Swiping at foes with the Energy Blade now feels like it has some force behind it. Weapon sounds and effects, in addition to environmental audio, have been completely redone, now with much more body. Related: Everything You Need to Know About Halo: MCCĪs much as the graphics are highlighted, the audio work stands out even more. The difference is drastic, and you just might find yourself spamming the button as you play.
#Angry joe top 10 best games of 2017 full#
By tapping the View button you’ll make an instant transition between the Anniversary edition and the Halo 2 that earned widespread acclaim a full 10 years ago. In regards to the resolution, it isn’t a full 1920 x 1080 because it runs several engines in unison. More importantly, it runs at 60 frames per second, making gunplay smooth as butter. Taking part in the Halo 2 journey, although it’s not the most prized campaign of the franchise, is an experience that rivals anything on the market today. Effects have been completely renovated, making Type-51 shots explode with dazzling particle effects. Running at 1328 x 1080 resolution, the image is much sharper than the original release. Also unlike Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, there are no cases where the old is better than the new. Unlike Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary which made a single generation jump, Halo 2 has been transported from Xbox to Xbox One. Even if that were the case the package would have been one of the best of 2014, because Halo 2: Anniversary is absolutely spectacular. Originally, Halo: MCC was only going to include Halo 2: Anniversary. There’s enough here to incentivize even the most hardened Halo fans to play through missions of ages past. You’ll earn a score depending on your speed, accuracy, and more, adding a competitive quality to the solo or local co-operative modes. You can even tune how you’re scored, and enable a variety of skulls before you get started. The Leaderboard system is perhaps Halo: MCC‘s greatest integration. Related: The 10 Best Moments in Halo History For Halo fans that have experienced these games before, it’s perfect for jumping directly into the best moments in Halo‘s mythos. You can select a basic Playlist that sends you through every game, or specific lists that task you with vehicle only missions, or even Flood-focused missions. It has no impact on the overall experience, but not all games are equal, that’s for sure.įrom the get-go you’ll have every mission of each game unlocked, making the Playlist section a real treat. Standing out from these two are Halo 4, which looks downright phenomenal, and Halo 2: Anniversary, which is the highlight of the collection. Meanwhile, Halo 3 stands out from the bunch since it has no graphical toggle (you can alternate between classic and modern visuals in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Halo 2: Anniversary) and has only improved in minor ways since 2007. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, so it’s still only a modest upgrade. There is some incongruity to the experience, though. Each game stands on its own two feet, feeling true to the spirit of the original release while benefiting from the Xbox One’s hardware with higher resolution and a smooth 60 frames per second experience. In the case of the frame rate, 60 frames per second is something that tandems well with the cohesiveness of the controls.Ī lot of work has gone into piecing this together. Given that these games, particularly Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo 3, are indisputably some of the most acclaimed titles in history, the result is something predictably extraordinary. A lot of work has gone into piecing this together. It even goes as far as standardizing in-game pause menus and settings. These games are unified into a singular intuitive and easy to use interface, making navigation of the colossal package as painless as possible. You’ll hear the famous Halo Gregorian Chant before being presented with access to the four major installments of the franchise: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4. The moment you hop into Halo: MCC it makes its tremendous value as clear as possible. These are games unlike any other, and in Halo: MCC they combine their powers into one. Playing through each game and experiencing multiplayer for my first time, I’ve learned that this series’ reputation is no mistake. In my case, it’s a way to catch up the franchise, and see why it’s earned millions of fans. Halo: The Master Chief Collection has been regarded as the ultimate package for Halo fans since its announcement, but it’s much more than that.