Halo: Campaign Evolved officially launched earlier this week on PC, giving players their first look at the franchise running on Unreal Engine. Alongside a secret ending that hints at a potential Halo 2 remake, the community has immediately taken to modifying the game's foundation to add absurd additions, total visual overhauls, and quality-of-life upgrades.
Quick Facts
- Platform: PC
- Engine: Unreal Engine
- Key Feature: Secret ending cutscene suggests a Halo 2 remake is on the way
- Where to find mods: NexusMods
Playable Character and Cosmetic Mods
It's a rite of passage for major PC releases to feature a playable Carl Johnson mod, and Halo: Campaign Evolved is no exception. Players can swap out Master Chief for CJ from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, resulting in the comical sight of a regular man in a tank top and jeans fighting sci-fi aliens.
If CJ isn't your style, other character mods let you step into the shoes of Iron Man, Brutes, or custom Spartans. While default gameplay locks you into a first-person perspective where you only see your character's hands, finding the right skull modifier enables a third-person POV that pairs well with these character swaps.
Gameplay Tweaks and Quality-of-Life Additions
Beyond cosmetic changes, modders have introduced substantial alterations to how the game plays. Visual modifications range from realistic graphics overhauls to a complete downgrade mimicking PS1-era visuals, alongside a dynamic day/night cycle.
On the gameplay front, creators have added new weapons, tweaked existing firearms to match other entries in the franchise, and brought the jetpack from Halo: Reach into the mix. Additionally, while PC players miss out on native split-screen found on consoles, a community mod has stepped in to restore split-screen functionality on PC. Players looking to try out these enhancements can browse the growing library on NexusMods.