Experience the Library like you've never seen it before!
343 Industries will be picking up the Halo series where developer Bungie left off following the release of Halo: Reach. But according to a rumor making the rounds, 343's first Halo game won't be this follow-up we're all expecting to see. Instead, it'll be a rerelease of Halo: Combat Evolved, rendered in glorious HD courtesy of the Reach engine. And the date we'll see it according to this rumor? Sometime in 2011, which means it could arrive in November, just in time for this monumental game's 10-year anniversary.
This rumor is brought to us by the latest issue of Games Master magazine, which cites "industry chatter" as its source (via CVG). No other details were apparently provided.
== TEASER ==One big problem with this rumor, as Eurogamer points out, is that Microsoft Games Studios executive Phil Spencer doesn't seem too keen on HD rereleases. In an interview with IGN from earlier this October, Spencer said that the "thought of re-doing a bunch of things is probably difficult to just weave into the overall portfolio."
He added that while he doesn't spend much time thinking about this subject, "there could be possibilities" for remakes from MGS in the future if customers see some sort of value in the idea. Ironically, it seems like IGN asked Spencer for his take on this subject by offering Halo: CE and Halo 2 as examples of hypothetical HD rereleases.
if this is gonna happen in which i hope so, i can see them possible putting it out for retail and boxing it with something along the lines of the complete reach multiplayer expierence similiar to what they did wich odst., thoughts?
If this means a Halo: CE with LIVE support then...I am in. So long as they hold true to the original balance of the weapons in the game. 3-shotting people over LIVE would fun.
I don't think it is necessary, Halo: CE still looks decent enough. It has aged a lot better than PS2 games. Especially since the 360 upscales it. However it could be cool I guess, but 343 have big shoes to fill.
I got Halo:CE when it was on offer a few days ago, and wow, it has aged really well. It doesn't look bad at all, plays way better than all the others and is just generally more fun.
This makes me wonder why someone would remake right now, especially on the crappy engine that is the reach one. Sure for a launch downloadable title with way improved graphics on the next Xbox, but I just can't see that big a leap with the reach engine...
It is sluggish, ugly and made the single player portion of the game the biggest disappointment of 2010 for me.
I hope by "HD" they don't just mean upping the resolution. Anyway, all the Halo games felt the same to me. Although the original impressed me at the time, ODST and Reach had a little more finesse to their stories.
I probably wouldn't bother with it. The level design of CE seriously got on my nerves and the repetitive feel of it was my biggest problem (not just the Library either). If they removed the excess crap and tightened the pacing, I'd probably like it more
@CookieMonster: its just that ppl will always be excited for Halo CE to be remade but is it WORTH it? And how much do you think they will charge? Anything more than $20 is a rip off. To me its a waste of time to do this but i guess MS knows they can make a quick buck off of it.
"Meh. Pointless. That engine isn't particularly great. Not for remaking at least. "
This. I hope they don't waste their time doing this when they could expand a promising universe such as the Halo one. I'm hoping for a space combat game personally.
I have no desire to play through all of "The Library", TWICE again.
If this is going to be the first release from 343 Studios then it's a stupid one. If they want gamers to have faith in them, they need to make the series their own and not live off the scraps left by Bungie. They are constantly going to be compared to them just as Treyarch was compared to Infinity Ward. If 343 wants to use the Reach engine, that's great but to remake the original game is weak and uninspired. They need to show some creativity and make something fresh.
I am amazed at how many of you would rather an old game that can be bought at any used retail or even off XBox Game Center than something new.
I don't know if I'd want just a straight up port of Halo CE in HD. I hope they change some things with it too to make it worth more than just a nostalgia trip.
The Reach engine did funny things on my Jasper 360 - weird ghosting in the cut scenes that I haven't seen in any 360 game before or since. It's a decent engine, especially for multi-player; but I think if pales in comparison with the COD engine. That said, put this online for $20 and I think you'd get a 50% attach rate.
I think CE is fine just the way it is, especially since you can buy it on the marketplace... Though given the chance to play through it again with achievement points, I'd probably drop down 20 or 30 bucks.
CE never had online support, I'd pay $ to play Team Slayer on Chill Out any time I wanted.
Also, the last time I got 8 buddies together with 2 tvs and 2 xboxs to play CE on the 360, the game was struggling to keep up when a few of us where in one room at the same time. It looked bad. Im sure a remake would bring everything up to speed.
Halo CE was great because it was novel. All the sequels tried to match it's impact, buy have only made the franchise stale and predictable. This franchise needs to move on, not chase it's tail.
A filler Halo CE Remake while the bulk of 343 work on the real follow up: I could live with. Playing Hang Em High Slayer online with theater support with better graphics?
I'm not too keen on the idea but I can imagine it happening. Uber easy money xnd gives 343 a good and easy way to get there boots on the ground and learn The engine without making a totally new game.
Would be a brilliant cash in if they did the first and second Halo in a package. I'm not against HD remakes. I loved playing through God of War series for the first time on my PS3 and looking forward Shadow of Colossus and Ico coming out.
i wouldn't put it past them to make this. they're kind of running this franchise into the ground lately. not that any of the halo games have been bad, but we've had four halo-branded releases on the 360 so far. i honestly don't think we need another one so soon, even if it is an upgraded version of the original classic.
243 Comments