Halois one of the most important FPS franchises developed.Halo: Combat Evolvedis responsible for modern FPS control schemes and the use of aim-assist in shooters,Halo 2shook the genre with accessible multiplayer, andHalo 3gave the community new tools to create content with.
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The community has had a much larger impact than just Forge mode, however. Dozens of Easter eggs exist in each game that reference community members, other games, or are just neat secrets. Ranging from singing grunts to a gun that fires Scarab beams, here are the ten coolest Easter eggs in theseHalotitles.
10Skulls (Halo 2 To Halo 5: Guardians)
EveryHalosinceHalo 2has included collectibles named Skulls in each of the game’s campaign levels.Skulls act as toggleable challengesthat makeHalo’scampaign either harder or stranger. Notable Skulls include the dialogue-changing I Would Have Been Your Daddy (IWHBYD) and the masochistic Iron that makes every player restart from the last checkpoint if any player dies.
9Secret Grunts (Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, And Halo 5: Guardians)
Halo: Combat Evolved,Halo 2,Halo 3,andHalo 5: Guardianseach have one or multiple hidden Grunts that have unique dialogue when approached.Combat Evolvedhas a hidden Grunt in the game’s final level that describes its thirst over apile of Flood bodies.Halo 2’sGrunt is much more cowardly and covers his head in fear of the player.Halo 3’sGrunt can be found at the end of the final level spouting insults at the player.Halo 5has multiple hidden Grunt encounters that range from a singing Grunt to one that is confused atHalo’ssudden art direction shift.
8Sgt. Johnson Hugs An Elite (Halo: Combat Evolved)
Nearly everyHalogame has an additional cutscene that plays after the player completes the game on Legendary difficulty. This tradition was started as far back asHalo: Combat Evolvedwith the notorious Sgt. Johnson cutscene.
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After completing The Maw, players are treated to an alternate view of the Pillar of Autumn’s explosion. It turns out that Sgt. Johnson has been fighting the Covenant outside of the ship this entire time. Players see him fight an Elite for an Assault Rifle before both notice the ship exploding. Both decide to stop fighting and hug each other before the ship explodes. The moment is referenced indirectly at the start ofHalo 2when a Gunnery Sergeant asks how he escaped Halo, to which Sgt. Johnson replies “Sorry, Gunns. It’s classified.” This Easter egg also stores a strange detail. On the original version ofHalo, players can see the Elite grab Sgt. Jonson’s rear near the end of the cutscene. 343 Industries must have caught this because in theAnniversaryversion of the game, players can see Sgt. Johnson do the same thing to the Elite.
7Red Versus Blue Reference (Halo 4)
It is no secret that both Bungie and 343 Industries store community Easter eggs in their games.Halo 4is no different. Certain Spartan Ops missions have hidden radio towers that, when fired at, will play snippets of the Red Vs. Blue introduction song. Firing at all of them will play iconic lines from the machinima during certain cutscenes.
For those unfamiliar, Red Vs. Blue is acomedic machinima seriesproduced by Rooster Teeth back duringHalo: Combat Evolvedthat spawned a massive following amongst theHalocommunity. It seems 343 were fans too.
6Club Errera Rave (Halo: Reach)
During New Alexandria inHalo:Reach, players will need to enter a nightclub to clear out the city of Covenant forces. Instead of heading to the club, head to a hospital south of the largest building, and hit a switch. Fly to Club Errera tosee a Bruteact as a DJ with Covenant dancing to “Never Surrender.” To change the song, head to the top of the building and land on the roof. Look for a switch under the ducts of the building to switch the song to “the Siege of Madrigal” fromHalo: Combat Evolved’ssoundtrack.
5Scarab Gun (Halo 2)
A hidden Plasma Rifle can be found during either Metropolis or Outskirts. The most popular Scarab Gun is on a platform in Metropolis that can only be reached by hijacking a Banshee and getting it past multiple invisible barriers. Players will need to escort a hostile Banshee to a specific tunnel during the Scorpion section and get it to fit through the tunnel. Hijacking it and clipping off its wings is practically required.
Once it is flown through the load zone, fly towards the bridge that connects two buildings in the skybox together to find the Scarab Gun,a Plasma Rifle that fires Scarab beamswith each shot.
4Flyable Pelican And Phantom (Halo: Reach)
Through an obscure Easter egg inHalo: Reach’sNew Alexandria mission, players can pilot either a Pelican or Phantom through the city. To do this, proceed with the mission as normal until the final objective appears that requires players to take down the anti-air guns.
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Head west of Club Errera till players find a building. On the north side of the building is a switch on the ceiling of an alcove. Press it, then fly into the hoop-shaped building at the edge of the map. Falcons will turn into Pelicans and Banshees will turn into Phantoms, allowing players to fly these iconic vehicles as long as they wish.
3Destiny Awaits (Halo 3: ODST)
Bungie would go on to work onDestinyafter they finishedHalo: Reach.While it was officially announced in 2013,Halofans indirectly knew about the project as early as 2009.
During the Mombasa Streets level inHalo 3: ODST, players can enter a building that has a poster that says “Destiny Awaits” on it. There’s a small white ball floating above Eurasia in the photo that looks shockinglysimilar toDestiny’sTraveler. It seems that diehard Bungie fans knew about their next project well before the rest of the world did. Note that this poster has been replaced inThe Master Chief Collectionand Xbox One versions ofODST.
2Happy Birthday Lauren (Halo 3)
Halo 3’sloading screen has a hidden message that went under the community’s nose for over six years! Setting the date to December 25th and holding down both thumbsticks during a campaign loading screen will cause the holographic Halo ring to display “Happy Birthday, Lauren!” Adrian Perez, one of the programmers that worked onHalo 3, made this Easter egg for his wife. It took two hints from Bungie before the community finally discovered the hidden message.
1Tribute Room (Halo: Reach)
The Package is a campaign mission inHalo: Reachthat has not just one Easter egg but an entire room dedicated to them. On Legendary difficulty, players must find a switch that only spawns after Noble Team defends Halsey’s Lab from various Covenant waves. When Halsey’s door opens, one player must reach the opposite end of the map from Halsey’s Lab and look for a building with two oil barrels on it. Glide down the building on the out-of-bounds side and hit the switch, making sure not to touch the ground. Walk right of Halsey’s lab to find a newly opened door.
Inside is a compendium of majorHalocommunity jokes that reference Red Vs. Blue, the notoriousHalo: Combat Evolved"Warthog Jump" video, and Bungie’s “Steps to World Domination” document. It’s a room that celebrates the talented community members and developers that poured endless talent into makingHalothe FPS icon it is today.
