The first reviews for Halo: Campaign Evolved are now available, with critics praising its stunning Unreal Engine 5 visuals and faithful recreation of the classic campaign. While the remake has earned mostly positive scores, many reviews also highlight the lack of PvP multiplayer and question whether it offers enough new content over Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
7.6
Average Score (adjusted)
Confidence: High
Some disagreement
Reviews: 6
Top Review: Gamingbolt (9.0)
Spread: 2.0
⭐ 7 / 10
IGN's verdict is that Halo: Campaign Evolved is a technically impressive but ultimately non-essential remake. The main pros are the timeless, solid gunplay and combat design, the addition of fun new Skulls and a decent set of two-hour prequel missions, and the visual upgrades in Unreal Engine 5 that shine in certain moments. The main cons are that the package feels like a lean retread and a test run, with changes to aesthetics and cinematics that don't always improve the original and sometimes alter its atmosphere, while the Master Chief Collection remains a more complete option due to its multiplayer suite.
⭐ 8 / 10
Gamespot concludes that Halo: Campaign Evolved is awesome and the new gold standard for playing the first Halo, feeling like an improvement on the original in almost every way. The main pros are the stunning Unreal Engine 5 visuals, the still exciting story and iconic music, and the changes that better connect the narrative to Halo 2. The main cons are the underutilized new characters in the prequel missions and a finicky checkpoint system.
⭐ 7 / 10
Shacknews's verdict is that Halo: Campaign Evolved is a visually stunning but hollow remake, with the main pros being its gorgeous Unreal Engine 5 graphics, faithful updates to some sore points in the original missions, four-player online co-op, and the addition of new background missions and collectibles. The main cons are the absence of competitive multiplayer, a cluttered HUD, stilted voice acting and cutscenes, performance stuttering, visual fidelity that hinders readability, and bonus content that feels superfluous.
⭐ 70 / 100
PCGamer's verdict is that Halo: Campaign Evolved is a neat but fundamentally flawed remake that does not always understand the appeal of Halo, pointing to an unremarkable future. The main pros are its novelty, impressive Unreal Engine 5 visuals, excellent feel and gunplay, and the addition of 4-player co-op and some bonus missions. The main cons are the lack of PvP multiplayer and a sparse package compared to the Master Chief Collection, misguided gameplay changes like sprint and waypoints that undermine classic design, artistic choices that hurt atmosphere and readability, and bonus missions with balancing and encounter issues.
⭐ 4 / 5
HardcoreGamer's verdict is that Halo: Campaign Evolved is a good half-step in the right direction and a good reminder of the franchise's origins, but not a full-blown remake. The main pros are the same beloved Halo campaign, a beautiful Unreal Engine 5 visual overhaul, and solid quality-of-life improvements. The main cons are that objective markers take you out of the experience, the three new prequel missions are underwhelming, and there are no PvP modes.
⭐ 9 / 10
GamingBolt concludes that Halo: Campaign Evolved is one heck of a remake and a very welcome step in the right direction, striking the right balance between what it adds and leaves behind. The main pros are the excellent and naturally integrated sprinting, improved vehicle handling and hijacking, impressive enemy AI, well-crafted new prequel missions, seamless four-player co-op with redesigned maps, the replayable Campaign Remix mode, a large variety of fun Skulls, and stunning Unreal Engine 5 visuals with great performance on PS5. The main cons are the lack of competitive PvP, minor frame drops during intense scenes on PS5 Pro, and the replacement of health packs with a single recharging health bar.