After 15+ years, I always believed I had finished Halo: CE on PC back in the day. After replaying it, I don't think that was ever true. My main vivid memory of playing Halo on PC were the custom multiplayer mods and maps. Playing Slayer on Hyrule Field with all of the weapons from Ocarina of Time will probably be engrained into my brain.
Regardless, my memory was at fault in regard to finishing Halo CE's campaign and after finishing it a few days ago, it's way better than I remembered. To start, the graphical upgrade thanks to the anniversary edition makes this game feel like a recent release. I also loved being able to freely toggle the anniversary graphics and the original Xbox graphics. I have a soft spot for the old graphics and, in some areas, I prefer them, but the leap in graphic fidelity is astounding.
Gameplay-wise, this classic still holds up well. Gunplay is still exciting and fluid, the pacing of the campaign is solid and never dull, and the story is pretty good sci-fi. The plot points don't tread new ground, but it sets the foundation for the later games quite well as there are multiple opportunities to expand on multiple plot points. I played the game solo on Heroic and found that difficulty perfect. I was dying a decent amount, but nothing seemed unsurmountable.
I definitely recommend putting the time into finishing the first Halo as I really enjoyed my play-though. It was really fun re-familiarizing myself with the game as well as making sure I was paying attention to the story so I could understand where it is going to go for the sequels.
Regardless, my memory was at fault in regard to finishing Halo CE's campaign and after finishing it a few days ago, it's way better than I remembered. To start, the graphical upgrade thanks to the anniversary edition makes this game feel like a recent release. I also loved being able to freely toggle the anniversary graphics and the original Xbox graphics. I have a soft spot for the old graphics and, in some areas, I prefer them, but the leap in graphic fidelity is astounding.
Gameplay-wise, this classic still holds up well. Gunplay is still exciting and fluid, the pacing of the campaign is solid and never dull, and the story is pretty good sci-fi. The plot points don't tread new ground, but it sets the foundation for the later games quite well as there are multiple opportunities to expand on multiple plot points. I played the game solo on Heroic and found that difficulty perfect. I was dying a decent amount, but nothing seemed unsurmountable.
I definitely recommend putting the time into finishing the first Halo as I really enjoyed my play-though. It was really fun re-familiarizing myself with the game as well as making sure I was paying attention to the story so I could understand where it is going to go for the sequels.