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Your next Halo journey begins this year, but what do you need to know before jumping in?
At this years E3, Microsoft finally confirmed the rumors, and officially announced Halo: The Master Chief Collection, a huge step for the Halo franchise, because, for the first time ever, every Halo game that revolves around the Story of the Master Chief will be available on a single console, the Xbox One. This is everything we know so far, and what you should know before securing your copy.
- Halo: The Master Chief Collection includes Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 4, access to the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta, and the digital, live action Halo series produced by Ridley Scott, titled, Halo: Nightfall.
- This entire package will cost $60 USD.
- The game will release on November 11th, 2014.
- Halo: The Master Chief collection will only be available on Xbox One.
- Each game will run at 1080p and 60 frames per second.
- Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4 will not be receiving major graphical upgrades other than the boost to a resolution of 1080p.
- Halo 2 will be getting the full anniversary treatment. Upgraded graphics, sounds, and 6 “remastered” multiplayer maps.
- The switch between original and remastered graphics for Halo 2 is instant, and no longer requires the loading that Halo: CE needed on the Xbox 360.
- There is no solid word that this collection will be released on PC, but in an interview with Frank O’Connor of 343i, he told OXM the following.
“All the companies are taking PC gaming very seriously, so we’re no excluding the idea of ever doing a PC conversion, but it needs to be the right product at the right time.” - All games will be running their original engines, completely untouched. This means that any glitches will remain.
- The multiplayer portion will be running on dedicated servers.
- Every multiplayer map is included, from the originally shipped maps to DLC and PC maps. With all, it totals to over 100 maps.
- For the first time ever, Halo: Combat Evolved’s multiplayer will be playable over Xbox Live.
- Forge will be included in Halo 3 and Halo 4. And for the first time ever, Halo 2 will also have a forge mode.
- There will be 6 remastered Halo 2 maps. As of now, we only know three, these being Zanzibar, Ascension, and Lockout. 343i has claimed that the other three are indeed fan favorites.
- 343i has confirmed that there will be new terminals and cut scenes featured in the Master Chief Collection, helping to bridge the gap between these games and the upcoming Halo 5: Guardians.
- The majority of these new terminals will be found in Halo 2.
- There will also be mission playlists for the campaign. These playlists will be anything from all Tank missions throughout all campaigns, all sniper mission, and even one huge playlist including every single mission.
- 343i has said that they will have “a little something for the people who do that” when asked if completing the entire campaign playlist in an interview with IGN.
- Multiple developers will be handling the ports of each game.
- For Halo 2: Anniversary, Certain Affinity will be handling the multiplayer, Sabre Interactive will be handling the campaign, Blur Studios will do the cinematics, and Skywalker Sound will be doing the audio.
- The ports for Halo 3 and Halo 4 will be handled by Ruffian Games.
- No word yet on Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.
- Theater mode will also be included.
- All bugs and glitches related to forge and theater have been fixed.
- Halo: Nightfall, the live action series included in The Master Chief Collection, will give backstory for Halo 5 and the new character, Agent Locke.
- The Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer beta will begin December 27th, 2014, offering a slice of the new, competitive arena multiplayer.
This covers all that we know so far about Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Be sure to keep checking as we follow more news for this game, as well as many others! While we wait for this news, please, let us know what you look forward to in The Master Chief Collection, and what has you most excited.