Horror games like Halo Archives

If you’re a sucker for the sci-fi fantasy genre, then you must be someone who loves to play Halo. Set in a distant future where humans are under threat from a covenant of aliens, this first-person shooter game series has garnered plenty of popularity over the years.

However, when your Halo journey comes to an end, you may want to pick up similar games of the same genre.

5 best games like Halo that you can play on your PC

Doom Eternal

Doom Eternal is a game that borrows a lot from its more famous contemporary, Halo. The game begins with you surviving on Mars but when you come down to Earth, you will realise that the world has been taken over by demonic forces. Now it is up to you to protect the human race and kill as many demons as you can.

Borderlands 2

Borderlands 2 is a first-person shooter game that is based on the planet Pandora, where you will play as a vault hunter. The game consists of alien monsters, psychos and a formidable villain in Handsome Jack, all of whom you will eventually have to fight.

Borderlands 2 is a lot like Halo as it primarily focuses on its guns and gun gameplay.

Prey

Prey has elements in its gameplay that will often remind you of Halo. You will play as a member of the crew on the Talos I space station, which orbits the moon. However, when hostile aliens take over your ship, it will be up to you to use all your wits and skills as well as a lot of guns to try and save the space station. 

Metro Exodus

If you want to try your hand at a game that involves surviving a nuclear winter after a devastating apocalypse, then Metro Exodus is the right game for you.

An FPS gameplay paired with stunning graphics as well as a gripping story, Metro Exodus is not exactly like Halo. However, the tense exploration and action against mutated monsters as well as humans will definitely remind you of Halo.

Star Wars Battlefront 2

When the conversation is centred around gun technology, planets and alien fights in space, Star Wars is often one of the things that come to mind.

This video game adaptation of the cult movie series is just as fun to be a part of. You will be able to play the game as a part of the Rebel forces. You will then need to gradually build your character and fight against the evil forces of the Empire.

RPG games are amongst the most popular types of genres in the gaming community. Rich stories, customizable characters, epic adventures and enticing combat all mark the engaging elements of the genre. In celebration, here is a quick list of the best RPGs in history.

#5 Dark Souls

Dark Souls is a Western-styled action RPG that utilizes Eastern horror and it was made in Japan. In a nutshell, Dark Souls is a modern RPG that blends a lot of elements from action-horror games but it does so in such a perfect way that its proper genre doesn’t really manner. It is punishingly difficult but equally rewarding. Mass Effect and Fallout 3 could have tied for this spot as well but Dark Souls simply offers a more rewarding feeling due to its escalating difficulty that requires timing, skill, and dedication.

#4 Final Fantasy IX

While VI is often regarded as the best of the 2D titles and VII is the most popular, IX is often regarded as the perfect Final Fantasy. It is unfortunate that it is always overshadowed by its more popular brethren. Even series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi stated that IX was his favorite title in the series. It was a homage to the past games but still pushed forward with its beautiful presentation, streamlined game play, and wonderful cast of characters.

#3 Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn

There are a myriad of Western RPG’s that barely made this list such as Diablo II, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but none of them have perfected the Western-style of RPG as Baldur’s Gate II did. It was Dungeons and Dragons done right. Players were thrown into an epic quest with all the tabletop freedom that D&D had to offer, save this time it was on a computer instead of a living room table.

Baldur’s Gate II would go on to inspire the Dragon Age series, MMO games like World of Warcraft, and others.

#2 Pokemon Gold/Silver and Crystal

Pokemon games are often left out of “The Best Games” lists but there is no doubt that these games execute perfect gaming mechanics. While the newest titles boast updated graphics and online multiplayer, it was the second generation (Gold, Silver, and Crystal) that elevated the series as a gaming legend. Gold, Silver, and Crystal introduced a day/night cycle, in-game communication, 100 new critters to capture, a complex breeding system, and an entire new map (the whole world of Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow) as a post-game reward.

#1 Chrono Trigger

Behind this project were Hironobu Sakaguchi, the man behind Final Fantasy, Yuji Horii, creator of Dragon Quest, and Akira Toriyama, the artist and creator of Dragon Ball. Composing the music were Yasunori Mitsuda and legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu. The story was done by Masato Kato, the man who also penned the highly acclaimed Final Fantasy VII. In all sense of the word, this was the dream team.

Chrono Trigger had a simple but elegant time-travelling story that had several endings. It was littered with characters spanning the eons, from a futuristic robot to an ancient anti-hero of a time long-forgotten. It shared a similar combat system with its Final Fantasy brethren but it was refined to near perfection, with the inclusion of dual-techs and triple-techs. There has yet to be an RPG this amazing.

You’ve churned through every campaign, mastered battle rifle headshots and spent more time with Master Chief than you have your own best friend. What next? Bungie’s Halo series is a unique blend of story, inventive solo missions and agile multiplayer fights, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find other games like Halo that give you similar thrills. 

In this list, we’ll present 10 games like Halo that lovers of the series should try next. Some make the cut because they’re rock-solid FPS campaigns, which are sadly few and far between – others are on this list for their intriguing sci-fi setting, while more still are here because of their nimble multiplayer action, reminiscent of our best memories of Reach. If you think we’ve missed any out, make sure you leave your suggestions in the comments below.

Here are the 10 best games like Halo you can play right now.

Destiny 2

Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One

Let’s start with the most obvious touchstone. Destiny 2 is a brilliant MMO looter shooter that’s clearly inspired by Bungie’s work. The expansive planetary vistas, the floaty jumping, the myriad alien enemies: Halo is in its DNA. But this is no simple clone – it’s one of the best shooters ever made in its own right. 

If you loved Halo’s campaigns, then Destiny 2 has several of its own, complete with climactic set pieces and some touching story beats. If it’s Halo’s multiplayer you crave, jump into the Crucible, where you’ll find high-octane, competitive matches across a number of classic game modes. Halo made the actual act of popping headshots feel spectacular, but Destiny 2, somehow, manages to best it. Never before have video game guns felt this good to handle, and targeting weak spots rewards you with a trail of damage numbers and a shower of sci-fi sparks.

The amount of things to do in Destiny 2, between Raids, small-squad Strikes and story missions, is nearly endless. Any Halo fan will find at least one thing they love here, and you can try most of it out in the free to play New Light addition. What have you got to lose? (Hundreds of hours, that’s what!)

Titanfall 2

Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One

When it came out in 2016, Titanfall 2 had the best shooter campaign since a Halo game, and it still stands up to this day. It has more in common with Halo than just its high-tech sci-fi setting and powerful futuristic weapons: each story mission has its own theme and challenges, which varies the moment-to-moment action. A new enemy will transform your tactics, and make you think differently about the way you control your giant, hulking titan. Sometimes, you’ll be swarmed with foes, other times, you’ll battle intelligent bosses – and regularly, you’ll leap out of the cockpit to battle enemies on foot.

The fluid movement and vertical maps sometimes makes us think of Master Chief, too. Halo’s low-gravity jumping is replaced by ledge grabbing and wall-running here, but the results are just as glorious. The multiplayer community is, sadly, pretty spartan these days, but if you enjoyed Halo’s campaigns – who didn’t? – then Titanfall 2 is a must-play.

Doom Eternal 

Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

When we think of Halo, we think of circle strafing through fairly open levels, dodging enemies and picking them off with well-placed shots. Doom Eternal is that formula on steroids. More enemies, more dodging, more bullets, and more alien guts. It is the best FPS you can play right now, and its combination of beefy weapons, expansive, varied maps and engrossing resource management – killing enemies in certain ways showers you in health, ammo or armor – pulls you through the story at breakneck speed.

It’s more hectic than Halo, and more difficult on default settings. As every wave of demons descends on you, you’ll have to quickly come up with a plan of action and position yourself so you don’t get caught out, hopping around the environment as you secure kills. The asymmetric multiplayer doesn’t hold a candle to Halo 3, but the brilliant campaign, with its inventive setting, varied enemies and powerful guns, is up there with the best of Bungie’s offerings.

Half-Life 2

Available on: PC, Xbox One

Half-Life 2 isn’t just on this list for being one of the best shooters of all time. It’s here because its story captures the same feeling of exploration and wonder as the Halo series, albeit in a slightly more grounded setting. You’re not jetting between planets here, or gaping in awe at beautiful skyboxes. The stage is City 17, a gritty place policed by an authoritarian state, but each level still feels distinct and memorable, and gives you new ways to master the mechanics at your disposal.

It, like many of the Halo games, is also perfectly-paced, and it ramps up the challenge as it whisks you through the campaign to a worthy climax. Gordon Freeman is no Master Chief, and lacks the mobility of our Halo hero, but he’s a worthy star man nonetheless. Both, as it happens, are men of few words, and it’s up to you to imagine their personalities, which creates a bond between player and protagonist. Just don’t make us choose between the two.

Mass Effect: Andromeda 

Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One

Hear us out. Mass Effect: Andromeda’s redeeming feature was its combat. Up until that point, Mass Effect combat was largely something you put up with so you could experience a captivating story and hop between planets, and at its worst, was downright tedious. But Andromeda’s flexible ability system made blasting alien foes feel slick, punchy, and responsive. Clearing a room of enemies was, for the first time, genuinely fun. As good as in a Halo game? Definitely not – but when you add in the talent of Bioware’s best writers, it’s certainly a galaxy worth exploring.

While most of the criticisms levelled at it were completely fair, there are some good stories to follow and majestic planets to explore. It’s fundamentally an RPG, which Halo is not, but if you like poking around alien structures, it will scratch a similar itch. Go for a Soldier class, which as its name suggests specialises in shooting stuff with rifles, and you’ll certainly see some similarities. Just don’t expect a masterpiece.

Mad Max

Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One

We’ll never forget the first time we manned the turret mounted on the back of a Warthog as it skidded across the beach in Halo: Combat Evolved. The way the series blends vehicle and on-foot combat hasn’t been bested since, but 2015’s Mad Max comes close to capturing some of the four-wheeled magic. Your car doesn’t have the shine of Halo’s tanks or sleek alien craft – it’s a rusty old banger built from the scraps of a post-apocalyptic wasteland. But it’s impressively versatile, and handles a bit like all of Halo’s vehicles rolled into one.

At the start of the game, it’s just a rusted shell. But soon, you’ll add wheel spikes, a harpoon gun, a rocket launcher, flamethrowers and armor. You spend most of the game in your car in high-speed battles, and upgrading is the core focus. When you’re on foot, Mad Max isn’t really anything like Halo: it’s a solid third-person brawler, rather than a tightly controlling FPS. But even if that’s not your cup of tea, it's worth pushing through these sequences, and before you know it, you’ll be back behind the steering wheel, causing mayhem.

Rage 2

Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One

A game that has been forgotten all too quickly, Rage 2 is an addictive, relentless shooter that, like Halo, makes you think carefully about the guns at your disposal and adapt your arsenal to whatever new situation you face. You feel more powerful than Master Chief here thanks to a suite of whacky abilities – one is basically a force push that sends enemies flying, while another makes you punch the ground and sends enemies skywards. Weapons have fun alternate fire modes too, such as one that tethers enemies to a point in space, so you can crunch their bones against solid ceilings and walls. 

The setting, a post-apocalyptic wasteland, is nowhere near as interesting as Halo’s sci-fi world, but the levels have some decent verticality to them, encouraging you to double jump around to find collectibles. Plus, roaming the map in one of Rage 2’s vehicles can’t help but remind us of some of our favourite Halo moments.

Borderlands 3

Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One

Did you ever wish Halo had a bit more weapon variety? Borderlands 3 might be for you. It’s a solid shooter with a gun count that numbers in the billions. No, seriously: every gun you come across will feel completely different, and many will have whacky, bespoke abilities. There’s one called the boomerang that you can throw, and it will keep firing as it spins through the air. The Eridian Fabricator shoots, well, other guns, spawning piles of loot to pick through.

In tone, Borderlands couldn’t be further from Halo. It’s crass and classless, and much of its humor misses the mark. But its shooting is endlessly fun. Grab a couple of friends and you’ll speed through its sci-fi campaign, savouring the set pieces and comparing notes on who can find the most ridiculous shotgun.

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus 

Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Dual wielding is, sadly, a feature no longer championed by Bungie. It hasn’t been in the series since Halo 3, and if you’re hankering for the feeling of having a plasma rifle in one hand, SMG in the other, then you’ll want to give Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus a go. It’s an old-school shooter that lets you dual wield any two guns, with hilarious results. Our favourite combination? A silenced pistol in our left, so that we can sneak through enemy bases silently, popping headshots from the shadows, and a shotgun in our right for when, inevitably, it all goes wrong, and we need to start blasting.

Once you’re spotted in The New Colossus, your only option is to press forward, being aggressive with your movement, and keeping track of where other enemies are to ensure you don’t get flanked. Granted, killing Nazis is very different to killing aliens, but we find the combat has a similar, fast pace – and the credible acting means you’ll actually care about hero B.J. Blazkowicz’s story.

Quake Champions 

Available on: PC

An underrated multiplayer gem that harks back to some of the best times we’ve had in Halo. Bungie’s series was, at its heart, an attempt to make FPS games feel at home on console, and as such it took inspiration from some of the PC’s best shooters, such as...Quake. Champions, naturally, has the same heritage, and if you enjoy multiplayer in Halo then you’ll feel at home in its mobile, frantic team deathmatches.

Being good at Quake Champions requires the same traits as being good at Halo: namely, knowing the arenas you’re fighting in like the back of your hand – allowing you to predict enemy movements and ambush them – and knowing what weapon to use in any given situation. Mastering Champions’ arsenal isn’t easy, but once you’ve got to grips with the rocket launcher, shotgun, and tri-bolt, you’ll feel prepared for any eventually. Just be ready to keep moving at all times, and mash that jump button to bunny hop.