GAMES / REVIEWS
L
aunchingaspartoftheMasterChiefCollection,
Halo:CombatEvolvedAnniversarybringsSaber
Interactive’s 2011 remasterofHalotothePCfor
thefirsttime.Despitebeingalmosttwodecadesold,Halo
isstilla prettyentertainingFPS,butSaber’svisualoverhaul
leavesmuchtobedesired.
Theremasterchangestheoriginalgame’svisuals
inthreemainareas.It updatestheenvironmentswith
HDtextures;it providesnew,moredetailedmodels
forweapons,charactersandvehicles;andit alsoadds
dynamiclighting.Thesenewvisualelementsareoverlaid
directly onto the original game, meaning you can switch
seamlessly between the two visual styles by pressing Tab.
Doing so, however, reveals how the remaster
compromises the original game’s look and atmosphere.
Saber has transformed Halo’s austere terrain and eerie
skies into a generic forest world that’s illuminated like a
bright summer morning.
Some levels, such as the tropical beaches of the Silent
Cartographer, suit this approach, but it’s a one-size-fits-alllighting and texturing update, which damages the game
overall. One of the biggest problems is that Halo’s iconic
ringworld, which dominates the skybox in the original, is
barely visible in the remaster. The alien vibe of Halo’s world
is completely diminished, and it’s a huge shame.
As a game, Halo also suffers in some areas on account
of its age. Once revolutionary, the vehicle sections now feel
staid and underbaked, an anomalous remnant of the open-
world structure Halo was originally meant to offer. The
general level design has aged poorly too. The repetitious
use of interior environments is a nagging issue throughout,
but it becomes particularly monotonous during the game’s
central act, as you clear samey room after samey room of
Covenant enemies.
Yet despite these issues, it’s still worth returning to
Halo for its combat and storytelling. The game’s highly
organic, AI-driven firefights have lost none of their lustre.
Meanwhile, although the vehicles aren’t much fun to drive,
they add considerably to the combat.
Indeed, all the spectacle of battle is driven by the
game itself, the colourful laser weapons and vehicular
artillery, which is so much more satisfying than even the
most stunning scripted sequences. This is evident in the
multiplayer side too. Playing Capture the Flag on Blood
Gulch still holds up, even against the countless new
multiplayer shooters on the market.
Combined with a rousing, space-opera tale that remains
surprisingly compelling 20 years on, Halo is still worth
playing. Nonetheless, it’s unfortunate that the remaster is
so slapdash – with more care and attention, it could have
elevated a decent old game into a brilliant new one.
RICK LANE/VERDICT
Still a solid
shooter, but Saber
Interactive’s half-
baked makeover
doesn’t do it
anyfavours.
OVERALL SCORE
66 %
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary/
£6.99inc VAT £29.99 inc VAT for MASTER CHIEF COLLECTION
DEVELOPER Spiderling Studios/ PUBLISHER Spiderling StudiosMASTER CHIEF
+^ Combat still rocks
+^ Multiplayer
remains solid
MASTER CHEF
(^) - Some elements
have aged badly
-^ Remaster
compromises the
style of the original