What you need to know
- A complete remake of the iconic Halo: Combat Evolved level Assault on the Control Room has been made using Halo Infinite's Forge mode.
- The remake is extremely authentic and accurate, with everything from the mission's environments and combat arenas to its AI placements and available weapons and vehicles nearly identical to the original.
- It takes anywhere from 40-60 minutes to play through, and is so large that it requires two separate map downloads. It supports 1-4 players, too, so you can play it co-op with friends.
- You'll find more information about the remake as well as information on how to download and play it in the text below.
It's been just under three months since developer 343 Industries added campaign AI to Halo Infinite's map making and editing tool Forge, and since then, the game's community has put together some amazing creations with them. From original, open-ended campaign missions to huge PvPvE maps inspired by Halo 5's Warzone mode, there are plenty of ways players have used the Banished have spiced up Custom Games multiplayer — and now, you can take them on in one of the most impressive level remakes I've ever seen.
That project is Assault on the Control Room, an incredibly authentic Halo Infinite recreation of the massive and iconic mission from the first Halo game, Halo: Combat Evolved. Its authors HMkiller05, Nikos, and xXBarthXx made it so painstakingly accurate and detailed that it took over two months of hard work to finish, and it's so large that they hit Forge's (generous) budget limitations before completing it, forcing them to split it into two separate map files. As detailed in Nikos' behind the scenes video, the trio also had to deal with loads of glitches, scripting bugs, and game crashes throughout the entire process as Forge mode struggled to remain stable beneath thousands of placed objects and hundreds of scripting nodes.
Put simply, it took a colossal effort for the creators to realize their vision, but it absolutely paid off. The mission is nothing short of phenomenal, with everything from the aesthetic and visuals of the level to its AI spawns, weapon and vehicle placements, and scripted moments as close to the original experience as they can possibly be. There are even custom versions of the Assault Rifle and Sidekick that function like the Combat Evolved Assault Rifle and Magnum pistol, which is an awesome touch.
To play the remake, you can either bookmark part one and part two of it on Halo Waypoint, or do so in Halo Infinite itself through the Content Browser. Don't forget to get the Easy, Normal, Heroic, and Legendary difficulty game modes designed to be used with it, too. Note that it supports 1-4 player co-op, too, so you can jump in alone or with up to three friends.
In terms of length, the mission has a runtime of about 40-60 minutes depending on which difficulty you choose and how experienced of a Halo player you are. As Nikos said in his video, it's "an odyssey" of a level that sees players battle their way through tight interior facilities, lengthy open-air bridges, sprawling, snow-covered valleys, and more on their way to the control room of the Halo ring Installation 04. During each playthrough, you'll have the opportunity to use tons of different human and alien weapons, along with fan-favorite vehicles like the Ghost, Warthog, and Scorpion with UNSC Marine allies.
I could do without the repetitive layout of its interior sections, but even so, I've always considered Assault on the Control Room to be one of the quintessential Halo levels — an action-packed romp across a diverse set of environments, brimming with engaging AI to fight and a plethora of toys from the sandbox to play with. To experience it so faithfully remade in Halo Infinite with its modern visuals and a few twists from its own arsenal is incredible, and it's a testament to how amazing this latest iteration of Forge mode is. The only things missing are music tracks, which Forge doesn't allow for (though I'm hoping 343 Industries lets people add official tracks from each Halo game to their creations in a future update).
If you like expansive and authentic recreations like this one, you'll be happy to know that HMkiller05, Nikos, and xXBarthXx aren't stopping here. According to Nikos, the three authors are planning to make additional remakes in the near future.
"This mission is awesome," they said in their overview video. "It is a blast to play with friends, and hopefully soon, we can get more maps and remakes out for you guys."
This creation is one of the many stellar Forge projects helping to fuel Halo Infinite's ongoing renaissance, which began in 2023 and started to pick up substantially with the launch of Season 5: Reckoning in October. The addition of AI to Forge, as well as an official PvE Firefight mode and several new maps, playlists, and quality of life improvements, has brought many players to Microsoft's live service shooter following a few years of struggles.
Halo Infinite multiplayer (including Firefight) is free-to-play, while its campaign is $60 (but often much cheaper) on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PCs. Notably, you can also play it through any tier of Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass service.
