Halo: Campaign Evolved

Stepping back into Alpha Halo 2026 is one of those experiences that gives you a strange kind of nerdy vertigo, almost comparable to when we tried the first VR headset or when we saw a QD-OLED panel for the first time.

Halo: Combat Evolved, way back in 2001, didn't just launch the first Xbox, making us work like crazy all summer to buy it (with that brick-sized Duke controller and hands that begged for mercy after half an hour), it literally rewrote the genetic code of console shooters. Since then, between an Anniversary Edition and the Master Chief Collection, the Chief has come a long way. But now Microsoft and the guys at Halo Studios (the new name of the historic 343 Industries) are going for the big shot with Halo: Campaign Evolved.

No competitive multiplayer this time around, which will turn off those nostalgic for LAN nights spent fighting on Blood Gulch, but the original campaign alone, completely rebuilt from scratch in Unreal Engine 5 and sold for around 50 CHF (including its historic debut on the PlayStation 5 console, an event that will almost make anyone who grew up during the console wars of the 2000s dizzy). A risky gamble, because retouching a sacred gaming monument means risking harm or being overwhelmed by the weight of one's own legacy.

On the ring, again and for the first time

The narrative follows the same historical foundations we all remember by heart (with Master Chief awakening from cryosleep as the Pillar of Autumn is destroyed and the resulting daring escape to the alien ring), but it does so by enriching it with all-new, extremely cinematic and detailed cutscenes. The relationship between the Chief and Cortana works wonderfully, with the AI's irony serving as a perfect foil to our favorite Spartan's stoicism. The Italian dubbing is of good overall quality, and it's truly refreshing to hear the decision to retain the iconic name "Chief" from the 2001 title, although a careful ear will notice a certain discontinuity, with the distinct feeling that some historical voices (including Master Chief's own) have been redubbed from scratch, while other samples seem to have been lifted directly from the original audio file.

Rounding out the narrative is the "Meteorite" pack, three previously unreleased prequel missions set a year before the events of the game, which see the Chief team up with Sergeant Avery Johnson to infiltrate a Covenant ship. Nothing essential, with a slightly slower pace and corridors that are far too similar to the main adventure, but still a handful of extra hours of lore that's always welcome for die-hard fans.

The game, as we remembered it

With the controller in hand, the work of converting the original feel to Unreal Engine 5 is very satisfying. The gameplay is fundamentally the same as before (the slightly floaty jumps, the body physics, even the Elites' death animations seem meticulously replicated), and this is a huge benefit for muscle memory. Halo Studios, however, has cleverly incorporated elements from later installments of the saga. We can now use the sprint function (which can be deactivated with a skull if you want a more hardcore experience), aim down sights on any weapon, and stock up on epic equipment like the Energy Sword or the Needle Rifle on the battlefield. The classic health bar has gone, replaced by a rechargeable shield, while the combat sandbox feels refreshed and even more dynamic in combat on Heroic or Legendary difficulty.

But the best news of all is that the co-op campaign, extending to up to four players online, is available from the very first moment. Let's be clear: this is exactly how Halo is meant to be played, sharing the chaos of plasma grenades and the unexpected reversals of the Warthog with friends. Some modern wayfinding choices (the arrows on the ground in iconic maps like The Library or Assault on the Control Room) feel a bit too thoughtful and end up softening the sense of alien disorientation that made the original great, but the main gameplay loop remains a gem of rare brilliance.

How beautiful your ring is!

From a purely visual standpoint, the generational leap achieved in Unreal Engine 5 is daunting. On an emotional level, to be completely honest, despite the graphics being absolutely modern and in step with the times, the overall perceived impact is almost the same as it was back then because memories make us imagine it as immensely more beautiful than it actually was. But just place a screenshot from 2001 next to this new production to realize that the graphics of the new era are a huge leap forward. The vegetation of the Silent Cartographer map, the sunlight reflecting off the details of the Mark V armor, or the plasma lighting in the snowy caves offer a jaw-dropping visual experience.

The downside is that certain Forerunner architectures have lost their original Brutalist look, adopting a metallic finish that's sometimes even too shiny, and a blurry effect on weapon movements typical of Epic's engine, which would require some refinement patches if we were to. Despite these minor flaws of youth, performance mode remains locked at 60 frames per second, ensuring spectacularly fluid gameplay.

Back to 2001

Halo: Campaign Evolved wasn't a strictly necessary remake, especially considering the wealth of content the evergreen Master Chief Collection continues to offer at a lower price. Yet, the work done by Halo Studios demonstrates that Bungie's original formula possessed such a perfect mechanical core that it is completely immune to the passing of geological time. Whether you're a veteran ready to replay the story for the umpteenth time (this writer has also played the original MacOS version, among other things!) or a new player ready for their baptism of fire (perhaps from a PlayStation 5 console, what heresy!), this return to Alpha Halo can provide enormous satisfaction. A nostalgic but technically impressive effort that rekindles hope for the future of one of the most important franchises in video game history.