
The player controls the Master Chief, one of the last of a group of specially raised and trained cyborg Super Soldiers: the Spartan-IIs. The story begins In Medias Res as the human warship the Pillar of Autumn, which had just escaped Reach, comes under attack by Covenant pursuers and is forced to make a crash landing on a mysterious ring-shaped mega-structure worshipped by the Covenant, known as Halo. Humanity has been losing a war against the Covenant for the last 27 years, with the game taking place right after humanity has just suffered a devastating defeat at their most important colony, Reach. (released on Novemnote The rest of the world - that is, anywhere outside of North America - didn't get it until the spring of 2002.) introduced the Halo series from relatively Humble Beginnings. Within the games menu it referred to itself as just Halo.


Halo: Combat Evolved note The Combat Evolved under the title was intended as a Tag Line or Publisher-Chosen Title, but later became an official retronym in rereleases so that the first game in the Halo series would have a distinct title. Staff Sergeant Avery Junior Johnson, addressing marines prior to the Battle of Installation 04
