14 DAY TRIAL // Much of the information offered about the Halo: The Master Chief Collection so far by the development team at 343 Industries and publisher Microsoft has focused on the changes that are being made to the second title in the long-running series, which is at the moment 10 years old.
But the two companies are also including the more modern third and fourth Master Chief featuring experiences in the coming package, and they apparently also benefit significantly from the move to the new Xbox One console.
Frank O’Connor, the leader of the team at 343 Industries and a veteran of the franchise, tells VG247 that “Halo 3 and Halo 4, 1080p, 60 frames per second – both of those games turned out way better than I expected them too. I expected them to be good and fun and smooth, but especially in the case of Halo 4, there was just a lot of content that wasn’t being properly fulfilled on the screen.”
The Xbox One is a much more powerful device than the 360, and that means that the developers are able to improve graphics while also upgrading the gameplay.
Resolution and the future of gaming
Frank O’Connor suggests that his own team was surprised by the changes made.
He adds, “But you up that resolution – there are a few specific lighting things that we’ve adjusted just to make it work – and you’re just starting to see all this content that wasn’t visible before. So in some ways it’s like a really good Blu-ray remaster where you’re not just getting a better version of it, you’re getting more of it than you’ve ever seen before.”
The coming package will not include Reach and ODST because they do not offer core story elements.
343 Industries has said that it will include both the classic and updated multiplayer modes in the re-releases, allowing gamers to switch at will in order to see both takes on the gameplay mechanics.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be out on November 11 of this year only on the Xbox One and will allow fans to get access to the Nighfall series based on the franchise.
Gamers will be able to enjoy a full-blown sequel called Guardians next year, with a storyline which will involve Master Chief and a new threat to life in the galaxy.
Microsoft is also launching a special Halo hub on the Xbox One, which will offer more info on the universe of the franchise.
