Halo: Campaign Evolved Co-op Review - A Well Considered Return
It is time for the return of the Master Chief, or as the case may be, the first appearance. Halo: Combat Evolved was a groundbreaking release on the original Xbox all those years ago, and it has been brought back in the form of Halo: Campaign Evolved, hitting PC, Xbox Series and, for the first time (and possibly last, who knows?) PS5. What better way to look at how this ambitious remake stands up than with an Xbox OG like Matt and a ride-or-die Sony player like Paul jumping in to deliver a co-op review.
Matt: So, the Master Chief, undoubtedly a major figure from my gaming history, has returned, so it seems only fair to chat about where we both stand on this icon. For me, a die-hard PC gamer for my entire life, Halo was the first game ever to offer me a comparable FPS experience on a console. That’s not to say things like Golden Eye and Perfect Dark were bad, but Halo just nailed it. It even improved on its PC brethren in many ways. I bought an Xbox at launch because, at the time, I couldn’t afford a gaming PC, and as a result, I played more Halo: CE than was probably healthy. It was my entry and high-watermark for that generation of gaming. Now I know you are a Sony bloke, Paul, but did you have any time with the Chief and Cortana?
Paul: I’ve played most, but not all of the Halo games. I was slow to jump on the Xbox bandwagon, buying in for Gears Of War 2 and then filling my boots with Fable and Halo games to get caught up. I’d also spent a bunch of time in my youth playing Halo multiplayer at friends’ houses on their Xbox before I bought in myself, so I had some early familiarity. Once I had my 360, I started working backwards, ticking off the core three games in quick succession, and ODST too. Funnily enough, of the FPS titles, the one game I’ve not played is the unanimously adored Halo Reach. I’ll fix that one day though.
That all said, and this became abundantly clear when we partied up in co-op, my familiarity with Halo: Combat Evolved doesn’t come close to your level of knowledge. You knew your way around the early levels that we played together like the back of your hand. So as someone who is as well-versed as you are, how did you take to some of the level design tweaks? Halo: Campaign Evolved has presented a few significant changes, like the inclusion of sprinting and the rescaling of environments, so I’m certainly curious to know how the veteran adjusted.
Matt: I was worried that these changes would change the feel of Halo. After all, this franchise has always felt a particular way, and when the developers changed that is when they got into trouble (Halo 5, anyone?) I was even still a little concerned after my preview time with the game. I am happy to say that the changes they have made, after a short adjustment period, all feel like the right call. Movement is fantastic, and the changed levels are smartly done.
The most impressive of which is the infamous Library. In the original, this level was well known for being a bit of a drag with repetitive design and combat; here it has been completely mixed up, so while it still has the context of the mission, it is a much more exciting proposition, a mix of new rooms, different encounters, and even some light puzzling. The Library isn’t the only place this tidying up has occurred, but it is easily the most noticeable. These smart changes bring the game into the modern day without changing the DNA of Halo, and it is a cool move. How did you find the changed gameplay, Paul?
Paul: Well, to your point about the level design, the changes that they made fit perfectly with features like the sprint that have been added in. We’ve all had that moment when playing a remake of recent years, we have looked at the game and gone “ yep, that’s exactly how I remember the game looking,” and then you go back to said game and realise that you couldn’t have been any further from the truth. In the case of Campaign Evolved, I really felt like that same feeling was experienced through the level design. Everything has been scaled up just a little bit, especially the outdoor spaces, and it makes things like the sprinting feel really natural. In tight corridors back in the day, I never had to worry about an energy sword, but now I do, and now I also have access to one, and that changes the way that I’m playing some of these classic sequences. It’s forced me to change strategy through different scenes, because I’m thinking about the prospect of a Hunter appearing, and how much easier it might be if I managed to retain some power in my energy sword, which means my ultimate weapon is getting a real workout and I’m swapping it regularly.
The thing that impressed me the most about the level and gameplay design changes is that largely they are subtle, but they’re having a big impact on the moment-to-moment experience of this remake.
Now, of course, through all of that, I referenced the experience of playing a remake and the game not looking as you actually remembered, and in the case of the last Halo: Combat Evolved remake, people really didn’t vibe with the visual aesthetic. I adore the look of Campaign Evolved, not to mention the prequel missions that have been added that are completely new and look great, but how about you?
Matt: I think the greatest trick that the graphics team has pulled is that they have made an Unreal Engine game look like anything but an Unreal Engine game. It absolutely feels and looks like this could have been built on a custom Halo engine, and that is a huge achievement. Had they got this wrong, the game would have been dead-in-the-water for many fans, but as it is, it is a beautiful and IP-consistent game. I love the upgrades to the Flood, especially how you can easily tell which Aliens or Humans they possessed, and the huge amount of detail that has gone into the Covenant is also impressive.
Speaking of the Flood, I loved that now there are quite a few new types that can use all of the Covenant and humans’ weapons and abilities. Some have shields, some are invisible, some sport energy swords, and some run at you and fire a rocket at point blank. That is a huge change to things and one that kept me on my toes, because despite what I thought I knew, these little wrinkles really mixed things up. But you mentioned the new levels, Paul. What did you think of them?
Paul: The three new levels are accessed directly from the main menu and are stand-alone from the primary campaign, but absolutely feel like they belong. They both feel new and fresh, as well as of their era, at the same time. There are plenty of traditional elements to be found, but the experience simultaneously feels very 2026. The sequence where you’re flying a Seraph is fresh and new, and the handling is quite good as well. Going off on a mission with Sgt Johnson again is cool; the partnered excursion was always exciting, and the dialogue was always entertaining also.
Across the board, everyone is a bit more talkative now. It seems like the influence of more recent games has made its way into Campaign Evolved, and I’m torn if that is for the better or worse. Did you have any thoughts on the dialogue and voicework?
Matt: I think my biggest gripe with the game is actually this addition. Not so much that everyone is chatty; that is fine, but I think there are quite a few instances where the humour misses the mark and feels a bit forced. Sgt Johnson seems to be more of a parody than a true ass-kicker now, and I think that is a shame. Humour has never really been a part of the Halo DNA, so it seems out of place and rammed in where it doesn’t need to be. It just doesn’t really fit for me.
The other issue I have is the vehicles in general. Driving around just isn’t as smooth as it used to be. This, I feel, is because of the improved detail in the levels, meaning that where the original was mostly a flat playground where you could rip around in the Warthog to your heart’s content, now it takes much more precision to dodge all the rocks and uneven terrain; it does take some of the fun out of it. Hardly a major issue but certainly a noticeable one. Did you come across any annoyances, mate?
Paul: Just some very infrequent performance hitches. I played on PS5 Pro, and considerable work went into optimising for the higher-spec console, but there were a couple of moments where the frame rate dipped that frustrated me. That aside, every other aspect has impressed me greatly. This is a cleverly designed remake that preserves the soul of Halo but modernises it in some important ways. If Halo Studios can focus on the future and lend some minor resources to support teams in other remakes of Halo 2, 3, and the remainder of the Bungie arc, they can have a great thing going on for the future. Would you agree?
Matt: I think so; Halo 2 especially could benefit from this sort of touch. In all, though, Halo: Campaign Evolved is a fantastic remake. Much like Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag a few weeks ago, the development team have made smart choices when it comes to improving the original experience without ever sacrificing exactly what makes Halo, Halo. I am sure there will be people out there, die-hard fans, who will find things that they don’t like, and not having multiplayer outside of co-op is a bit of a bummer, but I am more than happy to say that this is a well-considered, respectful remake of not only a classic, but an important part of videogame history.
Halo: Campaign Evolved was reviewed on PS5 Pro and PC with code kindly supplied by the publisher.
