🔗 Share this article

Halo: Campaign Evolved serves as a contemporary overhaul of the iconic Xbox title, packed with all the expected improvements. In contrast to the first Halo game and its 2011 anniversary edition, Halo: Campaign Evolved boasts better appearance, more fluid gameplay, and a range of gameplay tweaks intended to update its ageing core—modifications that may prove controversial among players. For instance—a fact that will either please or anger you, depending on your stance in the longstanding debate within the Halo community—the protagonist can now dash.

Another Iteration on a Timeless Shooter

Subsequent to the 2011 update for the Xbox 360, Halo: Campaign Evolved represents the third rerelease of the original developer's 2001 landmark game Halo: Combat Evolved. Yet most recent edition is slightly unique: Rather than being developed with a in-house engine, like previous titles in the series used to be, the team Halo Studios is producing this remake with Unreal Engine 5. And it's a total remake, not merely a visual overhaul.

Linking Tradition and Innovation

This positions the new Halo at a turning point. By the time this reimagining launches—presently scheduled for a 2026 launch on PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox—the first game will be 25 years of age. Thus Campaign Evolved needs to fulfill a couple of important goals. It must function as a vehicle for memory, evoking loyal followers what they adored about the first Halo. Yet it additionally needs to engage new players; that will signify the debut the series has been accessible on a Sony console, introducing the series to a vast community of users who've not previously exited Sony's platform. For these gamers, a modern Halo game needs to appear at least somewhat modern.

Hands-On Impressions

Earlier this week, Polygon went directly experienced with Halo: Campaign Evolved at an live demo hosted by the developers. The preview included the initial segment of the the Silent Cartographer level from Halo: Combat Evolved, just before the point where Master Chief dislodges the stone off the cliff—an event that will resonate with players who, as I have, have completed that initial story so many times that they've memorized all of its beats.

Aesthetic Improvements

Sentimentality can often mean seeing things through rose-colored glasses, but this version of the adventure appears precisely like how my younger me thought it seemed in 2001. The angular grey structures and murky coasts of “Silent Cartographer” are absent, swapped instead by polished metal structures and terrain so detailed, you can practically count the minute specks. But these improvements to detail don't undermine the science-fiction architectural style that's defined the series' art style for decades. Put another way: If Halo: Combat Evolved is an vision test, the remake is that identical test but seen with the corrective lenses you're supposed to have. However sorcery the developers applied to accomplish this accomplishment, the level to which Halo: Campaign Evolved genuinely feels like a Halo game is mind-boggling.

Familiar Elements

The iconic original Halo pistol remains present, and continues to be a completely unbalanced hand cannon. Grunts still scream, “No, not again!!!” when you attach them with a device. This nostalgic feeling is even more accentuated by freshly voiced speech from central voice actors, such as Steve Downes and the actress, which contributes to the feeling that this is still Halo, just more polished.

Underlying Tweaks

Yet under the more polished surface lies a plethora of small adjustments that longtime players will detect instantly. That stone noted before? It isn't a stone in Campaign Evolved. It has become a plasma pistol. You can carry an energy sword in this game, according to the team, though that ability was unavailable in the portion of the preview made available. Gamers employ the left bumper to ADS, standard for today's titles but practically a betrayal for classic Halo (even if it's important to mention this was the normal control scheme for the 2021 release of the most recent installment). Healing items have been taken out. Gamers are able to take over cars. Moreover, yes, gamers are able to sprint.

The Dash Controversy

Debates around dashing have divided the player base from the time the creators introduced it to the series in 2010’s Halo: Reach. Apart from arguments over its effect on fair play in PvP, gamers have defended its absence in the story missions as well, often viewing it from a narrative angle. The fact that you couldn't sprint in the original Halo trilogy contributed largely to the perception that you were controlling a supersoldier equipped with highly durable battle suit. You did not need to run fast. You were invincible. {You could|You were able to|It