The final installment in the original Halo trilogy certainly went out with a bang! The anticipation, hype, marketing, and eventual unveiling were unprecedented. Boosting an amazing multiplayer, with revolutionary forge and theatre modes, further enhanced community features for online play. The campaign was a satisfying ending, but a bit on the short side, and introduced new features like equipment. Still, it boosts a strong catalogue of levels, so let’s go through them!
9. Cortana
This level reminds me of the Library from Halo 1. Just you alone, fighting hordes of Flood in a flood-infested High Charity. It is more fun because it ramps up the horror, isolation, and tension. Your simple objective is to find Cortana, rescue her from the clutches of the Gravemind. And they communicate to you throughout the level. It’s so eerie, leaning heavily into that space-horror theme.
Seeing the remains of High Charity, the once mighty Covenant city, reduced to flood infested walls, was well done, and the environment just blended in, adding to the paranoia. The quietness of it all was so creepy, punctuated by the undead sounds of the Flood. You’re in extremely hostile territory, going into a place no one would dare go.
Fortunately, it’s not as repetitive as the Library, but it’s not the level I enjoy replaying a whole lot, because it starts to feel like a slog going through it. Once you find Cortana, and need to destroy High Charity, you have to escape, so it’s a bit more exciting.
8. Floodgate
The introduction of the Flood is well done here. But it’s too short and just backtracking through the previous level The Storm. Still, the buildup of the Flood was well done. Seeing them leap across rooftops, just out of reach, hearing Marines panic and get slaughtered through your radio; the horror theme again, was well done.
Plus, seeing Marines get infected and turned right before your eyes?! That scared me as a 13-year old! The Flood talk to you, new Pure Forms are introduced, they swarm in bigger packs, coordinating. The Flood has truly evolved, and are even more terrifying. Just seeing them reanimate dead corpses of Marines, so different from other zombie-types in media, because usually one can’t be turned unless they’re dead. For The Flood, it’s no problem.
Other highlights are the suicidal Marine, reminiscent of the crazed marine in 343 Guilty Spark, and having Elites fight with you, but it’s just too short and not as memorable to replay, mainly cause of backtracking.
7. Halo
The finale.
What a finale. While the mission on paper isn’t special, how it plays out is. Going to a redesigned Halo you destroyed in the first game, the snowy valley, the control room, it brought everything full circle.
Fighting through the Flood, hearing the Gravemind taunt about being unable to be defeated, it was challenging, but the Arbiter was right there with you.
Unfortunately, Sgt. Johnson is killed by Spark, and while the boss fight wasn’t dynamic, it was great that you the player got to do it, instead of being in a cutscene. I almost teared up when Johnson died, and I’m sure under that helmet, Chief did.
Then, escaping the ring. Another warthog run, but slightly altered. Especially with Arbiter manning the chain gun, avoiding Flood and sentinels battling it out. And the ground you’re on shakes and falls apart! The music, explosion, Cortana encouraging you while the firing sequence of Halo ramps up, it’s all so epic!
And the final cutscene, legendary. A great ending to a trilogy, just not a memorable level design, and a bit short.
6. Tsavo Highway
A pretty good vehicle focused level, that suffers from, again, being too short. Thus the vehicles sections feel short as well. Would’ve been nice to have 1 or two more vehicle areas, and include ghosts along with the Bute Choppers.
But it’s still a very enjoyable level, especially using the chain gun warthog beside the troop transport. Fighting around the African savannah was very beautiful to see, and different for a setting in the FPS genre. And seeing the space elevator remains – destroyed in Halo 2- scattered around added to the war-torn devastation angle.
Going along the highway to see the ark come into focus added to the level’s scale. Defending a marine outpost was a lot of fun, and taking the final objective area was a bit challenging. An enjoyable vehicle level that unfortunately left me wanting more.
5. Sierra-117
The first level of the game differs in that it doesn’t take place in space. You’ve crash landed in the African jungle, and graphically, this was a great way to showcase the Xbox 360’s hardware power.
The atmosphere and leadup to your first encounter with the Covenant was great. Hearing a brute howling, hiding from a phantom dropship, was tense, but fun. Fighting Covenant in the jungle was very memorable, especially taking out sleeping Grunts, and seeing mini-stories, like a brute holding a Marine hostage, or two pelicans being shot down, added a new side of storytelling.
I loved getting a sniper rifle at the dam section, showing the area first, gave a sense of scale, and strategy to how you approach rescuing Sgt. Johnson. Then holding off reinforcements until rescue arrived was also fun. It’s the best opening level of the original trilogy, because of its openness and replayability, and atmosphere.
4. Crow’s Nest
A very good defensive mission where you need to evacuate your base once the Covenant discover it.
Mainly because you visit different areas, instead of holding up in one section. And while there’s a few parts of revisiting areas, in this level, it makes sense, and the encounters are different. First clearing a hanger to evacuate Marines was fun, then encountering a massive swarm of Drones that travel through vents was awesome, especially mowing them down with a chain gun. I am disappointed you fight Drones only in massive swarms, so generally only once in the levels they’re in, unlike Halo 2 where you get them throughout in different size groups.
I loved the part where you need to rescue Marines being slaughtered/held hostage in the barracks. Seeing Brutes brutally beat/toss them, then rescuing the survivors, gave you a strong emotional connection to your fellow troops. Then you dight jetpack Brutes, and soon, it’s just you. You need to activate a bomb to destroy the base, and escape!
This level has a classic Halo feel to it, and throughout the entire level, I just really enjoy playing throughout. (Plus, betraying Marines in the Command Ops centre is challenging and fun, like the bridge sequence in Pillar of Autumn.)
3. The Storm
Again, the only problem with this level is it’s short. But otherwise, absolutely bombastic! Needing to take out Covenant defenses so you can stop the Prophet of Truth, you go through warehouses, the edge of the Covenant dig site, taking out AA wraiths, and clearing a path. I would’ve loved another section where you clear banshees/phantoms maybe, but you see these battles around you, keeping that sense of scale and war.
The best section is the introduction of the Scarab. The redesign, plus it’s no longer a scripted sequence. It functions on its own, and how you disable it is up to you! I loved either driving or being behind a mongoose, destroying wraiths and other vehicles with a rocket launcher. Then taking down the scarab, boarding it, and destroying its engine core was tense. And getting some distance from it, and seeing it explode, was breathtaking. Infinitely replayable.
Then you need to take down an AA gun, and you rescue factory workers – ordinary civilians – from the clutches of Brutes, reminding you of humanity’s desperation, everyone coming together. Seeing the AA gun on top of a hill, you know you’re in for a fight, and while challenging, was very rewarding. The final cutscene used similarly for the announcement trailer. While it’s a bit short, the encounters, sections, and set pieces vary, and can be done in multiple ways, so it’s never repetitive. Halo fun the whole way.
2. The Ark
A big reason I love this level is it’s lengthier than the first half of the game. Another reason is the variety of engagements.
First, you’re dropped off in a dessert area with a sniper rifle, taking out Covenant defenses, taking in your new surroundings of The Ark. I loved getting to a crashed pelican, picking off Covenant forces from afar, or go straight for the chain gun.
Then you get to either use a mongoose, or a Covenant prowler, and start driving around the sand dunes, taking out more troops, and you either go to a wall, or ignore it, giving slightly different dialogue choices down the line. So fortunately, the openness is similar to Combat Evolved’s level design. After, you take out AA wraiths, clearing a landing zone for your ship.
Then you get to drive a scorpion, leading a convoy as you blast your way through every Covenant troop and vehicle. Once you get past the wall, you get to take out another Scarab, this time with more choices of vehicles you get to use.
After, you need to make your way to a cartographer, and I love the part where you can take out sleeping Grunts and a Brute taking a pee. So hilarious! The ending was a lot of fun, I never realized you can fight a Brute Chieftain one on one, after he dares you, and the other Brutes simply watch. These small moments add to the level’s enjoyment.
I also love the call backs to previous games, especially Halo 1. The dessert/sniping section, looking for a cartographer, it’s fan service done right, with a purpose.
So the variety of set pieces, sections, and openness really make this level replayable, giving you multiple ways to approach fights. It’s a blast from beginning to end, and one of the best Halo levels ever.
1. The Covenant
Probably my favorite Halo level ever! And one of my favorites in all of gaming. It has every single thing you want in a Halo level. A long level (takes about 40 minutes to complete) varied encounters, terrain, set-pieces, you name it. Nearly all vehicles and weapons are here.
There’s a lot going on in this level, so wisely it was made into a longer level, split up into different sections so it doesn’t feel too bloated all at once.
First, you get another D-Day style landing, marines with you, and a Spartan laser, to take out an AA Wraith. Then a warthog to move into a mountain valley, to disable part of a shield generator. I love when you ride up the elevator and a Brute Chieftain and his pack are there to challenge you.
Then there’s an air section, you finally get to fly a Hornet, destroying everything in your path; banshees, phantoms, wraiths, troops. When you get to the second tower, you get Elites backing you up, and fight Hunters, Drones, invisible Brutes. Then as the shield collapses, the Flood arrive!
Fighting some of them off, you get into a Scorpion tank, with marines and Elites fighting together. Destroying everything in your path as you make your way to the main tower, you get back into a Hornet, before two scarabs – that’s right two! – land to hold you back. And again, you can approach it however you want. Mixed in with the music, it’s so epic, because you know, you’re finishing the fight.
When you get into the tower to stop the Prophet of Truth from firing all Halo’s, the Flood appear, but as your allies! I was so taken back by this the first time, and just watched as they decimated the remaining Covenant. But as soon as you defeat Truth, Gravemind turns on you, and you got to fight through Flood to escape. Boy, I need to catch my breath!
This is peak Halo in every single way. The ground encounters, vehicles sections – both land and air – allies and enemy varieties, everything is here. It’s a non-stop action thrill ride from beginning to end.
So, that’s my ranking of Halo 3’s levels. What do you think? How would you rank them? Comment below.
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