Halo: Master Chief Collection Review : Second Opinion
Developer 343 Industries.
Publisher Microsoft
Platform Xbox One
Release Date 11-11-2014
To most people change can be a scary thing. To fans of the Halo franchise any change to the most beloved series on any Xbox console would be akin to blasphemy. Fans, however, need not worry as 343 Industries have handled the enormous task of bringing the entire Master Chief saga to the latest generation of gaming console with the care and respect it thoroughly deserves.
Gamers who have previously played the Anniversary edition of the original Halo on the Xbox 360 will already have an idea of what to expect from this collection but, from the first moment you start playing either re-mastered Halo 1 or 2, you will know you’re in for a treat.
The vastly improved graphics of the two re-mastered Halo games are truly beautiful to look at but the third and fourth games also benefit greatly from the Xbox One. As you would expect and demand from any Halo collection, each game now runs in full 1080p resolution and at 60fps. When playing on a HDTV even the most subtle changes made to the lighting help make this the most immersive Halo experience ever.
Halo 1 and 2 have also had tremendous work done to the audio and when played through a surround sound system the noise from a plasma shot will have you ducking for cover behind your seat.
New arrivals to the Halo universe will love the look, feel and sound of this collection while older players who long for the chance to relive Halo experience can switch the graphics and sounds from the re-mastered versions to the original at the touch of a button.
The epic story told through the four campaign modes is a master class in storytelling and a joy to play through but the key to over a decade of success for the franchise has always been the multi-player aspect of the games.
Over 100 maps spanning all four games, including re-mastered versions of some of the fan favorites from Halo 2, should keep even the most fervent of gamers from getting bored of playing the same maps over and over. Even when a player has memorized every inch of every map they can still find new experiences through the creation of custom maps in forge mode.
If four full campaigns and a massive multiplayer experience weren’t enough to entice gamers to pick this collection up, 343 Industries have also crammed the collection with tons of special features.
Halo: Nightfall, created in collaboration with Ridley Scotts Production Company, is a miniseries focusing on a group of ONI operatives and is the spiritual successor of Forward unto dawn which further deepens the mythology of the Halo universe.
The Halo 5 Multiplayer Beta will also be included, however, not until its release on December 29. This will give players their first taste of the future of the Halo series while also letting 343 Industries benefit from plenty of gamer feedback.
In conclusion: combining the best graphics and audio the Xbox One can handle with one of the most solid multiplayer modes ever created, the Master Chief Collection looks set to take the title of Best Xbox One game…… Until Halo 5 at least.
SCORE 5/5
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