 Overall , the Halo series has been very well received by critics . Halo : Combat Evolved has received numerous Game of the Year awards . In March 2007 , IGN listed it as the top Xbox game of all time , while readers ranked it the fourteenth best game ever on " IGN Readers ' Choice 2006 – The Top 100 Games Ever " . Conversely , GameSpy ranked Halo : Combat Evolved tenth on its list of " Top 25 Most Overrated Games of All Time " , citing repetitive level design and the lack of an online multiplayer mode . Halo 2 also received numerous awards , with IGN listing it as the number two top Xbox game of all time in March 2007 . From its initial release on the Xbox in November 2004 until the launch of Gears of War on the Xbox 360 in November 2006 – two years later – Halo 2 was the most popular video game on Xbox Live . Halo 3 was nominated for and won multiple awards ; it won Time magazine 's " Game of the Year " and IGN chose it as the Best Xbox 360 Online Multiplayer Game and Innovative Design of 2007 . Most publications called the multiplayer aspect one of the best features ; IGN said the multiplayer map lineup was the strongest of the series , and GameSpy added that the multiplayer offering will greatly please " Halo veterans " . Complaints focused on the game 's plot . The New York Times said the game had a " throwaway " plot and Total Video Games judged the single @-@ player aspect ultimately disappointing . The series ' music and audio has received enthusiastic response from game reviewers . 
