GamesFPSHaloWhy now is the perfect time for a Halo: Combat Evolved remakeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesFPSHaloWhy now is the perfect time for a Halo: Combat Evolved remakeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Xbox)
Halo is entering a new chapter. Now, for anyone who’s stuck with the Halo games over a significant period of time over their 23-year history, those words could be a cause for concern, depending on whether you appreciated343 Industries' first take on the franchise in Halo 4, the muddled Halo: Guardians, or the (far better) open-worldHalo: Infinite.
Either way, 343 Industries is now rebranding asHalo Studios, moving development of future games to Unreal 5 (instead of 343’s Slipspace Engine), and looking to turn over a new leaf. That makes it the perfect time for a remake of the game that kicked off the entire franchise – Halo: Combat Evolved.
Remaster chief
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Infinite appeal?(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)Halo Infinite review: “Halo as you’ve never seen it before”
Infinite appeal?
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)Halo Infinite review: “Halo as you’ve never seen it before”
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
Halo Infinite review: “Halo as you’ve never seen it before”
Since June, there have been rumors thatMicrosoft is considering a remaster of the first Halo game, with eyes to launch it beyond Xbox consoles – which seems possible given the company’s increasingly open-minded attitude towards platform exclusivity. It might be odd to play Halo on a souped-upPS5 Pro, with no high-spec Xbox console upgrade seemingly planned, but it would certainly open up Master Chief’s story to new audiences.
For one, over two decades of technical improvements and console cycles are sure to make a remake feel substantially different. While we did get a 2011 remaster of Halo: CE, one that allowed you to toggle between the original and remastered graphics at your leisure,it effectively left the underlying game untouched. Enough time has passed that a ground-up remake, rather than just a graphical facelift, could launch Halo: CE back into the limelight where it belongs.
Halo: CE was hugely influential as a first-person shooter, thanks to its tight gunplay, varied and engaging enemies, and a sprawling sci-fi world that was breathtaking to witness when it first launched. It’s still very much playable, thanks to the Master Chief Collection on Xbox and PC – but what seemed limitless in 2001 can feel a little boxy in 2024, like returning home to find your childhood bedroom is smaller than you remember.
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
I don’t think fans need a split-up trilogy of games, in the vein ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake– to me, an exhausting amount of content – and there’s little danger of that, given Halo: CE’s campaign can be beaten in 10 or so hours. But I’d love to see a modern take on the game that expands the world, reworks its graphics, and improves level design in some of the game’s hard-to-navigate pain points (cough, the Library, cough). Some revising of enemy, weapon and vehicle locations, along with terrain and environmental design, could also do a lot to keep the game feeling fresh for audiences old and new.
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More than anything, I’d love for Halo Studios' developers to reconnect with what made the original so good, going back over the blueprint that launched such a wildly successful franchise. While Halo: Infinite was a great return to form, the Halo games spent years in the wilderness – when it came to their single-player campaigns, at least – and this new chapter for the franchise needs to cleave close to what Halo does best. What better way to do that than going back to where it all began?
The first level of Halo: CE gave me chills the first time I played it, as I navigated a tense, claustrophobic battle on a boarded spaceship and crash-landed onto an expansive world. Halo’s franchise has had a similar journey, starting small and focused before sprawling into the platform-defining behemoth that it is today. However, as in Halo’s large sandboxes and ancient megastructures, it’s good to know where you’re going before you rush off in a new direction.
Pass the time until Master Chief’s return with thesegames like Halo.
CATEGORIESXbox Series XPC GamingPlatformsXbox
CATEGORIES
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Master Chief’s absence from Halo Wars wasn’t Bungie’s fault, it was a move to make players “care about everybody else” in the RTSThe Halo 2 Arbiter mission that Bungie scrapped 21 years ago has been officially restored as a playable Master Chief Collection mod
Master Chief’s absence from Halo Wars wasn’t Bungie’s fault, it was a move to make players “care about everybody else” in the RTS
Master Chief’s absence from Halo Wars wasn’t Bungie’s fault, it was a move to make players “care about everybody else” in the RTS
The Halo 2 Arbiter mission that Bungie scrapped 21 years ago has been officially restored as a playable Master Chief Collection mod
The Halo 2 Arbiter mission that Bungie scrapped 21 years ago has been officially restored as a playable Master Chief Collection mod
LatestI didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tastySee more latest►
Latest
I didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tasty
I didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tasty
I didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tasty
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5
Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”