From the start, even before you buy the game, you can tell that this is not going to be a total revamp of the classic game. The game is RRP at £29.99 (in Britain at least) whereas new retail games RRP at £49.99. When the campaign begins, the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up as I was reunited with the moment when the Chief is released from the cryogenic chamber. I still get this feeling of excitement, even 10 years on.
The only criticism I have of the game early on is that to begin with there are no tutorials like you have with so many other games. Like "Press A to jump," or "RT to shoot," etc. A lot of other games do it to begin with so you are comfortable with the controls. Unless you know the game, I can imagine that it will take some time to master the controls.
Of course the graphics are the main, and only, update that 343 had made to the game. The same enemy spawns, the same difficulty and the same level designs. All the same. It's like putting on an old pair of gloves on a winters day. Fits perfectly! You can press the back button at any time (apart from during cut scenes) and see the difference between todays updated HD graphics and the graphics from 10 years ago. The difference is amazing. It looks like night and day compared to the classic graphics, which 343 were aiming for.
As I have mentioned, the start of the campaign has not lost its edge and this epic campaign has not lost its touch. Personally, I was playing the game on Heroic, which I don't think I played it on that difficulty when I was younger, and it is quite challenging at times. If you die sometimes, you have to take another route to get past certain enemies. I welcome the challenge though as not enough games these days create such a real challenge. Aside from the likes of Dark Souls. From the normal Covenant enemies to the Flood, they all pose as definite threats and the Grunts are as cute as ever. The Flood, not so much.
As developments in the campaign go, 4 player Co-op has been added and adds great teamwork into the game, which makes Legendary difficulty manageable. The element of Co-op makes the appeal to team based players all that bit more tempting. Single player is still as great as ever.
I, like many others, feel let down by the games multiplayer. Halo began the multiplayer revolution on Consoles but this has not impressed me at all. I remember Halo: ODST merely used Halo 3's multiplayer and it was just like playing Halo 3 online, instead of a new experience. Halo: CEA however, has used Halo Reach's multiplayer format and you can play the Anniversary maps with Reach players who have purchased the Anniversary Map Packs. Reach's multiplayer was okay, but nothing revolutionary. I just wish that they had stuck to the same format which made Halo: CE such a hit.
Right to the Verdict...
This new look Halo has certainly delivered what it intended to do. 343 Industries has given the classic game a new look which updates a great game for the modern era. None of the gameplay in the campaign has really changed and is as challenging as ever. Personally, I would say that this game has aged well as it does not feel out-dated with all the shooters who have made their name since 2001. The only let-down I feel is in the players competitive multiplayer option. Co-op is great, no questions asked. But competitive multiplayer is lack-lusture and doesn't WOW me enough to be a success.
8/10
Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary available now on Xbox 360
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