Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary | Review

 
By: Ryan Seiler

Originally posted at Project-Blu.com on September 4, 2011

It’s fair to say (at least for Xbox fans) that Halo has been one of the most influential games of the past decade. To commemorate Halo’s tenth anniversary (and to make everyone feel old), Microsoft and 343 Industries have made Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary; an exact level for level, word for word remake of the 2001 classic. Halo has always been one of my favorite games, so when I heard about a possible remake I was understandably apprehensive. Big companies don’t have a good track record of remaking or revisiting their big franchises once those franchises leave their original creators’ hands. Thankfully, though, having immersed myself in the final product, I can say it’s clear that everyone involved in the process had the same apprehensions when it came to the care and attention to detail a Halo remake would require.

Story

Halo has always had a complicated backstory tied into a simple, “shoot the aliens, save the universe” package. Never has that been more clear than after a decade of expanded universe novels, comics, movies and spin-off games building off of one game and then going back and adding to the original to tie up loose ends. So many that Halo encyclopedias have been issued just to maintain order in the series.

The story of Halo starts when The Pillar of Autumn, an enormous human-operated space vessel, manages to evade a unified coalition of alien races dubbed The Covenant and winds up on the doorstep of a massive alien ring: Halo. Upon crash landing on the ring, the armored protagonist of the series, Master Chief, accompanied by the ever-helpful, quick-witted A.I., Cortana, fight to survive Covenant attacks while simultaneously uncovering the dark secrets locked within the ancient alien ring.

In the Anniversary release, the only addition to the original story comes in the form of terminals. Much like Halo 3, the new Combat Evolved terminals are scattered throughout the campaign, each one hidden in its own respective level. Whenever you see a flashing red or yellow light, chances are that it contains a carefully crafted CGI motion-comic cut scene that offers insight into the distant past of the Halo universe and other unexpected treats. For the most part, these short animated sequences tell the back story of 343 Guilty Spark, the main antagonist of the Halo trilogy, while  one amazing terminal --Spolier Alert-- fills in what happened to Captain Keyes after he was captured by the Flood, all the way up until the Master Chief finds Keyes’ mutated carcass aboard a derelict Covenant ship.

Story 9/10

Gameplay

Aside from the overhauled graphics, an updated soundtrack, and the addition of terminals, nothing else has been altered. The grunts still take one shot to the head before collapsing to the ground with a bounce, the warthog still fishtails as if the Halo ring were made of Teflon and, of course, the pistol is the only weapon that seems to have had 500 years of technological advancements applied to it. You really get the sense that you are playing the same game as you did in 2001 and, well, that’s because you are. Halo: CE Anniversary actively runs two games at once, and it’s one of the most profound innovations featured in the remake. With the simple push of the Back button, players can switch between the original 2001 and the new 2011 versions of the game. You will find yourself constantly flipping back and forth between new and old to see the staggering amount of change that has occurred and to see the graphics we were all so amazed at ten years ago put to shame. Luckily many repetitive levels have been tweaked with details, textures and subtle lighting cues to make navigating trickier levels a bit easier. I’m talking to you Library level!

The addition of seven classic maps for multiplayer is a welcome sight as well. Many old favorites like Hang ‘em High and Headlong have returned, complete with some well-executed Halo Reach tweaks. You can access multiplayer from the Halo: CE Anniversary disc, but you can only use the new maps. This was a let-down for me after Halo 3 ODST had a very similar set-up (allowing you to play all Halo 3 maps without the need for the actual Halo 3 disc).343 Industries definitely seemed to understand (or is just hoping) that most people who buy the game already own Halo Reach as a code is included that allows players to download the maps for Halo Reach’s multiplayer suite.

Unfortunately, the addition of Kinect functionality seems like a bit of a Microsoft cash-in and it shows. With your Kinect activated, you can scream commands like “Grenade!” and watch in dismay as the Master Chief takes a second, thinks it over, and then lobs a grenade at whatever you’re looking at; usually missing your enemy due to the lag. You can also say “Reload!” And if your Kinect sensor decides to acknowledge your request, you’ll reload. The only real perk to taking advantage of Kinect functionality is the added ability to scan enemies, weapons, vehicles and other elements a la Metroid Prime. But, again, barking “Analyze!’’ at your TV tends to result in nothing happening, meaning many gamers will be left screaming nothing but profanities at their television.

Gameplay 8/10

Presentation

While the graphics of Halo: CE still hold up pretty well today, it is a welcomed sight to see the old familiar arch in the sky rendered in high definition. Since the main draw of the game is simply to go back and explore an old favorite through a new lens, it is understandably amazing. If you’re a Halo fan, that is. The graphics are decent and look nice enough, but they aren’t anything to write home about.I was expecting Halo Reach-quality graphics with newly rendered environments and enemies. But while there are Halo Reach-esque renders (marines, weapons, vehicles), they seem out of place. The world created by 343 industries can sometimes clash with the aesthetics passed down by Bungie. Sometimes it’s due to a vibrant new color palette (Reach had a more suppressed tone), and sometimes it’s due to the fact that some textures retain their 2001 polygon count. That may sound horrible in a 2011 game, but it plays an important role in keeping the classic view steady. Most low polygon renders are at ground level so that the gameplay between the two versions of the game are kept the same. Luckily, the textures in these areas are on par with today’s standards and help break up some of the sharper angles. Again, the color palette has been altered from its original cool greys, blues and greens to make room for more warm colors like reds oranges and vibrant purples. I also noticed a number of inconsistencies in the on-screen models. Some models seem ripped straight from Halo 3 (the flood-infected forms and pelican pilots), and it’s all the more apparent when they’re standing next to a newly rendered model like the human/flood hybrid. The years of age and change become instantly visible.

I highly recommend that you install this title onto your Xbox 360 hard drive. Prior to installation, I noticed frame rate errors as well as synchronation disparities between voice acting and lip movement. Running two games simultaneously from the disc seems to really take its toll on the poor 360’s processor. After installation, though, the game runs beautifully. That is assuming your hard drive has the necessary space.

The new fully orchestral soundtrack is on par with recent Halo entries, and 343 industries has clearly been paying attention to Marty O’Donnell’s work in past games. While the old, now classic soundtrack had more of a techno synthetic feel that reflected the technological surroundings and overall retro space action tone the game set out for, the new soundtrack, with its new colorful take on memorable tracks, drives home the notion that Halo is under new management and they know what they’re doing.

All new foley and voice acting performances have been expertly recorded to bring the sound quality up to 2011 standards. Every bullet fired, step taken, and grunt run over (“mowed down” maybe?) has been re-recorded to take full advantage of your home theater’s capabilities. Staying true to the saying “don’t mess with perfection,” the same voice actors from ten years past have taken up their roles once more. Captain Keyes is still the demanding authority figure, Cortana is still the sassy voice of reason, and Sargent Johnson still knows how to bark out orders at his bewildered marines. Sadly, some voice actors (Cortana in particular) don’t seem to be nearly as enthusiastic as they were in their original 2001 casting when it comes to tense scenes and energetic dialogue, and it can leave some scenes dull in comparison. Whether this should be attributed to the actress or 343’s vocal performance director is anyone’s guess. Perhaps they wanted to change the tone of her character based on later events that transpire in the saga; or perhaps she just decided to phone it in.

What Halo fan hasn’t stormed the beach on “The Silent Cartographer” or gone on a genocidal tank shooting spree on “Assault on the Control Room” a thousand times? The game alone screams for a second go-round, especially with its four difficulty levels and addictive gameplay. And the addition of skulls and terminals in each level will entice any collectable hunters out there.  Of course there’s also the new retro-fitted multiplayer suite. The addition of classic maps should add hours of online gametime for any Halo Reach multiplayer fan.

Presentation 7/10

Overall

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is well thought out, but ultimately a roughly polished game. Many components like switching to classic view are a welcomed addition to the franchise and add to its classic fan-friendly feel. The problems come when you engage a Kinect sensor or look close enough to see the small inconsistencies that will inevitably distract hardcore gamers. Still, the first class shooter gameplay works as well today as it did in 2001, making this game well worth its price and is a great addition to any Halo fan’s collection.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary 8/10

Game Info
Platform: Xbox 360
ESRB: M
PEGI: 16
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: 343 Industries
Release Date: November 15, 2011