I've known about this video for some time but never got a chance to leave a comment. I led the development on this mod from 2009 - 2012; At the time of the second episodes completion, I was only 17. You're certainly right about the entire thing being a learning experience, we were extremely ambitious with the project as a whole but we really learned a lot from it. Most of us who worked on it are either in the industry, making our own games, or doing other great things professionally. We all just really loved Halo back then and I can only assume still do. Lumoria holds a really special place in my heart still and it was really great watching this video and looking back on the memories :)

A Halo CE mod with Breaking Benjamin music, Linkin Park music, and questionable audio quality is the most 2000s sounding thing ever. I'll have to try this sometime.

"There is a rampant AI that is evil, floating around menacingly." I'm sorry, what does Halo 5 have to do with this?

As someone who was involved in this project, this brought back some memories. I was the voice of the captain. They cast me as someone that was supposed to be in his mid-forties to early 50s, and I had tried to make them aware that I was an 18 year old with a fairly high voice. They got me to force a deeper and "older" sounding voice and apparently they were fine with that. Looking back on it now, the primal level of cringe that I am hit with is something I never thought I would feel.

He's just standing there... *MENACINGLY*

Wow! Rampant AI in a bad story.. hmmm sounds familiar

Just a heads up the guy who made this mod also made a brand new game "Epitasis' go check it out :)

I’m bringing us *dOwn*

I know I am a little late to the party with this video but I actually was good friends with 2 of the main developers of the mod through a good portion of the development cycle of Lumoria, and I even had a hand in working on some of the particle effects here and there. So much nostalgia to me to see so much of this mod analyzed critically. Back in those days I spent so many hours working on gameplay mods for Halo CE, hundreds if not thousands of them right around the time i graduated high school and started college, and these guys and their dedication really drove me keep working on the mods I enjoyed too. Thanks for the nostalgia trip! :D

You're not alone late night, I've always thought CE looked timeless, and I didn't even grow up with it, which is quite strange, but there's always stranger things.

Here is the ending for anyone else looking for it: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jrlxgrCkyK7TgHU.html

The pelican pilot sounds like some guy in RvB.

I actually thought Lumoria was amazing. That was probably because I've played so many other halo CE campaigns

how DARE you say breaking benjamin doesn't belong in halo 2?! my inner child is outraged that you would insult one of my favorite parts of halo 2

I personally believe Blow me Away does belong in Halo.

"LZ is a little hot, hang tight marines. I'm bRiNginG us dOwN"

Lumoria is a beautiful mess but a mess I respect the hell out of

FINALLY YOU TURD FROM A FOSSIL YOU FINALLY FINISHED

epithath halo 3 ambience is literally helping me with homework because of how beautiful the map sounds

Imagine unironically not liking linking park or Breaking benjamin on Halo.

>"You know nothing." Got that right.

I'm sorry, but Blow Me Away is a timeless gem of a song, and made the level it was in absolutely worth it! I remember being so hyped for that every time I'd play it. That and the Incubus song Follow during the banshee scene in the heretic level.

Breaking Benjamin in Halo 2 just made it more epic.

I've played both Lumoria and its SPV3 incarnation - I'll mainly focus on the original and hope you make a video reviewing the SPV3 Lumoria campaign in the future! I went in understanding it's a fan mod and expecting that level of production quality, so I wasn't too bothered by its rough-around-the-edges nature. The design of the planet was fantastic, the epic moments were suitably epic (I admit, for me the rock music was a plus) and I absolutely admire the work that went into creating the mod. Lumoria has a fundamentally clunky and unfocused plot, especially for the 2nd act during which I had no idea why I was doing what I was doing, and really veers into excuse plot territory when it feels like it's just for setting up the (admittedly enjoyably fun) encounters. That bit of dialogue just before entering the final arena about the AI self-terminating did not click for me until you pointed that out! The SPV3 version doesn't do a significantly better job with the story, especially since their revamped terminals and cutscenes actually managed to make the AI more generic and evil. The gameplay in these large-scale environments generally felt great and possessed a cinematic quality of immersing you in huge battles, something that CE didn't do very much compared to the later games. Having Brandon as an unkillable follower didn't detract much from the experience either, since although it was helpful to have him around he definitely couldn't solo the missions without me. I must, however, reserve criticism for the very last boss elite. That thing had enough health to survive multiple plasma sticks and needler combos! I only beat it by sheer luck when it teleported in front of me with its back turned, and I emptied the shotgun into its back from point-blank range. SPV3's ending for Lumoria was mercifully easy in comparison, with the help of the almighty gravity grenade. Overall, Lumoria feels like it packed a lot into a small package. It is very much a rough diamond with some fundamental flaws, but I definitely didn't regret spending the time to experience a totally new campaign that retains a lot of Halo's spirit.

"you exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it" "your destruction is the will of the gods" yeah, ripped right from mass effect

I've never played this game, never heard about it until now. But honestly the planet looks so gorgeous, for being a Halo 1 engine. I get a sense of...not nostalgia....but almost an inspiration, just based off of the planet itself. I don't know, it's hard to explain.

The story of your evolution from rejecting the music to rolling with it has a lot of layers I could pull out, about engaging with media on its own level and the intentions it has, about not being so cynical/postmodern/etc as we're all being taught is the right way to be in 2019, I dunno. If there's a world where I can't unironically enjoy... uh, any particular thing? Without judgment from myself or others? That's a poorer world.

What do you mean Breaking Benjamin doesn’t belong in halo? Also the song was never goofy my dude.

Oh man do I hate the dropship pilot's voice. Perhaps the most cringe-inducing part of the mod. Edit: Nevermind... it was the sentinel cutscene.

Does anyone have a good guide for installing halo ce on a windows 10 pc?

Am I the only one who thinks that Halo CE has the best artsyle? Like best AR design, color pallet, bright Covenant colors, very realistic marine outfits?

The beautiful world alone is enough for me to love Lumoria.

You know, if 343 wanted to really make MCC shine, maybe they could reach out to the devs and make a version of ce mods with anniversary graphics. It could be a nice dlc as fan service.

Breaking Benjamin belongs in halo lol

I've just finished this mod. All of its setpieces had me grinning from ear to ear. Its so pure. Full of soul

I LOVE HALO AND ALL OF YOU GUYS

Bruh 2010 is still WAAAAAAY to late to excuse using Linkin Park in a mod

Wut Breaking benjamin in h2 was da best

MO on Lumoria is that it brings back that feeling when you get in Halo with all 3

I can agree with you on basically every single one of your points, except for the one about Breaking Benjamin. I think you'll find that there are a lot of people willing to dock you a few points for that argument. Even if I was deaf, I wouldn't agree with you on that one...

I understood every word that AI said on my first attempt. It has nothing to do with the recording quality, but the mixing. It's times like these that I'm reminded how much listening to heavy radio static in things like Arma had gotten me used to that type of filter

You must’ve been good at writing essays in school

Still not evolution of the sniper rifle but still good

You’ve a wonderful way with words, late night gaming. I always look forward to your videos. You’re the only Halo KZfaqr who truly makes his videos art.

Gotta say I love the Halo SvP3 version more. It feels more, just more cant find a word for it

17:00 - noway, that was so epic when you were fighting at the end of halo 2 and there was that rock song, that was so cool! I think that was the coolest level out of all of the halo games.

When you said "A very serious monologue starts..." then I heard your voice again I thought this was some thing only I didn't know about where you were a part of the ending and it took me several seconds of listening to change my mind.

I love that halo 3 song that starts @ 5:26. Simply such a beautiful short yet very sweet song.

AWESOME AF

Played Lumoria when it came out in a motel after a family reunion in Missouri on an ‘05 Compaq Presario with all the visuals set to potato and it was at the time one of the best Halo Custom Edition mods I’d played. The bad voice acting and music choices were more permissible back then and it’s hard to justify them anymore.

combat evolved will always hold a special place in my heart i was far too young to know it when it was made me being a 2000s baby but man i remember my grandparents had this game and we all would play it and my friends had reach with the halo combat evolved firefight map and man does this bring back memories the people who made this are great cringe or not they made a whole new story as a mod and it shows as a great learning experience y’all are great and i hope y’all made some awesome games

I love how halo's forruners always are written like greek myths

I loved this campaign when it came out. I still love the level design with the faithful look and pretty solid gameplay.

For all its worth, I do genuinely appreciate it being something that someone clearly worked hard on, and I like it for that

Played through this the other day, really enjoyed it.

I actually loved it,beside having the music blasting it for me only made me look back to my younger times of joy

Was that song at the end extreme ways (the one from the end of all the Bourne movies)?

Luv u late night gaming❤️

You think breaking benjamin isn't good for that mission? Pal you are going mad.

I only ever played lumoria in spv3

The soundtrack, late night gamines voice. They are all so inviting. When I watch late night gamines videos I feel comfortable.

The CE engine is still good looking. Much more so than anything else that was being pushed out at the time, and more so than some of what came after

I played Lumoria as part of the SPV3 mod and quite frankly I really enjoyed it

"the em generator" now, ive not played the mod but im going of the thought that the em generator was covenant?? so theres probably some tech there that meant ghosts arent affected (jus a guess)

My two cents: story is meh but gameplay is excellent (for the most part).

ive noticed in some videos that you made about halo ce your weapons are different like the magnum. What mod is that it seems interesting.

This mod looks so damn fun

I feel like Lumoria is the kind of content Custom Edition really needs/needed. Rather than the upteenth campaign reskin (yes, that includes SPV3) getting new, unique content that does new, unique things with the sandbox and the engine is what I really appreciated here. Yes, it's clunky, and yes, there are some places that needed to be workshopped but in all I appreciate the side story for what it is.

What's the intro's music name? Is so nostalgic...

Lumoria in a lot of ways kind of feels like a spirtual expansion pack for CE's campaign. It basically takes some of the best elements from CE's campaign gameplay wise and cranks it up to 10 with larger battles, larger levels, and more ai on the screen. It pretty much gives you everything you liked about CE gameplay wise while also adding some stuff from the newer games(such as the terminals and the architecture). The main story and characters are kinda hammy, but I can forgive it since none of it really interferes with that whole idea of the guardian trying to find out its own meaning of life on this quiet garden world. This mod really reminds me of one of those old-school expansion packs from back in the day and I find myself replaying it every couple of years.

I so badly want to figure out how bosses can work in Halo. I love boss battles, even bad ones. I still can't really figure out the entire reason why, but it's definitely partially for the thrill of killing a "living" character with a life and personality. If they matter, it's more fun to kill them. I'm talking about gaming only, you pricks! Maybe boss battles isn't the direction to go. Even if it's as simple as giving a specific enemy a name and a waypoint telling me to take them out, I'll have fun going into bounty hunter mode and trying to take them down as cinematically as possible. For one thing, I sometimes go on Halo playthroughs where I only focus on killing every Elite Zealot in the game, and I usually kill all of their subordinates first so it's just me and them. There has to be a way to get real bosses to work, though. Maybe look to other FPS games, if any, that have done it well. We could even analyze the exact problems with Halo 2's shitty bosses and figure out how to re-work their flaws into strengths. (Maybe that could be a video...? You can't see it, but I'm doing puppy eyes.) Damn, I wanna say more, but I've got no time. Loved the video, Taras

I appreciated the boss battles when I played Lumoria not because of "how they were created" but because of the story that the Elites told us. In fact, looking at their energy shields, taken from the E3 trailer of the 2000 it's so nostalgic that I really loved it

I played this back in the day when it came out. Although you're totally right that the ham was more accepted, most of the criticism you mention was immediately apparent. The Mass Effect cut scene, the music, the bad VO, and boss battles; it wasn't fooling anyone. It was a nice little jaunt into the extremes of Halo modding at the time, but it's definitely become a footnote.

"Theres a rampant a.i., that is being evil. . . And floating around menacingly." Makes being awake at 5 a.m. a little more bearable lol.

Lumoria was remade in the style of SPV3 and is included with SPV3.2

10/10 cutscenes would make again

16:25 Same SIN?! Oh come on dude yes the linken park music was cheesy and bad, but Blow me away is almost as an iconic Halo song as Warthog Run! TBH I have that song playing whenever I play any of the Halo games, it fits so well.

I would really like to see you cover the Project Lawson campaign. It isn't finished (I hear the final part is still being worked on, which I'm happy about), but it's a very interesting campaign.

Could you do a comparison between the original and the SPV3 remake of this mod?

By far, the best custom campaing of Halo CE. Everything just feel so organic, just as Forgotten Exile.

I like the music of halo 2, including blow me away. It fit the Badass arena fight that made you wish you had a chainsaw like doom to rip and tear through the elites and hunters. Not having the alternative rock in halo nowadays is something I’ve missed because it’s part of the games character. Just small occasional songs, like halo 3s end credits with LvUrFR3NZ was fun and got you pumped. I hope halo infinite taps into such and brings in a kickass soundtrack. I want isolation and mystery, and when needed Badass and thrashing. The two coincided so well through the original trilogy so hopefully we will se a return to form

great video! However, that breaking benjamin song was in the original halo 2 soundtrack, I would have to argue it belongs.

Project Lawnson must be reviewed next. Second greatest mod of the game.

Something about that era of games really lends itself to mystery and spirituality in narratives. I would love to see some modern games made with the aesthetic of late 1990s and early 2000s games, like Half Life and Halo CE.

I just realized that Requiem, the Forerunner planet from Halo 4, might have actually taken some inspiration from Lumoria. Also, in both games, there's lots of exposition that is necessary for the story, that is hidden in audio logs and terminals.

So do people use CE as the go to for mods? I dont see that many big story mods for Halo 2 as much as CE

If you play the new SPv3 version, you'll find that its weapon sandbox is different from the Main SPv3 campaign. Also, many of your current complaints have been addressed in the SPv3 version of Lumoria.

I wish there was like a fan game where noble six survived and teamed up with chief

there's also some other custom canpaigns in halo custom edition such as: halo: covert ops halo project takedown halp: CMT (custom mapping team)

In the mods defence, at least blow me away is a halo song

download linkfor Halo Custom Edition's website doesnt work. just redirects you to their main page again. Tried it on multiple browsers. YES cookies is enabled

That was a weird monolog 18:25 did late night gaming get his name from this scene?

How did you gey that fluid motion bro?

I just can't wait for this game to get to Steam and to see where mods take the halo series. I've never really gotten into Custom Edition mods

what's the song in the beginning? it sounds like something from fallout

I'll be honest, I think I skipped nearly every cutscene in this game. I remember the AI one, mainly because of how impossible it was to tell what was going on, but I really just thought of the mod as "hooray, more Halo CE" and was content. Didn't even mind the abrupt guest appearances of Linkin Park and Breaking Benjamin; Halo 2 set the precedent for me, and I probably would have put on Hybrid Theory anyway for old times sake.

Is Lumoria in SPV3 the same or are there differences?

Lumoria is inside SPV3. Is the best combo for an enhanced halo ce experience

Amazing review man.

That was blow me away which does have a bit more lean way because the instrumental version plays in Halo 2 on high charity in the arbiter Muslim.