The third-person mode in which the campaign is developed is not as bad as you might think

As far as I'm concerned, Halo: Campaign Evolved is wiping the floor with 2011's terribly polarizing Combat Evolved: Anniversary.. While that version of the classic shooter played well and looked in line with the top of the line graphics of the era, it remained too different in a completely broken direction for many. It fundamentally misunderstands its long-forgotten architectural nuances and doesn't need every environment to be filled with detail.

Don't get me wrong, Campaign Evolved is still packed with more details amid its much improved graphical offerings, but all of that complements the original art direction rather than butchers it. The vast beaches of The Silent Cartographer are now covered in piles of rocks as incoming waves wash into the sand, all of which affect the movement and physics of Master Chief's Warthog. But these changes feel more like extensions of an initial creative vision than attempts to connect artistic dots that weren't present to begin with.

Halo Studios has done a killer job reviving this masterpiece so far in Unreal Engine 5, though I have yet to get hands-on with it myself. However, players are concerned about the fact that you can now play through the entire campaign from a third-person perspective using an unlockable skull. But why? Halo has been doing this kind of thing for decades.

Why can you play through Halo: The Evolved Campaign in third-person?

The main reason this mod exists is… because it's fun? I really don't know what else to say if the third-person camera is only unlockable to potentially encourage replay value between casual and hardcore players, nothing changes the premise.

When the Halo game first arrived on the PlayStation, along with Campaign Evolved, jokes were made that the camera system would make it feel like other first-party exclusives available on the console. An over-the-shoulder perspective that is largely predictable? Sure sounds like Sony to me! Jokes aside, I'll definitely be taking this mod for a spin next month.

Halo has been experimenting with different perspectives for its entire history. Vehicles are always driven or piloted in third-person because they provide a better view of the larger levels and also make it clear how much chaos is going on around you.Forcing it into first-person for the sake of stability just feels awful to play the game, let alone the motion sickness it can bring. Halo is always clever when it decides to switch perspective in service of gameplay.

Can you imagine running a warthog in first person? I can't make it past the first ramp. Sorry Chief, we're not getting out of this.

Halo is always experimenting with different perspectives

Third-person combat in Halo: The Campaign evolved

I've already talked about how fantastically rendered the vehicles are, but I like how Halo 3 introduced a lot of heavy weapons that can only be used from a third-person perspective. The Chief could tear the turrets from their resting place and use them to destroy hordes of enemies, while the large rocket launchers could take out both ground and air vehicles with ease. The fact that the character could carry these things around made you feel powerful, and the temporary ammo supply meant that the power fantasy was often fleeting.

Hearing the crunch of giant arms and then pulling out the camera to reveal the Chief's massive frame immediately grinning like an idiot will never get old. Moments like this don't just work in first person, and Campaign Evolved is extending that feeling to the entire game. Don't get me wrong, I suspect that the level design of some of the stages would hit a lot harder when viewed from third-person, but that doesn't mean they aren't playable. Several bespoke animations have been put in place to ensure key moves with enough grace.

Skulls have always been a wonderful part of every Halo game, and I'm glad to see a campaign evolve that pushes this mechanic to its very limits with new additions that change the way the entire game is played. It might include some nice bonuses and call it a day, but one moves forward, reinventing the entire campaign to play from a new vantage point. It might not be for you, and if it isn't, pretend it doesn't exist.