The first Halo game, Halo: Combat Evolved, has finally returned to Windows PCs.
On Tuesday, Halo developer 343 Industries announced that a remastered edition of the classic game is now available on Steam and the Microsoft Store. The title, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition, is on sale for $9.99, and will let you play the campaign with either the original or updated graphics.
The first Halo initially arrived on the first-generation Xbox before releasing on the Windows platform back in 2003. Since then, the Halo series has largely been an Xbox-only exclusive. But a year ago, 343 Industries announced that the games were finally arriving to Windows PCs via both Steam and the Microsoft Store.
To remaster Halo: Combat Evolved, the developer updated the 17-year-old game with 4K visuals that support 60 frames-per-second. “Players can fine-tune their experience with a vast array of options including variable frame rate, native mouse/keyboard support and the ability to rebind controls,” 343 Industries said in today’s announcement. “Additionally, we’re happy to introduce community-requested features such as the option to use ‘classic’ audio in multiplayer and improvements to Spartan customization.”
Halo: Combat Evolved is the second game in the series to get the Window transfer. 343 Industries actually first started with the prequel game, Halo: Reach, which arrived on PCs this past December. Our review gave the title a 3.5 out of 5 score for faithfully transferring the thrilling gameplay to the Windows platform. But we also took issue with the clunky menu, lack of crossplay with the Xbox One, and how it was missing a few multiplayer maps.
You can buy Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo: Reach as standalone titles on Steam and the Microsoft Store. However, 343 Industries plans on remastering the entire series for Windows PCs; the games will be sold as a bundle called the Halo: Master Chief Collection, which will go for $39.99. (Although Steam labels Halo: Combat Evolved as a DLC, 343 Industries says you can still buy and run the game as an individual title.)
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