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Halo: Campaign Evolved review – they don’t make ‘em like this any more
Halo: Campaign Evolved, a 25th-anniversary remake of the original Xbox shooter Halo: Combat Evolved, has been reviewed by the Guardian as a largely successful revival of a style of single-player first-person shooter that has since fallen out of fashion. The remake, developed by Halo Studios using Unreal Engine 5, arrives amid turmoil at Xbox's gaming division, and while its visual polish makes it look more generic than Bungie's distinctive 2001 original, the review argues its core combat design still surpasses most modern shooters.
The reviewer criticises the padded-out opening level, which now includes unnecessary cutscenes and exposition compared with the original's lean introduction, but praises the enduring intelligence of enemies such as the Elites, who flank, retreat and adapt to the player's tactics, making encounters replayable rather than repetitive. Enemy encounters remain challenging on higher Heroic and Legendary difficulties, and the Hunters are singled out as still genuinely intimidating. The review is less positive about the mid-game levels involving the Flood, describing them as tedious, repetitive zombie-shooter sections, though it notes the addition of waypoints as a welcome quality-of-life improvement.
In short
- Halo: Campaign Evolved remakes the 2001 classic using Unreal Engine 5.
- Reviewer praises intelligent, adaptable enemy AI, especially the Elites.
- Mid-game Flood levels criticised as repetitive and tedious.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The remake preserves a distinctive kind of single-player shooter: open combat spaces, varied weapons and enemies that react intelligently, giving encounters challenge and replay value. Its visual update and waypoints make the game more accessible to modern players while retaining the original’s strong combat design.
The case against
The remake’s added cutscenes and exposition slow an opening that was effective in its leaner original form, while the Unreal Engine 5 visuals risk making its look feel less distinctive. The Flood sections remain repetitive, and reviving an older style of shooter may offer limited appeal to players who prefer the pacing and conventions of contemporary games.
Explained simply
Halo: Combat Evolved was released in 2001 as a major launch title for the Xbox console, developed by Bungie. The first-person shooter was hugely influential and featured intelligent enemy design that made combat encounters engaging and replayable.
A quarter-century later, Halo Studios has created a remake of the original's single-player campaign. The remake aims to preserve what made the original special whilst updating its graphics and technology.
Single-player focused shooters of this style have become relatively uncommon in modern gaming, which has increasingly emphasised multiplayer and online experiences. This remake therefore represents a notable attempt to revive a once-central gaming form that has largely fallen away.
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