Halo: Combat Evolved

The original campaign on the ringworld

Halo: Combat Evolved puts the Master Chief and Cortana on a mysterious ringworld after a crash landing. The campaign begins with surviving the Covenant assault and helping the remaining humans, then follows the discovery of what Halo actually does. Its ten missions give the shooting a continuing science-fiction story. HaloPad’s Xbox route brings that original campaign to its host platforms; it does not import Anniversary’s remastered graphics or MCC’s progression system.

Xbox Game Studios · original campaign description in Anniversary

Two Halo editions with different purposes

HaloPad is the current name of Project Reach. Its Xbox edition offers the original campaign and OpenCE multiplayer, while the optional PC Custom Edition route is for community servers and LAN. They are separate choices at launch, keep their own saves and cannot play matches with each other. The Xbox edition is the recommended starting point because it needs one disc image.

The project documents OpenCE matches of up to 128 players and Custom Edition servers shared with PC players. Those are different networking systems, not a single combined lobby. Custom maps can be imported, but Windows DLL mods such as Chimera, OpenSauce and HAC2 do not load.

HaloPad · project documentation

Build the app before importing Halo

There is no public ready-made HaloPad app download. An Apple Silicon Mac can build it through PadMint, while a personal GitHub workflow can build the Xbox edition from another computer. iPhone and iPad installation then requires signing. Custom Edition additionally needs an Apple Silicon Mac, the original installer, a Halo PC product key and Wine.

For Xbox play, add an original-Xbox Halo ISO or XISO inside the installed app. Halo Anniversary, MCC and the retail PC executable are not substitutes. Import copies roughly 2 GB of maps, after which the source image can be removed from the device. USA NTSC is the tested disc choice; broader region claims come from upstream.

HaloPad · project documentation

Set up controls and preserve the app data

The touch overlay can be moved and resized, with adjustable look speed. Connect a controller before opening HaloPad for the most reliable behavior. On Mac, Custom Edition releases the pointer with Escape; the Xbox edition uses F12. Halo’s Button 6 pickup prompt maps to RB on a controller.

Install updates over the existing app with the same signing identity. Deleting it first also deletes imported maps, profiles and saves. Multiplayer peers need compatible engine network versions, and a changed engine may require restarting a campaign level. First appearances of maps or effects can hitch, some Xbox textures differ and reconnecting a controller can still cause trouble.

HaloPad · project documentation