Halo: Campaign Evolved has drawn criticism for pairing a much larger set of collectible skulls with restrictive, poorly signposted out-of-bounds areas that can instantly kill players for exploring. The article argues that this undermines the spirit of the original Halo, whose openness, hidden secrets and unconventional routes rewarded curiosity.

The remake contains 42 skulls, compared with 14 in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, effectively making exploration a much larger part of the campaign. Players on Reddit and elsewhere have shared examples of being killed after crossing invisible boundaries in seemingly safe areas, including on The Silent Cartographer’s island; the author says this discourages attempts to find the new collectibles and contrasts it with Halo Reach’s clearer approach to limiting players’ movement.