Halo: Campaign Evolved takes one of the most iconic first-person shooters of all time and gives it new life and a modern makeover, but there has already been plenty of debate about whether this remake was actually necessary or not. Now that Combat Evolved is 25 years old, Halo: Campaign Evolved has made a variety of tweaks and even marks the series’ first time on a Sony console. Campaign Evolved is a huge milestone for Xbox’s flagship franchise that also serves as a reminder that some remakes aren’t going to leave every fan satisfied.
Combat Evolved was the first FPS I ever played. I was far too young at the time to actually be good at the game, but that didn’t stop me from spending hours upon hours fighting Grunts and exploring the Silent Cartographer. As I got a little older and honed my gaming skills, I’ll never forget how scared I got after running into the Flood for the first time. Getting to revisit these moments over the weekend in a brand-new light with Campaign Evolved was a wild trip down memory lane, but it left me wondering what the point of this remake and other remakes like it ultimately is.
Campaign Evolved Is a Solid Remake That Has Me Convinced Halo Studios Is Going to Be More Focused on New Players Moving Forward
Veteran fans have been deeply divided about the remake, and newcomers seem to be enjoying their first time with a Halo game for the most part. The one thing that the majority of players seem to agree on is that Campaign Evolved is a solid demonstration of how great Halo on Unreal Engine 5 looks. Since this remake was a testing ground for Halo Studios to practice working with the engine, it’s intriguing to get a glimpse of what future Halo games will look like.
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)
Even though the franchise hasn’t hit me the same in recent years, I’m still a longtime Halo fan. I have the 7-Eleven Halo 3 Slurpee cup to prove it. I enjoyed most of my time playing Campaign Evolved, but it also left me feeling like I could simply boot up the original game and have just as much fun. Despite its 25-year-old status, Combat Evolved still feels great, and Campaign Evolved is a remake that doesn’t really do anything new enough to make it feel worth it; at least for a player who’s been with the series since childhood. Yeah, Halo: Campaign Evolved‘s third-person mode and Sprint option are big departures from the original mechanics, but these features also feel more like small tests than meaningful additions to the game.
I want to be clear that I’m not a Combat Evolved purist. If anything, I’m more frustrated that this remake didn’t take more risks with the story, especially when Halo Studios had the perfect chance to do so. Halo: Campaign Evolved‘s new missions are filler that don’t make any real attempts to expand upon the lore, and it feels like a glaring missed opportunity. With so many Halo books to draw inspiration from and adapt, not diving deeper into certain story aspects is surprising.
This remake offers something for both the veteran players and newcomers, but the latter feels like it’s the clear target. Halo Studios wouldn’t have added third-person and emphasized Sprint if that wasn’t the case. Sprint isn’t anything new to the series. The feature has been part of the Halo games for years at this point, but adding it to the first chapter is a move that demonstrates how Halo Studios wants to attract gamers who consider certain features must-haves for any good modern FPS.
If Halo Wants to Continue, Appealing to Newcomers Only Makes Sense
The Halo franchise has been in a weird state for the past few years. Everything feels a little bit stuck in limbo ever since Halo Infinite came out, and it’s not clear if new Halo games are actually in the cards yet. Rumors have been claiming that Halo Studios has canceled its multiplayer and campaign projects, but this should be taken with a grain of salt until addressed by the studio itself.
Campaign Evolved is a huge milestone for Xbox’s flagship franchise that also serves as a reminder that some remakes aren’t going to leave every fan satisfied.
Regardless, these rumors are a further reflection of what a rocky state the Halo franchise is in. It’s in desperate need of a revamp, and if a remake helps pave that path, then so be it. The one big downside of newcomers experiencing Campaign Evolved is that they aren’t able to see how revolutionary the game once was. Combat Evolved changed the entire FPS landscape, and so many players missing out on that is a shame. It’s impossible to truly replicate the past, though, and that’s why I’ve come to believe that remakes are largely meant for the next generation.
Remakes are largely a franchise defibrillator. The Assassin’s Creed Black Flag remake is a great example of that. Ubisoft’s series had several years of divisive titles under its belt, and Black Flag Resynced offered a much-needed win that can get both old and new players excited about the franchise’s next chapter. The younger generation is ultimately going to be the one responsible for pushing the series into the future, though.
Even if a franchise is thriving, remakes still feel largely targeted towards new players. The remakes of Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 and Nintendo’s upcoming Ocarina of Time remake for the Switch 2 feel like attempts to preserve a franchise’s best titles and introduce them to new gamers. Longtime fans hopping on board is simply a plus.
If Halo is going to last 25 more years, then Xbox has to capture the attention of a brand-new kind of player. Even if Campaign Evolved on PS5 is the only Halo game to ever come to a Sony console, Xbox is likely crossing its fingers that it’s enough to inspire some to potentially buy a new Xbox console for the first time in order to play future chapters. Campaign Evolved is largely made up of Combat Evolved‘s original DNA, but the added mechanics and emphasis on shiny new visuals is a clear sign that the remake is meant as an introduction instead of a nostalgia-filled reunion.
- Released
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July 28, 2026
- Developer(s)
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Halo Studios
- Publisher(s)
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Microsoft Studios
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
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Yes – all platforms
