Every Mission In Halo: Campaign Evolved, Ranked

Published Jul 29, 2026, 5:30 AM EDT Although Kaitlyn grew up with a passion for both video games and writing, she never imagined she'd eventually combine them into a career. Now, with several years of experience in the industry across Guides, Features, News, & Reviews, Kaitlyn enjoys nothing more than continuing to deep dive into the games she's passionate about and share her findings with readers. In her downtime, Kaitlyn enjoys unwinding with her favorite horror films, despite being a major scaredy-cat. With Halo: Campaign Evolved making several noticeable changes to fan-favorite missions, and some of the most hated, as well as adding three new Bonus Missions, it's worth taking a look at where these missions now rank against each other. Keep in mind that this list is based on the missions as they appear in Halo: Campaign Evolved and will take into account gameplay, visuals, dialogue, and changes made from the original. While certain missions may rank higher or lower for Combat Evolved or the Anniversary Edition, this is where they fall in Campaign Evolved. 13 Boarding Action While Boarding Action is an interesting enough introduction to the Bonus Missions, it doesn't distinguish itself from the campaign enough to have an original feel. With the other two missions feeling so unique from the rest of the game's missions, this one is the weakest of the three. Change up the story here, and the gameplay and atmosphere could've easily been shoved into the middle of the campaign unnoticed. 12 Heavy Burden Heavy Burden had all the potential to be an incredible level, but unfortunately falls short in every aspect. The change in atmosphere is nice, but still isn't as visually interesting as The Most Dangerous Game. The Gondola section, while being a nostalgic pull for Halo 2, ends up being a bit tedious, and the space section also feels like a weaker version of a similar mission from Reach. That said, the real unfortunate nail in the coffin for this level is the attempt to tug at players' heartstrings regarding Williams and her crew. There wasn't enough time to establish genuine connections with these characters, so the finale falls a bit short of the emotional impact it tries to deliver. 11 The Most Dangerous Game Of the three Bonus Missions in Halo: Campaign Evolved, The Most Dangerous Game is by far the most interesting. From the start of the mission, the atmosphere of the mission sets itself apart from anything else in the game. The gameplay itself is fairly routine as you embark on a prison break mission somewhat similar to that of The Truth and Reconciliation level; however, the time spent outside the prison makes up for some of that repetition. Additionally, while most of the collectibles in the Bonus Missions feel as though they're handed to you when compared to the ones hidden in the campaign, one of the Skulls of this level requires you to spot and snipe a golden Elite at several points throughout the mission, making for one of the most interesting collection methods in the game. 10 Assault On The Control Room Assault on the Control Room is a bit tricky to rank. The map is incredible and fun to explore, but since Two Betrayals covers most of the same area in a better way, it unfortunately knocks Assault on the Control Room down a bit. This mission does have notable high points, such as the use of the Scorpion Tank and the ability to hijack several enemy vehicles. However, you can't shake the comparison to Two Betrayals, which has fewer lull moments thanks to the addition of Flood. 9 Keyes Unfortunately, Keyes was a relatively solid mission, but elements that could have been improved in Campaign Evolved weren't, and elements that didn't need improvement were actually made worse. In particular, the canyon section at the beginning remains dark and difficult to navigate, making this portion of the mission more frustrating than anything else. And while the portion that takes place on the ship should maintain a sense of urgency as you search for Captain Keyes, it's unfortunately lessened by the fact that Captain Keyes does not stop rambling over comms the entire time, which made me less thrilled about rescuing him by the minute. He does this in the original game as well, but it's far less frequent and distracting. 8 The Library For any other version of this game, The Library would be at the bottom of the list. That said, it wouldn't be right to ignore some of the improvements that have been made to this mission in Campaign Evolved. Does this mission still suck? Yes. Does it suck as much as it did? Not quite. While there is still some repetition, as that's the nature of this level, new enemies have been sprinkled in to shake up some of the monotony, and it doesn't feel nearly as easy to lose yourself in the mix of twisting corridors and waves of Flood. It's not great, but it's still the best version of The Library we've had thus far. 7 The Pillar Of Autumn While The Pillar of Autumn is nostalgic, that's about the only thing it has going for it. The mission itself is simple, primarily focused on running through corridors while finishing off a few Covenant here and there, so though it's a solid start to the game, it's not going to be a particularly memorable mission for any reason other than being the first one. 6 Two Betrayals As mentioned under Assault on the Control Room, Two Betrayals is essentially a better version of that mission. They both cover the same area, so the map is just as interesting. Two Betrayals also includes Flood enemies throughout the mission, which naturally keep you on edge and erase some of the monotony of this area the first time you come through it. Two Betrayals is also one of the first missions where you really get to see a full-blown battle between Flood and Covenant enemies, which adds another layer to both gameplay and story. Overall, it's simply just a better version of a previous mission. 5 Halo Being the second mission in the game, Halo is a stark contrast to the incredibly small and linear Pillar of Autumn, which might be why it makes such a heavy first impression. Not only is the map incredibly large and visually stunning, but players are given more freedom while tackling objectives, all while riding on the Warthog. The mission is pure fun, unless, of course, you're hunting down collectibles. 4 The Truth And Reconciliation The Truth And Reconciliation is probably the most complete feeling mission in the game. The start of this level, as you're hiking through the desert in the dark, trying to remain mostly undetected, immediately gives the mission a unique feel. This is then followed by taking on a few waves of enemies, invading the ship, and freeing the Marines. The gameplay of this level is appropriately challenging, the interactions with NPCs are some of the most memorable, and it overall reaches a conclusion that leaves you feeling satisfied.