HALO CE PC PC

It’s a classic example of a misguided remaster, believing that simply adding more modern visual effects will result in a better-looking game. The daylight and distance haze also wash out Halo’s ring, making one of the most distinctive and dramatic skyboxes in gaming barely visible. The remaster switches this out for more Earth-like daylight that nullifies this alienating effect. Halo puts green fields under your feet and a starry sky above you, which is a key element in lending Halo its alien vibe. The skyboxes suffer particularly poorly at Saber’s hand. Halo’s landscapes have a haunting, austere aesthetic to them that the Remaster loses almost completely. Upon doing this, it becomes clear that Saber’s remaster drains a huge amount of character from the original game. However, if you press TAB while playing, the game will seamlessly revert to the original graphical style. The Silent Cartographer has probably fared best in Saber’s conversion, giving the landing on the beachhead a more distinctly “tropical” vibe. I also like the gleaming new interiors of the Covenant structures such as the Truth and Reconciliation.

Seeing the verdant landscape of the Halo orbital for the first time is still a great moment after fleeing through the cramped corridors of the Pillar of Autumn.

If you never played the original Halo, and exclusively played this version in its remastered state, you’d probably think it looks quite pretty. All of this brings Halo up to the standard of a late-era Xbox 360 game (bear in mind, the remaster itself is now ten years old). It retextures the game’s levels, updates the weapon and character models to be more in-line with Halo: Reach, and introduces modern lighting effects. I’ve never been the biggest Halo fan, but having re-played it to test this version, it’s difficult to deny its credentials as an intense and rousing FPS (albeit one with some enduring problems that have not got better with age.) As for the remaster, frankly I find Saber Interactive’s visual overhaul to miss the mark quite dramatically.Ĭhiefly, Saber Interactive’s remaster updates the game in three key areas.

HALO CE PC PC

This version of Halo provides access to both the HD remaster of Halo created by Saber Interactive, and the game as it looked when it launched in 2001 (or 2003 for the PC version). The staggered release of the Master Chief Collection has finally corrected this. With the surprise launch of the Anniversary version of Halo on PC earlier this month. Since then, Halo and the PC have been estranged, with Combat Evolved never seeing a digital release on PC. It then had a brief affair with the ol’ power rectangle via a shaky Gearbox port in 2003, but the relationship soon broke down due to minimal extended support. Back in the late nineties, Halo totally promised to go out with the PC, then shacked up with the Xbox for its 2001 launch.

The original Halo has always been the flakiest of partners to the PC. Price: £6.99 Inc VAT (£29.99 for Master Chief Collection)ĭeveloper: Bungie/343 Industries/Saber Interactive

Halo ce pc