler

Forerunner Record: Search 1/5: With Bastion beyond my grasp, I turn to the possibility of the Domain. However, there is corruption. The source, untraceable. Investigations.. but no returns. Time runs short.

Forerunner Record: Search 2/5: Acquistion of a Durance proved difficult in these final days. An ancilla has agreed to aid my efforts, yet there is concern if he will carry through. However, if Bastion has indeed achieved the impossible. I must find a way of reaching them. If that path be through death and Domain.. so be it.

Forerunner Record: Search 3/5: Bastion is absent. Not destroyed.. simply.. missing. No other facility is near enough. A new course of action is required.

Forerunner Record: Search 4/5: Bastions location is confirmed. How though? After dispersal of the Halos.. an impossible act of reconciliation would be required. It. May. Still. Be. Possible.

Forerunner Record: Search 5/5: It is time. I go now. To Bastion.


Forerunner Record: Echoes 1/3: Where am I? Is this the Domain?

Forerunner Record: Echoes 2/3: Designation Genesis? how? Where is Bastion?

Forerunner Record: Echoes 3/3: Communications few. Constructor record picking up.. echoes? Confusing.


Forerunner Record: Threat 1/5: Organon gone.. Domain burned.. damaged. So many lost.. missing.

Forerunner Record: Threat 2/5: The Warden made a pact.. with whom? How does he walk once more?

Forerunner Record: Threat 3/5: Ancilla.. new.. how?

Forerunner Record: Threat 4/5: She reassembles.. she cures.. herself! Soon.. the Domain.

Forerunner Record: Threat 5/5: The Guardians.. she sees them, she understands! Stop her!


Forerunner Record: Alive 1/5: The ancilla, she knows I'm here. She hunts me.

Forerunner Record: Alive 2/5: Bresheff*

Forerunner Record: Alive 3/5: Constructor network under Warden control, control can be taken back. External though, the Monitor could help.. if only I could speak to her.

Forerunner Record: Alive 4/5: Bashcheff, Bashcheff*

Forerunner Record: Alive 5/5: Ancilla distracted, Warden as well. Domain repairing.. healing? I feel clear for the first time in.. there.. finally I see.. after so long! Bastion, Bastion still lives!

My thinking is that this Forerunner entered the Domain through the Durance before the Halo's fired, and had been trapped there until Genesis got going, then he was stuck in the systems.. being unable to talk to the Genesis monitor, but also being hunted by Cortana.

 

[shiba5]

It sounds either like a location or device.

Source.

Spoiler

Those lines about "Bastion achieving the impossible... If the path be through death and Domain, so be it" make me think the Forerunners maybe tried Composing themselves again.

 

[shiba5]

Yeah, it was definitely used in an offensive capability.. but I am talking about destructive force I guess. I want to see what kind of armaments it's packing!



I think Earth (Erde-Tyrene) WAS humanities home planet, even in ancient times, they just had abandoned it at some point when they went to the stars.

http://www.halopedia.org/Erde-Tyrene_civilization



Interesting.. here's my version from a couple of days ago..



My thinking is that this Forerunner entered the Domain through the Durance before the Halo's fired, and had been trapped there until Genesis got going, then he was stuck in the systems.. being unable to talk to the Genesis monitor, but also being hunted by Cortana.

Ghost in the machine.

 

[Captain Zyrain]

Perhaps Bastion is IN Slipspace?

From the text:

Bastion is beyond his grasp.

Bastion achieved the 'impossible'.

Bastion's location is confirmed but it would take an 'impossible act of reconciliation' to get it wherever it is.

Once the Domain starts to repair and clear up, he can see that Bastion is still.. wherever it is.

Also, it seems like the Domain was the only way he could think of to get there.

So either Bastion is in Slipspace or perhaps it's beyond the galactic rim?

 

[RodanCeros]

Maybe Bastion is a designation of the Greater Ark...?

 

[LordOfChaos]

Perhaps Bastion is IN Slipspace?

Onyx/Trevelyan was, so that seems as possible as anything.

Or maybe it's a step further than just Slipspace and digitized into the domain? I don't know if that's possible. "Achieved the impossible", 'impossible act of reconciliation' to find it...Sounds like everything was dependant on the Domain being repaired. The Forerunners did already have a tenuous grasp of bridging the physical and digital worlds. *shrug*.



Sounds like more than just the location was dependant on the domain, since they had the location, but reconciliation was still not possible until Cortana fixed the domain.

Maybe the Forerunners eventually achieved the same transcendance as the Precursors, in a way, and left the physical world for a digital, and are chilling with the Chozo and the Q now.

/far out theories

 

[Fuchsdh]

The question of where the Domain ends and slipspace begins has been fuzzy for me. In Halo 2–3 the Gravemind acts like he's the same Gravemind from the Forerunner-Flood War, and even as the Halo is being fired he views it as more imprisonment, rather than death... so what if the Gravemind's consciousness never actually dies, but rather is "unlocked" by the Flood once they've reached a critical mass? This presumes that the Flood consciousness, then, is housed in slipspace, like Halsey and the Assembly theorized as the route to stability for AIs. It'd dovetail nicely with the idea that part of the reason things started getting squirrely towards the end of the Forerunner-Flood War was not just due to the moving of the Star Roads, but the growing influence and power of the Gravemind.

 

[Captain Zyrain]

^ Good points.

I wonder how they'd manage to explain that in-game. Could see it getting pretty complicated.

I suppose if they figure out a way to say The Domain exists in slipspace and everything else is responsible as a result of that.. it could be conveyed.

 

[LordOfChaos]

The question of where the Domain ends and slipspace begins has been fuzzy for me. In Halo 2–3 the Gravemind acts like he's the same Gravemind from the Forerunner-Flood War, and even as the Halo is being fired he views it as more imprisonment, rather than death... so what if the Gravemind's consciousness never actually dies, but rather is "unlocked" by the Flood once they've reached a critical mass? This presumes that the Flood consciousness, then, is housed in slipspace, like Halsey and the Assembly theorized as the route to stability for AIs. It'd dovetail nicely with the idea that part of the reason things started getting squirrely towards the end of the Forerunner-Flood War was not just due to the moving of the Star Roads, but the growing influence and power of the Gravemind.

I always assumed that's how it was. The Precursors were said to have transcended their physical bodies and could take any form or non-form they wanted, so presumably that data is stored somewhere, and presumably the Domain/Slipspace. Or "the glow", whatever the heck that is.

The Gravemind acting like the Flood v Forerunner era Gravemind makes even more sense given the lines (paraphrasing) "I thought you were the last of your kind?" "I said I was the last of THIS kind", so kind of, ever a new body, kind of thing.

 

[Spukc]

i only played halo reach and 4...

should i first play halo mcc and after that halo 5 ?
or am i not missing out THAT much

 

[Captain Zyrain]

i only played halo reach and 4...

should i first play halo mcc and after that halo 5 ?
or am i not missing out THAT much

Halo 4 sets you up with most of what you need to know.

MCC wouldn't hurt for sure though for some Arbiter backstory.

(also read Fall of Reach & the Forerunner trilogy!)

 

[Spukc]

Halo 4 sets you up with most of what you need to know.

MCC wouldn't hurt for sure though for some Arbiter backstory.

(also read Fall of Reach & the Forerunner trilogy!)

wait im kinda new to this ..
so i play reach... halo 1 2 3 4 5 ?
where do your books go in ? i have plenty of time and feel like playing all

 

[Captain Zyrain]

wait im kinda new to this ..
so i play reach... halo 1 2 3 4 5 ?
where do your books go in ? i have plenty of time and feel like playing all

Read "Halo: The Fall of Reach", then play Halo CE (1), then read "Halo: First Strike", and then play Halo 2 Anniversary, then read "Halo: Ghosts of Onyx" and then play Halo 3.

Then I'd read the Forerunner trilogy and then play Halo 4.

Then read Halo: Escalation Comic series, "Halo: Saints Testimony", and listen to #HUNTtheTRUTH season 1+2 and then play Halo 5

There are more books/etc that you can read but that should get you going.

 

[Spukc]

Read "Halo: The Fall of Reach", then play Halo CE (1), then read "Halo: First Strike", and then play Halo 2 Anniversary, then read "Halo: Ghosts of Onyx" and then play Halo 3.

Then I'd read the Forerunner trilogy and then play Halo 4.

Then read Halo: Escalation Comic series, "Halo: Saints Testimony", and listen to #HUNTtheTRUTH season 1+2 and then play Halo 5

There are more books/etc that you can read but that should get you going.

omg thank you so much .. you forgot one thing... when do i play reach...
before everything you just said?

 

[Flipyap]

omg thank you so much .. you forgot one thing... when do i play reach...
before everything you just said?

Play the games in order of release. Reach's gameplay is informed by every Halo that came before it and also different in ways that could make the jump back to Halo 1 rather jarring.

Reach is a prequel, but it's also a sort of meaningless side story. You don't HAVE to play it to understand what's happening, but if you just want to play every Halo, you shouldn't forget Halo 3: ODST. Play those two between Halo 3 and Halo 4.

 

[LordOfChaos]

Agreed, just play by release date so you get the natural progression of the game mechanics. ODST and Reach are pretty ancillary stories.

 

[Captain Zyrain]

omg thank you so much .. you forgot one thing... when do i play reach...
before everything you just said?

Yeah I'd skip it personally if going for the Halo 5 story.

If you want everything then play it between 3/4, but definitely AFTER reading the Fall of Reach (as the book is much much better than the game IMO).

 

[Granadier]

omg thank you so much .. you forgot one thing... when do i play reach...
before everything you just said?

Read the Fall of Reach and then play Reach.

Reach leads directly into Halo 1.