Free Halo: Campaign Evolved mod restores classic Cortana fans remember
You can bring back classic Cortana, whom we all remember for free in Halo: Campaign Evolved, thanks to this fantastic new mod.
Master Chief of the Halo franchise is easily one of the most popular and instantly recognisable video game characters of all time. There’s even a good chance that randoms who might not know his name or where he’s from would have at least seen his iconic green Spartan armour somewhere before.
Likewise, while not at the same level of popularity as John-117, aka the Master Chief, his AI friend and sidekick, Cortana, is also one of the most beloved characters there ever was. Everything from her legendary blue aesthetic, the voice of Jen Taylor and her witty charm has continued to win fans over since 2001’s Halo: Combat Evolved.
Cortana has changed in Halo
For better or worse, Cortana has had somewhat of a transformation over the years, and we’re not talking about her being uncharacteristically evil in 2015’s Halo 5: Guardians or her makeover (of sorts) in 2021’s Halo Infinite. We’re talking about her restructured face in this year's Halo: Campaign Evolved.
You may or may not like Cortana’s new look in Halo: Campaign Evolved, but if you do, that’s fantastic. However, if you’re not overly keen and you play on PC, then this free mod is worth your consideration. The mod in question is called ‘Cortana Restored’, created by TwoForFlinching, and it’s free to download now via Nexusmods.
Advert
READ MORE: Halo Studios hit by Microsoft layoffs following Campaign Evolved launch
The mod pretty much does what you expect; it reverts the remade Cortana into the classic version from Halo: Combat Evolved. What’s more, it’s gone the extra mile by also removing “all the hand-holding lines” from the remake.
“The die-hards among us might notice out-of-place lines, missing lines, or pacing issues- there's nothing I can change at the moment; those are baked-in changes made by Halo Studios. I’d like to restore the original dialogue pacing and triggers as closely as possible to Combat Evolved, but more research is needed. I'd have to see if Baboon or other tools are powerful enough to make those corrections. Stay tuned,” the description of the mod reads.
Sadly, as is the case with most mods, ‘Cortana Restored’ is a PC deal only.
We reviewed Halo: Campaign Evolved
“As a lifelong Halo fan, I can confidently say that Halo Studios did an excellent job with this remake. If this is the standard going forward, Halo might well and truly be back, and I’m already hungry for a remake of Halo 2 next,” said GAMINGbible’s Sam in his review, scoring it a 9/10.
“The main game was exceptional, and the Remix mode adds so much replay value for both single-player and multiplayer playthroughs. It was only the prequel missions that I found to be a tad disappointing, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say they were bad or unenjoyable. I just wish they were a little bit more.”
Halo: Campaign Evolved is out now on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. It’s also available with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscription.