Editing Halo: The Master Chief Collection

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{{Game Infobox

|image= [[File:Master Chief collection.png|300px]]

<br>[[Wikipedia:United Front Games|United Front Games]]<ref>[http://www.unitedfrontgames.com/ufg-microsoft/ '''United Front Games Website''']</ref>

<br>Axis Animation

|publisher= [[Microsoft Studios]]

|platform= [[Xbox One]]

|releasedate= [[2014#November|November 11, 2014]]<ref name="Waypoint"/><br>

<!--'''UK''': November 14, 2014<br>-->

|modes= [[Campaign]]<br>[[Multiplayer]] <small>(excluding ''Halo 3: ODST'')</small><br>[[Campaign#Cooperative|Cooperative]]<br>[[Forge]] <small>(excluding ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary'')</small><ref name="briefing"/><br>[[Theater]] <small>(''Halo 2 Anniversary'' multiplayer<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/bulletins/the-halo-bulletin-assault-on-controller-settings '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''The Halo Bulletin: 10/16/14'']</ref>, ''Halo 3'' and ''Halo 4'')<ref>[http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=116092208&postcount=1010 '''NeoGaf''': ''Frank O'Connor on Theater'']</ref></small>

|rating=ESRB: Mature 17+, PEGI: 16

{{quote|Your journey begins.|Tagline}}

'''''Halo: The Master Chief Collection''''' is a bundle of ''Halo'' games starring [[Master chief petty officer|MCPO]] [[John-117]]. The set includes ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'', ''[[Halo 2 Anniversary]]'', ''[[Halo 3]]'', ''[[Halo 4]]'', as well as the digital feature ''[[Halo: Nightfall]]'' and access to the ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' [[Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta|multiplayer beta]]. ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> campaign will be added via content update in [[2015|Spring 2015]].<ref name="thanks"/> It was released exclusively for the [[Xbox One]] on [[2014|November 11, 2014]] for $59.99 (USD).<ref name="Waypoint">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halo-the-master-chief-collection '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection'']</ref>

The four games in the collection are all contained on a single disc and are accessible through a unified interface known as the "Master Menu". The menu allows players to directly play any mission in any of the four games straight from purchase, or arrange the levels from different games into their own custom playlists. Some playlists arranged by [[343 Industries]] are readily available from launch.<ref name="Waypoint"/> Examples of these include "Final Four", featuring the four final missions of each game, "Hogs" for levels featuring the [[M12 Warthog LRV|Warthog]], and "Flood" for missions featuring the [[Flood|eponymous parasite]].<ref name="venturebeat">[http://venturebeat.com/2014/06/10/understanding-halo-the-master-chief-collection-faq-playlists-forge-control-schemes-and-more/ '''Venturebeat''': ''Understanding Halo: The Master Chief Collection (FAQ) — playlists, Forge, control schemes, and more'']</ref> ''Halo 2 Anniversary'' also features separate [[Thel 'Vadam|Arbiter]] and [[John-117|Master Chief]] playlists which allow players to complete the two protagonists' respective levels individually. The music and backgrounds in the Master Menu are sensitive to the game that is being browsed at the time, as well as specific modes of that particular game.<ref name="RTX">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQQbGq8TnR8&list=UU7NCg0venpKJg3kuJojKlbQ&index=3 '''YouTube''': ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection Panel - RTX 2014'']</ref>

All four titles have been optimized for the Xbox One and run natively at 60 [[Wikipedia:frame rate|frames per second]]; ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary'', ''Halo 3'' and ''Halo 4'' support a resolution of [[Wikipedia:1080p|1920x1080]], whereas the ''Halo 2 Anniversary'' campaign has a lower resolution of 1328x1080.<ref name="ignhorse">[http://uk.ign.com/articles/2014/10/07/the-horse-you-rode-in-on-a-halo-the-master-chief-collection-story-ign-first '''IGN''': ''The Horse You Rode In On (A Halo: The Master Chief Collection Story) – IGN First'']</ref> ''Halo 3'' and ''Halo 4'' have received upgrades to their lighting systems.<ref name="venturebeat"/> ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' has also received an update to its graphics toggle, which is now instantaneous similar to ''Halo 2 Anniversary''.<ref name="pax">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGn4YXXZyDo '''YouTube''': ''Halo and the Journey of the Master Chief- PAX Prime 2014'']</ref> The Kinect features available in the original ''Combat Evolved Anniversary'', however, are not supported in this version.<ref name="ignhorse"/>

The collection features intro and outro cinematics for ''Halo 2 Anniversary'' created by [[Blur Studio]], which was also responsible for remastering the cutscenes in ''Halo 2 Anniversary''. These cinematics follow [[Jameson Locke|Agent Locke]]'s search for the Master Chief after the events of ''[[Halo 4]]'' and have narrative connections to ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''.<ref name="ytinterv">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTDVFdQVNw4#t=664 '''YouTube''': ''Halo 2 Anniversary - Cairo Station Campaign Gameplay and...'']</ref> New [[Terminal/Halo 2 Anniversary|terminals]] are featured in ''Halo 2 Anniversary''; the original terminals of ''[[Terminal/Halo 3|Halo 3]]'', ''[[Terminal/Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary|Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' and ''[[Terminal/Halo 4|Halo 4]]'' will be kept unchanged.<ref name="venturebeat"/>

In addition to the [[Xbox controller layout|control schemes]] of each individual game, ''The Master Chief Collection'' features several universal control setups to span all the games. However, ''Halo 3''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s specific controls are not available as one of these options due to the difficulty of implementing them to function with the other games.<ref name="venturebeat"/>

The collection features campaign scoring for each game and an option to have a HUD overlay tracking one's score in real time. Each level has its own leaderboard featuring various stats, including total score, fastest completion time, and the number of enemies killed. Players can designate friends listed on the leaderboards as "rivals", whose scores can then be measured against in the in-game real-time score tracker.<ref name="leaderboard reveal"/>

In [[2015|Spring 2015]], the campaign of ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'' will be added for those who purchased the game between launch and December 19. Also being added at the same time will be a remake of the ''Halo 2'' multiplayer map Relic, one free month of Xbox Live, an avatar award and an in-game nameplate in return for the loyal fans who had experienced many bugs and glitches since launch.<ref name="thanks">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/halo-the-master-chief-collection-thank-you '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''A Thank You to Our Fans from Bonnie Ross'']</ref>

Both online and split-screen co-op campaign play are supported in all four games. The campaign co-op breakdown is as follows:<ref name="bulletin61914"/>

*''Halo 2 Anniversary'' – 2 players max, split-screen or online

[[Multiplayer]] is available for all four games—each running from their respective original engines—and is accessible via a unified matchmaking menu system. Players are put into a lobby, then asked to vote for a match from a random selection of over 100 maps from all games (depending on playlist), rather than have the population split into groups for different games.<ref name="Waypoint"/> However, there are a number of playlists specific to each game.<ref name="RTX"/> The collection uses a single unified multiplayer ranking system shared across the four games.<ref name="venturebeat"/> Rank, stats or unlockable items such as armor permutations do not carry over from the previous games.<ref name="bulletin61914"/>

''The Master Chief Collection'' ships with every multiplayer map ever packaged with ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', ''Halo 2'', ''Halo 3'', and ''Halo 4'', as well as all downloadable content maps ever released (including the six maps from ''[[Halo PC]]'' as well as the two exclusive maps from ''[[Halo 2 Vista]])''.<ref name="frankAllMaps">[http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=115556760&postcount=1375 '''NeoGaf''': ''Frank O'Connor on Halo PC maps'']</ref><ref name="bulletin61914"/> In addition to the original maps of each game, the collection also contains six remastered maps from ''Halo 2'': Ascension, Lockout, Zanzibar, Coagulation, Sanctuary, and Warlock.<ref>[http://event.eslgaming.com/gamescom-2014/halo/ '''Gamescom 2014'' ''"Halo: TMCC" Showdown - Tournament rules: Game modes"]</ref>

[[Forge]] is featured in ''Halo 3'' and ''Halo 4'', as well the remastered multiplayer portion of ''Halo 2 Anniversary''.<ref name="venturebeat"/> ''Halo 2 Anniversary'' also features a new vehicle, the [[M274 Mongoose#M274-M Gungoose variant|M274-M Gungoose]].

The upcoming ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'' update content will not include the Multiplayer mode, including [[Firefight]].<ref name="thanks"/>

While originally reported by 343 Industries to contain 93 competitive multiplayer maps,<ref name="twitter fun fact">[https://twitter.com/Halo/status/476137807249809408 '''Twitter''': ''Fun Fact'']</ref> ''The Master Chief Collection'' was later established to feature all maps from the four games, increasing the total number of multiplayer maps to over 100.<ref name="bulletin61914"/> With the complete campaigns of all four games, the collection contains 45 campaign missions, as well as ''Halo 4''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s 50 ''[[Spartan Ops]]'' missions.<ref name="twitter fun fact"/>

{{Featurelist|secondcolumn=title-4

'''Halo PC'''

*[[Infinity (Halo PC level)|Infinity]]

*[[Colossus]]

*[[Elongation]]

*[[Relic (level)|Relic]]

*[[Terminal (level)|Terminal]]

'''[[Halo 2 Vista]]'''

|title-3=''Halo 2 Anniversary''|

*[[Relic Anniversary]] (remake of [[Relic (level)|Relic]])

*[[Zenith]] (remake of [[Ascension (level)|Ascension]])

*[[Construct (level)|Construct]]

*[[Guardian]]

*[[Heretic (level)|Heretic]]

|title-5=''Halo 4''|

The collection contains [[List of Achievements for Halo: The Master Chief Collection‎|its own series]] of [[achievement]]s for each of the four games, with the collective [[Gamerpoints]] attainable totaling 4000.<ref name="briefing">'''Microsoft E3 2014 Media Briefing'''</ref> An additional 50 achievements worth 500 Gamerscore were added at launch.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/the-next-50-achievements/ '''Halo Waypoint''': The Next 50 Achievements'']</ref> An option in the in-game achievements list allows players to jump directly into a game configured to be optimal for the completion a given achievement.<ref name="leaderboard reveal">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQDmWlUcTbU '''YouTube''': ''Campaign Leaderboard Reveal - Halo: The Master Chief Collection'']</ref>

The collection features [[Halo: The Master Chief Collection Skulls|37 skulls]], most of which are exclusive to certain games. Some of the skulls were initially accessible only through pre-order bonuses but were unlocked universally on December 12, 2014.<ref name="your journey">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/bulletins/the-halo-bulletin-your-journey-begins '''Halo Waypoint''': ''The Halo Bulletin: Your Journey Begins'']</ref> One skull, Swarm, is unlocked by watching all episodes of ''[[Halo: Nightfall]]'' on the [[Halo Channel]] and completing all associated challenges.<ref name="live and let pie"/><ref name="your journey"/><ref>[https://dlassets-ssl.xboxlive.com/public/content/f33009f4-14ff-4821-94e3-c3573c868c2e/GameManual/97d0359f-4eb2-45ea-af0d-bd3f90529585/en-US/index.html#article0021 '''Xbox Live''': ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection online manual'']</ref>

''The Master Chief Collection'' also features over 300 unlockable player customization options, including emblems, nameplates and [[avatars]] for use in game lobbies and player profile pages. There are various ways to unlock these items, although most are earned by completing achievements. Additional unlockable items include 15 terminal videos and a customizable clan tag. For every unlocked achievement, the player receives a high-resolution image from the remastered ''Halo 2'' cinematics, concept art, level images, or a frame from a terminal. These images can be used for one's personal Xbox One background.<ref name="live and let pie">[http://halo.bungie.org/halobulletins/168 '''halo.bungie.org''': ''The Halo Bulletin: Live and Let Pie'']</ref>

{{Main|Halo: The Master Chief Collection announcement trailer}}

The trailer features a remastered cutscene from the level [[Cairo Station (level)|Cairo Station]] from the ''[[Halo 2]]'' campaign. The trailer shows [[John-117]] dragging a [[Covenant]] [[antimatter charge]] through one of the [[hangar bay]]s in ''[[Cairo Station]]'' to "return" the bomb to a {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}. [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]] provides a voice-over for the trailer and it is revealed that an [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] agent, [[Jameson Locke]], is searching for the Master Chief.

=== ''Halo 2 Anniversary'' cinematic trailer ===

{{Main|Halo 2 Anniversary cinematic trailer}}

=== ''Halo 2 Anniversary'' cinematic launch trailer===

{{Main|Halo 2 Anniversary cinematic launch trailer}}

The second cinematic trailer for ''Halo 2 Anniversary'' showcases more of Blur Studio's new CGI cinematics as well as clips from the remastered ''[[Another Day at the Beach]]'' for the first time.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_64VHqDHQQ '''YouTube''': ''Halo 2 Anniversary Cinematic Launch Trailer (Official)'']</ref>

=== Remaking The Legend ===

{{Main|Remaking The Legend}}

===Halo TV Ad We Will Rock You===

{{Main|Halo TV Ad We Will Rock You}}

Like ''Halo 4'', pre-order bonuses for the bundle varies between retailers. So far, three of the bonuses are revealed to be [[Halo: The Master Chief Collection Skulls|skulls]] that modify campaign gameplay, namely [[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Skulls|those introduced in ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary'']].

Amazon offers the Piñata skull,<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Master-Chief-Collection-Xbox-One/dp/B00KSQHX1K/ref=sr_tr_sr_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402438900&sr=8-1&keywords=master+chief+collection '''Amazon''': ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection'']</ref> GameStop offers the Bandana skull,<ref>[http://www.gamestop.com/xbox-one/games/halo-the-master-chief-collection/115398 '''GameStop''': ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection'']</ref> Best Buy offers the Grunt Funeral Skull and the multiplayer map book.<ref>[http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Games-Promotions/Halo/pcmcat281900050003.c?id=pcmcat281900050003&ref=71&loc=12d '''Best Buy''': Halo: The Master Chief Collection'']</ref> and ShopTo offers a new Skull called Bonded Pair.<ref>[http://www.shopto.net/video-games/xbox-one/XB1HA03-halo-the-master-chief-collection-inc-exclusive-halo-bonded-pair# '''ShopTo''': ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection'']</ref> GAME UK has two exclusive "limited edition" offers: the first edition, titled "Limited Edition", has a steel bookcase, a multiplayer map book and a Grunt Funeral skull while the second edition, titled "MJOLNIR Edition", has all of the exclusive items of the previous edition with an ArtFX statue of the Master Chief ArtFX. The Master Chief ArtFX statue bundled with the ''MJOLNIR Edition'' is not exclusive however; the statue, made by Kotobukiya, will be released separately worldwide in Fall 2014.<ref>[http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/halo-4-master-chief-artfx-statue?#.U-JojfldV8F '''Forbidden Planet International''': ''Halo 4 Master Chief ArtFX Statue'']</ref>

''The Master Chief Collection'' shipped with a significant amount of bugs, many of which had an impact on playability particularly in multiplayer. Among these flaws were atypically long matchmaking times, sporadic unattainability of achievements and glitches in the user interface. 343 Industries applied multiple patches to the title over the weeks after its release in an effort to fix these problems.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/11-20-14-halo-the-master-chief-collection-content-update-notes 11.20.14 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection Content Update Notes'']</ref> On November 24, 2014, 343 Industries general manager [[Bonnie Ross]] issued a formal apology for the debacle, assuring that the studio would continue their work on amending the issues with the collection.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/a-status-update-from-bonnie-ross-on-halo-the-master-chief-collection '''Halo Waypoint''': ''A Status Update From Bonnie Ross on Halo: The Master Chief Collection'']</ref> On December 19, Ross announced that 343 Industries would be offering players a series of exclusive items and new features—most notably ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''—as compensation for the issues with the game.<ref name="thanks"/>

The game generally received positive reviews upon its release. Nathan Ditum of [[Wikipedia:Eurogamer|Eurogamer]] applauded ''The Master Chief Collection'' for including each game's original multiplayer and every map ever released; one of the largest criticisms of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' was the lack of multiplayer. Ditum also expressed "constant astonishment" at increased resolution of the older games, claiming he spent several minutes at a time staring at battlefields, ancient structures, and walls.<ref>[http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-11-10-halo-the-master-chief-collection-review '''Eurogamer''': ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection review'']</ref> [[Wikipedia:IGN|IGN]] reviewer Ryan McCaffrey criticized the multiplayer, calling it "unacceptably unreliable and bug-ridden performance". However, he praised the remastered audio, the game-unifying interface, and the smoother framerate. Despite his criticism of multiplayer, McCaffrey commended the new six ''[[Halo 2 Anniversary]]'' remade maps, and the nostalgia ''The Master Chief Collection'' was able to deliver.<ref>[http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/11/06/halo-the-master-chief-collection-review '''IGN''': ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection Review'']</ref> [[Wikipedia:GameSpot|GameSpot]]'s Chris Watters delivered a more critical review of the game, also condemning the multiplayer's issues and bugs, citing that it "barely works". However, he enjoyed the engaging combat formula and claimed that the remastered ''Halo 2 Anniversary'' [[cutscene]]s by [[Blur Studio]] to be fantastic.<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/halo-the-master-chief-collection-review/1900-6415958/ '''GameSpot''': ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection Review'']</ref> Kyle Hilliard of [[Wikipedia:Game Informer|Game Informer]] gave ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection'' a "Gold Rating", lauding the game's concept and improved graphics. He complimented that the game "is massive and intimidating, but none of it is crammed in or hastily included". Hilliard also praised Blur's cinematics, claiming that the [[Gravemind]] is now a terrifying monster, instead of a "huge muppet". Finally, he stated that ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection'' has risen a high bar for other video game remastered collections.<ref>[http://www.gameinformer.com/games/halo_master_chief_collection/b/xboxone/archive/2014/11/09/halo-the-master-chief-collection-game-informer-review.aspx '''Game Informer''': ''Halo: Master Chief Collection'']</ref>

File:MCC Poster 01.jpg|The two main characters of ''Halo 2 Anniversary'', the Arbiter and the Master Chief.

File:H2A-CustomGameScreen.jpg|The Custom Game lobby.

File:MCCAvatars.jpg|Avatars in the the collection.

File:MCC - game assets - raw.png|Difficulty and rank icons.

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{{Halo Games}}