Halo is returning, but not in the way you think. Not a new entry in the long-running first-person shooter franchise, but Halo: Combat Evolved is being remade. Yeah, you heard right: the first-ever Halo game is being made from the ground up using Unreal Engine 5, and early access starts just next week!
I've been to a lot of different worlds in my video game adventures, but there is one specific adventure that will be etched into my brain forever: Halo. The series has been a part of my life and many others for a very long time. In fact, it has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.
I specifically remember being at a GameStop with my mom, scavenging through the many Xbox games that were shining green. As my hands combed through the games, I found a game labeled Halo: Combat Evolved with a very big, shiny gold sticker that read GAME of the YEAR. How had 5-year-old me never heard of the GAME of the YEAR? Luckily for me, the very nice GameStop employee let me play the game before we bought it with an extra Xbox they had sitting around. Without saying too much, this game quite literally changed my life as I walked onto Halo for the first time, hearing the banshees fly overhead and a grunt screaming nonsense at me. I had never seen anything at this scale. Then I stepped back out into the real world with my copy of Halo: Combat Evolved and headed home.
Quite frankly, I haven't beaten Halo: Combat Evolved as an adult, so I wanted to revisit the original Halo trilogy before Campaign Evolved next week.
Revisiting Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo: Combat Evolved was originally released on November 15th, 2001, on Xbox, developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Later on, it was ported to Windows and Mac in 2003. It was critically accepted with a 9.7 from IGN, 9.5 from Official Xbox Magazine (US), and 9.7 from Gamespot.
Halo: Combat Evolved is a first-person shooter set in the 26th century, in which the player dons the boots of the iconic Spartan Master Chief.
After wrecking onto a mysterious ring named, you guessed it, Halo. You fight a mysterious alien race named the Covenant and uncover the many secrets this “Halo” has to offer. Halo: Combat Evolved isn't known for its story like future iterations would be, but where it is empty in story, it is full in gameplay and atmosphere.
While revisiting Combat Evolved, I couldn't believe the atmosphere it offers even after so many years. The levels here are vast, empty, and intricate. I say empty because they are, but they are supposed to be. I felt alone but curious, especially paired with the masterful soundtrack by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvator. It works very similarly to how the Metroid games do, too, with loneliness. You have your UNSC marines accompanying you, but let's be real: they die so quickly here that you are left alone. By the end of the game, some levels can be a bit annoying as Bungie starts throwing more enemies at you. For example, the famous seventh level, like “The library: The library sees Master Chief having to retrieve “the index”. You are swarmed by a very specific enemy type, the Flood, and the level is extremely repetitive, making it feel stale. I am very curious to see how and if Halo Studios decided to "fix" the level.
You will run into various characters, such as Jacob Keyes, SGT Johnson, and everyone's favorite AI, Cortana. I can't forget everyone's favorite alien race, though, the Covenant. The Covenant is in full force in this game, even being the reason you crash-land on Halo in the first place. (I will never forget that first mission on the UNSC ship) Also, the Flood! The flood is a parasitic alien race that sort of reminds me of the creatures from The Last of Us. It pretty much is the Halo Universe’s version of zombies.
The last thing I want to talk about in Combat Evolved is the guns and the overall gameplay. Gameplay has aged a little bit, but nothing severe. Your UI has health (which isn't in the sequels), shield, ammo, and a mini map. The guns still feel powerful, and movement feels a bit floaty, but not enough to get in your way. The guns are one of the most famous parts of Halo, like the famous Assault Rifle that packs such a punch that even Superman couldn't handle, but Master Chief can, and the rest of the UNSC. The pistol is basically a sniper, one of my favorite weapons to defeat the Covenant with. There is a sniper that pretty much one-shots everything as well. The shotgun is wonderful and feels like it could open a wall to the next dimension. The gunplay is still exceptional, ultimately.
Overall, Halo: Combat Evolved has aged like a sort of fine wine. Even though narrative isn't in the forefront, atmosphere is, and the gunplay couldn't be better. I am so happy I got to revisit the game that changed my life and is a major reason I fell in love with video games in the first place! We can't wait to see what Campaign Evolved has in store on July 28th on PC, XBOX Series X and PS5!
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