The Master Chief and Cortana are back (again) to fight some Covenant aliens and Flood parasites on a big ol’ space ring that could, in the wrong hands, wipe out humanity. But this time, they return to recreate their first adventure, the one seen in Halo: Combat Evolved in 2001, in Unreal Engine and with all sorts of shiny new visual features. While I’m not a huge fan of some of the graphical changes in Halo: Campaign Evolved, out now via early paid access, I think Halo Studios’ new remake does a damn good job of recreating the feel of the classic FPS.
If this is your first time hopping into Halo or you haven’t played in many years, the original game is 25 years old this year, so you might need some help stepping (back) into the Chief’s large armored boots. Don’t worry, marine: I’ll help you out with some useful tips and tricks that should have you in fighting shape in no time.
First-Time Halo Players Should Stick To Normal (And Avoid Easy)
Like the original Halo, this remake isn’t a cakewalk. Enemies hit hard, groups of enemies can drain your shields quickly, and some enemies can basically one-shot Master Chief and end his day. So if this is your first time playing Halo or you haven’t played in a long time, I’d recommend sticking to Normal and not playing on Heroic or Legendary. Return on later playthroughs, maybe with buddies or skulls, and then tune up the difficulty. But do avoid playing on Easy. It’s way too easy and will turn Halo into a dull adventure.
Don’t Ignore Alien Weapons
It can be very easy to ignore Covenant weaponry, as you are the Master Chief. He uses rifles and that badass magnum pistol! But alien weapons like the plasma rifle are great at popping shields and can help save you in a tough spot when low on ammo. Oh, and the plasma pistol is really good against vehicles, as you can stun them with a charged shot.
D-Pad Shortcuts
Halo: Campaign Evolved contains some d-pad shortcuts that it teaches you as you play; hitting up turns on the flashlight, for instance. However, one shortcut it never taught me is from Halo Infinite. If you hold down on the d-pad, you’ll drop your current weapon, letting a buddy pick it up during co-op.
Sometimes It’s Better To Run
The Master Chief is very strong and very deadly, yes, but he is also fast. In fact, in this new remake you can even sprint. And sometimes the best course of action, especially on higher-level difficulties, is not to kill every last enemy, but instead to dash away and live another day. This is especially true in levels like The Library.
Take Advantage Of The Newly Added Weapons
Halo: Campaign Evolved brings in some new weapons from later Halo entries, including the SMG and a usable sword. You can also pick up Sentinel laser cannons from the dead flying robots and use them to burn up Flood enemies. Also keep an eye out for the Needler Rifle, which appears later in the campaign, as it is very, very powerful and worth picking up.
Also: You Can Steal Vehicles Now
A feature first seen in Halo 2, the ability to board and steal vehicles, is now available in the Halo: CE remake. It can sometimes be tricky to pull this maneuver off, so use a plasma pistol’s charged shot to EMP any vehicle and easily hop on.
Oh, And Quick-Swapping Is A Thing In The Warthog
This has been a feature in recent Halo games, and it’s in Campaign Evolved, too. Just hold A on Xbox or X on PlayStation while inside a Warthog, and you’ll quickly swap to a new seat.
Give Your Soldiers Rockets And Snipers
If you’re running low on rockets or sniper bullets, don’t just swap that gun for something else. Instead, find a soldier NPC (if you have some with you) and swap guns with them. Soldiers in Halo have infinite ammo. So if you can outfit a few of them with powerful guns, you can end up with a deadly fire force. Load them up on a tank, and you’ll be wrecking all the aliens and Flood on the ring.
Run Back And Wait To Try To Force A Checkpoint Save
After a big, tough fight, don’t just run to the next encounter. Instead, walk back a bit, stand still, breathe and chill. This should hopefully trigger a checkpoint autosave. Then move forward. On harder difficulties, playing around with checkpoints can be the only way through some tough sections.
Play The Bonus Missions After The Campaign
I know the bonus missions are technically set before the events of Halo: Campaign Evolved. But they’re very different from the main game, contain so many new weapons and enemies, and also just aren’t as good, so I recommend treating these extra levels as a post-game treat.
Yes, There’s A Post-Credits Scene
After you beat the main campaign, there is a post-credits scene. I won’t spoil it. But it’s very short and will only make sense to people who have played other games in the series.
How To Unlock Remixed Mode
You need to find at least three skulls hidden in levels. Here’s an easy one: In the very first room of the very first level, you can jump up on the barrels in the back and get up on the catwalk on your left. Up there is a skull. Find two more, and you’ll unlock the ability to replay levels via remix mode, changing enemy and weapon spawns. It’s fun, but I’d wait to check this out until after a full playthrough.
