Plenty of controversy has surrounded Halo: Campaign Evolved ever since it was announced, mainly for how the remake changes so much from the original Combat Evolved. Veteran fans have been upset about how different the remake is, from redesigned mission levels to the inclusion of weapons and mechanics from later Halo games, such as sprinting. However, as more details surrounding the game are revealed, specific settings might give every type of fan exactly what they want.
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Skulls are a storied feature in Halo games, providing big modifiers to gameplay to make campaign missions harder for players. The infamous “Legendary All Skulls On” or “LASO” challenge is often considered the hardest task a Halo player can accomplish, especially in older titles like Combat Evolved or Halo 2. That being said, Skulls have grown into more than just extra difficulty settings you unlock, providing other tweaks to your settings that let you craft a personalized adventure.
Campaign Evolved Allows Players To Modify Their Gameplay Through 42 Unique Skull Modifiers
Unlocked when you find them naturally as physical objects in Halo: Campaign Evolved‘s mission levels, there are 42 different Skulls that change the remake’s gameplay. This is by far the most number of Skulls in a single Halo game, and roughly equivalent to 37% of the total amount of Skulls present throughout the entire franchise. Several were shown off during the “Play Your Way” trailer for Campaign Evolved, giving examples of which Skulls players might use the most.
Skulls range from absurd modifiers to bonus perks and tougher challenge settings, transforming your Halo: Campaign Evolved experience into whatever you desire. Like past Halo games, you can activate as many Skulls as you want during a mission, tweaking your campaign little by little. Some of the Skulls revealed for Campaign Evolved include:
- Grunt Birthday Party – Grunt headshots produce legendary celebrations.
- Bandana – Infinite ammo and grenades.
- Floor is Lava – Take continuous damage whenever touching the ground.
- Boom – Explosion radius is far bigger.
- Cowbell – Mass of all objects is reduced.
- Catch – Enemies throw and drop more grenades.
- Grunt Funeral – Grunts die in a blaze of plasma.
- Acrophobia – Sniper rifles now come with wings.
- Perspective – Changes the player camera to third-person.
- Magnified – Assault Rifles now hold traditional 60-round magazines.
- Speed Limit – Disables sprint mechanic.
- Hip Fire – All weapon zoom functionality is disabled.
- Endurance Spec – UNSC vehicles cannot be damaged.
- Stowed Reload – Weapons reload when stowed.
- Iron – Dying in co-op resets you to your last checkpoint. Dying when solo restarts the level.
Some of these Skulls should be familiar to Halo fans, but there are plenty of new ones to explore as well. Considering that there are new prequel missions in Halo: Campaign Evolved to experiment with every Skull too, playing on LASO might be one of the most chaotic FPS experiences out there. In many ways, the Campaign Evolved Skulls provides new innovations to the series, while also managing to preserve the franchise’s legacy at the same time.
Some Skulls Add Never-Before-Seen Perspectives Or Bring Back Classic Mechanics
The third-person mode Skull may be one of the most game-changing modifiers players can select, clearly shifting the player perspective of the FPS in a way that’s never been done in the series. Similar to Gears of War, the Perspective Skull puts players in a view close to the spectator camera used in multiplayer modes of Halo‘s past games. Other new Skulls provide perspective in different ways, such as the Acrophobia Skull allowing you to fly to higher locations on a map more than you ever could in the original Combat Evolved to view a level’s design.
Alternatively, players who are frustrated with the constant changes in Campaign Evolved can alleviate their concerns by activating certain Skulls. For example, turning on the Magnified, Hip Fire, Speed Limit, and Endurance Spec mod essentially transforms the remake back into Combat Evolved. Assault Rifles will regain their original ammo count, sprint no longer exists, and other modifiers bring back classic features by disabling mechanics exclusive to the remake. Although the level design is still changed, this could be the authentic Combat Evolved experience diehard Halo fans have been asking for.
Remix Mode Offers Players Variety & Replayability To Every Mission
Experiencing Skulls doesn’t always have to be through player choice, though, as Remix mode offers even greater variety in Campaign Evolved‘s mission selection. A Remix playlist of different levels will select random Skulls to modify your game, giving you a unpredictable medley of changes to adapt to on the fly. This adds some replayability to familiar missions, granting variety through the strange mixing and matching of seemingly unrelated Skulls together.
With 42 different Skulls to pair in unique ways, Remix mode will be great for players looking to branch out from their personalized settings. Although they might take some time to unlock, having every Skull is necessary for players looking to 100% complete the remake. As a result, getting each Skull is a way for players to find the solution to their complaints about Halo: Campaign Evolved, changing the remake’s gameplay into something they always wanted.
What do you think about the variety of Skull modifiers in Halo: Campaign Evolved? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
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