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Halo: The Master Chief Collection review: Chief salad
Xbox One Before Halo 2 launched in 2004, I must have watched the trailer a hundred times – easily accessible from its permanent home on my college computer's desktop. Like many fans, my anticipation for the Xbox follow-up was ... let's say substantial. And, like many fans, I was a little disappointed by the campaign and its abrupt, cliffhanger ending. Thankfully, a genre-defining multiplayer suite did more than enough to salve any abrasions left behind by the rough campaign. Now, ten years later, 343 Industries and Saber Interactive have taken another energy sword stab at Halo's most maligned moment, slathering it with pristine visuals, a fully remastered musical score and gorgeously recreated CG cutscenes for Halo: The Master Chief Collection. All of these additions go a long way toward delivering the kind of grandiosity that original developer Bungie probably intended, even if they don't quite take away the sting of the campaign's final minutes (or some of the less interesting levels, for that matter). And this time around, you've got every single main series Halo game to soothe any lingering discontent, including Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 3 and Halo 4. That's every campaign level across all four games, every multiplayer map, player-created maps and gametype sharing, saved films, and a lovely kitchen sink, all flowing at a liquid 60 frames-per-second.
Halo 2's cinematics have never looked this good
The decade-old Halo 2 looks a bit long in the tooth these days, but thanks to the efforts of Blur Studio, the game's Master Chief Collection re-release is receiving a full complement of gorgeous new cinematics. [Image: Microsoft]
A Halo 2 cutscene transforms for The Master Chief Collection
How much work does Blur Studio put into revamping and remaking Halo 2's cutscenes for Halo 2 Anniversary? Quite a bit more than the minute-and-a-half's worth you see in the video above, but we're okay with a highlight reel. If you want to see just how far visual fidelity has progressed since 2004 and the original Xbox, take a look at the trailer Microsoft, 343 Industries and Blur showed during their panel at San Diego Comic-Con this year and watch as Miranda Keyes transforms from polygonal puppet to a soldier straight out of the uncanny valley. If Blur's work makes you hungry for more, you won't have to wait much longer: Halo 2 Anniversary will be included as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which hits Xbox One on November 11 this year. [Image: Blur Studio]
Halo 2: Anniversary's new cinematics are a Blur of beauty
Halo: The Master Chief Collection made an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con this week, bringing with it new screenshots of the re-imagined "Zanzibar" map and a trailer showcasing Halo 2: Anniversary's revamped cutscenes. Blur Studio, which has had its hand in many of today's most visually spectacular cinematics and commercials - including those for Halo 4 and Batman: Arkham Origins - is the company to thank for Master Chief and friends' high-res makeovers, while 343 Industries and Certain Affinity can claim responsibility for the new Zanzibar. Scope out the map and concept art below to prep yourself for the battles waiting for you on November 11. [Image: Microsoft]
Daily iPhone App: Blur Studio lets you add a touch of blur to personalize your wallpapers
Blur Studio from Taphive is a wallpaper-creating app that uses a blur filter as its primary design tool. It generates creative home screen designs that match the look and feel of iOS 7. Blur is photo-based and allows you to either take a new photo or import one from your camera roll. Once you have a photo on your canvas, you can adjust the blur strength within a range that allows you to apply no blur or so much blur the entire image is a mixture of hazy colors. You can also change the tint of the blur to match your phone, your case or even your mood. One of the handiest features of Blur is the preview mode, which allows you to test out your new home screen while you are still tweaking its look. This Home Screen Test Mode supports Apple's parallax effect so you get a realistic look at your wallpaper before you finalize all your changes. Once you are done with your design, you can tap the "checkmark" button and export the wallpaper to your camera roll. Once it is in with your photos, you can select the exported wallpaper, tap the share button and choose "Use as a Wallpaper" to assign it as your new home screen. The wallpapers are saved at the correct size for the parallax effect in iOS 7. Blur allows you to easily and quickly create new wallpapers. It has an intuitive UI that's easy to master in just a few minutes. My only critique is the lack of basic photo-editing tools. It doesn't have a crop tool or a move tool that would allow you to pick a section of your photo for your wallpaper. For example, I have a nice shot of my daughter holding a turtle and would love to use the colorful painted turtle as the focus point of the blurred wallpaper. Unfortunately, the turtle is on the right side of the photo and it gets pushed off the wallpaper. It would be helpful if I could move the photo a bit to the left and put the turtle in the center. This is a new app, so hopefully this feature will be added in future updates. Despite this drawback, Blur Studio is still worth checking out. It is available in the iOS App Store for US$1.99.
The Firing Line: PlanetSide 2, Tribes, and Heroes & Generals updates
Not a bad week for shooter news, wouldn't you agree? Let's see, we had PlanetSide 2's heart-pounding Death is No Excuse CG trailer. We also had a huge Tribes: Ascend update. While those two juggernauts get plenty of press coverage, one shooter that's still operating relatively under the radar is Heroes & Generals. If you've read The Firing Line before, though, you know I'm a big fan of Reto-Moto's browser-based World War II title. Follow me past the break for the latest updates on that and more.
SOE releases DC Universe launch trailer
Launch day for SOE's long-awaited DC Universe Online is finally upon us, and in addition to breathless anticipation, server queues, and coordinating friend meet-ups, we also have a brand new trailer making the rounds. The clip, which clocks in at around a minute and a half, starts with footage from last summer's Blur Studios cinematic before segueing into in-game material featuring heroes, villains, and player characters from the storied DC mythos. The video also plays up DCUO's superhero flavor in a manner reminiscent of Hollywood's greatest action movie trailers, from the heroes and villains facing off in the streets to the dramatic orchestral score and the "save this universe...or destroy it" titles. Check out all the mayhem after the cut, and let us know your early impressions of the game as the servers come up.
Massively takes on the heroes of DC Universe Online
Holy non-disclosure agreement, Batman! Yes, Robin, you are right. We can now talk about DC Universe Online. Sony Online Entertainment, Warner Bros., and (of course) DC Comics have collaborated to make one of the first physics-based action MMORPGs. Now with the NDA lifted, we can finally give our impressions of this ground-breaking online game. A few of Massively's staff members have beta-tested DCUO for about a month now. We have been biting our tongues for just about as long as we could. We have seen the highs and lows of this game. Making an MMO with proven mechanics is hard enough, but when a developer delves into unexplored territory, there are always huge risks. As with any game in still in production, not everything will be perfect. I will keep this in mind as we step into this DC Universe. Prepare to be amazed by the exhilarating graphics, excited by the high-octane mechanics, confounded by surprising glitches, and flabbergasted by the astonishing voice work. Step past the cut for the whole story and the screenshots I took as I was playing through the first six levels of DC Universe Online! %Gallery-109487%
Become a DCUO beta tester, see the end of the world
DC Universe fans can officially stop crying in their beer. No, the delayed launch date hasn't been rescinded, but today does mark the official start of the pre-order beta period. Budding superheroes who have ponied up for the SOE title will need to submit an image of their receipt via the official pre-order webpage to get the process rolling. Don't delay either, as submissions must be received prior to November 15th in order to receive your beta key. In addition to the privilege of previewing and testing the game, bug-hunters will get to participate in the end-of-beta event showcased in last summer's Blur Studios trailer (an apocalyptic throw-down featuring Batman, Superman, the Joker, Lex Luthor, and others). Check out SOE's new pre-order beta page for more details. [Update: Note that this offer only applies to North American players. Visit DCUO Source for the official word from SOE.]
Alderaan stands up to Darth Malgus in new E3 trailer for SWTOR
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/SWTOR_trailer_leaked_battle_of_Alderaan_shown'; Last year EA, Bioware, and Blur studios blew us away with a realistically rendered 3D cinematic trailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic. And as predicted, they did it again! The trailer set to be released at E3 has been leaked all over YouTube. The tension starts over-looking a city on Alderaan as the Sith Imperial army starts its full assault. The city is devastated, but the Republic Trooper's Havoc Squad is waiting with a do-or-die surprise assault. Unfortunately, today it seems to be "die" until a Jedi, possibly Satele Shan, swoops in to save the day. With an incredible show of Force powers, this Jedi Consular fights back Darth Malgus' army and even faces off one-on-one with the Dark Lord. A lot of lore spoilers were given to the fans today in this trailer, and there will be more from E3 and Massively this week. But the trailer invites the question: What can a movie render say about the game itself? It has a very rich story and some very memorable characters. Bioware has been the king of storytelling for a long time, but I think a lot of fans are waiting to see how the gameplay comes together. Be sure to stay tuned into Massively for our interview tomorrow with staff of SWTOR and catch the full trailer after the break.
Hyperspace Beacon: E3 -- extravagant extraterrestrial exhibition
The Hyperspace Beacon is a weekly guide and discussion by Larry Everett about the yet-to-be-released game Star Wars: The Old Republic. We have been teased, taunted, and tantalized this week before the Electronic Entertainment Expo, so much so SWTOR fans don't know topsy from turvy. In this Hyperspace Beacon, released just hours before Electronic Arts' press conference at the Expo, I will hopefully give you the lowdown on the latest news and perhaps help you appreciate the magnitude of the startling reveals. On the surface they may seem like hyped-up teases with very little to latch on to, but I believe they have exposed quite a bit. As Massively reporters packed their bags to head to Los Angeles, Bioware did not stop tossing tidbits at its diligent disciples. First, we were treated with a hands-on walkthrough from Gamespot detailing the beginning quest for most of the starting classes. Twi'leks and chiss were cited as playable species in this revealing report. Also, Gametrailers.com probed the path behind producing an exciting E3 trailer. Besides touring Blur studios, the interview taunted us with a brief look into this year's animated short story. Continue on after the break to find more insight into the extravagant extraterrestrial exhibition that is this year's E3.
Behind the scenes with "that SWTOR cinematic trailer"
Sure, the Star Wars: The Old Republic trailer from E3 may have been lacking in the gameplay department, but that didn't stop it absolutely rocking the socks off anyone that saw it. The people that made that possible are from Blur Studio, specialists in CG animation for games, films, and commercials. The IGN video above features an interview with Derron Ross, an animation supervisor for the company. He explains that although you might not realize it in the final products, a ton of the highest quality game videos are from Blur -- as an example, one of the early Warhammer Online trailers that a lot of you will have seen is from them. Ross goes on to describe what it takes to create something with such dangerously high levels of awesomeness.If this little behind-the-scenes look at the SWTOR trailer has you craving more CG goodness, Blur's website has links to a ton of their other works for your viewing pleasure.
