Playing the original Halo for the first time (and likely hundreds of times after) will always be a core memory for me. I recently went back on a new series called Retro Runback to replay Halo: Combat Evolved on original hardware and had a fantastic time. Somehow something 25 years old still holds up really, really well in my opinion.
Unbeknownst to me, when I was planning the series, Halo: Campaign Evolved was just weeks away. I was excited to see what it had to offer, but also skeptical. That hesitation grew after I rolled credits on Xbox and Bungie’s 2001 title. Would this bring anything new to the table and, most importantly, would it feel like Halo?
For the most part, the answer to those two questions is YES.
Becoming a Spartan. Again
To me, there is no doubt that the original Halo game is an all-time classic. Innovative, exciting, and filled with great single player, co-op, and multiplayer moments. I got back into the game in a whole new way with Campaign Evolved on the PlayStation 5. It shouldn’t be a big deal to play a classic game on another console, but it did feel strange for the first little while. Thankfully, controls are almost exactly the same as they’ve always been. So even though I went from holding the Xbox’s S controller to the DualSense, everything felt familiar in my hands.
First and foremost, it’s great to see such an epic experience on newer hardware. Even the iconic menu and menu music look and sound great. That’s one area where Halo Studios has succeeded here: the graphical fidelity and the sound of the game. Whether you remember sound bites or some of the music, it’s undeniable that many moments of epic gameplay are backed by the original’s audio excellence. From Grunts yelling “save yourself” to Elites laughing when they kill Chief, to the satisfying reload sounds and engine roars; it’s all here.
All, if not most, of what Halo: Campaign Evolved does on a technical level is refine, not replace. It’s a delicate balance that seems to have been struck.
What I mean by that is: this new version of the game doesn’t change much in terms of level layouts, maps, or even enemies. If you’re familiar with the 2001 game, you’ll feel right at home here. There are some differences in outdoor structural layouts. For example, on The Silent Cartographer, at times you can use some weapons that only debuted in Halo 2, and you can even play in third person. But outside of that, the biggest changes come in the form of significant graphical upgrades and some nice sound design.
Despite Halo holding up quite well, there’s no denying that Campaign Evolved looks much, much better. Texture mapping alone makes the game look more impressive than ever before. What’s great about the final product, though, is that it gives you that feel of “this is what the game always looked like.” My friends, I can tell you right now that is not the case. Bungie’s Xbox debut looks good, but our collective memory is not as sharp as we think. But with all that being said, the most striking and obvious details come in a few different areas that were a welcome change.
The pistol is a prime example. It’s still a great weapon to use, and now it looks even sharper. Hard-edged lines, lettering details on the barrel, and physics during the very satisfying reload sequence are improved. Throughout my playthrough, the most impressive and obvious change for me was how the game’s explosions and weapon blasts looked and sounded. Especially plasma grenades, those things now pop with even brighter blues and explode with more impact.
Playing as Master Chief Feels Great, and Familiar
The game still plays amazingly well. Even a week removed from completing Bungie’s original game, Halo: Campaign Evolved keeps the iconic feel of Master Chief and Cortana’s journey. This was my biggest worry. The game was recreated 25 years later and not by the same team or in the same engine. What a joy it was to discover that a quarter century later a new version of this campaign still feels the way it should. Guns work the way you remember (but look and sound better), movement feels great with an added sprint toggle, and vehicles mostly operate the way you recall.
Overall, the game plays pretty well, and I didn’t have a big issue jumping from one version to another. The incredible level design is still here with the obvious graphical flourishes added in, and set pieces are almost one-to-one in execution.
I had a couple of technical glitches in the PS5 version I played, though. Some significant frame drops happened when multiple plasma grenades or tank shots went off in smaller quarters and indoors. Things resolved when the dust had cleared, but it was a noticeable dip in performance at least 7-10 times throughout the campaign.
Assessing Halo: Campaign Evolved’s Impact
Believe me, I had a good time playing through Halo: Campaign Evolved. But more often than not, I was wondering if the game was necessary or just an unwanted re-release. It actually falls somewhere in the middle for me.
Making my way through Halo: Combat Evolved was a fantastic experience, and for the most part this latest iteration is too. But I came to the conclusion that that’s not because this version exists; it’s because the original does. Sure, there may be aspects of Bungie’s title that feel dated, but it not only launched a franchise but also a console in 2001. Campaign Evolved is shipping to players across most platforms with a shiny new look, but it doesn’t bring much more new to veterans of the genre or franchise.
The elements it does bring that are completely new are pretty solid though. A trio of missions with Master Chief and Johnson give us some more backstory and fill in some story gaps. The prequel levels are not too long but they do provide some welcome background and lore to a game that was missing some of these moments in its initial release.
If you don’t subscribe to Game Pass, you’ll be shelling out quite a bit of cash for a game you can already play and likely enjoy. If you’re a huge Halo fan, maybe that doesn’t matter, and you’re excited to jump in anyway. I know that if I wasn’t playing this for review, I’d definitely have this high on my must-play list this year.
Most of what I’ve said about this game is positive. But the more I sit with things the more I realize it’s not because of what I brings to the table, it’s because of what was laid out before it even arrived. Don’t get me wrong, Halo: Campaign Evolved is a fun experience in many ways, though I’m not convinced it was needed. Halo Infinite has had its struggles, but at least it has a decent multiplayer experience.
Verdict
It’s wild to me that this game exists. Not just because I played it on a PS5 but because it still feels like the Halo I remember.
Halo: Campaign Evolved does a lot right, and it is worth playing if you’re a big fan of Master Chief or you’ve never played this excellent campaign and franchise starter. But outside of that, I’m not so sure it’s a necessary addition to your library. Regardless of where you sit on that spectrum of experience, there are still some well-executed set pieces, amazing level design, satisfying gunplay, and great storytelling that is improved with some refreshed cutscenes and character moments.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
