Many modern-day gamers missed out on some of the near-past's best games, and many hardcore fans are looking for a reason to play their favorite games again. Thankfully, developers are more than happy to help. More than almost anything else, the current console generation is characterized by the influx of "remastered" versions of older games, which give players the opportunity to revisit classic titles with upgraded graphics and, sometimes, additional content.

For instance, Sony triumphantly reintroduced its immaculate survival-horror The Last of Us to PlayStation 4 audiences last year, and is looking to repeat its success with a God of War 3 remaster later this July. Microsoft's all-in on the remaster game, too; while Halo: The Master Chief Collection got off to a shaky start, with its sloppy matchmaking issues, Microsoft's issuing an apology in the form of a remastered version of Halo 3: ODST, which is making its way to fans right this second.

343 Industries' Bonnie Ross previously made a statement about the free release, apologizing for the company's mistakes:

This has been a humbling experience and highlighted how we as a studio can – and need – to do better for Xbox fans around the world. We are so grateful to our fans who have stood by our side and we appreciate all of your patience as we worked through these issues.

Earlier this week, a rumored May 29 release date for Halo 3: ODST appeared on Xbox.com, only to be labeled by the official Halo Twitter account as “a placeholder... inadvertently listed on the Xbox Store.” Oddly enough, that "placeholder" wasn't too far off the mark; fans who bought Halo: The Master Chief Collection for the Xbox One between November 11 and December 19 should receive ODST download links on Xbox Live soon, if they haven't already.

Players who can't get online this weekend shouldn't worry, either. According to the online community Halo Waypoint, the game will still be available to them, because "all distributed codes will disappear from the in-console message after June 30, 2015, but will still be redeemable." After June, users can get in touch with Microsoft's Xbox Live support to have the re-release of Halo 3: ODST installed on their systems.

The Halo 3: ODST remaster provides players with the game's original single-player campaign, which now runs in glorious 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second. However, the remaster doesn't include ODST's popular Firefight game mode. For those fans who don't qualify for the complimentary code, the Halo 3: ODST remaster can be purchased from the Xbox Store for $4.99; of course, in order to play it, users also need to own Halo: The Master Collection.

The remaster of Halo 3: ODST is now available for Xbox One via the Xbox Store.

Source: GameSpot