Halo: Campaign Evolved’s Changes Criticized by Original Level Designer

There’s a lot of buzz about the upcoming Halo: Combat Evolved remake. People are particularly interested in the fact that Halo Studios is completely rebuilding the original game, and that it will be the first Halo title ever released on PlayStation. But some, including people who used to work on the game like Jamie Griesemer, aren’t happy with the changes being made.

Griesemer, who previously worked as a level designer—and even a design lead on Halo 2 and 3—wasn’t happy with some of the changes shown in the gameplay of ‘The Silent Cartographer.’ He specifically pointed out that the ability to drive the Warthog over obstacles to run down the Hunters wasn’t intentional. He’d deliberately placed rocks to force players to fight them on foot, and allowing players to simply destroy those obstacles ruined the planned encounter. He also wasn’t pleased with the addition of trees to the landing area of the ‘WooHoo Jump.’

Griesemer expressed strong concerns about the new ‘sprint’ feature, calling it a sign of poor design. He explained that offering it as a self-service fix indicates a lack of clear direction and a defined purpose for the tool.

He understands the development team is in a difficult position, and advised them to just focus on getting paid. He believes working on remakes and remasters is creatively draining, and feels sorry for any developer assigned to those projects. He points out that even if they succeed, they won’t receive proper recognition, making it a frustrating experience unless the financial compensation is significant.

Built using the Unreal Engine 5 and incorporating code from the original Halo, Halo: Campaign Evolved offers a four-player co-op campaign, three weapons introduced in later Halo games, and the ability to drive a Wraith vehicle. It also includes three new missions that tell a story before the events of the first game, starring Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson. The game is scheduled to release in 2026 on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC.

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2025-10-26 23:41