🔗 Share this article

This new Halo remake serves as a contemporary reimagining of the classic Xbox title, packed with all the anticipated improvements. Compared to the first Halo game and its 2011 anniversary edition, Halo: Campaign Evolved displays enhanced graphics, smoother controls, and a range of adjustments intended to update its decades-old core—changes that may prove debated among fans. For instance—and this will either delight or enrage you, based on your position in the ongoing discussion within the Halo community—the hero can now sprint.

A Fresh Iteration on a Classic Shooter

Following the 2011 re-release for Xbox 360, Halo: Campaign Evolved represents the third re-release of Bungie's 2001 first-person shooter Halo: Combat Evolved. Yet latest edition is slightly different: Instead of being constructed with a proprietary framework, as prior installments were, the team Halo Studios is producing Campaign Evolved with the latest Unreal Engine. Additionally it's a complete remake, not only a cosmetic overhaul.

Connecting The Past and The Present

This puts Halo: Campaign Evolved at a turning point. By the time this remake arrives—as of now planned for a 2026 debut on Sony's PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X—the original Halo will be 25 years old. So Campaign Evolved must achieve a couple of important aims. It has to serve as a means for sentiment, recalling loyal fans what they cherished about the original Halo. Yet it also must engage fresh fans; this will mark the initial occasion the series has been available on a Sony console, exposing the franchise to a sizable body of gamers who've never left Sony's ecosystem. For these individuals, a contemporary Halo experience has to feel reasonably current.

Firsthand Impressions

Not long ago, Polygon went directly experienced with the remake at an physical presentation staged by the developers. The demo covered the first half of the the Silent Cartographer level from the original game, up until the juncture where Master Chief dislodges the boulder off the cliff—a scene that will resonate with anyone who, as I have, have experienced that first game so many times that they've learned all of its moments.

Visual Upgrades

Nostalgia can often mean seeing things through rose-colored glasses, but this iteration of the adventure appears exactly like how a younger version of myself thought it looked in that era. The blocky gray buildings and murky beaches of “Silent Cartographer” are gone, substituted instead by shiny metal architecture and beach so detailed, you can practically see the minute specks. Yet these advancements to detail don't compromise the science-fiction architectural style that's shaped Halo's visual identity for decades. Put another way: Suppose Halo: Combat Evolved is an vision test, Halo: Campaign Evolved is that identical tool but observed with the corrective lenses you're meant to wear. Whatever magic the developers employed to achieve this feat, the level to which Halo: Campaign Evolved genuinely feels like a Halo game is remarkable.

Classic Elements

The beloved original Halo handgun is still there, and remains a utterly unbalanced gun. Those small foes still shout, “No, not again!!!” when you stick them with a plasma grenade. The nostalgic effect is further emphasized by freshly voiced vocal lines from central actors, like the voice of Master Chief and the actress, which adds to the impression that this is still the Halo we know, just more polished.

Subtle Tweaks

Yet beneath the more polished surface resides a raft of subtle adjustments that Halo devotees will notice immediately. That stone noted before? It isn't a rock in Campaign Evolved. It is a plasma pistol. You can carry an energy sword in this version, as stated by the team, though that ability was not accessible in the portion of the preview provided. Players use the LT to aim down the sights, standard for today's titles but virtually a betrayal for the franchise's roots (even if it's important to mention this was the default setup for 2021’s the latest mainline game). Healing items have been taken out. You can hijack transports. And, absolutely, gamers are able to run.

The Run Debate

Debates around running have divided the player base since Bungie introduced it to the saga in 2010’s Halo Reach. Beyond arguments over its influence on balance in multiplayer modes, players have advocated for its lack in the campaign stages as well, often approaching it from a plot viewpoint. That you could not dash in the first three games was a key factor to the sense that you were playing as a superhuman equipped with almost indestructible space armor. You didn't need to move quickly. You were untouchable. {You could|You were able to|It