Excitement among Halo fans has been palpable for the upcoming remake of the very first game, ‘Halo: Campaign Evolved,’ especially since it marks the franchise’s debut on PlayStation 5. However, not everyone is thrilled. Jaime Griesemer, a principal designer on ‘Halo: Combat Evolved’ and lead designer for ‘Halo 2’ and ‘Halo 3,’ has publicly voiced his dissatisfaction with several modifications made for this remake.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Griesemer expressed his disappointment, specifically calling out a trailer scene where the iconic Warthog could easily bypass obstacles previously designed to prevent players from simply ‘steamrolling the Hunters.’ He stated that being able to ‘smash the crates out of the way wrecks the encounters.’ Even worse, he highlighted the addition of trees in the landing zone of the famous ‘WooHoo Jump,’ labeling it ‘Lame.’
He even tagged Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto, who, coincidentally, is a known enthusiast of the remake, posing the stark question: ‘What have they done to beloved B30?!’
In an initial tweet, Griesemer explained his original design intent: ‘You aren’t supposed to be able to take the Warthog up to steamroll the Hunters. I intentionally placed rocks in the way so you had to fight them on foot. When you can just smash the crates out of the way it wrecks the encounters. But the worst part? They put trees in the landing…’
Players quickly responded to Griesemer’s comments, noting that in the original game, it was indeed possible, though challenging, to maneuver the Warthog past these very same rock formations. Griesemer confirmed this was intentional.
He followed up with another post: ‘Yes, everybody, I know you can FORCE the Warthog through the gap in a variety of ways. I literally spent most of a day making it discouraging and difficult but not impossible. You’re welcome! 😆’
Reflecting further, Griesemer speculated that the remake’s vehicles might now take damage, making it just as likely to destroy the Warthog trying to force it over obstacles. He concluded this would actually make the situation ‘worse’ since ‘none of the vehicle tricks are going to work anymore.’
Following the initial trailer reveal, Griesemer also raised a broader question about the purpose of remaking Halo at all.
In a thought-provoking tweet, he pondered, ‘Probably not. But I’m not sure what the point is of a “remake” anyway. Nostalgia? A new generation of fans? Occupying an enormous art team while you figure out what to do?’
Interestingly, during the Halo World Championships, Halo Studios announced a significant shift: all future Halo titles, including ‘Campaign Evolved,’ will launch on PlayStation 5 alongside Xbox Series X|S and PC. Although no other specific games were revealed for the franchise’s upcoming 25th anniversary, whispers suggest a live-service Halo game could arrive in 2026. Microsoft has previously indicated that several new Halo projects are in development.
‘Halo: Campaign Evolved’ is slated for release in 2026 across Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.