7 inspired changes that make Halo: Campaign Evolved an all-timer

Halo: Campaign Evolved has officially launched into early-access, with the full release coming on July 28.

It’s a glorious remake that pays respect to Bungie’s original vision, while also modernising it for a new audience. For the first time in its long history, the latest Halo game is available on Xbox, PC and PlayStation platforms. A historic occasion indeed.

Below are seven changes that have been made to the remake that weren’t found in the original Halo: Combat Evolved.

READ NEXT: Halo: Campaign Evolved has saved the franchise; it's that exceptional

Redesigned levels

Aside from looking nicer thanks to new-gen hardware, Halo Studios has actually made the effort to tweak some of the game’s later levels.

The Library and Two Betrayals, for example, benefit from better overall pacing thanks to some tweaks to the path you take through them. They’re only minor changes, but they make a big difference.

Brand-new levels

There are no new levels in the main campaign, but there are three prequel missions to take on before jumping into Chief’s first encounter with Halo.

As mentioned in our review, these levels could have been better, but what we got is far from mediocre. They’re fun, action-packed and have some meaningful character moments, such as witty banter between Master Chief and Sgt Johnson. Plus, the Brutes are back!

Campaign Remix Mode

By far the greatest addition to Halo: Campaign Evolved is the Campaign Remix. This switches on a preset of skulls in addition to some you’ve collected yourself for one of the wildest Halo playthroughs you’ll ever experience.

Third-person mode, disabling weapon zoom, and the ability to fly around the map are just a few of the options available to you, and one of the skulls that’s always switched on enables Covenant, Flood and Brutes to exist in any level.

Remade cutscenes

Admittedly, the remade cutscenes are a bit of a mixed bag. There were some that we adored and others that we didn’t vibe with, but they’re all serviceable.

One in particular completely blew us away, and is leaps and bounds ahead of even Bungie’s original take on the scene.

Xbox Game Studios

Returning weapons

Halo: Campaign Evolved, and its prequel missions, bring back several beloved Halo weapons that weren’t present in Halo: Combat Evolved. Or if they were, they weren’t usable like the Covenant Energy Sword.

The Covenant Beam Rifle, Sentinel Beam and aforementioned Energy Sword are just a few examples, and their inclusion feels both warranted and natural to the canon at this part in the timeline.

Vehicle hijacking

Getting from A to B is rather simple when you can steal a ride from an unsuspecting Grunt, and you can even pilot the Wraith tanks now.

It’s a basic feature we’ve come to expect from our Halo games, but its inclusion in Halo: Campaign Evolved feels significant.

A new Legendary ending

Halo: Combat Evolved had one of the most hilarious Legendary cutscenes of any Halo game, and it was a worthwhile reward for players who’d conquered the Covenant and the Flood on the game’s hardest difficulty.

We won’t spoil what happens in the new one, but we will say it’s equally worth the effort. It also hints at what we might see from Halo Studios next.