A graphic comparison of the new PC release of Halo: Combat Evolved in the Master Chief Collection to the original 2003 PC release of Halo: Combat Evolved. #Halo #Comparison #PC
Thanks for tuning in everyone! Quick corrections - It's "Captain Keyes" not commander. It appears chief's armor being invisible in the cryo-pod is a bug. I swapped back and forth but the armor never appeared on my end. Looks like the NPCs on board the Pillar have randomized faces. Therefore the only real difference between the original PC port and the MCC classic visuals is the lighting during some of the cutscenes (you can see this in the screen I captured of Keyes talking on the bridge)
Nick930 make sure you include the pre release footage of Halo from 1996, 97, 98 and 99... Also I thought it also be worth mentioning when talking about the choices made by 343i for the remastered version aren’t actually all 343i doing. As it was a Russian Studio that actually remastered the first game back in 2011 so it was actually them who chose to use Reach’s character models such as Cpt. Keys and the elites, grunts, marines etc, also at one point the assault rifle and magnum in the game was the same models used in Reach, but they decided to change this and put Halo 3s Assault Rifle and Magnum in place instead. I believe this was all done to cut corners and as well keep a bit of continuity between there last game set just before Halo 1 and Halo 1 its self, as it does seem odd that there are totally different models for each game set seconds apart from each other...
I think for Captain Keys, it looks like they’ve gone for a similar design to what Bungie gave him in Reach, probably for continuity, seeing as this is the release straight after reach
@@Nick930 For some reason Keyes in Reach actually looks better than CE:A's Keyes, even though it's the same exact model. i.ytimg.com/vi/kkSTrrS-Bh4/maxresdefault.jpg
This is going to come off as extremely pedantic, But i always felt like the bridge on map 2 was never suppose to be a bridge. Halo was an alien structure through and through and we simply don't understand how it works. Giant underground complexes, sprawling surface pylons, metal bars connecting landmasses. Turning that first piece of manmade architecture we see into something we understand as a bridge there to be traversed removes a lot of the mystery you got when you first landed on halo. You're walking across this metal pipe clearly meant for some other purpose we don't know the reason for.
I remember as a kid I was always afraid I would slide off or something as I walked across that bridge. Also spent lots of time goofing around trying to get to the lower pipe.
It's also brought more into question when you see that there's ANOTHER ONE right below which is actually useless for travel. If I had to guess, I'd say it's more of a forerunner support beam to keep the cliffs from crumbling? Maybe it's happened before and they built it for precaution, and it just so happens to make a pretty good bridge? I know that might sap away some of the mystery too, but its just my two cents.
@@DarklyBigNozerz Very good point, there is a second beam right below, we have no idea if the beams continue into the mountain and are part of a larger structure, or that they're hollow and might be pipes or housing electrical wires or something. I think the only thing we can say for certain is that neither of them were constructed to be a bridge of any kind.
It was a few days ago so I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure Chief's body was also present in the PC version when I've played it but don't quote me on that
I think the best part of the remaster is that you can actually switch between versions on a fly by pressing tab button. I've never played CE before, so it allows me both to get familiar with the original and to apreciate the changes even more.
Best way to experience the Halo Games: 1) Play through the originals first with no Anniversary graphics to get that authentic and nostalgic experience. 2) After completing your initial run on the original graphics, play on the Anniversary graphics and see your favourite levels brought to a new light.
it's a shame that Halo CE is polluted on internet in its reputation by fanboys who act like the psychotic lady of Steph King's Misery. the original graphics are as good as the anniv ones. they both have their flaws and advantages.
I always loved CEA's artstyle the most. To me it's the perfect artstyle for Halo because it combined all aspects from all of Bungie's Halo games into one. You get the militaristic Feel and look from Reach but also the bright and vibrant look from Halo 2 and 3.
For those same reasons, I hate it. I love Halo CE and always have but the anniversary version completely gets rid of everything I loved about how that game looks and feels. It feels like Halo CE wasn't remastered but instead was made to look like all the others
@@TheDuckGamer47 I agree to some extent, Halo CE did have a unique and original look compared to the other games. I don't think CEA is superior by any means but I personally prefer it's look overall compared to the other games. To each their own, I understand why you like the look of the original CE, it's unique and cool!
So I do agree chief's helmet does not look as good, it looked more angular and cool in the original Cortana's model is the same from Halo 3 Captain Keye's model is not a stray from the design made by Bungie, because the same model is used at the end of halo Reach, which was made by Bungie. Granted the Captain keyes in Halo Reach does look better than the version used in CE Anniversary
@@odstkefro3343 no he was talking the Anniversary model which is basically the Reach one albeit kinda weird,the one your talking about was Classic model where gearbox somehow got Keyes' beta model instead of the Xbox launch day one
The holograms behind keyes are also rasterised in the Anniversary version - this means that they look pixelated. As opposed to CE's which are perfect because I assume they are vector based.
It especially ruins the later levels of the game featuring the Flood, which he didn't seem to play at all for the video. The lighting changes in those levels pretty much kill the horror atmosphere of the Flood fights.
I was impressed at HCEA's new graphics, music, SFX and the added features like skulls and terminals. I still 100% rather play the original halo combat evolved than classic graphics in HCEA because the PC port was devolved from the Xbox version thanks to Gearbox Software.
Halo combat evolved was epic back in the day, remember the first time playing it and being blown away by the graphics - just recently installed master cheif collection on my pc and abosoultly loving it - the humour is brillant:)
Yeah the models in the first (2011) remake were mostly Reach assets, which presumably saved a ton of time so that it could be released on the 10 year anniversary and also serve as an MP expansion for Reach. H:CEA served as a shakedown run for the newly formed 343 as they prepared to take over the Halo franchise, and there wasn't enough time for this new team to fully remake the game, as they went on to do with H2A. That being said, Keyes' updated Benjamin Button look was 100% Bungie's fault. Now that H2A exists, those new models should be used to rework H:CEA into a true remake, as they are true to the original covenant designs from the first two games.
To clarify, 343 Industries did not develop either Combat Evolved Anniversary or Halo 2 Anniversary. They were only overseers of the project. The actual developer was Saber Interactive.
Keyes definitely didn't look quite like that in Reach, so not sure how Bungie is to blame. He looks so wonky in CEA because of the modifications Saber made to him, and the rest of the reused assets from Reach.
The lighting just felt so wrong to me with the remaster graphics. Nice textures? Sure. But not every darkened corner is now insanely bright. The Library level was the worst for this. The dimly lit original, with flood pouring out of every dark crevice was amazing. With the new graphics, that level is very bright and kills the tension.
@@dexter2178 You cant just lower gamma and expect that to fix anything. All that does is make the game too dark in areas where its meant to be dark and bright areas look worst. The only way to fix it is with a reshade mod that dynamically alters the lighting in different parts of the game.
the ship brightness could be passable since its a ship but the library was worst. even i madly support remakes/remasters over originals but not in this version.
When it comes to the plasma sfx, the new variant sounds like it's reducing for what it was previously compensating for in the original sound. Like it's matching the sound to it's power, rather than the other way around.
You mean that they made them sound less powerful so it matches the gun more? I agree, I don’t like that either. The human weapons sound better to me though.
Indeed. Looking back at it, the way I put it originally does vaguely imply of what you pointed out. Probably be best to do a slight edit in order that it can be easier to interpret what I mean.
is the bump-mapping in classic mode still broken? In the original PC release, walls and floors failed to show any bump mapping unless you shine your flashlight on it. What about the Jackals shield? On the original Xbox, they would change color to indicate their state. However, on PC, they stayed blue until they're broken. Did the MCC fix this?
@phobos It can be fixed because modders already mostly fixed CE on pc and 343 has all the fucking source code, money and resources they need to tackle the problem.
Chief's helmet in MCC CE is the updated model for the Mark V helmet used in Halo 3 and beyond. It was likely changed for continuity reasons, like Keyes' model.
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I felt like they made all these changes so it make sense when you play MCC in a chronological order.
@Shallex Yes but the whole Halo Bungie Saga was complete by the time the CE Remaster was released. CEA combined Halo Reach's artstyle and Halo 2/3's for consistency.
@@anthonymendez5768 and then you played halo 2 and went back to 2004 graphics and now you play halo 3 and go from xbox one graphics in 2 to 360 graphics in 3
@@desertcat6719 Halo 2 has a remaster so it'll look good playing it after CEA. Halo 3 doesn't have one yet (I'm sure it'll be remastered soon) but it still looks pretty good nowadays even though the game is a decade old. The whole Bungie Saga can be played with modern graphics and a consistent artstyle now thanks to the MCC.
I went and rewatched the original Anniversary trailer... Good god. Also the Halo Reach style model they had for assault rifle was trash, I'm so glad they changed it to the classic look.
Just finished the campaign last night. CE is a timeless evergreen masterpiece. I loved playing with the new graphics. It was nice seeing it fall in line with the rest of the series in regards to art style.
Exactly, imagine trying to play the story in chronological order and going from halo reach straight to Halo CE classic. New fans would STRUGGLE. The anniversary graphics do what they're supposed to, tie all the games together and keep them consistent. This is a blessing for new fans
It still amazes me what Bungie was able to accomplish with Halo: Combat Evolved when you figure in how they had to rush development so much to meet the Xbox's release date. I remember reading an interview in the Official Xbox Magazine (the issue with Kakuto Chojin on the cover; I had to look up the name) where they said that the first Halo was like building a cathedral in a hurricane. They cut so much out of the first Halo - and copy/pasted the rest - that it's amazing that it ended up being the great game it was. Knowing that, I can forgive the repetitive levels because they literally didn't have the time to get too complicated with it. I think that's why Silent Cartographer is the most unique of the maps in that it's the least repetitive; if I remember correctly, it was one of the earliest maps they worked on.
Roc I’m glad I’m not the only person who feels this way, I’ve been playing through Halo CE this past week and every time I switch the visuals to the remaster I instantly notice how much it changes the atmosphere and tone of the game, it just feels off and I much prefer the classic look.
@@josiahsuarez5415 - Yeah the updated visuals are too... bright and sterile? I don't know, it feels like everything is a cheap plastic toy. I'll admit sometimes I'll still use them briefly when the original graphics are too dark (because I'm too lazy to just go into the options and change the brightness I guess), but for the most part I play the original. The graphics are a little dated, sure, but overall they still hold up, they're nostalgic for me, and the gameplay is all there.
If "straying too far" means giving the game better overall lighting and visual contrast im fine with that. If you want to play the game as it was just play the original game.
I would take a look at how the guns behave. I know you covered the needler, but the magnum also changed. It has bloom now when shot quickly which wasn't in the original, which is why it was so powerful.
Josh derp it’s an opinion deal with it, Personally I find the anniversary edition needlessly ‘busy’ too many unnecessary additions to map textures and changes to lighting that distracts and changes the mood of the game.
Same here, the original had alot better atmosphere and art direction. It felt like something you would see in a Sci-Fi setting from the 60s-80s era. The marines being a perfect example with their rustic iconic armor instead of the boring generic looking soldier types that could belong to literally anything released during 2010 and above. I would say Anniversery was just being made for kids who's like "ReMaKe BeTtEr BeCaUsE oRiGiNaL sUcKs" and earn some quick bucks while taking some of the prettier assets from the previous games that was still good looking for it's time. People seem to forget Bungie had NOTHING to do with the remaster... But yeah I guess everyone has their own opinion afterall, but for me personally it's always atmosphere over graphics anyday.
@@musslan3712 Yup, you can change between the new and the old (even the sounds). It also works ingame just by pressing TAB so you can shift between them and it takes less then a second to immediately see the changes.
I wish they would re-remaster this properly, there's many things in the new graphics I can't stand. The brightness of the 343 guilty spark level annoys me most, the original graphics make it feel so claustrophobic and dingy but this is totally lost in the remaster to show off the new lighting.
I agree with many aspects of comparisons shown of detail and changes made. The only thing I want to point out is that you probably should have left frame rate capped at 30 fps for the Gearbox release because the game looks quite choppy during the animations, which is most noticeable with the enemy A.I. Other than that, great video comparison showing how MCC has devolved and improved going forward with HALO CE.
I feel like I could write 5 thesis papers on why the art direction of the remastered graphics directly contradicts the original art thematically and practically. There are a lot of areas that definately benefit from 343's added detail. Namely the interior corridors of both the Pillar of Autumn and Truth&Reconciliation, but there are many areas that were deliberately dark and dull to give a sense of "ancient" and "mysterious" that is completely washed away with obnoxiously bright colours and LEDs everywhere. Whats more is that for some weird reason the environments are more colourful and higher contrast and the enemies textures are duller and desaturated. This is completely counter-intuitive as so much of the game is just visual noise and I have a hard time telling what's going on. Also while I do think 343 did a good job modeling SOME things, I have to point out the fact that all of the weapons, vehicles, and characters with few exceptions are actually recycled assets from Halo Reach. So credit does not go to them for that unfortunately. I think given the context of them being a brand new studio charged with remaking not only a 10 year old game but one of the single most iconic games in history they did their damn best. While I could go on for days about how I would have done it differently here and there I would not want to be in their shoes. Its a massive undertaking that is sort of amazing that they were able to pull off. Lets just hope now 343 can release official mod tools so the community can present their own interpretations more easily. (Yes I know about SPV3 etc)
All we need is modders to mod the best parts of the original Halo: CE (like the darker shadows in certain places, but fixes, slight editing of the cutscene animations and chiefs mark 5 helmet, and ect...).
I don't want to play it in classic graphics because it will ruin my perception of the original game since the port is broken on PC. Remastered graphics are great tho and i hope modders expand on this!
I haven't played Halo since Halo 2 due to lack of pc ports (thanks MS). I was happy to see the master chief collection on Steam, which I plan to add to my library. I still get chills hearing the original Halo soundtrack. It's like it's beckoning to me, welcome back old friend.
This is a great comparison. But I am surprised there is no comparison of the changes when the flood starts invading... Those sections also include insides of the alien ship which would be worth looking at.
Honestly the game feels like it’s do another remastering. Not necessarily new character models or textures (though Commander Keyes would be the first to warn a change), but new lighting, ray tracing and material shaders.
when talking about the different feeling of some missions, and failing to mentioning the completely "new" feeling of the mission 343 guilty spark got me a little upset. In the original that mission was kinda scary, misterious and dark purposely done to introduce the scary flood. in the aniversary, they completely fucked that shit up. that mission is destroyed, visualy. if there`s the strangeness in keyes face but this gets no attention? ok then. good video, nontheless.
For the helmet, I think they went for a mix of Halo 3s and Halo CE. As for the animation when he gets out of the cryo-tube. Animation is the same, however the angle of the camera seems to be different. I noticed that Anniversary Chief almost looks bulkier due to the shoulders.
I had CE for years and years before I even knew about the original graphics, so I grew up with the anniversary graphics. It’s weird to hear other people talk about the atmosphere the original graphics gave and how it’s just more nostalgic than the anniversary. Even though it’s not nostalgic to me, i can still smell the nostalgia in the original CE.
Making a direct port for the original Halo title is tougher than you think and it's why the Gearbox one wasn't perfect but remained the mainstay. The original was never designed to be run on PC and has always provided a variety of issues when ports have been attempted.
So, i need help making up my mind. I started playing the original pc port of CE last year but never finished it. I know how the game looks and feels and honestly, i found it to be very nice and pleasant overall. One year and a new laptop later, i wanted to dive deep into the Halo games from the beginning and play them all for the first time, but now i'm really divided between the original fidelity and the MCC improvements. Which version should i pick up for starting my adventure?
I thought the bridge was a giant metal thing connecting the two sides, since there’s another one directly under it. There’s also other forerunner objects in odd places all over the game.
343 Guilty Spark has zero atmosphere in the updated visuals, feels like they were more on the side of changing tone rather than just a straight upgrade.
On the halopedia, there is some concept art for halo 3 that has the helmet and armor looking quite similar to the design of CEA, could be a throwback to that, or maybe it has to do with armor being mk v in halo 1 vs mk vi in halo 2 and beyond?
A lot of models were pulled directly from Halo Reach when making this remaster. I think some of the changes are great, but the biggest issues ive noticed are with level design and lighting on certain levels. Especially the level 343 guilty spark.
PCH Tommy yeah ikr but it will be interesting if they are on steam. Maybe it can increase the total of gamers that play it. Like me, the only thing i dont buy those games bcs its only available only on WS. Thats the worst Store.
You can also mod the Microsoft Store version. This isn't 2016 anymore, dude. Windows Store games are Win32 and moldable...so please, don't shake the light bulb 💡 😉
NazmusLabs Yeah nah, windows store is shit. And wtf do you mean games are win32? If youre saying they can run on a 32 bit operating system than thats useless. Nobody in their right mind would load the 32 bit. And if you want to bring that up as a counter to steam, I hate to burst your light bulb but steam supports that too.
@@thatoneswarmdrone6409 Maybe gain some knowledge before spewing out ignorant replies. Any one with the most basic technical knowledge of Windows in the last two decades knows what win32 is. You, clearly, do not. It has nothing to do with x86 (32 bit) architecture. Most of your 64-bit steam games and majority of today's 64 bit software is Win32 programs. Secondly, I happen to own and have installed both steam and ms store versions of the game. And, I know what I am talking about. You obviously don't have both versions installed. You are just making things up from your butt and not from experience, like I am. You can mod the MS Store version just as easily. You get 2 icons, one for Easy Anti Cheat, and one for Modding, in the start menu if you install from MS Store. You can also go to the game directory and modify files. So please, don't bother replying anymore so you don't further embarrass yourself.
most of the anniversary assets are actually borrowed from Reach so the Captain looks like he did in Reach and the marines are also using UNSC Army character models which also looks wrong.
The "re-mastered" visuals look like a bunch of visual mods installed on an Elder Scrolls game. Not really respecting the original, but not daring to strike out and make something new. Like bad fanfiction.
I thought it was great apart from few design flaws like the marines using the trooper model, the golden zealots, Keyes, chief, the assault rifle, the infected elites.
Ashad Rahman as a new fan to the Halo Games, I’m more for the original look for CE. The new design seemed too much for me that I just play the game in the OG style.
Nah, I prefer the original as well. It's darker and more atmospheric, and in a strange way I feel like the classic graphics have aged better than the new and so called improved graphics which look outdated already anyway.
I prefer the original style too as that's what I grew up with and love. But I appreciate that the anniversary graphics are consistent with the rest of the games so a new fan playing the games in chronological order will have an easier time
I just got this on Steam and prefer the 'Classic' version of the game like I played it in 2001. One of the first things I did was go into the Nvidia control panel (or Nvidia profile inspector) and force 16x anisotropic filter and FXAA which works really nice with classic Halo. Also disable all the in-game sync, unlock the fps limiter in the options and either force vsync (control panel again) or use the Nvidia V3 fps limiter (preference). Game runs like a god damn dream and I'm having a shit load of fun with it. Good memories.
Honestly, despite being lower in poly count and texture detail, I prefer the original artistic direction and designs in almost every case. It's pretty much only the fire and explosions that I like better in the new version.
An over exaggeration. Very few things were “ruined”. Maybe the Needler and a few areas being too bringer but the original was far too dark I’m legitimately every single level. The game felt like it was trying to emulate nighttime even when it was day.
@@221Prohunter The environment is not the same. The Truth and Reconsoliation is like a jungle on a plateau instead of a real plateau (dessert looking area). The same for Keys mission. The Pillar of Autumn looks so overdesigned. The Forerunner design is totally trash. 343i Guilty Spark is the worst.
I hope someday they remake all these games again with photorealistic graphics. Sure, not everyone likes the gritty realism artstyle, but id personally love to be able to experience this series with maximum possible immersion
![Halo: Master Chief Collection vs Original [PC] | Direct Comparison](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
