343 Industries remaster the very first Halo with a toggle between the original visuals and the HD version, a brilliant way to measure the work done. The campaign remains a peak of structure and music, and Master Chief has lost none of his aura.
First-person shooter by 343 Industries and Microsoft, November 2011. Master Chief and Cortana relive the founding Halo saga story with fully remastered graphics. HD campaign side-by-side with original, narrative Terminals and Skulls mode. Halo 10th anniversary revisit.
Halo - Combat Evolved Anniversary review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Epic science fiction with grandiose landscapes, a majestic orbital ring and careful light: the game unfurls a universe of remarkable coherence and breadth. The design of the Covenant and the extraterrestrial architecture compose an iconic vision of the future. This art direction, vast and inspired, defines the modern science-fiction FPS.
Signed by Martin O'Donnell, the music blends Gregorian chant, epic orchestra and rock guitars in an anthem that became instantly iconic. The famous Halo theme, at once sacred and martial, galvanises every mission with a rare grandeur. This sonic breadth, emblematic of the saga, remains one of the most recognisable in video games.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The remaster of the saga's founding FPS, where you play the Master Chief in a sci-fi epic blending snappy shooting, vehicles and exploration. The joy of alternating weapons, driving a Warthog and facing the Covenant stays intact, elevated by a polished graphical overhaul. Spectacular, generous and masterful, a cult shooter to (re)discover, ideal in co-op.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Weaving between tense firefights, vehicle runs and wide-open spaces where each approach reinvents itself builds shooting of exemplary clarity that multiplayer extends without end. Uncovering the story and climbing the online ranks keeps the urge alive. A few stretches repeat, but the flawless balance of its arsenal and the intensity of its arenas hold on tenaciously.
North American (NTSC-U) edition of the remaster of the first Halo for its tenth anniversary, modernizing the founding Xbox FPS while letting players switch between original and HD rendering. Printed widely in North America, it stays accessible but holds steady demand from saga fans. Its desirability lies in this status as a commemorative version of a founding classic rather than manufacturing scarcity.
Better with friends
A pillar of console shooting, whose campaign plays out four-player in co-op and whose competitive arenas defined the genre for a whole generation. The competition rests on power-weapon control, mastered jumps and team communication, readable and deep at once. Local split-screen backs up an online with uncertain servers, making evenings a joyful blend of mutual aid and rivalry.
Is Halo - Combat Evolved Anniversary still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2011 on Xbox 360, this anniversary remaster by 343 Industries and Saber Interactive revives Bungie's founding Halo with an instant toggle between original and modernised graphics, a brilliant idea to gauge the work done. The balanced sandbox shooting, the vehicles and the mythic campaign structure stay formidably effective. A few maze like levels betray their design age. But the essence of the game remains exemplary. For fans of console shooters and the curious about the work that launched the legend, this version keeps a major appeal today.
