HaloSPV3/MicrosoftHalo: Combat Evolved remains one of the most important, beloved, and iconic FPS titles of all time. That’s probably why, nearly two decades after the Bungie classic launched, modders are still finding ways to breathe new life into it.
If you’re a hardcore Halo fan yourself, chances are you’ve heard of Halo SPV, AKA “Singleplayer Version 3.” Via PCGamer, It’s an incredibly ambitious project that one group of dedicated modders has been working on for the past two years now, expanding on the game’s campaign by increasing the scope of levels, adding new enemies, weapons, and entirely new missions.
HaloSPV/MicrosoftThe latest version of the mod (SPV3.2) recently landed, and has added a gorgeous 4K graphical overhaul, six new missions, and an overhauled launcher so you can better stay on top of updates for the project. Check it out here.
The good news is that SPV3.2 is also an entirely legal mod, as you’ll need to own a legit copy of Halo to actually be able to run it. The bad news is that there’s somehow still no way of buying the original Halo digitally on PC, so you will need to track down an old physical copy if you don’t still have one.
Playing through SPV3.2 is essentially playing through a modernised version of the original Halo campaign, with enemies, weapons, and items from later games in the series added in to create a nice sense of cohesion with the wider Halo universe.
Brutes and the SMG from Halo 2 both make an appearance, as does the VISR from Halo 3: ODST. Halo purists might find some of these updates a little off-putting, but I like the idea of returning to such an old game and enjoying some unexpected new touches.
If nothing else, it looks absolutely gorgeous in action, running at a tidy 4K resolution and 60 frames per second. That alone does it for me, to be honest. Check out the trailer below to get a feel for it.
The original Halo will of course be arriving on PC in remastered form via the Master Chief Collection next year, but if you can’t wait for that and fancy a fresh spin on an old classic, you owe it to yourself to check out SPV3.2
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Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.