Halo Campaign Evolved Revives the Original Ringworld Adventure With New Missions and Modern Upgrades, Lands July 28

At its Games Showcase yesterday, Xbox unveiled Halo Campaign Evolved, which effectively rebuilds the 2001 campaign from the first Halo game from the ground up as an accurate remake with major added content. Players step back into the shoes of the Master Chief for the first ten missions on Alpha Halo, which have been updated with sharper visuals, new cinematics, streamlined controls, and better level flow.

A entirely new three-mission story arc called Operation Meteorite picks up the pace shortly before the classic campaign begins. Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson team up for a stealthy UNSC strike on a Covenant research ship, and what appears to be a routine raid suddenly turns into much more, with Brute Berserkers, new maps, and new armaments acquired from around the Halo world. Add in award-winning novelist Troy Denning, and a companion short tale titled Halo Hungry Buzzards lays the groundwork for the upcoming story.

The Halo Studios development team used Unreal Engine 5, giving the regions we know and love from the previous game a major polish, making them look and feel more beautiful than ever, while preserving the sense of scale and mystery that defined the first encounter with the ringworld. Refreshed sequences include all-new motion capture and new speech from your favorite cast members. We recently saw footage of the game operating on the PS5 Pro, which served as a nice reminder of the game’s cross-platform nature.

Gameplay is getting a nice boost without sacrificing the basic gameplay players are familiar with. Nine more weapons have been added to the original list, giving you even more ways to fight. Vehicles have also been updated; you may now hijack and drive a Wraith tank, and the Warthog now has room for one more buddy in the back, making co-op play easier. The sound design has been totally overhauled, and the music has been redone to make it feel even more epic.

Skulls return in greater numbers than any previous Halo campaign. Optional modifiers can have a substantial impact on weaponry, enemy placements, the player’s abilities, and the environment. They’re a significant draw for people who do solo runs or team up in multiplayer, and campaign replays will keep you coming back. Players can join online for co-op play with up to four other players, with seamless cross-play and shared progression available on Xbox Series X and S, PC, and PlayStation 5. On consoles, you can also play with a friend in a local 2-player split screen mode. This patch excludes competitive multiplayer modes. The entire focus is on creating an refined campaign experience.

The game will be available globally on July 28th at 8am PDT, however in some Asia-Pacific locations, you may have to wait until July 29th. Premium versions have a 5-day head start on July 23rd. If you own an Xbox or a PC, you can utilize the Xbox Play Anywhere function to smoothly switch between the two without paying more. The regular version costs $49.99 and includes both the complete campaign and the bonus missions.

The premium edition costs $69.99 and includes an extra 5 days of early access, an armory pack with extra armor and weapon skins, a digital artbook, and a story collection. The Collector’s Edition costs $199.99 and includes the armory pack, the artbook, the story collection, a 12″ Dark Horse Master Chief statue, a light-up Cortana chip, steelbook case, physical art prints, a fancy new manual, and a game disc.