Master Chief returns whilst making his debut on the PlayStation 5 with Halo Campaign Evolved. Can this remake of the legendary original title capture the attention of a new audience Or should it have remained on its original platform?
Where The Legend Began
We live in a truly crazy time in video games. The fact that we now have both Gears Of War and Halo on the PlayStation console is staggering. I have long revered the original Halo for its revolutionary gameplay and mechanics; they still influence games to this day. Xbox’s strategy with releasing first party titles has chopped and changed in recent months so this may be Master Chief’s first and last game on this platform. Thankfully, this is a title for both new and returning players. Campaign Evolved is a great remake; it reminds previous players and introduces new players to the legend of Master Chief.
If you are new to the franchise or need a refresher, the story of Halo Campaign Evolved revolves around Spartan Master Chief and his robotic aid, Cortana. They crash land on an ancient ring world conveniently named Halo after escaping a fight against the enemy, known as the covenant.
This narrative is a fantastic introduction to both the characters and the world of this beloved franchise. The remake has sought to retain all the storylines and narrative threads of the original title. Developers Halo Studios have modernised the remake by adding cutscenes, instead of the real time classic scenes. In some ways, this is an upgrade, due to the high fidelity and quality. However, some may be disappointed as the original title allowed for unique moments during these real time moments. Still, this is a fantastic story, full of action, heart and a brilliant set of characters which have endured the test of time. For newcomers to the series, you are in for a treat.
A New Perspective
Thankfully, Halo Campaign Evolved is not just a carbon copy of the original that launched 25 years ago. Halo Studios has added brand new bonus missions to flesh out the narrative more than ever before. The missions are set one year before the events of the main story and follow Master Chief and fan favourite UNSC Sergeant Johnson. They are sent to infiltrate a Covenant ship to gain information on the Covenants’ home world. Whilst this is a relatively short set of missions, I thoroughly enjoyed gaining more perspective on the Covenant, their motives and of course, the wonderful dynamic between Master Chief and Johnson.
Along with new missions, there are more weapons, characters and enemies featured than ever before in the original title. Futhermore, the classic Warthog has been expanded to fit a 4 player team for the game’s superb split screen and online co-op. The co-op works seamlessly and it is a real joy to play the campaign with your friends. Finally, the developers have added a campaign remix mode which allows different modifiers and parameters, for players to really test their resolve. I am pleased with the new additions as they help soften the blow of no multiplayer. The lack of multiplayer is still a real disappointment; the classic Halo online chaos could have enticed thousands of new players to the franchise.
A Fine Balance
Often in remakes, the most difficult aspect is crafting an updated title, using all of the core ingredients that made the original so special. When it comes to gameplay in Halo Campaign Evolved, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. For the positives, gunplay remains as smooth and responsive as ever. Original architects Bungie have perfected the art of first person shooting and their formula remains as good as ever. The introduction of smart link aiming from Halo Studios’ more recent titles is a welcome addition. The expanded arsenal helps Master Chief fight his way through enemies like never before. Some levels have been altered and reimagined for better gameplay experiences – in particular, the famous library level. Once so tedious, this level is now much more streamlined and flows much more smoothly.
The developers have decided to alter some key aspects of the gameplay and herein lies the issues many returning players may have. The team have opted for a modernised approach to traversal and healing, with a sprint button along with regenerating health. Whilst normally I would be a bigger fan of these changes, I feel it drastically alters combat a little too much. Halo always felt challenging and thought provoking but and this dumbs it down slightly. Sprinting just feels awkward and wrong in comparison to the original. These are minor issues, however, but purists of the series may find these changes too drastic. Thankfully, skulls return from the anniversary addition; once you collect, different modifiers and options can be used.
A Test For The Future
If Xbox and Halo Studios were to be brutally honest about the reasoning behind Halo Campaign Evolved, I suspect they would admit this is very much a taste test for the future of Halo. They have used this remake as a base test for their transition to Unreal Engine 5, and for the most part, they have succeeded. The world of Halo is bold, beautiful and gorgeous in its new iteration. Environments drip with detail and explode with colour. Lighting remains extremely impressive in dark corridors and indoor environments. Master Chief, as always, is the highlight of the character design; his armour is a particular highlight. Explosions are as bombastic as ever and I’ll never get tired of seeing that beautiful energy sword.
The problems I have with the visual presentation lie with performance. Playing on PS5, the game can suffer with some frame rate issues and texture pop ins, from time to time. These are minor issues, but they do affect the experience. There’s also the issue of blurriness in the environment and motion blur, which at times made me physically sick. These can be tweaked and ironed out with patches, but in a remake these issues are glaring.
A Sound For The Ages
Audio design and soundtrack have always been a huge factor in the Halo series, and this game is no different. The team have remastered the iconic audio design superbly with a crisp and clear update, making every gun shot, enemy grunt and explosion sound phenomenal. Everything sounds so clear and pitch perfect. The voice acting also remains as strong as ever, with the addition of some new voice lines being a nice touch. Yes, the grunts sound as over the top and funny as they did 25 years ago. A stellar effort; Halo would not be half the game it was without its killer audio design.
Similarly, the iconic soundtrack, from composers Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori, returns, as nostalgic as ever. Loading the game up to the wonderful menu theme is spine tingling. All the classic tracks are here, with my personal favourite being the Covenant Dance. The soundtrack is placed so perfectly during climatic moments, it really heightens the scale and enjoyment. There are some new remixes added but for the most part the developers have stayed true to the wonderful original. Superb!
Verdict
Halo Campaign Evolved takes the series back to its iconic roots, with a superb campaign, great gameplay and stellar visuals and sound design. Everything that made Master Chief so beloved is in this remake. For newcomers, this is a strong package with some solid new missions to flesh out the story and lore further. For owners of the anniversary collections, this might leave a slightly sour taste. It’s clear this title was an attempt to capture a new audience, partly at the expense of its current one. Still, this remains an all time classic campaign which is tons of fun solo or in co-op!
