Halo: Campaign Evolved Is an Impressive Remake, But It's Not the Best Entry Point for Newcomers to the Series

Halo: Campaign Evolved re-imagines the original start of the series, delivering a full remake of the FPS title that defined a genre for a whole generation of players. With new prequel missions and expanded ideas in familiar missions, the ideas in Campaign Evolved create a new experience for players trying the franchise for the first time. However, due to some limitations to its design, the remake fails to be a solid start for anyone looking to get into Halo through it.

From when it was announced, Halo: Campaign Evolved drew criticism for how it implemented new gameplay systems that contradicted the design of Combat Evolved in a number of ways. For example, weapons from later Halo games were present, along with sprint and several other “modern” features from titles like Halo 5: Guardians or Halo: Infinite. However, with skull modifiers existing in the remake that can revert the game back to Combat Evolved‘s approach, veteran players have more ways to replay the series’ first iteration authentically.

Halo: Campaign Evolved Lacks Features & Restrictions That Made The Original Game A Perfect Start

Although there are many expansions in Campaign Evolved from the title it’s based on, there is a strange exclusion of features the original Xbox game from 2001 had. Notably, the lack of multiplayer in Halo: Campaign Evolved is a huge absence, especially with the interesting gameplay tweaks the remake manages to pull off. Even if Combat Evolved never had the most robust multiplayer, it at the very least had iconic maps and sandboxes that were integral to Halo‘s original identity.

Levels in Campaign Evolved are well thought-out, using the changes from the remake well in many areas. Yet, in comparison to Combat Evolved, the remake removes several key restrictions that forced players into a tighter, refined adventure that helped shape the beloved campaign of the first game. The biggest example of this comes from The Silent Cartographer mission in Campaign Evolved, which keeps many elements from the original. However, the remake allows players to take the level’s starting vehicle and drive it practically wherever they want.

As one of the best missions in Halo history, the presence of the overpowered Warthog from Combat Evolved was a staple reason why The Silent Cartographer was such a great mission. That being said, Combat Evolved‘s version of the same mission purposefully restricted certain parts of the mission’s surface island to make sure you couldn’t reach specific areas with the Warthog. This forced players to go back to tactical grounded combat, creating better gameplay variety and pacing than Campaign Evolved‘s rendition of the same level.

These kind of removal of Combat Evolved‘s meticulous design makes playing through Campaign Evolved monotonous at times, especially on lower difficulties. If you’re a beginner to Halo through the remake, the pacing can feel rough when you stick to the same overpowered options that make some missions painfully quick or easy. This applies to the over-abundance of weapons in Campaign Evolved too, which can also make missions trivial. Beyond the new prequel missions, the increased resources take away from the intended limitations on your arsenal from Combat Evolved.

The Master Chief Collection Still Preserves The Best Representation Of Halo’s Beginnings

Halo: Campaign Evolved could have been a great starting point for new players to get into the Halo games, especially since it was released for both Xbox, PC, and PlayStation platforms. PlayStation players who’ve always been outside Halo‘s Xbox exclusivity may already be taking the opportunity to see what the franchise has to offer through the lens of the remake. As someone who is a diehard fan of Halo, though, I simply wouldn’t recommend Campaign Evolved as an entry point.

The remastered version of Combat Evolved on Halo: The Master Chief Collection offers a far more authentic experience of the series’ origins, including the multiplayer the recent remake lacks. In Master Chief Collection, players can also see how the restrictions in Combat Evolved made for a natural progression to Halo 2, Halo 3, and beyond, with players gradually gaining new tools that make them appreciate where they started. In Campaign Evolved, it feels somewhat isolated from other parts of the series, as something simply too different from the franchise’s roots despite having familiar elements.

As it stands right now, we also don’t know whether a potential Halo 2 or Halo 3 remake could even come out on PlayStation again, further isolating Campaign Evolved as a poor series starting point. For players looking to get into the larger series, Master Chief Collection may provide the best context at an equal price, with the Combat Evolved remake being more for those who already understand the references and expansions it’s making. Although Halo: Campaign Evolved is an impressive re-creation, it holds back in weird ways to prevent newcomers from understanding what Halo is all about.

What game would you recommend to someone just starting the Halo series? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!