Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

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"Heroes never die."

— Official tagline^[1]^[2]

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (or simply Halo: Anniversary) is a first-person shooter video game and a remake of 2001's Halo: Combat Evolved.^[3], developed by 343 Industries in collaboration with Saber Interactive and Certain Affinity. The game features remastered graphics and audio, using assets from Halo: Reach.^[3]^[4] Available with the game are seven multiplayer maps from Halo: Combat Evolved for Halo: Reach multiplayer.^[3] Anniversary is a part of 343 Industries' ten-year anniversary celebration.

Features

Frank O'Connor has stated that the game will feature "a graphics layer running on top of the exact Halo: CE physics and gameplay engine, so it feels exactly like Halo."^[5] As such, gameplay mechanics from the original game, such as the M6D pistol's three-shot kill, will all be present. The game also features an online campaign cooperative mode over Xbox LIVE. Pressing the Back button allows the player to switch seamlessly between the graphics of the original 2001 title and the 2011 remake. All non-vocal audio for the game will be re-recorded, while the original voice-acting will remain untouched.^[3] The game will feature optional Kinect features that will not affect the core gameplay experience.^[6]

Terminals will be found throughout the game, which, unlike the text-based terminals of Halo 3, contain full-motion video of monitor 343 Guilty Spark. These terminals will link the game's story to that of Halo 4.^[3]^[7] Anniversary will also have subtitles available for in-game and combat dialogue.^[8]

The game will feature skulls, including at least one that never appeared in previous Halo games and will also have achievements.

Multiplayer

Anniversary will include Halo Reach's multiplayer with six remakes and one new Firefight map. These maps will feature Forge support.^[9]

Beaver Creek remake
Damnation remake
Hang 'Em High remake
Timberland remake^[10]
Three unidentified maps

Marketing promotions

Announcement trailer

Main article: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary announcement trailer

The Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary announcement trailer was released on June 6, 2011. It showcases the differences between the original Halo: Combat Evolved and Anniversary.

Waypoint Exclusive

Main article: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Exclusive

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Exclusive is a video documentary in which various 343 Industries employees comment on the development and features of the game.^[3]

Pre-order bonuses

Customers who pre-order the game will receive a code to download John-117's Mark V MJOLNIR armor for their Avatars. Preordering the game also gives access to the "Grunt Funeral Skull", which causes Unggoy to explode like plasma grenades when killed.^[11]

Terminals teaser

Main article: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary terminals teaser

A short trailer which originally debuted during the Halo Universe panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2011. It showcases the animation used in the terminals with a narration by 04-343 Guilty Spark.^[12]

Trivia

The game was internally referred to as "Spark" during development.^[13]
According to O'Connor, John-117's abnormally proportioned helmet from the announcement trailer was being fixed prior to the trailer's release, though it was not completed in time to appear in the final E3 trailer.^[14]
Upon the release of the announcement trailer, the MA37 Assault Rifle appeared in the gameplay in place of the MA5B Assault Rifle that was identified with the original game. This has since been retconned and the original battle rifle has been restored, as the MA37 that had been identified with Halo: Reach was merely a placeholder.

Gallery

A promotional wallpaper of Halo: Anniversary.
An alternate version of the wallpaper.
Screenshot of the current menu in a demo.
Marines storm the beach on the level The Silent Cartographer.
A view of the beach on The Silent Cartographer.
Another screenshot of The Silent Cartographer.
John-117 as he appears in the announcement trailer.
An image from the redesigned level 343 Guilty Spark.
An image of the redesigned multiplayer map Damnation.
An image of the redesigned multiplayer map Beaver Creek.
CE AR.PNG

The MA5B as it currently appears in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.^[15]
Halo CE T&R.PNG

A screenshot of the redesigned level The Truth and Reconciliation.
John-117's Mark V armor, as a pre-order bonus for Xbox 360 Avatars.