The first review scores for Halo: Campaign Evolved have now arrived from media outlets across the globe, with most responses trending in a positive, if mixed, direction so far. Halo: Campaign Evolved is the long-awaited remaster of 2001’s Halo: Combat Evolved.
Halo: Campaign Evolved features redesigned levels from Combat Evolved along with some mechanics from later Halo titles. This includes additional variants of the Flood enemy faction and new weapons for Master Chief to utilize. Halo: Campaign Evolved also includes three prequel missions that focus on Sgt. Johnson and Master Chief taking down a Covenant vessel. Halo: Campaign Evolved is also the first entry in the Halo series to be released outside Microsoft’s ecosystem, as the game also received a PS5 port.
Halo: Campaign Evolved is a Fun Trip Down Memory Lane
-
Image via Halo Studios -
Image via Xbox Game Studios -
Image via Xbox Game Studios
With early access now underway ahead of the game’s full release on July 28, Halo: Campaign Evolved is currently available to users who purchased the $70 Premium Edition on any supported platform. So far, Halo: Campaign Evolved scores on Metacritic have trended positively based on 39 reviews as of this writing. Halo: Campaign Evolved currently holds a “Generally Favorable” Metacritic score of 81, with a strong overall score of 83 and an 88% critic recommendation rating on OpenCritic across 58 reviews. The highest marks have come from outlets such as Daily Star and VGC, as each gave Halo: Campaign Evolved a perfect rating for being a nostalgic experience that even PS5 gamers can now enjoy for the first time.
What’s That Weapon?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
VGC (Andy Robinson) – Score: 10/10
Halo Studios’ Unreal Engine 5-powered upgrade of the original Halo campaign elevates the original with sublime visuals, smart tweaks, and broad respect for the gameplay feel, design, and aesthetic that makes this game so beloved.
Daily Star (Tom Hutchison) – Score: 10/10
Overall, it’s been a joy to jump back into classic Halo. There’s a wonderful new sheen to this makeover but the gun game underneath is still addictive, brilliant shooter fun like it always was. And now that it is on Playstation, gamers who have always steadfastly stuck to that ecosystem will get a chance to enjoy a true great in the gaming catalogue in all its modernised glory.
IGN (Michael Higham) – Score: 7/10
Halo: Campaign Evolved speaks to the series’ timelessness and adds a decent set of new missions, but it’s a mostly a lean retread that’s more of a test run for its future with Unreal Engine.
Game Informer (Matt Miller) – Score: 8.5/10
The core game shows its age in some notable ways, but there’s no mistaking the magic that made this formula work all those years ago is still very much intact.
DualShockers (Ethan Krieger) – Score: 6.5/10
Halo: Campaign Evolved brings back one of the coolest FPS experiences of all time, and it looks better than ever. Unfortunately, some PS5-specific headaches and bad performance issues are currently holding it back in major ways.
However, some mixed reviews pointed out some of the flaws that Halo: Campaign Evolved has. IGN stated in its review that Halo: Campaign Evolved had solid gameplay that felt modernized, but also stated that the game’s extra missions did not last long enough. Additionally, some PS5-specific issues were mentioned by DualShockers that could impact performance at launch. Plus, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users must wait until July 28 to dive into Halo: Campaign Evolved, as only the standard edition is included with the subscription.
Despite the praise, Halo: Campaign Evolved also set a series low. As reported by TheGamer, Halo: Campaign Evolved is the lowest-scoring Halo title on Metacritic so far. Halo: Campaign Evolved‘s current score of 81 is bested by Halo 3: ODST, which has a score of 83. By comparison, Halo: Combat Evolved had a Metacritic score of 97, which is a 16-point score differential between the original version and Campaign Evolved. Additionally, some PS5 users pointed out that physical copies of Halo: Campaign Evolved on PS5 require a full download and that the game requires an active Internet connection to play despite not having any PVP multiplayer. It remains to be seen if Halo Studios will add an offline mode to Halo: Campaign Evolved down the road.
Despite the changes that were made when compared to the original Halo: Combat Evolved, most reviews stated that the use of Unreal Engine 5 made Halo: Campaign Evolved a testing ground for Xbox to consider. Time will tell how successful Halo: Campaign Evolved will be once more users dive into the game.
- Released
-
July 28, 2026
- Developer(s)
-
Halo Studios
- Publisher(s)
-
Microsoft Studios
- Multiplayer
-
Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
-
Yes – all platforms
