I performed a small slice of Halo: Campaign Evolved forward of its official reveal, and might affirm that this upcoming remake of the primary sport’s legendary single participant providing is completely lovely.
Diving into the beginning of the fan-favorite ‘The Silent Cartographer’ mission, it’s clear why the builders selected this part of the marketing campaign to indicate off their imaginative and prescient. It’s a degree that again in 2001 appeared extremely forward of its time, with a semi-open setting that inspired exploration and defied the extra linear designs of different first-person shooter (FPS) video games of the period.
Absolutely unreal
Built in Unreal Engine 5, Halo: Campaign Evolved may be very a lot positioned to recapture the identical sense of magic and surprise when it launches in 2026.
Running at a crisp 4K decision, this new model of that well-known seashore touchdown is dripping in cutting-edge visible tech, be that the close to photorealistic textures or impressively life-like lighting results. It’s all introduced along with a remastered soundtrack and tastefully re-recorded voice strains that appear so near the unique clips that it’s troublesome to inform that something has modified except you evaluate them aspect by aspect.
This may be very a lot Halo: Combat Evolved as you bear in mind it, although I did spot a number of fascinating adjustments right here and there that trace at slightly extra happening behind the scenes. Firstly, the seashore setting undoubtedly appears lots nearer to its remastered incarnation in 2014’s Halo: The Master Chief Collection, with fairly a little bit of added grass and foliage that wasn’t initially there. A minor, however fascinating resolution.
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Although I didn’t clock it at first, the controls have additionally been considerably altered to be extra in keeping with fashionable expectations.
The proper set off remains to be used to fireplace as you’ll count on, although you now have to carry the left set off to zoom in your weapon. Grenades are a lot much less fiddly than earlier than, sure to the left bumper, and also you now now not should scramble for the B button each time you need to use your melee – that’s now sure to urgent down the fitting thumbstick.
Do the identical to the left thumbstick and also you’ll enter a dash, one thing fully absent from the unique sport. It all feels utterly pure and will go a protracted solution to making it extra approachable than earlier than, and should you’re not such a fan of it, Halo Studios has confirmed that you just’ll have the ability to flip it off.
Combat developed
The builders have additionally stated that there might be some extra complete adjustments within the full sport.
Visual variations apart, the section of ‘The Silent Cartographer’ that I sampled performed out almost identically to its authentic incarnation, although different components will obtain extra substantial tweaks. The notorious library, for instance, might be considerably much less maze-like with design alterations to enhance the pacing of encounters and extra dialog for 343 Guilty Spark, your AI companion, to presumably information you so that you just don’t get misplaced.
New weapons are coming in from throughout the sequence, too, together with the Energy Sword, Battle Rifle, and Needle Rifle, which ought to give even probably the most seasoned Halo veteran a number of extra fight potentialities. I did not spot any in my play time, so I’m to see simply how nicely they slot in every degree they seem. If that wasn’t sufficient, you’ll have the ability to pilot extra automobiles, or crank up the problem with the Skulls modifiers that return from the Master Chief Collection.
There are three tantalizing new prequel missions as well, set earlier than the occasions of the unique story and bringing in model new enemies and characters. The builders say that this remake is powered by the 2001 sport’s code, with Unreal Engine 5 appearing one thing like a layer for its visuals (an method that additionally underpinned the current The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered), so I’m curious to see what sort of issues they’ll have the ability to cook dinner up whereas nonetheless utilizing components of that authentic tech.
I simply want that a few of these thrilling additions have been current in my demo, as die-hard sequence followers will certainly be questioning whether or not these new arrivals improve or detract from the general expertise. With the sport set to launch in 2026 for Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 5, and PC, it’s nonetheless early days, so I’ll be ready with baited breath for additional information. At least the visuals have been nailed down rapidly.
