Halo: Combat Evolved Remaster/Remake rumors

[ThreeEvening158]

Saw this news posted, thoughts? If this is true, I'm hoping it'd be a full remake rather than just slapping new graphics over the original or Anniversary.

Microsoft Reportedly Working on Halo: Combat Evolved Remaster, Considering PlayStation 5 Release - IGN

A new report form The Verge claims that Microsoft is working on a remaster for the 2001 first-person shooter Halo: Combat Evolved, with the project potentially seeing a release on PS5.

www.ign.com

 

[N8TEBB]

This is an article that references another article that appears to speculate based off what Microsoft has been doing recently. Besides the headlines, there really isn't much to go off of.

I can't find that reference in the article, but I may not have access if it's behind a paywall. From what I can see, Warren's article doesn't talk about it directly. But really, Combat Evolved is really old. I doubt they're going to try to remaster a game that already has a remaster. Truthfully I find it hard to believe that they've even kept CE relevant through the Master Chief collection. Most old games just aren't worth supporting, especially not ones with online multiplayer and such. I have my doubts that Combat Evolved will get a new release.

But let's say they DO make one, and decide to release it on playStation like this article speculates. This paragraph would accurately describe my thoughts on the matter:

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Halo is the reason people buy xBox's. It's the reason I bought one. There's no sense in doing that, so I also doubt this will happen. If anything, releasing Halo games on other console incentivizes people to buy those other consoles. Halo was ported to Windows Vista in 2007 to incentivizes people to update Windows, for example.

Even if it's a remaster of the game only released on xBox. Why remaster CE? The community has stressed time and time again that they want to Halo 3 remastered, another ODST game, more Infinite campaign, so there's no incentive to come back to a 20 year old game. Halo from 20 years ago isn't a good selling point, especially when there's so much that can be done with modern halo that would be much more relevant.

I love halo CE because it's preserved. When I play that old campaign, I use OG graphics and OG sounds. I don't use the remaster because that's not how the game was designed. Halo is the way it is because it's from a different time period. Levels and areas are constantly reused to save space. If you changed this because you have access to new hardware, you fundamentally change the story of CE. If you keep it the same, you keep the limitations of 20 years ago in a modern game. It really doesn't make sense to me to remaster the game. I hope they don't remake it.

TL;DR
I don't think they're remastering it because it just wouldn't make sense to do so. I hope they don't remaster it again.

Rant Over

 

[ThreeEvening158]

Combat Evolved is really old. I doubt they're going to try to remaster a game that already has a remaster. Truthfully I find it hard to believe that they've even kept CE relevant through the Master Chief collection. Most old games just aren't worth supporting, especially not ones with online multiplayer and such. I have my doubts that Combat Evolved will get a new release.

If they were to do it, I would prefer a full remake, similar to the new Resident Evil games (same moments but modern gameplay) as a kind of trial run for UE5 before Halo 7.

Halo is the reason people buy xBox's. It's the reason I bought one. There's no sense in doing that, so I also doubt this will happen. If anything, releasing Halo games on other console incentivizes people to buy those other consoles. Halo was ported to Windows Vista in 2007 to incentivizes people to update Windows, for example.

At this point, Xbox seems like it's moving towards a multiplatform thing anyway, with Sea of Thieves and three others moving to PS5 and Switch. Whether that's a good idea or not, I have no idea, but it seems like there's been wheels set in motion. And while I'm wary of leaks and rumors, that journalist accurately predicted which Xbox games were going multiplatform, and there have been rumors of Game Pass being Xbox's big focus rather than hardware for a while.

Even if it's a remaster of the game only released on xBox. Why remaster CE? The community has stressed time and time again that they want to Halo 3 remastered, another ODST game, more Infinite campaign, so there's no incentive to come back to a 20 year old game. Halo from 20 years ago isn't a good selling point, especially when there's so much that can be done with modern halo that would be much more relevant.

I love halo CE because it's preserved. When I play that old campaign, I use OG graphics and OG sounds. I don't use the remaster because that's not how the game was designed. Halo is the way it is because it's from a different time period. Levels and areas are constantly reused to save space. If you changed this because you have access to new hardware, you fundamentally change the story of CE. If you keep it the same, you keep the limitations of 20 years ago in a modern game. It really doesn't make sense to me to remaster the game. I hope they don't remake it.

I enjoy the original CE, but if they wanted to launch on PS5, modernizing the gameplay and artstyle would probably be more appealing to non-Halo fans as you mentioned. While Infinite has its share of problems, the art style does feel like a modern Reach/CE and the gameplay appeals to a modern audience. As to why we haven't had more ODST or 3 Anniversary, I honestly don't know. We'll see what happens with all of the rumors in due time, but I figured this would be a fun topic of discussion.

 

[rickrtickr]

My hopes for Xbox were to ditch "exclusivity" a long time ago. move away from the "console" dynamic into the PC dynamic. Provide an absolutely optimized and hard-built piece of hardware that is just a standard Windows PC. (or even a stripped down windows OS) to run Xbox Titles through their store while also granting access to the larger potential of the PC market. If my Xbox had access to Steam. I don't know that I would play much at my desk in my office rather than on my couch.

This would allow the idea of "exclusivity" to fade a bit. (which seems to be part of Microsoft's strategy anyway with day one pc/xbox/game pass releases) but also open the hardware market to people who don't want to shell out 2k for a "gaming" PC, but also get access to the Xbox library.

As to the Halo CE remake/remaster rumor... I don't know. I think there is a lot of potential to tell the same (but different) story. If they make a Halo: The Flood game. bringing in more open gameplay and integrating the untouched story from the book. but I don't think this is the Halo "revival" game that the YouTubers think it will be. there is a lot of bad blood with the greater Halo fanbase and 343 for the original remaster and how badly they screwed up the environmental storytelling. I am also worried that they would push for a "T" rating again which would remove a lot of the proper horror of the flood and the brutality that is ever present in the series at large.

I will likely get the game anyway just because I am a sucker for anything Halo. but I am not sure this will be the right step.

I am even more worried if they "alternate" the game just for the sake of telling the story differently. the last thing I want is a "red" timeline where it isn't the Chief in CE but someone else. those stories make great comics and "what ifs" but not great mainline titles.

I am as of now. cautious.