Halo: Campaign Evolved Received First Reviews—Critics Massively Praised the Remake

On July 23, owners of the Halo: Campaign Evolved Premium Edition—a remake of the original 2001 game—got early access to the game across all platforms, and reviews from the gaming press started to appear as well. It looks like Halo Studios has managed to make a genuinely high-quality product and one of the best remakes of the year.

Critics have praised Halo: Campaign Evolved for keeping the spirit of the original title alive while delivering a substantial visual upgrade. It's being called an ideal entry point for newcomers who haven't played any previous titles in the series. As for downs, reviewers point to the original game's dated design, some of the new gameplay features that don't feel right, and some technical issues. As for now, Halo: Campaign Evolved has an 81 rating on Metacritic (based on 39 critic reviews) and holds a Top Critic Average of 83 on OpenCritic, with 88% of critics recommending it. You can check out some of the reviews below:

VGC – 100/100:

Halo Studios’ Unreal Engine 5-powered upgrade of the original Halo campaign elevates the original with sublime visuals, smart tweaks, and broad respect for the gameplay feel, design, and aesthetic that makes this game so beloved.

Push Square – 90/100:

Halo: Campaign Evolved has brought back a true classic in style, faithfully remaking and expanding one of the best shooters of all time. With bonus missions that feel like they’ve always been there, expertly slotting into the original Halo experience, Campaign Evolved presents an incredible package of old and new that’s never looked better. Welcome back, Chief.

Game Informer – 85/100:

The core game shows its age in some notable ways, but there’s no mistaking the magic that made this formula work all those years ago is still very much intact.

Destructoid – 85/100:

A "faithful yet modernized" remake indeed, Halo: Campaign Evolved is nearly a 1-to-1 remake outside of the design of some encounters, overhauled visuals and audio, and the ability to sprint. But the addition of three all-new prequel missions makes it worth trying out for both weathered Spartan veterans and noob newcomers.

IGN – 85/100:

It’s fascinating that a 25-year-old shooter is still so much fun. Halo: Campaign Revolved certainly doesn’t fit into the long line of half-hearted remakes. The new visuals, cutscenes, and additional levels are a real treat for fans of the original and should convince newcomers of the Master Chief’s appeal. However, the lack of competitive multiplayer is a major missed opportunity. That said, the game still really shines when we settle in on the couch at home and dive into the campaign with friends.

GameSpot – 80/100:

It’s still an odd sensation to be playing a Halo game on a PlayStation console. If you had asked teenage Jordan–the one who spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours laughing alongside their friends in Halo 3 and Halo Reach online multiplayer–whether Halo would ever make its way to a Sony console, they’d have told you it was impossible. Yet, here we are. And 25 years later, Halo: Combat Evolved’s story is still really, really good.

TheGamer – 80/100:

Unlike the previous attempt at bringing this shooter classic back to life, Halo: Campaign Evolved is a faithful revival that understands what made the artistic direction of Bungie's ambitious sci-fi world so special in the first place. While there are a handful of shortcomings, Master Chief's opening chapter has never looked or felt this good before, and with any luck, marks the beginning of a new journey where ambitious narratives and evolutionary gameplay mechanics won't be left behind. As a lifelong fan this remake is more than good enough to pass muster, while I'm hopeful newcomers are poised to fall in love just like I did so many years ago.

Eurogamer – 80/100:

Halo: Campaign Evolved is more successful at being a reinvention of an FPS classic than it is a reproduction - and that needn't be a bad thing.

• Dexerto – 10/10
• Pure Xbox – 10/10
• DayOne – 9/10
• Press Start – 9/10
• PSX Brazil – 8.5/10
• TechRadar – 7/10
• Screen Rant – 7/10
• GamesRadar – 7/10
• TheSixthAxis – 7/10
• Dualshockers – 6.5/10

Despite the positive reception for Halo: Campaign Evolved and the title’s future possible financial success, the franchise's future is still up in the air. A recent Rebs Gaming report confirmed the studio has canceled two projects —a multiplayer title (Project Ekur) and a single-player title, with no details available on the latter. On top of that, the developers apparently are not working on any video game at the moment—even t he rumored Halo 2 and Halo 3 remakes have not been given the green light yet.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is currently available for all Premium edition users on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. The game will be available for all on July 28.