So, there's a Pillar of Autumn-sized elephant in the room, and that's about Halo coming to the PlayStation 5. After Forza Horizon and Gears of War, the next big 'green' exclusive coming to Sony's console is Master Chief himself. For a huge part of a newer wave of gamers, Halo: Campaign Evolved, which is coming out next year, will be their first foray into the Halo universe, so buckle up, because this one might feel different.

For younger gamers used to the manic pace of modern shooters, Campaign Evolved is going to feel deliberately 'classic'. After all, Combat Evolved defined the shooter template with its vehicles, open battlefields, recharging shields, and the freedom to approach a fight a dozen ways and then some. So, kids, if you're diving in fresh, there are a few things you should understand before dropping into (and on to) Halo.

Don't expect Master Chief to be a quippy hero

He's no Leon Kennedy, I'll tell you that much

You won't get witty remarks from this Spartan, so don't expect Master Chief to be a fully charismatic, charming hero with great one-liners. As much as I love a well-written, fleshed-out, morally gray protagonist, Master Chief was never one of those. We are in an era where our protagonists twitch at trauma and keep re-evaluating their decisions, where they warrant hours upon hours of character analyses on, but Master Chief stands apart. He walks into uncertain worlds, gets the damn job done, and stays silent in his resolve.

A man of the fewest words, Master Chief might feel odd to younger gamers. There will be no snark in the drop-ship, no one-liners as you pull a Warthog over a Covenant tank. What you do get, however, is sheer presence. Chief is as white-knight as legends come, like the Doom Guy or Billy Blazkowicz. So when you're behind the wheel of the Warthog or planting a grenade under a Scarab's belly, don't expect Master Chief to ask if everyone's going to play Bingo. He's less talk, more icon.

Halo defined modern FPS design

Its DNA runs through every other FPS you've ever played

Back when Halo: Combat Evolved came out in 2001, shooters were mostly corridor runs or basic multiplayer maps like Quake or Doom and its clones. Then, the world was introduced to The Silent Cartographer level, and with that one mission, everything changed. We got open beaches, vehicle chaos, vertical combat, all balled up into one of the greatest opening levels that burned a new blueprint into the first-person shooter genre.

When you play Campaign Evolved on your PlayStation 5 in 2026, you'll spot elements everywhere — intuitive shield recharge, predictable weapon roles, and a sandbox approach to combat arenas and fields. You'd be forgiven for thinking that the game is simply recycling traditional FPS elements. However, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Instead, you're playing the source of it all. So, when things feel slower during combat, or you realize that there is no weapon wheel to select from here, remember that you're walking the same ground that made the FPS genre what it is.

It's okay if the pacing feels slower than modern shooters

Combat Evolved was a little slower, but it was perfect

Modern shooters tread the gas, and never lift their foot. Respawns, sprint-slides, comms filled with pings, and a power fantasy like no other where you can sprint, slide, and jump anywhere. Combat Evolved didn't have any of that, and Campaign Evolved will only let you do some of that. The first Halo was effectively a proof-of-concept about modern FPS games being playable (and enjoyable) with a controller, and that's why the pacing of the game wasn't breakneck like even some PC shooters that had come before it. So, appreciate and enjoy those slower moments in the game to breathe, to feel uncertain, to stop for half a second and take in the lands ringscape.

Of course, there are improvements to pacing, and the most obvious one is right in our faces. The Halo remake introduces sprint as an option, but even the original devs questioned the need for it. Still, sprinting came to the Halo franchise with Reach, and it hasn't left since. We're not going to get into whether or not the first Halo's remake should have the option to sprint (I'm not a fan but you can just turn it off), but one thing is clear. If you're a younger gamer used to bullet-hell, you may feel the pulse drop at first. That's okay. Crouch, listen for the grunt behind you, and you'll soon come to the realization that your Warthog isn't just a gimmick. In fact, it's a strategic weapon you have to keep using.

Plus, even the whole of Campaign Evolved won't be as slow as the first few missions, so treat them as a way to get acclimatized to the new pacing, and you'll feel right at home in a couple of hours. With the entire trilogy reportedly being remade (according to rumors), it's best to know that the pacing of the subsequent Halo games was significantly faster, so you'll be right at home once the sequel remake drops.

The storytelling is subtle, and that's a strength

This is not going to be a script-heavy, cinematic-laden affair

Younger gamers used to flash cuts, moody soliloquies and monologs, and tear-jerk moments may find Halo's story refreshingly... quiet. The original Combat Evolved didn't have a flood of cinematics, and while the remake just might have a few extra peppered in there to modernize the experience, the overall experience is cinematic more in gameplay than it is in videos. What you get instead, however, is mythic structure. The Forerunners. The ring-world. The fall of humanity. All of it layered in quiet confidence.

Halo clearly prefers composition over full-fledged, heavy-handed character arcs. The shipped-in marine yelling, "Warthog! Warthog!", or Cortana chiming in with charisma over comms. Don't be mistaken — there's still a proper story here to be enjoyed, but it never shoves you aside to make you feel profound. It's all delivered through the meticulously-paced, tailored gameplay instead.

Every weapon has a purpose, so use them all

Make sure you don't just stick to one loadout

Sure, I get it. The comfort of one assault rifle, one sniper, and one explosive backpack. These weapons became familiar friends to us while growing up, so I've done it too, like a million others. But Halo built its arsenal like a chess-board where each piece matters and each has a niche. The Needler may look awesome and cheeky, but it's also situational. The MA5B is comfortable, but it's not always efficient. Halo's combat is definitely a lot more methodical than you might be used to. You're not going to be walking into open-season shooting galleries. Each enemy here has strengths and weaknesses, and that results in interesting combat situations that you have to think through.

You will hit levels where you're switching from a plasma pistol to the M90 shotgun, and then to the M19 Rocket Launcher, simply because the enemy demands it. The game throws different weapons at you, along with different enemies with varied weapons, and then, it expects you to read the battlefield. I know all too well how familiar and warm your favorite rifle feels, but you must abandon the comfort and pick up new guns. Try the alien tech, and make sure your arsenal is always open to experimentation, because that is the rhythm that made Halo legendary. Now that it's finally coming to PlayStation users, make sure you make the most out of its systems.

A new generation of Halo players is about to be raised

If you're stepping into Halo: Campaign Evolved for the first time, you're playing something more than a remake. You're touching one of the foundational stones of the first-person shooter genre. It won't be flashier, faster, or deeper than anything you've ever played, but I promise you that it will be just right.

If you're a PlayStation user who has never played Halo, then know that you're inheriting a legacy, and Halo: Campaign Evolved, is going to be much more than 'just another FPS game' on the PS5.