Everything about this game. Its Campaign, Matchmaking, Custom Games and even Forge - everything - is the best example of how to make an effective and memorable Halo game. A game that keeps you coming back half a decade later despite the existence of two major successors.
True Halo multiplayer that lacks all of the gimmicks of today’s modern shooters and differentiates it from anything else you’ll find on the market, which simultaneously makes it so great.
Legendary maps like Guardian, The Pit, High Ground, Narrows, Last Resort, and Sandtrap that delivered a healthy balance of symmetrical and asymmetrical experiences.
Armor that actually looks appropriate for the Halo universe that required completing actual challenges to obtain.
A leveling system that actually granted you rewarding feelings of accomplishment and success through winning matches to gain experience and bettering your performance for increased skill levels.
An epic Campaign that allowed players to choose how they wanted to play. Whether it was boarding the Scarab by aircraft, ascending a crane to board it on foot, or destroy its legs with heavy firepower: The choice was yours.
Endless possibilities and fun in the game’s custom options.
Infection Mode + Custom Maps = Many, many, memories.
And last but not least, a developer that constantly supported the game by never losing an eye on it. A developer that promotes creativity and releases downloadable content that they themselves would want to buy.
All of this is why we love Halo. Not armor abilities. Not perks. Not ordnance drops. Not custom classes. Not a purely XP-based leveling system. Not a linear campaign that gives you zero opportunities to get creative. Not a slew of asymmetrical maps with Mantis mechs waiting for abuse.