The Best Xbox Game Every Year 2001 - 2024

The original Halo had helped Microsoft establish themselves as a real competitor in the console gaming space. As such, each subsequent release was given appropriate pomp and circumstance, becoming the biggest launch event in the industry at the time. Halo 3's in particular was special. The "finish the fight" marketing for Halo was huge, and incredibly powerful, and helped to make the game feel like a real moment in entertainment history.

As the capstone of the original trilogy, Halo 3 rewarded loyal players of the franchise by providing an epic conclusion to the story of Master Chief, Cortana, the Covenant and the Halo rings. Delivering perhaps the most exciting and emotionally rewarding campaign of the franchise, Bungie managed to somehow meet all expectations. When players picked themselves back up after the incredible story, they also had one of the deepest and most accomplished online components in FPS history still ahead of them.

Alongside new maps, weapons and vehicles, what made Halo 3 so special was its community and Bungie utilised it. Thanks to the Forge mode, which allowed Halo's huge fanbase to create custom content, the game evolved slowly over time as it wholeheartedly embraced popular custom maps and game types. This not only helped it stay at the top of the mountain of incredible Xbox 360 releases throughout the console's lifespan, it also set a precedent for other online games to follow.