After months of speculation and rumors, 343 Industries finally confirmed the existence of the Halo: Master Chief Collection at Microsoft's E3 2014 Press Conference. The Collection will include all four previously released, Master Chief-starring Halo games on a single Xbox One disc. Not only that, each game will feature new improvements to single and multiplayer gameplay, including the Anniversary treatment for Halo 2 and a Halo 4 engine re-design for 6 Halo 2 multiplayer maps.
Since the announcement, however, 343 Industries has kept fans guessing as to what they might expect from this robust offering. We know that Ascension is one of the 6 maps getting the Halo 2 makeover, but what are the other 5 maps? Moreover, how will 343 unite the multiplayer experiences of four distinctly different Halo games?
Now that some time has passed, the devs at 343 Industries are ready to answer some (not all) of gamers' questions about Halo: The Master Chief Collection. They suggest that gamers should be on the lookout for more big reveals in the coming months, including a big showing at Gamescom in August, but for now the team has a few more things to say about the Collection.
You can read the full Q&A at Halo Waypoint here, but some of the high points from the post include a promise that all four of the Halo experiences will be preserved to the best of 343's ability. That means a post-patch multiplayer for Halo 2, control schemes that match each game (RB to jump in Halo 3, for example), every PC and Xbox multiplayer map (retail and DLC) released for each game, and support for split-screen co-op on all four titles. Speaking of split-screen, 343 reveals that Halo 2: Anniversary will now feature a horizontal divider for split-screen play rather than the traditional vertical one.
The developers also confirmed, once again, that Elites will be a part of Halos 1-3, as will Terminals for Halo 2: Anniversary. In fact, Terminals will reportedly have a large role to play in Halo 2, potentially teasing the future of the franchise in Halo 5: Guardians.
Forge will also be making its glorious return, but right now 343 Industries can't delve into too many specifics. For the time being, however, they can say that all Halo 3, Halo 4, and the six remastered Halo 2 maps will be "forgeable."
Ultimately, the Q&A teases a lot, but doesn’t reveal much more than we already knew. That being said, 343 does promise that more will be said about The Master Chief Collection in the coming months, and with a full four games' worth of details to spill we suspect the promotional push for this game will feature plenty of exciting new details. And it sounds like Gamescom will be a major event for Halo fans to keep an eye on.
What is your one must-have feature for Halo: The Master Chief Collection? What Halo 2 maps did you hope get the remastered treatment?
Halo: The Master Chief Collection releases November 11, 2014 for Xbox One.
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Source: Halo Waypoint
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