Mary Ann Evans once remarked "we could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it". Few more suitable statements could be found in approaching the Master Chief Collection, which is a sentimental piece designed purely to appeal to our nostalgic lusts. Halo 1, 2, 3 and 4, all in their original engines and with their original artwork and soundtracks, with remastered graphics for the first two games and all multiplayer maps ever shipped either on disc or as DLC included. It's an impressive charge, and luckily 343 has for the most part done an excellent job in maintaining the purity of each title's slightly different gameplay, whilst updating the graphics to meet modern days requirements.
It's strange I wrote that first paragraph, because I have never really played most of the Halo series before this. I have only played a few levels of the first two games, some sporadic Halo 2 multiplayer and not a single second of the fourth, and whilst I completed Halo 3's storyline I managed only a baker's dozen worth of online matches (exactly - I checked). Yet strangely enough, I still feel a nostalgic tinge as the theme music plays and the old games load up. Halo 2 is my favourite - freed from the 2004-era baggage of the rushed storyline ending and disappointment from fans over the Arbiter stealing half of the scenes, the incredibly fun, sharp gameplay is a joy to play, a loveable contrast to the sometimes over-complicated shooters of 2014. Even Halo 1, whilst showing some signs of its incredible age, still looks surprisingly sprightly when revisited in 2014 with the Anniversary graphics.
The disappointment so far is multiplayer, which in concept sounds incredible but currently (11 Nov) isn't really working. I did get into one match on Halo 2, where I delighted in wrecking fools with the Energy Sword on Zanzibar despite some lag issues, but it's disappointing for all those hoping to hop back into 2004/05 and pure Halo 2 action that it doesn't work properly at the moment. Hopefully it will soon and give this package the final piece it truly deserves.
TBD/10
(Edit: 20 December) A patch or seven has helped the matchmaking get up to a pretty playable state, at least in my experience. That said, the experience is still imperfect and the slightly too long waits for games and occasions of higher lag do mar the experience.
I've played through Halo 2 and Halo 3, 2 for the first time ever and 3 for the first time since it released on the 360. Halo 2 is a fantastic game, but one where many aspects reveal its infamously rushed development. The quality in terms of story, pacing and level design is pretty varied, with some excellent levels and the interesting character switching idea mixed in with befuddling plot points and some less interesting sections where little happens. Overall however, the game still holds up pretty well and the lick of paint that the Anniversary overhaul gives is welcomed.
Halo 3 seems as much as anything a defiant response to those criticisms of Halo 2. It combines big scale battles with polished gunplay, a plot line more simple but no less compelling than its predecessor, a ridiculously extensive multiplayer mode bolstered with the inspired addition of forge mode, and strong artistic design with a lighting engine that's as impressive in action as anything I've seen. It was probably the first time that Bungie achieved their internal vision without compromise, and stands out as a remarkable edition in the series that's as good to play today as it was in 2007. Except the "Cortana" level, which is as crap as ever. Just forget that one.
Also, ODST is coming. Hopefully Reach will as well.
5/5 (SP)
3/5 (MP)
