Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

It seems so long ago I was loading Halo into my original Xbox and experiencing history as it was being made. Naturally, when I heard about Halo: CE Anniversary, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy and relive the memories. Unfortunately, this version didn't exactly live up to ALL of my expectations.

On the single player side, this remake ROCKS. HD graphics, Kinect integration, 3D support, the works. Graphics aren't quite on par with the likes of Battlefield 3 or Uncharted 3, as small details such as grass/weeds in the distance begin to look a little jaggy on my 51" Samsung Plasma. There are a few bugs here and there, and the single player engine's graphics do suffer from a little framerate jutter, too, most noticable in intense combat or when turning a warthog (the Warthog seems to flicker back and forth in view). Otherwise, the presentation is great, and the gameplay is solid.

The multiplayer is where I REALLY feel let down with this. I just couldn't wait to experience Sidewinder in HD and 3D. However, I came to discover that not only is 3D NOT supported for the multiplayer, this edition doesn't even include all the maps from the original Halo. It only includes 7 popular maps, one of which is taken from Halo 2. Bummer. The multiplayer is Reach's skeleton, so no original Assault Rifle, no swapping back to old graphics, etc. Reach's player persistence is still there, though.

Overall, this release is great to experience again the Halo storyline we once played 10 years ago, or to finally experience the Halo 10 years ago some weren't even old enough to play yet. However, the nostalgia stops at the multiplayer, where it becomes obvious we're just playing a map pack for Reach. Disappointing, to say the least.

Bottom line is, if you're looking for an awesome single player remake, this is your go-to game, but if you're expecting a TOTAL Halo:CE remake, this definitely isn't it. Try a little harder, 343.

This is how it all began, & how we can relive the game that gave the Xbox its 1st Hero. We all know the Campaign was Great & the levels were challenging(especially The Library). Multiplayer was fun before and after Xbox Live was created. The Music also made the game more Memorable. All i can say is HALO will forever be in our Hearts. HALO:Combat Evolved Anniversary gets a 10 out of 10.

This is a wonderful remake of the classic Halo CE. The best part is they changed nothing, just made it look pretty. The fact that you can switch between the old graphic style, and the new one with the touch of a button is a great idea, and shows they did not mess with the game play of the original.

That being said, this is the exact same Halo we all fell in love with. Many of us played Halo CE on XBox until our eyes bled. I had many nights of 4 systems linked, and we played Blood Gulch CTF 8 on 8 until too many people passed out of exhaustion to continue.

When you go back and play a game like this, when they do an amazing job of retaining the same content, know it's going to feel the same as playing on original xbox.

I would only recommend this game for people who have a desire to go through the entire Halo CE campaign again. For people like me, I have done it way too many times at this point, and it was hard to get into it, yet again.

But that said, it is so nice to see Halo CE look so pretty.

this game was perfect back in 2001 and it still is in 2011. 343 altered some of the things to make the levels more fun. Have alot of faith in 343 for halo 4

yea the game it self is awesome as far as single player in campaign goes but in multiplayer is where it tends to look like a rip off
not only are all the maps from the old halo not on there plus you have to go through reach to get to them

Any achievement hunter like me that would like to get 1000GS on their gamerscore!!! This game is a renter!!! I got this game on a saturday and got a full 1000gs at Monday!!! it give this game a 10 becuz i like 343 industry got a game that started it all and remade it and give it life ??? Ya what ever im saying...

I personally would recomend this game because it has epic graphics and gameplay, espescially the online. i think that almost anyone who has played the original "halo: combat evolved" should play the anniversary, and even if you don't like the new graphics, you can switch back to the original veiw of the game which is also cool if you haven't played the original.

I don't say that as a bad thing either, if you go into the game simply expecting the original Halo with new graphics and incredibly updated sound (not that it was bad at all before) then you won't be let down. Expect any more and you may have a problem.

I got this for the Single player alone and in that aspect I was totally satisfied, as many have pointed out, the multiplayer was really just thrown in almost with the attitude of "it's there cause it has to be" as it is simply the Halo Reach multiplayer with a new map pack thrown in.

Bottom line, if you love the original halo and simply wished it looked less dated, then this is for you.

I knew when I put this game into my GameQ that I would be getting the original game but remastered. I love how there is Kinect involved, but this game was not how I thought it would be. When I first heard about it I was like wow ten years already? Then I got it from GameFly and I played the first mission and some of the second then I stopped because I realized that it was the same story line. I thought the new graphics compared to the old ones would be outstanding, but their not. It still looks old and outdated. Sent back the same day I got it.

To make it clear: I loved the original Halo CE for XBox. But this remake isn't up to par with the old game at all. Sure, they made the graphics better with higher resolution textures and models but to be completely honest I'm disappointed in that. While I want to play in the high rez mode, it's sluggish. I don't know if it's just my copy but the game wasn't very responsive in the campaign, always being a little bit behind on my controller commands. Bits of dialogue wouldn't load in cutscenes so I'd sit there reading the subtitles because their voices weren't there. Then the trademark of Halo, the Warthog, doesn't feel the same, and apparently is ruled by its own new physics. And all of these problems I have are remedied by changing the game back to the original Halo CE mode, but why did I pay the money to play it exactly as it was all those years ago? I'd rather just play my old copy of Halo CE. And on top of that the original has fun multiplayer, not just the multiplayer from Reach. I'm returning this and just buying the anniversary map pack for reach and when I get nostalgic, I'll just play my old copy of CE. If this is what I can expect from 343i, I don't think I'm going to have my hopes up for Halo 4.

i like it all they did is make it brighter but the first halo is my fave but it will be sent back tommrow

all halo fans this is the funiest game ever

Considering Halo is Microsoft's golden cow I was expecting A LOT more from this. It should have been a celebration of a classic and loaded with goodies for Halo fans...but instead it's just a new coat of paint on an aging game with Reach MP tacked on. The visuals do look nice for the most part, though the faces of Keys and Johnson creep me out. However the new look does little to hide the many barren corridors and rooms that remind how old this game is. Gameplay wise it's the same although some weapons/enemies felt less useful and harder to kill than I remembered. What disappointed me the most was the lack of extras. There s a gimmicky scanning thing that requires the kinect to use but who cares? The MP is just Reach with a few old maps but thats it. Honestly I felt like nostalgia was the only reason I finished it. Halo is a classic and the reason I bought a Xbox, but this felt more bittersweet than a triumphant return.

Restarting this game was a blast! this is the game that made be buy an xbox back in 2003. the graphics look WAY better, and you can even toggle between the classic graphics and new ones to see what the game used to look like. However, after hours of playing through the campaign, the game gets awful. Its still an old game with a bad plot and poor levels. countless hours of running through the same corridors everywhere. the flood is just the worst part of the game and it never stops. overall, a heartwarming memory, but don't have high expectations.

I feel as though that it would be better served as DLC instead, i wasn't impressed with the game itself, all it really was, was older maps remastered and put ontop of the reach gameplay for mutiplayer. I did like the fact you could download Halo: Waypoint for free though.

I was not impressed with the small changes made to a classic game and was only slightly intrigued by the fact that you can switch between the graphics by simply pressing the BACK button but that was not enough for the long initial loading time for the campaign and the multiplayer was more like another edition of reach not the original multiplayer from the original halo.

nostalgia is the only thing that keeps this game going, but then when you wake up and realize that games have come a long way in ten years you can move right along and play anything else. with the halo movement being over hyped for years it is finally good to see something that you can officially say is bad.

i guess the game is alright, was honestly disappointed with the game overall however i dont think very highly of the remake though i have very fond memory's of the original version which is possibly the reason for the ultimate disappointment of this remake graphics are not that much improved, multiplayer was just reach, no other real bonuses, all and all not that fun for me

Halo combat evolved anniversary was not at all what i had in mined. The graphics suck. And nothing is the same. The maps are similar; but not the same. In fact they hardly remind me of halo 1. If it wasn't called halo anniversary I wouldn't be able to tell. The guns are way different. Ya its ok to add new guns. But not only did you add new guns. There were almost none of the old ones. Plus the ones that were still there were changed to a dramatic level. I cant even call it Halo anniversary. Id rather call it halo reach2.

this game is very boring

how could you not give this a ten this where it all began this is the meaning of xbox not all of these other new games and stuff i dont see how someone has a xbox and doesnt have halo halo is a must get gam hands down im sorry.

No forge. Old multiplayer maps not included. enough said.

i would have expected more in this game it is almost the same as halo reach. nothing new i wanted at least the spike grenade. they didn't bring anything back from the original halo. the game is like a puzzle where you need to find everything yourself. matchmaking,forge in this game is the same as halo reach.

Wasnt the greatest game of Halo. Thought it would be way better then it was. Halo Reach still is my favorite of them all.