Forum:Halo: Master Chief Collection News

Alright guys, so I spent yesterday at RTX pretty much focussing entirely on the Halo content being shown off, starting off watching their explanation of the interface on the main floor, then visiting the 343i panel, attended by Max Hoberman (creator of the original Halo 2 multiplayer experience) and other members of Certain Affinity, and later speaking to some of the major level developers from Certain Affinity.

Right off the bat, here's what we learned on the exhibition floor, in a small, curtained-off area
1) The interface looks great. Running on an Xbox One, it was a flawless transition from the different campaigns, matchmaking hoppers, campaign playlists, and extra features. Fast and sleek, I'll get into more menu stuff in a bit.

2) If you bought Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, you're familiar with the mechanic that switches you between classic and updated graphics. In Halo 2 Anniversary, the update graphics so closely resemble the aesthetics of the classic game that you'd be forgiven for asking why they bother to pay their artists over at 343i. The answer? Because unlike Halo: CE Anniversary, we have an instant swap between the two, and the difference becomes clear when you see the depth and contrast of the visuals. Did I mention it was instant? Yep, none of that fade-through-black transition, it's as fast as the touch of a button, with not a moment of lag.

3) Audio, like graphics, will also be entirely remastered.

4) Forge will not be available on classic Halo: CE or Halo 2 maps, but will be available on the remastered Halo 2 maps.

5) Campaign playlists look incredible. Of those we were shown, it looks like you can filter by playable characters from Halo 2 levels, but the playlists also support menu-less transitions across different games. We were shown a playlist that used specifically the vehicle-intensive levels of Halo: CE (Halo, Silent Cartographer, the Maw…) and another which was just the final levels of each game (escaping the Pillar of Autumn, fighting Tartarus and his army, escaping Installation 04-B, and fighting the Didact and his army). Overall, playlists look like a lot of fun.

6) One other playlist possibility we heard was that players can take on every level in every game in one long marathon session. However, based on the fact that we were shown menus for every other playlist that was mentioned, I'm inferring that players can set up their own playlists.

7) Skulls are a big deal to 343i. Every skull from every game is unlockable from the mission selection screen immediately, even in Halo 2, where you had to find them again to activate them if you restarted your Xbox or ejected the disc. In addition, new skulls have been added to each game, and while specifics were not mentioned, "fan favourites" was said a few times. Bandanna skull? Bandanna skull.

Here's what was unveiled at the 343i panel
1) With the game comes several extra features, including a trailer used to hype up the Blur cinematics, a trailer I didn't get a chance to see the name of, Ridley Scott's Halo miniseries, and access to the Halo 5 multiplayer beta, due to launch in December.

2) Every Halo game has a classic version of its multiplayer in the game. However, Halo 2 Anniversary introduces content from other games into the multiplayer, as well as new features, including gametypes like Race and vehicles like the Mongoose, both of which were originally slated to appear in Halo 2.

3) One of the new pieces of content in Halo 2 Anniversary is the Gungoose: a Mongoose, but with a driver-controlled turret. The game type Gungoose CTF will be based around the use of this vehicle, and probably flag capturing of some sort. Based on one Certain Affinity developer's line about seeing a "swarm of Gungeese coming flying over a hill," we can infer that it is meant to be a team vehicle, still carrying the passengers we know and love.

4) Ascension, one of the six remastered maps, got a full walkthrough today.

4a) We were shown that the skybridge part of the map (between the Banshee platform and the main tower, where the overshield was) has since been made wider, given more cover from the tower, had the overshield removed, had a Covenant carbine added, and a small room has been placed on the halfway point of the bridge, overall allowing for better skirmishes to take place there.

4b) Also on the skybridge is one of three "dynamic element" activators, which Certain Affinity has added to several of the remastered maps. When activated, the dynamic element on Ascension is revealed to be an energy shield, resembling a shield door in design but a bubble shield in function, which covers the inside of the central dish. Bullets and grenades bounce off, players run through, and intense skirmishes occur inside, impervious to outside intervention. Another activator was shown inside the main tower, and it can be inferred from this that the third is somewhere near or on the sniper tower. We got a good view of the base of the sniper tower, which means it's probably right in the nest, at the top of the ramp.

4c) While Ascension in Halo 2 made use of a thick grey fog to conceal the area around the map, the remastered version does no such thing. In fact, the developers went all out, creating a to-scale Halo ring which spins beneath the map. The ring looks gorgeous, covered in lush greens and deep blues.

4d) All skill jumps remain on the map. That slanted rock near the main tower can still be used to reach the area around the dish, just as the area around the sniper can still be reached quicker with the proper timing and know-how.

5) Coagulation has been announced as the second of the remastered maps. Blood Gulch lovers, rejoice! We only saw concept art, but I spoke with one of the lead level designers later, who revealed that the concept art was ultimately not reflective of the final product.

6) Armour permutations may be making a comeback, being retained by Halo 3 and Halo 4, and from the sounds of it, may be introduced to Halo: CE and Halo 2. That said, we saw several screenshots taken from a match on Ascension, and not one player had anything but the default Mrk. VI MJOLNIR armour.

7) You know what's cooler than a disc that has every Halo map inside? A map that is present on every Halo map! Okay, not really, but Forge World has been confirmed as a universal constant, being introduced to every Halo game included in the Master Chief Collection. How this will work without forge in Halo: CE and Halo 2, I don't know, but it's going to be great regardless.

8) Remember those Blur cutscenes you've been seeing? They're incredible. You know how you hate when the old parts of the game you love are changed? You need not worry. It was confirmed today that both the Blur cutscenes, which use the original audio and take cues from the original cutscenes, will be entirely-original productions instead of photorealistic recreations, but the classic ones are still there.

9) If you collected the Halo: CE Anniversary terminals, you know they focus heavily on the story around Installation 04, specifically the journey of 343 Guilty Spark. In Halo 2 Anniversary, terminals have again been introduced, though this time as a way to tell the story of Thel 'Vadam (formerly 'Vadamee), from his tenure as Supreme Commander, to his taking on the mantle of Arbiter, to his alliance with John-117 and Humanity. We saw one of these videos today as the panel let out, and it looks better than you can even imagine. Believe the hype.

10) The Arbiter won't show up in matchmaking, but his troops will. Halo 2's classic multiplayer will see no changes to the Sangheili (Elites) in the game, but Halo 2 Anniversary has been the catalyst for several gameplay changes to these fearsome alien soldiers. No specifics were given, but I think hitboxes are among the changes.

11) Every Halo 2 game type is returning, as are a few from other games. Ricochet, Infection, and Race are among them.

12) I said I'd come back to the menus. When you switch between the different campaign selection screens, it changes the background music to that game's theme. That's all I had to say, thank you for keeping up the reading. Love ya!

13) Co-op campaign will be playable over Xbox Live.

14) Questions about rocket warthogs were met with "I don't think we're ready to talk about that," implying they may be in Halo 2 Anniversary.

After the panel, I met up with two of Certain Affinity's map developers, and asked them some questions. Among the things I learned are
1) Coagulation will ultimately not resemble the concept art except in general atmosphere. Those arches you see? Not present. Another omission from the map is the water. I was specifically told there'd be no water on the map at all, despite concept art. Does this mean the cave pond has changed, or was that just overlooked, I don't know, but it's quite clear that puddle in the middle of Coagulation will not be making a return. Please, contain your indifference.

2) I specifically asked about the choices regarding what maps are being remastered. So far, Coagulation and Ascension have been announced, and others will be announced at Comic-Con, and another in Germany, possible Speil!. I was specifically told that the maps were chosen to have a variety of sizes, but are mostly those which were super popular. Purely speculating here, but with a large map like Coagulation and a medium map like Ascension, I think we can expect to see Lockout (medium), Zanzibar (large), Midship (small), and Ivory Tower (small) remastered, due to Frank O'Conner's comments on NeoGaf, and Max Hoberman's comments during the panel about Midship being one of the community favourites.

3) When asked about the fan-favourite Tower of Power, I was told that all the settings to recreate that game type are found in the game. No confirmation as to whether or not it will be made into an official game type or matchmaking playlist. Let's cross our fingers, because that would be the best playlist ever, am I right?

4) Though deleted content from Halo 2 like Race or the Mongoose are being reintroduced via Anniversary edition, they will not be on the classic Halo 2 maps. Whether or not other deleted content like the Sharquoi (Drinol) race, the Flood Juggernaut form, or the Doozy boat vehicle will make it into the game is not yet known.

5) Certain Affinity has no plans at the moment to return to RTX next year. Due to their heavy collaboration on Halo 5: Guardians, this likely means that Halo 5's multiplayer will be largely completed by this time in 2015, and any questions about their work on Halo 5 were deflected.

In conclusion, I want you all to know that the Master Chief Collection is in good hands between 343i and Certain Affinity. They clearly have poured their love of Halo into this project, and have been both personal and professional with us throughout the day. Thank you 343i and Certain Affinity, delivering to us the best versions of every main Halo game thus far, may your roads always lead you to warm sands.