14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft and 343 Industries have confirmed that the next map to get the remastered treatment in the upcoming Halo: The Master Chief Collection is Lockout, and have posted a set of comparison screenshots, showing off the massive upgrades made to visuals and style.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is this year's big Xbox One exclusive experience, delivering Halo 1, 2, 3, and 4 in a single package made to work flawlessly on the new platform.
Halo 2 in particular is getting a lot of love, as developer 343 is going to implement the Anniversary treatment, seeing as how 2014 marks 10 years since the original game appeared on the first Xbox.
343 has already confirmed that some of its most popular multiplayer maps will be remastered in The Master Chief Collection and already revealed some of the lucky ones, like Sanctuary, Zanzibar, Coagulation, or Ascension.
Now, a new map has just been revealed in its remastered form – Lockout. The level was a fan favorite and became quite popular for eSports competitions back in day, according to Microsoft, via GameSpot, so the decision was simple.
"As one of the flagship Halo 2 tournament maps, Lockout was home to a wide host of game types, including Free-for-All, Oddball, King of the Hill, 1-Flag CTF, and of course, Team Slayer. Get ready to return to this classic battleground as Lockdown, part of the Halo 2 Anniversary multiplayer experience in Halo: The Master Chief Collection."
Besides improving the visuals, 343 has confirmed that it's also making a few tweaks to structure and feel, although it's taking great care to preserve what made the original map so popular with fans.
"Lockout was hands-down the most popular small arena-style map in Halo 2. We're thrilled to be bringing this fan-favorite back, and are paying close attention to the details and subtleties that made the original great while also making a couple of very careful, very calculated enhancements," Halo 2 Lead Designer Max Hoberman added.
"Most prominent among these are a bit of cover added to the 'Elbow,' the long walkway connecting the grav lift to the sniper tower, and a dynamic element that should help counter an entrenched group of enemies. Of course this can be disabled in Forge for players who want a near-match of the original experience."
You can expect to see more announcement about remastered maps in Halo 2: Anniversary in the following months, ahead of the release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection on the Xbox One.
Until then, check out some comparison screenshots with the old and new Lockout below.
