Which original Xbox launch game provides the campaign remade by Halo: Campaign Evolved?

Halo: Combat Evolved is the original Xbox launch game whose campaign is remade by Halo: Campaign Evolved. Developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios, Combat Evolved introduced players to Master Chief, Cortana, the Covenant, and the mysterious Halo ringworld.

The original game launched in North America on November 15, 2001, simultaneously with Microsoft’s first console, the Xbox. Campaign Evolved rebuilds that campaign rather than remaking Halo 2, Halo 3, or Halo: Reach. It preserves the foundational story while adding redesigned missions, modern movement options, new weapons, updated enemy features, and three prequel missions.

This is distinct from Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, the 2011 remaster produced for the Xbox 360’s tenth anniversary. Anniversary primarily refreshed the original presentation and retained the classic campaign structure, while Campaign Evolved is a more extensive remake using Unreal Engine 5.

The subtitle can cause confusion because “Combat Evolved” is sometimes used casually to mean the entire first Halo game, its campaign, or the 2011 remaster. The specific source game here is the 2001 original.