At RTX 2014 343 Industries revealed more details about Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Halo 2 Anniversary. Details about terminals, skulls, a new Gungoose vehicle, Gungoose CTF, Coagulation remastered, new gametypes, and weapons like the assault rifle and silenced SMG!
Here’s all the news from the panel in more detail!
The BIG news
Coagulation Remastered
Coagulation will be one of the six Halo 2 maps (joining Ascension) in Halo 2 Anniversary that will also have a remastered version of the map running on a brand new Xbox One engine.
Check out this Halo 2 Anniversary Cairo Station Campaign Gameplay. It’s currently a work in progress. Halo 2 Anniversary is part of the Halo: The Master Chief Collection which releases November 11th 2014
343 Industries announces Halo: The Master Chief Collection for Xbox One this November with Halo 5 Multiplayer Beta in December. Included in this collection are re-vamped versions of Halo 1-4 with Halo 2 getting the anniversary treatment.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection Includes:
Halo CE Anniversary
Halo 2 Anniversary
Halo 3
Halo 4
Halo Nightfall (Digital Series by Ridley Scott)
Access to Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta (December 27th, 2014 – January 22)
The collection features a single unified interfaced, to give you seamless access to all 4 games, everything will be unlocked from the start, Spartan ops is included, forge will be available for Halo 2, 3 and 4. Yes bringing forge to Halo 2 for the first time. There will also be a feature for custom playlists so you can pick and choose campaign missions from all 4 games and play them in the order you choose.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Halo 2 will be getting the full anniversary treatment, featuring the ability to revert back to its original graphics by a touch of a button.
In Halo 2 Anniversary We’ll be able to uncover Halo 5 Guardians story elements with extended cut scenes, hidden terminal videos, and utilize all new skulls to experience the campaign in a whole new way.
All of the original 25 multiplayer maps from Halo 2 are included. Play on fan favorites including Ivory Tower, Ascension, and Lockout, plus 6 completely re-imagined maps.
The collection will have over 100 multiplayer maps, every map from Halo 1 through 4 – only excluding the extra PC maps Edit: PC exlcusive maps for Halo CE and Halo 2 have now been included. Each game will run at 1080p, 60 frames per second, and have dedicated servers. And each game will have its original multiplayer engine – including Halo 2 just as it shipped 10 years ago – button glitches and all.
And for you achievement hunters, the collection will have 4000 gamescore for you to unlock!
First look at Halo 2 Anniversary Multiplayer gameplay at E3! Halo 2 Anniversary is part of the Halo: The Master Chief Collection coming to Xbox One November 11th 2014!
Shortly after the announcement of Halo 5: Guardians, a rumoured Halo: The Master Chief Collection surfaced and spread like wildfire. Just want to say, nothing has been confirmed. This was being reported my engadget, then IGN, Polygon, and more started picking up this story. But this isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors of bringing Halo games to the Xbox One.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is apparently coming this year for Xbox One and it will have Halo 1, 2, 3 and 4. This collection will not include ODST, Reach, or Halo Wars as Master Chief wasn’t the main protagonist in those games.
This could also be what Bonnie Ross meant when she announced Halo 5: Guardians. She stated that it’s “…a “journey,” rather than a destination – and that journey definitely begins in 2014 with a giant leap, rather than one small step.”
Now if you remember back to the NeoGaf leaks from back in January, nut-kernel stated that there would be 2 editions for Halo 2 Anniversary.
A Collector’s Edition – access to Halo 5 beta, and
A War Collection – which would have access to the Halo 5 beta and on top of that ports of Halo 3 and Halo 4 for Xbox One.
This leaker has been pretty spot on so far. Perhaps this War Collection is actually the now rumoured Halo: The Master Chief Collection. What do you guys think? Perhaps there could be a stand-alone Halo 2 Anniversary and also a Halo: The Master Chief Collection which would contain Halo CE to Halo 4 with a remastered Halo 2 Anniversary.
Josh Holmes from 343 industries released an article on HaloWaypoint briefly outlining their plans for the new year, addresses some recent events and staff changes, and at the end he did give us a sneak peak at a brand new location.
“In closing, I will leave you with this image from Sparth – an early exploration of a new location that features prominently in a little game project we’re tinkering with….”
Could this concept art be for Halo 5? Halo for Xbox One (provided that the two may be different)? Or something else entirely?
Josh Holmes also hinted…
“2014 is here and much is afoot in the Halo universe,” he wrote. “This past year has been a time of great transition at 343 as we’ve moved our engine and team from Xbox 360 to Xbox One and begun building the next chapter in the Halo saga.
“We’re proud of what we accomplished with our first release in Halo 4 and now we’re focused on something much more transformative as we make the leap to the next generation of Xbox. We showed a hint of what we have in store at E3 last year and we’re excited to share more in the not-so-distant future. Please be patient – we can’t wait to show you what we have in store.”
Four leaked images surfaced for a game claimed to be called Halo: New Beginnings. However, after close examination the images are fake. But the story could be true, as it involves a popular Mendicant Bias theory and follows Master Chief after the events of Halo 4 as he searches for Halsey to bring back Cortana.
“Halo: New Beginnings is an upcoming title for Microsofts Xbox One… follows the events after Halo 4. Master Chief has left [the UNSC] Infinity to search for Halsey to bring back Cortana. On the way, he meets Mendicant Bias and he ends up being the new AI Companion”
Now we cannot outright say that the attached story is false, many Mendicant Bias theories are floating around right now. For those who don’t know Mendicant Bias was the most advanced Forerunner AI at the time who eventually went rampant but rumors from a Halo 3 terminal mention that Mendicant Bias may be able to overcome rampancy; which could lead to a possible solution that Master Chief may be seeking to restore Cortana.
The creator of the images even contacted me via Twitter asking for credit in fooling the community.
Here’s a photoshop image I created in 10 minutes showing how easy it is to fool the community There you have it, you can’t always believe what you read on the internet. However, I’m curious to hear your thoughts on a potential storyline involving Mendicant bias. Leave a comment and let me know.
– Chief… I hope I don’t have to do this every time a “leaked” photo is released.
A round up on the noteworthy “Halo 5” (or Halo on Xbox One) rumors from 2013. Spanning from talks of the Arbiter and the Brutes returning, in-game ranks, Xbox One impulse triggers, and potential episodic story line or game mode in the absence of Spartan Ops Season 2.
The only concrete facts we have are the following. Halo on Xbox One will:
Run at 60 frames per second, the first Halo game to do so,
It will utilize the cloud and have dedicated Servers, just like every Xbox One game,
Microsoft Studios Phil Spencer stated “… the series is no longer a trilogy, but now a saga.“, and
The final title will be announced at a later date as stated by 343 Industries on HaloWaypoint
Keep in mind, Halo on Xbox One is still a work in progress and the title is still TBA. It may not be a part of the original trilogy announced, since the Reclaimer trilogy is now the Reclaimer Saga.
The 343rd day of the yea (December 9th) is fast approaching. So 343 Industries is putting on an event to celebrate!
343 Day Live Stream
343 Industries is putting on a livestream from 1:00 – 4:00pm PST at http://www.twitch.tv/343industries. Here there will discuss Halo Spartan Assault on Xbox 360 and Xbox One (Which is scheduled for release sometime this December); as well as other Xbox One discussions and of course gameplay and giveaways.
Commando Helmet Unlock
Also if you play Halo 4’s online multiplayer, either War Games or Spartan Ops, on Dcember 9th you’ll receive the Commando helmet as a gift. This is a one-day-only giveaway. Normally the Command armor set is unlock via completion of the Dominion Victory Commendation. This unlock will be treated similarly to the Guilty Spark Emblem they had back in November for Halo 4’s 1st Birthday.
FYI: If you completed a game in #Halo4 matchmaking on 343 Day, your Commando helmet has been unlocked! #enjoy
Also on December 9th the Resistor Tactical Package will be released for free to the public. It was previously reserved as a timed exclusive Champions Bundle bonus item. The Resistor Armor mod allows players to retain full mobility when taking fire for a few moments. I personally really enjoy this tactical package and use it in my objective/rushing loadouts.
Chief Canuck - Video Game News 