Ever since Halo: Combat Evolved, the series has been dedicated to making sure there is an experience for all kinds of players. Whether you’ve never put your thumbs to joysticks or have developed arthritis from perfecting your aim, you’ll be able to have fun.
In this article, I’m going to cover all of the ranges of difficulty, and, depending where you fall in terms of skill, you’ll be able to find the right mode for you.
Easy
Most enemies, if not all, would rather wave at you than shoot at you!
If you’ve never played an FPS game, this is where you should start. The campaign AI is going to be rather easy to beat, and you’ll need no knowledge of the sandbox to blast through the Banished. You can easily let a horde of 15-20 enemies surround you and still come out on top.
There will be more ammunition and guns to be found about the map to make the experience easier for you.
Enemies will often flee once you’ve taken out a certain amount.
I find that this mode allows you to, quite literally, fly around the map and demolish anything that comes in your way. Even boss fights are essentially no match for you.
You should play this mode if:
- You’ve never played an FPS game
- You’re more interested the story than being challenged
- You just want to win, regardless of how hard the game is.
Normal
When playing on Normal, it's valuable to know how to outsmart a Jackal with a shield.
If you’re picking up Halo for the first time since 2007, or you’ve played other FPS games but never this franchise, this is the difficulty for you. Enemies are still very easy to beat, but they’ll cut you down if you give them the chance.
There will still be lots of ammo and goodies to find around the map, but it won’t be the spoils you’ll find on Easy.
Enemies will be more determined to kill you, but it will still be much of a breeze.
You can still lean into the Spartan power fantasy on this difficulty mode. You’ll be able to punch a hole into any base, be met with manageable resistance, and still come out on top.
You should play this mode if:
- You’ve played Halo before, but you’re not a seasoned player.
- You love other FPS games, but you’ve never played Halo
- You want the Xbox achievements for completing the story, as they’re only awarded on Normal difficulty and higher.
Heroic
It's wise to engage with hammer-wielding monkeys only when you have the upper hand, especially on Heroic.
If you’re a seasoned Halo player, this is the route to take. Many people argue, myself included, that this is the most authentic experience you can have while playing the campaign.
You’ll need to be strategic with your ammo throughout missions.
Enemies will flee only very rarely, and more often than not you’ll be facing something of an onslaught of foes.
You should play this mode if:
- You’ve beaten other Halo games on this difficulty.
- You’re experienced with a large amount of enemies attacking you.
- You love the story and gameplay, but want more of an immersive and challenging experience.
Legendary
Run!!!
This mode will make you question your ability to play any video game at all, let alone any installments of the Halo Franchise.
Ammo is limited and you’ll need to fight tooth and nail to peel back the layers of defense the Banished have laid in front of you.
You will not be able to fly around haphazardly and laser enemies across the map.
You’ll have to play slower, and more conservatively.
You should play this difficulty if:
- You are a completionist.
- You want the hardest challenge you can get.
- You are interested in bragging to your friends about how good you are.
