Despite what some may believe, good graphics do not make a good game.
The best looking game in the world is not saved by fantastic visual
presentation. Similarly, a great game released in 2001, almost thirteen
years ago, might not necessarily be a great game today either. Halo
certainly left its mark on the genre – regenerating health, a greater
emphasis on the roles of weapons and vehicles as well as some pretty
nifty AI helped it stand among and above the other shooters available on
the market. Some of these features are ubiquitous throughout the genre,
but it raises the questions whether the forerunners of these features
still stand up today.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection aims to answer that question, and
rather confidently too. An incredible and value filled package – it
includes the mainline Halo games that are concerned with the Master
Chief’s story thus far. That’s Halo 1, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4. The
first two are their “Anniversary” renditions, versions of the game that
have been touched up and slightly retooled to stand up to modern
shooters today. The latter two are largely untouched, but get a nice
frame rate and resolution boost. All four are wrapped with a rather
unique user interface – one that’s not really been done like this for a
collection of remasters before.
One thing that Master Chief Collection does right is that it acknowledges that people who are buying it probably have already played some, if not all of the Halo games. As such, everything is unlocked from the start and presented in the form of the “Master Menu”. This system allows players to play the campaigns levels as they wish – completing the campaigns in order or choosing levels they prefer at their own leisure. The game even allows players to play differently themed playlists which can jump across levels within the same game or even across different games. Some examples of playlists include playing levels that are all focused on escaping levels, or the infamous LASO (Legendary All Skulls On) playlist for singular games or the entire collection.
The
“centrepiece” of this storied collection of games is Halo 2, which has
been given the full anniversary treatment just as Combat Evolved was in
2011. This means most of the textures and environments have been
completely redone. Where Halo 2: Anniversary differs from its
predecessor is the extent that its developer went to remaster
the game. Weapons sounds have been completely redone to give them an
added oomph, while music has been rearranged to not only pay tribute to
the original but provide a greater bang to some of the epic moments of
the campaign. It’s some very subtle changes, and definitely ones that I
doubt every Halo fan will appreciate fully, but it does help give the
game a much more modern feel.
The cut scenes for Halo 2 have also been completely redone by visual effects firm Blur, who have worked on several other high profile promotional materials for other games. The work of this studio is nothing short of impeccable – every scene has been given brand new life and spectacle to the point where I’d argue almost every fan could watch a movie length presentation without being bored or disappointed. They’re truly one of the standouts of the Master Chief Collection package and it’s amazing to see just how much they improve the tone and atmosphere of the Halo 2 story when compared with the original. And yes, just like the main game, there is an on-the-fly switch for them too.
The first and the second game have an on-the-fly switch which allows players to switch between both the old, original version of the game and the new retouched one. Using this, it’s amazing to see how much effort and care has been put into these restorations, but it also comes at a slight detriment. Despite their efforts, a small amount of the improvements for Halo 2 are barely noticeable, possibly due to the fact that Halo 2 looked much better than Halo 1 in the first place. With Combat Evolved: Anniversary, the developers managed to turn a grey block of terrain into a dense and lush twilit jungle. In Halo 2, most of these things are in place already so the jump is not as pronounced. In short, it’s not a bad thing, it’s just that there was less to improve on with the more modern game.
But that being said, where Halo 2: Anniversary excels at improving the original game’s presentation, it really does excel. One moment that really sticks out for me is during the Regret mission – where the Chief travels between locations via underwater elevators. In the original game, the outside of these elevators were dark and very dim to the point where you could only see silhouettes of structures and some very minor lighting. With the Anniversary treatment, the area has been fully rendered with heaps of fish and structures to make it not only visible but much more believable as a location – I actually felt like I was being pulled through a living and breathing environment rather than a temporary set-piece.
As previously mentioned, Halo 3 and 4 are also included in the package. Halo 4 still plays and looks just as great as you remembered it, as it only released two years ago. While not a huge favourite with the hard-core fans, the changes it makes serve as a nice breath of fresh air after playing Halos 1 through 3 in the collection. Halo 3, on the other hand, comes out looking rather average when compared to the other games. It sounds weird – but it makes sense, considering this is the only game that has yet to be revisited since its original release, meaning it’s essentially seven years old. It’s not a deal breaker by any means – it still runs at an increased resolution at a higher frame rate, but it definitely sticks out like a sore thumb in the overall package.
When you’re not gallivanting through the massive four campaign offering you’ll no doubt be sinking your teeth into the multiplayer and forge components of the game. Forge is just like you remember it – allowing players to modify or create maps from Halos 2 through 4 in a virtual sandbox. It’s never been a huge favourite of mine but more creative fans will appreciate the inclusion and the flexibility it provides in creating your own game modes and layouts. Of course, none of your creations can be carried over into ranked mode, but considering how ridiculous some Forge creations can get this is probably for the better.
Of course, the collection also features an incredibly robust multiplayer mode which covers all four games. All four Halo multiplayer modes are included in their entirety, with an additional one being reserved exclusively for Halo 2: Anniversary, which features 6 completely remade maps rather than Halo 2’s twenty something. Once again, it’s a nice touch to even include these, as the remade maps play phenomenally well, but purists can choose to go back to the original if they so desire.
The only thing missing from this colossal, multi-game, hundred map offering is Halo 4’s Spartan Ops modes, which 343 promises will be hitting in its 50 mission entirety in December. It’s a bit of a bummer that not everything is included here for completions sake from the get go, but it’s not like the package is exactly sparse for content either.
But this would all be made useless if it didn’t run properly or perform to an acceptable standard as set by previous games. Due to timing and presumably technical errors, we had little time to test out the matchmaking for Halo: The Master Chief Collection. However, after playing several maps in a private room with other reviewers, it was clear that the Master Chief Collection would have no problems in providing a smooth experience for online players. The frame rate is steady, the gameplay is just as frenetic as before and it’s just as fun as ever. This is easily Xbox One’s standout, premiere online title for some time to come and it’s hard to imagine if, or how, Halo 5: Guardians will managed to top it in the future.
Final Disclaimer: Our experiences with the multiplayer modes of Halo: The Master Chief Collection were based on play sessions carried out during the pre-release period for the game. As such, servers are not as populated as they will be following the main release of the game. Should play experiences differ following release, we will be sure to update this review with any observations that may be relevant to our readers.
FINAL THOUGHTS & SCORE
10-10Despite not being an absolute diehard fan of the franchise, it was hard for me not to see any value in Master Chief Collection outside of some very minor, albeit personal gripes – that my favourite game (ODST) wasn’t included. That’s absolutely nothing to scoff at though as everything that’s on offer here is substantial and fantastic with further support coming down the line for even more content.
But no matter who you are, it is undeniable that Halo: The Master Chief Collection brings together some of the best things about the Halo franchise into a slick and easy to use interface rife with options. Whether you enjoyed the games for their campaigns or for their multiplayer, almost every fan will be satisfied here.
Playing Halo in 60fps is such a smooth experience that I struggle to imagine the thought of going back. The multiple studios responsible for putting this collection together should be proud, as they’ve brought back a great chunk of the Halo franchise and with it, the very history of the Xbox console with grace and gusto.
Smooth 60fps framerate
Huge variety of ways to play
Halo 2’s new cinematics
Spartan Ops fans have to wait until December...
 |
One thing that Master Chief Collection does right is that it acknowledges that people who are buying it probably have already played some, if not all of the Halo games. As such, everything is unlocked from the start and presented in the form of the “Master Menu”. This system allows players to play the campaigns levels as they wish – completing the campaigns in order or choosing levels they prefer at their own leisure. The game even allows players to play differently themed playlists which can jump across levels within the same game or even across different games. Some examples of playlists include playing levels that are all focused on escaping levels, or the infamous LASO (Legendary All Skulls On) playlist for singular games or the entire collection.
The
“centrepiece” of this storied collection of games is Halo 2, which has
been given the full anniversary treatment just as Combat Evolved was in
2011. This means most of the textures and environments have been
completely redone. Where Halo 2: Anniversary differs from its
predecessor is the extent that its developer went to remaster
the game. Weapons sounds have been completely redone to give them an
added oomph, while music has been rearranged to not only pay tribute to
the original but provide a greater bang to some of the epic moments of
the campaign. It’s some very subtle changes, and definitely ones that I
doubt every Halo fan will appreciate fully, but it does help give the
game a much more modern feel.The cut scenes for Halo 2 have also been completely redone by visual effects firm Blur, who have worked on several other high profile promotional materials for other games. The work of this studio is nothing short of impeccable – every scene has been given brand new life and spectacle to the point where I’d argue almost every fan could watch a movie length presentation without being bored or disappointed. They’re truly one of the standouts of the Master Chief Collection package and it’s amazing to see just how much they improve the tone and atmosphere of the Halo 2 story when compared with the original. And yes, just like the main game, there is an on-the-fly switch for them too.
The first and the second game have an on-the-fly switch which allows players to switch between both the old, original version of the game and the new retouched one. Using this, it’s amazing to see how much effort and care has been put into these restorations, but it also comes at a slight detriment. Despite their efforts, a small amount of the improvements for Halo 2 are barely noticeable, possibly due to the fact that Halo 2 looked much better than Halo 1 in the first place. With Combat Evolved: Anniversary, the developers managed to turn a grey block of terrain into a dense and lush twilit jungle. In Halo 2, most of these things are in place already so the jump is not as pronounced. In short, it’s not a bad thing, it’s just that there was less to improve on with the more modern game.
But that being said, where Halo 2: Anniversary excels at improving the original game’s presentation, it really does excel. One moment that really sticks out for me is during the Regret mission – where the Chief travels between locations via underwater elevators. In the original game, the outside of these elevators were dark and very dim to the point where you could only see silhouettes of structures and some very minor lighting. With the Anniversary treatment, the area has been fully rendered with heaps of fish and structures to make it not only visible but much more believable as a location – I actually felt like I was being pulled through a living and breathing environment rather than a temporary set-piece.
As previously mentioned, Halo 3 and 4 are also included in the package. Halo 4 still plays and looks just as great as you remembered it, as it only released two years ago. While not a huge favourite with the hard-core fans, the changes it makes serve as a nice breath of fresh air after playing Halos 1 through 3 in the collection. Halo 3, on the other hand, comes out looking rather average when compared to the other games. It sounds weird – but it makes sense, considering this is the only game that has yet to be revisited since its original release, meaning it’s essentially seven years old. It’s not a deal breaker by any means – it still runs at an increased resolution at a higher frame rate, but it definitely sticks out like a sore thumb in the overall package.
When you’re not gallivanting through the massive four campaign offering you’ll no doubt be sinking your teeth into the multiplayer and forge components of the game. Forge is just like you remember it – allowing players to modify or create maps from Halos 2 through 4 in a virtual sandbox. It’s never been a huge favourite of mine but more creative fans will appreciate the inclusion and the flexibility it provides in creating your own game modes and layouts. Of course, none of your creations can be carried over into ranked mode, but considering how ridiculous some Forge creations can get this is probably for the better.
Of course, the collection also features an incredibly robust multiplayer mode which covers all four games. All four Halo multiplayer modes are included in their entirety, with an additional one being reserved exclusively for Halo 2: Anniversary, which features 6 completely remade maps rather than Halo 2’s twenty something. Once again, it’s a nice touch to even include these, as the remade maps play phenomenally well, but purists can choose to go back to the original if they so desire.
The only thing missing from this colossal, multi-game, hundred map offering is Halo 4’s Spartan Ops modes, which 343 promises will be hitting in its 50 mission entirety in December. It’s a bit of a bummer that not everything is included here for completions sake from the get go, but it’s not like the package is exactly sparse for content either.
But this would all be made useless if it didn’t run properly or perform to an acceptable standard as set by previous games. Due to timing and presumably technical errors, we had little time to test out the matchmaking for Halo: The Master Chief Collection. However, after playing several maps in a private room with other reviewers, it was clear that the Master Chief Collection would have no problems in providing a smooth experience for online players. The frame rate is steady, the gameplay is just as frenetic as before and it’s just as fun as ever. This is easily Xbox One’s standout, premiere online title for some time to come and it’s hard to imagine if, or how, Halo 5: Guardians will managed to top it in the future.
Final Disclaimer: Our experiences with the multiplayer modes of Halo: The Master Chief Collection were based on play sessions carried out during the pre-release period for the game. As such, servers are not as populated as they will be following the main release of the game. Should play experiences differ following release, we will be sure to update this review with any observations that may be relevant to our readers.
FINAL THOUGHTS & SCORE
10-10Despite not being an absolute diehard fan of the franchise, it was hard for me not to see any value in Master Chief Collection outside of some very minor, albeit personal gripes – that my favourite game (ODST) wasn’t included. That’s absolutely nothing to scoff at though as everything that’s on offer here is substantial and fantastic with further support coming down the line for even more content.
But no matter who you are, it is undeniable that Halo: The Master Chief Collection brings together some of the best things about the Halo franchise into a slick and easy to use interface rife with options. Whether you enjoyed the games for their campaigns or for their multiplayer, almost every fan will be satisfied here.
Playing Halo in 60fps is such a smooth experience that I struggle to imagine the thought of going back. The multiple studios responsible for putting this collection together should be proud, as they’ve brought back a great chunk of the Halo franchise and with it, the very history of the Xbox console with grace and gusto.
WHAT WE LIKED…
Still plays just as well as it did years agoSmooth 60fps framerate
Huge variety of ways to play
Halo 2’s new cinematics
WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE…
Halo 3 not as visually greatSpartan Ops fans have to wait until December...
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