Halo: Combat Evolved revolutionized the first person shooter genre when it launched with the Xbox back in 2001. Now, a full decade later, Microsoft is bringing the experience to the Xbox 360 with an anniversary edition that goes above and beyond the other remasters and ports that are being released these days. Sure, there are a number of other fantastic titles coming to the Xbox this year with games like Gears 3, Forza 4 and Skyrim on the horizon... so why am I more excited for a game that is essentially ten years-old? Well here are five reasons for you.
5. Nostalgia - Come on, who doesn't like taking a trip down memory lane every so often. Halo: CE's responsive and intuitive controls provided an unparalleled first person shooter experience on consoles, and one that sucked me in day one. This was the reason to buy an Xbox back in the day and remains to be one of the only franchises tying me to Microsoft's console. The true beauty of Combat Evolved is the fact that the gameplay still holds up with the shooters of today. Often times games don't tend to age that well, but the original Halo is one heck of an exception. Plus, the fact that 343 isn't tweaking the single player at all from a gameplay perspective is a fantastic gift to fans and a testament to the quality of the controls.
4. A Fresh Coat of Paint - While the gameplay itself will remain untouched, the graphics have received quite an overhaul. With crisp, clean high definition visuals, the universe of Halo really pops, and I'm incredibly excited to relive all of the campaign's epic moments in glorious HD. From overhauled water and lighting effects to vibrantly colored landscapes, this remaster is the full realization of what I was forced to imagine when playing the original ten years ago.
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