Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
The original Halo holds a fond place in my heart as both the first Xbox game I had ever played and one of my favourite single player campaigns of all time. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary edition is almost the exact same single player experience released back in 2001, with improved graphics and added polish. The team at 343 Industries did a great job improving upon the original Halo CE cosmetically but left in many of the quirks that were present ten years ago.
The clumsy AI teammates, that have been much improved upon in later Halo instalments, serve as a reminder of how far the series as progressed in ten years. Often times throughout my playthrough of Halo: CE Anniversary my AI comrades would make laughable tactical errors such as throwing a grenade at a wall only to have it bounce back and kill both of us. There were several times were a few teammates would be running around shouting at the enemy but never engaged them, leaving me to do all the dirty work. Another instance saw one AI ally running around my warthog trying to find a way into the empty gunner seat. I’ve come to accept these issues with the AI as being part of the original Halo but they highlight just how far the series has come since it debuted in 2001.
343 Industries also chose not to touch the Library level which has always been the single worst part of the original Halo. The long level with repetitive environments and tons of enemies is still annoying and monotonous.
While there are issues with the original Halo that remain in tacked, many of the nuances are also present. The powerful pistol that the Halo faithful love returns in full force. The absurdly overpowered hand cannon, which has been phased out in successful Halo entries, remains as a fond memory of the original Halo experience. It is great to be able to wield it again. The duality between human and covenant weapons is one of the core mechanic of the original Halo that made it great. Each weapon operates differently forcing a change in combat tactics. Using different weapon or a different combination of weapons alters the opportunities present in each situation. One of the most jarring differences between the original Halo and Halo titles since is the lack of ability for the Master Chief to hijack vehicles or use energy swords. Both have become so common place in games like Halo Reach that I forgot that these actions were once not possible.
343 Industries added a few new creations to the original Halo format. Throughout each level the team had hidden skulls and terminals. Both collectibles are hidden quite well in most levels with some requiring grenade or rocket jumps to reach. The skulls change the single player experience by altering core mechanics such as exploding enemies or no shields. The terminals provide a voiceover and additional back story to the Halo story. For fans of the Halo lore the back story provided by these terminals are great and may be teasing some of the events of 2012’s Halo 4.
The best addition that 343 Industries made is the ability to switch between their revamped graphics to Bungie’s original 2001 graphics. By pressing the back button and sitting through a slight delay the game will switch from one version to the other. Seeing the difference is actually pretty astounding. The original Halo suffered from the same cold colour scheme repeated in multiple areas. With the new graphics the environments look more varied and dynamic.
Also included in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary edition are six classic multiplayer maps. The multiplayer portion is actually Halo Reach’s new classic playlist that emulates the multiplayer experience of the original Halo. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary still uses Halo Reach’s physics and engine and is not a true remake of the original’s multiplayer. The ability to play the original Halo multiplayer on a large scale, with the great pistol would have been a fun nostalgic experience.
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition keeps some of the problems of the original Halo but in doing so gave us a true Halo Combat Evolved remake. Most of the game is untouched apart from the updated graphics and inclusion of new collectibles and achievements. It has been a long time since I played the original Halo and being able to play through it again with a partner was a blast. The multiplayer portion still defers to Halo Reach. While Halo Reach multiplayer is great it isn’t the classic Halo multiplayer I wanted from the remake. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition is great for Halo fans wanting to relive past glory or for anyone who missed playing the original. It also holds up well to modern shooters while making you appreciate how far the Halo series has come in the past ten years.
