The Xbox remake not only gives the classic a major visual overhaul, but also thoughtfully expands the game with new story missions and modern gunplay.
I can’t even tell you exactly how many times I’ve now stepped onto the ringworld Halo for the first time as Master Chief. There have been quite a few occasions—in the original, in the Anniversary Edition, and now in Campaign Evolved. But one thing is certain: this alien structure has never looked better than it does in the Unreal Engine 5 remake. I was already impressed when I first played it last year, and the demo has now confirmed those impressions: this is exactly what a remake should look like.
At the same time, it makes it pretty easy to explain what you’re getting here. Halo! Not necessarily a 1:1 recreation, but with subtle improvements to level design, cool new cutscenes, and a significant technical upgrade. One that makes the original’s style sharper and more tangible without throwing its visual identity overboard. If you were to design a Halo game from scratch using UE5, there would certainly be more visual variety possible, but here you have the original to guide you.
Changes to Atmosphere and Gameplay
Nevertheless, Campaign Evolved exudes a sense of both the familiar and the new. The new cutscenes, for example, have turned out really well and give the shooter a more modern feel. Certain sections, such as the beginning of the “343 Guilty Spark” mission, feel significantly more atmospheric and evocative than in the original. Add to that the revamped soundtrack, which—combined with the classic Halo sounds and new voice recordings—ensures that fans of the original version feel right at home.
The next important aspect is combat. The battles against the Covenant feel just as good at their core as they did back then—and yet they’re even better. For me, the implementation of the sprint feature alone (which can be disabled if desired) is a significant improvement. You might not even notice some of the additions and adjustments at first glance because it’s been too long since you last played Halo. Halo Studios has made nine weapons from later installments available here as well, including the Battle Rifle, the SMG, and the Brute Plasma Rifle. And yes, you couldn’t use the Energy Sword in the original—but you can here! It’s a satisfying feeling to give sword-wielding enemies a taste of their own medicine. Other tweaks, for example, make the Assault Rifle more accurate, while the rocket launcher features a lock-on system that causes projectiles to track a targeted enemy. Enemy vehicles can also be hijacked, including the Covenant Wraith tank. None of this feels out of place; it integrates seamlessly into the gameplay and gives the impression that it’s always been this way. More options are definitely a good thing!
Bonus Missions, Co-op Options, and Campaign Remix
In addition to the modernized return of the original game content, another focus was on giving you more for your money—new reasons to spend more time with Halo. On the one hand, there’s a small, new campaign comprising three missions. In it, the Master Chief teams up with Sgt. Johnson to infiltrate an Alliance ship and steal important data. New environments—including corridors, sorry—characters, and enemies await you there—and there’s even a space combat section included. All in all, it’s a cool addition with plenty of combat. It’ll keep you busy for a good two to three extra hours. And now I’m craving a standalone space action game set in the Halo universe—thanks a lot.
And what is Campaign Remix? It’s another way to experience the familiar missions in a fresh way. There, you’ll encounter randomly generated enemies, repositioned weapon pickups, and new visual effects. The three Skulls you receive by unlocking this game mode randomly select the enemy faction and the pre-placed weapons in each mission; additionally, enemy factions never fight each other. With all of this, you can create completely unique challenges for yourself, resulting in entirely different conditions at times.
Technical Performance and Graphics Options
Technically, Halo: Campaign Evolved also holds its own. It looks really nice, the image is crisp, and depending on the action, there’s a veritable storm of visual effects. In Performance Mode, the shooter consistently maintains its 60-fps target, thanks to dynamic resolution scaling running in the background. The alternative Quality Mode increases the resolution to 4K but limits you to 30 fps. That’s manageable, but in the sometimes fast-paced firefights, the Performance mode is the better choice for me—and I don’t think the visuals look significantly worse. Regardless of the selected mode, however, there are occasional very brief stutters during cutscenes that slightly mar the otherwise smooth overall experience. Hopefully, an update will iron this out a bit more smoothly.
Halo: Campaign Evolved – Review Summary
In the end, Campaign Evolved turned out to be exactly what I’d hoped it would be. The Unreal Engine 5 massively enhances Bungie’s classic shooter without losing its identity. On the contrary: new cutscenes, additional weapons, and gameplay tweaks blend seamlessly into the gameplay, making Campaign Evolved the definitive version of the first Master Chief adventure. While there are still plenty of linear sections throughout the game, as soon as I’m behind the wheel of a Warthog, ramming an energy sword into an Elite’s chest, or mowing down groups of enemies with the Assault Rifle, all that fades into the background. The new bonus missions are a nice cherry on top, and—along with the co-op mode, the Skulls, and the Campaign Remix—they ensure that you’ll spend significantly more time with this reimagined campaign, provided you’re interested in all that. I can’t recommend Halo: Campaign Evolved highly enough to newcomers, and even experienced Halo players won’t go wrong with it. And now, please keep it up with the second and third installments—thanks.
