It’s been ten years since the Halo: Combat Evolved came out and stole the hearts of millions and established itself as a cultural marvel that crafted the road for console shooters to this day. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is a remake of that same game with a new graphic engine and some multiplayer maps from pervious Halo titles. Though the campaign is nothing new it is a worthy investment for any fan of the notorious franchise.
You take control of awaken solider named Master Chief, a SPARTAN soldier for the UNSC, to fight against an army consisting of an alliance of aliens known as The Covenant who want to wipe humanity out. You and an A.I. construct known as Cortana escape the crashing ship known as the Pillar of Autumn to Halo and crash on an unknown ring world known as Halo. You continue to fight the Covenant on Halo while attempting to discover what Halo is and the panic that develops when you discover what it is.
One of the most significant changes made to Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is the refined graphics by using a new engine. This is unlike most HD remakes that just increase the resolution. Even most interesting is the ability to switch between the old and new graphics by just hitting the back button. The transaction is quick and shows how much we have come in ten years.
Halo plays as you expected. The developers took no chance in changing the overall experience the game. As Master Chief you will shoot, grenade, and use vehicles to eliminate your enemies and progress through the game. Movement and combat controls are still precise but jumping is still has a floaty feel. Elites are still dangerous foes, Jackels use annoying shields, and Hunters are still deadly.
There are some new additions such as a side story incorporated through terminals and hidden skulls that can only be accessed through the modern interpretation only. These skulls allow you to explore the game in new ways by increasing the difficultly of the game. Other then these minor alterations the campaign is exactly as the original.
Similar to the graphic engine the sound design has also been refined. You can choose to listen to the original soundtrack while playing or the modern version. There is a definite difference here and listening and much as seeing how far we have come is just as important.
Included is six remade competitive maps and one firefight map of pervious Halo titles tailored for Halo: Reach. Each of the maps have been remade to suit Halo: Reach with modern graphics and weapons. These maps benefit greatly from the Reach’s engine and create a sense of nostalgia while maintaining its modern feel. Additional the campaign cane be played split screen and cooperatively over Xbox live.
This is the same game that you played ten years ago and certain things still plague the game. While Halo is still a fun game it does show its age through the lack of a directional icon and guns without recoil. It would have also been nice if the developers to kept the 4 player cooperative option, however it was scraped to maintain the same feel as the original. There is also a spotty checkpoint system that only activates when certain conditions are made. If you attempting to run through a level you might find yourself in a checkpoint you didn’t expect to be in, if you die.
Asking whether Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is a good game is a troublesome question. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is definitely a step up from other remakes and sets a new standard. However this is the same game and the multiplayer maps can be purchased outside purchasing the game. If you’re looking to relive the past or something that was unable to play this fantastic game then you should definitely check Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary out.
Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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It's hard to believe that it has been ten years. Ten years since the original Xbox launched along with the very first Halo. Halo: Combat Evolved single handedly turned th
| Platform(s): | Xbox 360 |
| Publisher(s): | Microsoft Studios |
| Developer(s): | 343 Industries, Saber Interactive, Certain Affinity, Bungie |
| Genres: | First-Person Shooter |
| Themes: | Action |
| Release Date: | 2011-11-15 |
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The game really does not need an arrow to tell you where to go. It's a big open world game and you're meant to explore every section of the game. Plus with the addition of the skull and terminals they want you to go out and find things. Score seems a little spotty too. Still the same fantastic singl player game that made us loose tons of hours of sleep. But the multiplayer is what kills me. Instead of REACH, I would have perfered if they still had original multiplayer. Plus guns with no re-coil is what makes it Halo. If I wanted to have a re-coil in my weapon I would have played battlefield or call of duty.