halo combat evolved
Latest
'Halo: Combat Evolved' remaster is now available for PC
It took a while, but the remastered version of the original Halo has finally reached PCs. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is now available as part of the Master Chief Collection through Steam, the Microsoft Store and the Xbox Game Pass PC beta. It boasts the requisite visual tune-ups, including support for 4K and ultra-wide displays, but also throws in modern creature comforts like text chat, customizable key layouts and a 3D model view for customizing your Spartan. You can even flip between classic and Anniversary audio in multiplayer matches, depending on how nostalgic you're feeling.
'Halo: Combat Evolved' remaster for PC enters public testing in January
Now that Halo: Reach has kicked off the launch of Master Chief Collection for PC, what's next? A return to basics, apparently. The team at 343 Industries now expects to start public testing for the anniversary PC version of the original game, Halo: Combat Evolved, in January. It should incorporate "many" of the same upgrades that came to Reach, including visual touch-ups, support for modern displays (such as different aspect ratios) and player customization. This won't just be a straightforward Xbox conversion.
Games of a Lifetime: Sam's Picks
After more than ten years devoted to video games and the people who make them, Joystiq is closing its doors. We won't be reporting on the best games of 2015, so join us for one last hurrah as the Joystiq family reveals their Games of a Lifetime. Some days, it seems like cynicism and derision earn more applause than kindness and optimism, and the things we love most can feel like they're the most neglected. So it can go with games, as we see hatred and vitriol spread online, watch quality of games dip and companies utilize decidedly unfriendly business practices on consumers. But there's a reason I got into this hobby, and there's a reason I got into this job: I love games. I want to see games continue to evolve, change and grow. I want my enthusiasm for them to never die, for my joy and sense of camaraderie in my fellow gamers to always persist. And so, at a time when it would be very easy to be jaded, we've decided to instead continue talking about why we love games. These are my picks for games of a lifetime.
Watch Halo evolve in Did You Know Gaming's latest video
Did You Know Gaming explores the birth of the Halo series in its latest video, which drops some fascinating insight into the first-person shooter's references to Bungie's previous games. The video also dabbles in Halo's previous Apple exclusivity and discusses how it became a Microsoft property.
Master Chief Collection reloads, adds Combat Evolved playlist
Sure Halo: The Master Chief Collection has already seen its share of stability patches and performance updates, but any fans of the original Halo: Combat Evolved should be pleased by the newest update released by developer 343 Industries, which introduces a playlist dedicated to maps from Halo: CE. Prior to The Master Chief Collection's launch, 343 specified that the Halo: CE playlist would be held until they were able to "provide the best experience possible." The developer now touts that many of the game's needed tweakings and improvements were added via the most recent patch, and so players can queue up to take one another down, old-school style. The playlist features 2v2 battles, which is due to player feedback, according to 343. [Image: Microsoft Studios]
Halo, Halo 2 PC-exclusive maps included in Master Chief Collection
A collection of maps formerly exclusive to the Windows PC versions of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 will be included with the upcoming Xbox One series compilation Halo: The Master Chief Collection, developer 343 Industries revealed today. Returning maps include Timberland, Death Island, Gephyrophobia, Danger Canyon, Ice Fields and Infinity from Halo CE, along with Halo 2's District and Uplift. PC-exclusive weapons like the Flamethrower and Fuel Rod Gun are also slated to return, and veteran console players will be able to filter them out by choosing an optional "classic" weapon set. Halo: The Master Chief Collection premieres on November 11. [Image: 343 Industries]
Halo still evolving its combat, graphics and more on PC
Halo: Combat Evolved has already had its Anniversary edition on Xbox 360, and later this year, we'll see its remastered form once again as part of The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One. But official efforts from Microsoft and 343 Industries aren't the only ones working to update John-117 and Cortana's adventures; a group of modders has created "SPV3," a mod that improves the visuals while adding features not only from later Halo games, but some completely new ones as well. Want to hijack a Ghost? Take out a Brute with the Battle Rifle? Such are the dreams that SPV3 makes into reality. The mod is a work-in-progress, however, and won't be ready until later this year. The recently-released trailer shows that instead of being made available all at once, the group behind SPV3 is aiming to release individual levels over the course of two months later this year. Check out the full list after the break:
Rumor: Halo 1-4 bundled in Master Chief Collection for Xbox One
The saga of Master Chief will be packaged up in Halo: The Master Chief Collection for Xbox One this year, Engadget reported. The bundle will seemingly combine Bungie's Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 and Halo 3 as well as 343 Industries' contribution, Halo 4, into one HD-remastered pack. The Master Chief Collection will apparently ignore Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach in order to hone in on the story of the iconic hero. The bundle would tide fans of the series over for the time being, as Halo 5: Guardians is slated to launch on Xbox One in fall 2015. [Image: Microsoft]
GameSpy updates: Halo CE to get official patch, Lost Planet 3 evacuating
GameSpy's imminent shutdown means some games are going to lose online functionality in the coming weeks, but Halo: Combat Evolved on PC isn't one of them. Last week we reported third party GameRanger was stepping in with support, but now it turns out an official patch is on the way, preserving the shooter's Internet Lobby and online multiplayer. The patch will relocate the Lobby to a server created by a small group of Halo fans. The group's efforts were backed by Bungie, and it's the developer who will host the new server and release the patch "soon," no doubt much to the appreciation of the Halo community. There's good news from Capcom too, with Lost Planet 3 migrating to a new service to retain its online multiplayer across all platforms. Similarly, Street Fighter 3: Third Strike Online Edition and Marvel vs. Capcom Origins have already migrated without issues. However, two of the studio's games will lose their online features when GameSpy's service shuts down on May 31, namely Age of Booty and Flock. The two games join a growing list of games affected by the closure, including 50 from EA alone. Going by a removed Microsoft support article, Games for Windows Live's service may follow GameSpy out the door soon after, taking another whole chunk of games with it. [Image: Bungie]
Halo: Combat Evolved multiplayer lives on with GameRanger
The PC versions of Halo: Combat Evolved, its demo and Halo: Custom Edition are now playable through the third-party matchmaking and online gaming program GameRanger. Halo was slated to suffer loss of online functionality when GameSpy's matchmaking services go dark on May 31. GameRanger began in 1999 and supports nearly 700 PC games and just under 200 for Mac. Prior to the news of GameSpy's impending shutdown, which also affects games like Crysis and Crysis 2, the Australia-based company announced that it achieved five million registered PC users in March. GameRanger picked up other games whose servers got the ax, such as 2005's Need for Speed: Most Wanted in August 2011. Grand Theft Auto 4 and Red Dead Redemption will remain mostly unaffected by the closure of GameSpy's online services, though other Rockstar games will suffer. EA announced last month that it was working to transition its older Battlefield games to its own Origin service. [Image: Microsoft]
Red vs. Blue season 10 premieres tomorrow
We can barely believe we just wrote that headline. When we watched the first few episodes of Red vs. Blue in 2003, we thought they were pretty hilarious, but that the show would fade like so many other online parodies do. And now we're writing about the show's tenth season. Thanks for making us feel old and wrong, Rooster Teeth.Season 10 of Red vs. Blue kicks off tomorrow, May 28, and features the vocal talents of Elijah Wood as an AI program called Sigma. This season will complete the Project Freelancer story line, as shown in the above, mature-language-filled trailer.
'Halo Infinity' domains registered by Microsoft brand manager
It appears Microsoft has registered a handful of domains containing the phrase "Halo Infinity" and "Halo Infinity Multiplayer," leading us to believe that Microsoft is planning to reveal a new line of anti-aging skin-care products in the near future.The names are registered through domain manager MarkMonitor, who handles a few of Microsoft's other franchises, including Microsoft.com, Fusible reports. MarkMonitor grabbed most "dot" iterations of "Halo Infinity Multiplayer," including .net and .org, but Haloinfinity.com is already in use as a Japanese site to help people cope with baldness, Google Translate reveals. MarkMonitor also registered spartanops.org and morethanjustamap.com this week, Fusible finds."Infinity" is a map exclusive to the PC version of Halo: Combat Evolved. So far Microsoft hasn't made any announcements about the potential map or its SPF 72 moisturizing cream.
'Grenade!': Take a look at Halo Anniversary's Kinect functionality
As promised, we've got a quick and dirty video of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary's Kinect functionality, straight from the Halo/343 Industries panel at New York Comic Con. Are you prepared to shout "Grenade!" and have Master Chief straight throw a grenade, all willy nilly? We sure hope so!
Halo Anniversary adding 'Analyze Mode' with Kinect [update]
Yes, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is getting Kinect functionality -- but you knew that already. Despite a bit of news escaping Tokyo Game Show earlier this year about what the functionality entails, we were promised a fuller reveal "this October." And here we are: 343 Industries reps told Halo panel attendees tonight at NY Comic Con that the game will include a variety of new Kinect features, such as analyzing world items. When in Anniversary mode (read: fancy new graphics mode), players can use Kinect voice commands to "Analyze" various enemies, which will then add said enemies into a readable in-game database ("The Library" -- no, not that Library). What's more, you can also shout "grenade!" and, well, Master Chief will totally throw a grenade. "Reload weapon!" does ... you get the idea. A video showcasing the additions was shown off and we'll have it up for you as soon as possible. It'll arrive in fuller form on Halo Waypoint this coming Monday. Update: Analyze Mode is only available with Kinect, 343 says, and won't work if you've only got a controller. Sorry folks! [Image credit: 'Laugh Pong']
Microsoft confirms 3D support in Halo: CE remake for Xbox 360
Microsoft has been slower than Sony to jump on the 3D gaming bandwagon -- not surprising considering it isn't the one desperately pushing the televisions needed to experience them -- but today the company confirmed rumors that Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary will be playable in 3D. Joystiq experienced a demo at Gamescom in Germany, and reports that it only works with the game's updated graphics mode, and that the game's producer claims the framerate will stay consistent even in 3D. While there are already a number of Xbox 360 games that support 3DTVs, this is the first one we've heard developed by Microsoft, although Epic revealed earlier this month that the Microsoft-produced Gears of War 3 will support 3D. that's good news for gamers that have made the extra dimensional jump already, while those of us playing in 2D can hopefully still see performance improvements, especially while playing co-op -- we always bring a wingman / shoulder to cry on for The Flood.
A whole fleet of LEGO Halo vehicles, ready for deployment
LEGO Halo is, unfortunately, still an April Fool's joke. But if Bungie or Microsoft ever do want to put it together, maybe Benny Brickster can help. He's modeled a number of different Halo vehicles, from the Covenant's Ghost all the way up to the gigantic Pelican, in the excellent and versatile LEGO medium. The Pelican is quite a feat in itself, sitting over 26 inches long, with wings so heavy they need their own stands. The back door even opens and closes. Next up, Brickster plans to expand the Covenant forces, building a Wraith, a Phantom, and possibly even a seven-foot long full-scale Assault Carrier. We won't lie: Building something like that would make him a real master, chief.
Half-Minute Halo: An Interview with Jaime Griesemer
"In Halo 1, there was maybe 30 seconds of fun that happened over and over and over and over again. And so, if you can get 30 seconds of fun, you can pretty much stretch that out to be an entire game." Or maybe even five games. The succinct secret to Halo's success, that half minute of fun, has long been a mantra repeated by developer Bungie, repurposed by game critics, and presumably whispered by Master Chief himself before he tosses a plasma grenade into a gathering of grunts. It's inoffensive, catchy and it sounds about right. Doesn't it? "Yeah, it's probably the most famous thing I ever said," says game designer Jaime Griesemer. "For some reason it really resonated with the community and got quoted and repeated to the point where I would hear it from people that didn't realize where it had come from in the first place! Especially with journalists." Like many of you, Griesemer has heard the phrase on podcasts (yes, including The Joystiq Podcast) and read it in several articles, such as Clive Thompson's examination of Halo 3 playtesting in Wired. "Some of the guys at Bungie were calling me 'Mr. Thirty Seconds' for a while ... heh." If only we had paid attention to Mr. Thirty Seconds for about, oh, 30 seconds longer.
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary vs Halo: Combat Evolved: FIGHT!
You've seen Halo: Combat Evolved. You've seen Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. But have you seen the two compared side-by-side? We've got you covered! As seen above and in the gallery below, the remastered version of the original Halo has seen some pretty enormous updates. Check out that lighting!
Square working on some slick, pricey new Halo figures
Following on its Halo: Reach figures, Square-Enix has announced plans to release more products based on the Halo franchise. In conjunction with the upcoming tenth anniversary of the series, Square is producing a pair of "re-envisioned" figures, one of a Spartan V and one of the Master Chief himself. As Square notes, the figures have been updated with "sleek lines" and "minor alterations," all resulting in "a sense of fictional reality and massiveness present in Japanese sci-fi entertainment." Or, to put it a little more delicately, dayum. A release is planned for later this year, with a retail price of $54.99 each. The figures will also be shown at Square-Enix's booth during E3. We'll be sure to stop by and steal ... er ... take some pictures. Check out hi-res photos of both figures in the gallery below. %Gallery-125253%
343 Industries' Frank O'Connor on Halo's 10th anniversary, Grunt plushies
Speaking to Gamasutra, 343 Industries' Frank O'Connor explained just what the studio has in store for Halo now that previous developer Bungie has moved on to other things. While O'Connor noted that 343's main priority is "making sure that Reach is well-tended, and cultivated, and taken care of," there are certainly other projects in the pipeline. Specifically, O'Connor mentioned the upcoming 10th anniversary of the release of the first Halo. O'Connor referred to the celebration as 343's "main high-level task" for the year adding that the studio will be "doing a lot of things to celebrate that, and there's going to be a lot of cool surprises in this year." Honestly, we'll try to act surprised. The rest of the interview focuses on how 343 has chosen to expand the Halo universe, branching out into different areas like books and toys. O'Connor stated that everything Halo branded has satisfied a community demand. In other words, fans wanted books or action figures, and 343 capitulated. Perhaps the most surprising demand O'Connor's team is considering: Grunt plushies. While O'Connor admitted that such a product would undoubtedly sell, he defended it by saying, "it's the single most-demanded item that we haven't fulfilled in the franchise history." Head over to Gamasutra for the full interview.
