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| (Image credit: Microsoft) |
After many years of speculation, will they? Why won’t they?
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is completing its offering on the PC platform
in 2020. The majority of the franchise has already been released for PC. Previously, only Halo and Halo 2 were available on the PC platform. Both were
released well over a decade ago.
The studios 343 Industries, Ruffian Games, and Splash Damage
worked on bringing all of The Master Chief Collection titles to PC. Starting
July 14, Halo 3 joins the roster of Master Chief Collection games
available on that platform.
Halo 3 itself was officially released over 13 years ago on
the Xbox platform. 343 Industries have hosted a few test runs for avid fans.
Starting on July 14, everyone is invited to join the war.
The importance of Halo 3 for the overall franchise is that
it leads to the conclusion of the Combat Evolved story arc. Everyone’s favorite
Master Chief is sent back to finish saving the galaxy from the Covenant and
the Flood.
All of the following titles are slated to be available on PC
by the end of 2020. Many have already been released.
- Halo: Reach
- Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
- Halo 2: Anniversary
- Halo 3: ODST, without Firefight mode
- Halo 3
- Halo 4
All titles are available via Steam, Xbox Game Pass for PC,
and the Microsoft Store. These titles join the previously released Halo: Reach and
Halo: Combat Evolved. The games are being released in story order.
The studios went to extraordinary lengths to upgrade these
Halo titles from older 30 FPS-fixed Xbox 360 platforms to PC. Re-platforming efforts
have resulted in creating over 120 multiplayer maps and 67 campaigns and
missions. They have created room for growth. Because of obvious platform
differences, there are a few things that gamers should note. Because this collection
is being offered on Steam, the 4K and HDR resolutions are part of the offering.
However, there is no guarantee of the essential split-screen co-op mode...yet.
Their passion has paid off for fans of the franchise. Even
though not all features are available, the teams have added a few things to
enhance the gaming experience. Here is a shortlist of what the studios have
done thus far just for Combat Evolved. They may be added to other titles, if
possible.
- Text chat
- Ultra-wide and alternative resolution support
- New Spartan customization 3D model viewer
- Ability to toggle between Halo: Combat Evolved Classic and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary audio for multiplayer mode
- Mouse + keyboard input support
- Customizable key bindings
Experimental features include variable frame rate (VFR)
support and adjustable FOV. They will grow the map and campaign collections
mentioned above over time. This evolution will include community input. There
is not yet any clue as to how or when these user-based recommendations will be
adapted to the games.
Community input does not stop there. Though, as of this
writing, custom modding is not exactly officially supported, the studios are
actively encouraging players to work their mod magic. User-generated content
has also been encouraged. This makes for a multitude of opportunities to play
these games.
While gamers rejoice in being able to play their beloved
titles on PC, not all of the Halo series has been earmarked for the platform. Halo 5 is still
only available on Xbox One, though its “Forge Bundle” is available in the
Windows Store. The official latest game in the story is Halo Infinite, but it is not ready for prime time.
Players may still be able to take a look at Infinite later this month. The title will be making an appearance during the Xbox Games
Showcase on July 23. It will be showcased alongside other Xbox Series X
first-party games.
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