Halo: Combat Evolved is by today’s standards a fairly quaint shooter game which is far more arcade than competitive, however, I find that it has aged much better than you might expect. It’s gameplay is surprisingly well balanced and fun, its story is maybe a little simple but by no means bad, it’s level design is also very good but unfortunately is often found recycled after the halfway mark.

Halo 2 is honestly a little overrated, the story is pretty good and the Arbiter stuff is a cool twist, but I struggle to look past the disappointing gameplay and level design. Maybe it’s just me but I kinda feel like the game peaks during the Earth missions, and then there’s Legendary which in Halo 2 is completely unbalanced, you need the patience of a saint to finish a Legendary playthrough. Overall I don’t think it’s the worst of the franchise, but it’s far from it’s best.

This is my idea of the perfect Borderlands game, fun world, characters and quick wit, but without the repetitive gameplay, apologies if that ruffles any feathers. Tales however managed to tell a compelling story and bridge the gap between myself and this franchise which on account of the fascinating world is done almost effortlessly.