With more than five million copies sold worldwide as of November 9, 2005, Microsoft released versions of the game for Microsoft Windows (ported by Gearbox Software) and Mac OS X in 2003, and the surrounding storyline was adapted and elaborated into a series of novels and comic books. The game was later released as an Xbox Original for download onto an Xbox 360 HDD.
Halo is set in the twenty-sixth century, with the player assuming the role of the Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced supersoldier. The player is accompanied by Cortana, an artificial intelligence who occupies the Master Chief's neural interface. Players battle various aliens as they attempt to uncover the secrets of the eponymous Halo, a ring-shaped artificial world. The game has been praised for elements such as its story, the variety of strategies players can employ, and its multiplayer mode; however, the repetition of its level design was frequently criticized by reviewers.
Many game magazines have praised Halo as one of the best and most important games of all time. The game's popularity has led to labels such as "Halo clone" and "Halo killer," applied respectively to games either similar to or anticipated to be better than it. In addition, the game inspired and was used in the fan-created Red vs. Blue video series, which is credited as the "first big success" of machinima (the technique of using real-time 3D engines, often from video games, to create animated films). Two sequels, Halo 2 and Halo 3, a side game, Halo 3: ODST, and a prequel, Halo: Reach, were released in 2004, 2007, 2009, and 2010, respectively. A remake, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, was released in 2011, on the 10th anniversary of the original game's release. Halo 4, by 343 Industries, is planned to release on November 6, 2012.
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