1. The Silent Cartographer – Halo: Combat Evolved
“Touchdown, hit it marines!” Arguably the single most iconic firefight in the entire Halo franchise, this level throws you right into the action and it doesn’t hold up. Coming hot off the heels of the daring rescue of Captain Keyes, players finally begin to take an offensive on Halo by going after the installation’s control room and finding the Cartographer. This map room is on a small island that’s dotted with Forerunner installations as well as plenty of Covenant forces. As players come full circle around the wonderfully-designed island, having fought through hordes of almost every type of Covenant, they are treated to one of the most exhilarating escapes in FPS gaming. The Silent Cartographer is the not only the best campaign level in the entire Halo series, but it is one of the greatest levels in all of gaming.
~ Peter Starr