Halo: Combat Evolved is a first person shooter science-fiction video game, created by Bungie Studios, which was a subsidiary of Microsoft Game Studios at that time.

Halo's gameplay was characterized by several features which set it apart from less acclaimed first-person shooter games of its time.

- Storyline Execution: Halo's gameplay and storyline are tightly interwoven, delivering in a convincing manner being consistent with the flow of the game.

- Vehicular Incorporation: Halo includes the option for players to control multiple land and air based Vehicles in third-person view. This Third-Person vantage brings a welcomed sense of immersion and enhances the specific points of gameplay, again setting Halo apart from contemporary first person shooters.

- Weapons System: Halo's new weapons system is unique in two major respects. The first is allowing players to carry only two Weapons at a time, thus forcing the player to make trade-offs as they progress throughout the game. The second change is a separate button for throwing Grenades.

- Artificial Intelligence: Halo's AI is quite sophisticated for its era. With a brand new advanced AI system, actions performed by the AI such as panicking after the death of a superior, diving out of the way of an oncoming Vehicle, or taking cover from explosives and suppressive fire, helped Halo stand out from the rest of the first-person shooters being released at the time.