Halo Campaign Evolved preview: the gorgeous remake of a monument, but the missing multiplayer leaves a void

Just talking about it, we hear the music resonate, that Gregorian choir that still gives chills. And behind it, all those hours of multiplayer on a first-generation Xbox, that console massive enough to knock someone out, that we lugged on our schoolkid shoulders to go plug in at a friend's place. It was awesome, and it was a whole era. But enough with the memories of kids born in 1990: the real question today is what Halo Campaign Evolved is worth, this remake of a monument. And the verdict, a few days from launch, is as luminous as it is frustrating.

The context

Halo Campaign Evolved is a remake of the legendary Halo Combat Evolved from 2001, developed by Halo Studios and expected on 28 July 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series and PC. In a historic first, it's the very first time Halo lands on a PlayStation console. The game rebuilds the original campaign with an Unreal Engine 5 graphics engine for the visuals, while keeping the physics and logic inherited from Halo Reach, and adds three new missions called Operation Meteorite, new weapons and enemies borrowed from later entries, fully re-recorded voice acting, a third-person mode and a campaign randomizer. The critics have already ruled, with an average of 84 on OpenCritic and 81 on Metacritic, 88% of reviews recommending it.

What we know: a sumptuous, faithful remake

Let's start with what lands, because there's plenty to be moved by. Halo Campaign Evolved is a technical success and a respectful homage. The Unreal Engine 5 overhaul is sumptuous: the game has never looked this good, with sublime visuals and repolished cinematics, while scrupulously preserving the feel, level design and aesthetic that made the original so beloved. That's the whole strength of the approach: modernizing the tech without betraying the soul. That so-particular feeling, the floaty sensation of the Warthog, the familiar buzz when Master Chief's shields recharge, it's all there, intact, like a childhood memory you'd replay for real.

The additions are of good quality too, and that's far from a given for a remake. The three bonus missions of Operation Meteorite slot in so naturally they feel like they've always been part of the game, never jarring. The expanded arsenal, the new enemies, the re-recorded voice acting and the small gameplay tweaks keep the action slick and modern without distorting it. The whole plays in up to four-player online cross-platform co-op, with two-player split screen on consoles. And for newcomers, especially those who only own a PlayStation, it's simply the best entry point the series has ever offered. On PC, early feedback praises solid performance, without the dreaded Unreal Engine 5 stutter.

What worries us: the missing multiplayer and a few snags

And this is where the shoe pinches, cruelly. Halo, for a whole generation, was as much the campaign as the multiplayer, those entire evenings battling four on a split screen. Yet Halo Campaign Evolved completely skips competitive multiplayer. The title is called Campaign Evolved, sure, but remaking Halo while amputating what defined its legacy leaves a gaping void, all the more paradoxical when you remember those hours of multiplayer on the big Xbox are precisely what feeds our nostalgia. Several reviews see it as a missed opportunity, and the frustration is real: it's like replaying your memories without the half that made them unforgettable.

The other reservations are more classic but very much present. Part of the 2001 level design shows its age and hasn't been retouched, which gives a dated feel in places that the brand-new visuals don't fully mask. Above all, the PS5 version suffers at launch from serious performance issues, with framerate drops reported on at least half the missions on base PS5, a real problem for a shooter. On top come the hassles of the always-online requirement and linking your PSN account to a Microsoft account, a source of complications. Finally, at fifty euros, while it's not the full price of current big productions, the absence of multiplayer makes the content-to-price ratio debatable for veterans who have already replayed this campaign dozens of times.

What we think so far

Halo Campaign Evolved is a gorgeous paradox. As a remake, it's a near-success: the Unreal Engine 5 overhaul is sumptuous, the faithfulness to the original's feel is exemplary, the bonus missions slot in beautifully and the action still holds up twenty-five years on, proof of Combat Evolved's timeless genius. For a newcomer, especially on PlayStation where Halo had never set foot, it's the best imaginable gateway to one of the greatest campaigns in shooter history. On that ground, the performance deserves praise without reservation.

But it's impossible to skip over what's missing, and that lack is enormous for whoever lived the series' golden age. The absence of competitive multiplayer amputates Halo of half its soul, the very one that filled our schoolkid evenings, and turns a potentially legendary package into a superb solo relic. Add the performance issues on base PS5, a level design dated in places and a debatable price for veterans, and the enthusiasm is tinged with a stubborn regret. It's a remake we warmly recommend to the curious and to newcomers, but one that day-one fans will approach with a mix of joy and bitter nostalgia. The music still resonates, magnificent, but it plays at half.

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Preview written a few days before launch, based on the review builds and early feedback.