Advertisement

'Halo: The Master Chief Collection' coming to Xbox this fall, 'Halo 5' beta in December

The next installment of the Halo series isn't coming out until next year, so there's plenty of time to revisit the franchise and catch up on the timeline. Given today's consoles, however, the four games featuring the Master Chief look like they could use a touch-up. As we reported two weeks ago, Microsoft confirmed Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which is an HD remastered collection of Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4. The new setup comes courtesy of 343 Industries and will be coming to Xbox on November 11th (the 10th anniversary of Halo 2's release) with the multiplayer experience intact, including all DLC; in addition, you'll be able to enjoy the multiplayer beta of Halo 5: Guardians this December.

All four games will be practically unchanged, though they will come in 1080p and will run at 60fps; in Halo 2 you'll have the option to switch back-and-forth from the original graphics to the Xbox One engine whenever you want, much like the anniversary edition of Combat Evolved. The soundtracks from the first two games will also be replaced with new music. Every difficulty level, map and mission from all four games will come unlocked, which means you'll be able to play everything from the start, as well as curate playlists and mission types.

Those who purchase The Master Chief Collection will be able to access the multiplayer beta of Halo 5: Champions coming out this December, as well as a Ridley Scott-backed live-action TV series called Halo: Nightfall, which will introduce a new character in the lead-up to Halo 5 next year.