Sure, there are nearly infinite modes of play, spanning all of the greatest maps in the series, but if you can’t actually play on them, they might as well not exist. (Courtesy of Microsoft)
Sure, there are nearly infinite modes of play, spanning all of the greatest maps in the series, but if you can’t actually play on them, they might as well not exist. (Courtesy of Microsoft)
Perhaps the coolest feature of the “Master Chief Collection” is the ability to swap between these updated visuals and the original graphics with a press of a button, no menus required. (Courtesy of Microsoft)
By now, you have likely seen the “Halo: Master Chief Collection” sitting on store shelves.
This collection of every numbered “Halo” game, updated with shiny new graphics and packed with a plethora of features, tweaks and additions is certainly an enticing package.
After all, 343 Studios could have just repacked each game separately and made truckloads of money by reselling them individually to the Xbox One crowd. A collection of all the best "Halo" games almost seems like too good of a deal. So, this is an easy recommendation, right?
Sadly, as is the case with most things, what seems to be too good to be true often just is.
To understand the disappointment that is “Halo: MCC” it’s important to know that “Halo” has always been two distinct games. On one side, there is the story-based campaign that chronicles the increasingly over-the-top adventures of Master Chief as he shoots his way through hordes of aliens.
Here in the “Master Chief Collection,” the campaigns of Halo 1-4 are reproduced perfectly. The same soaring score punctuates the familiar, galaxy-spanning story and the tight, frenetic combat that made “Halo” a household name still fits like an old, favorite pair of shoes. If you’ve played “Halo” before, there aren’t any big changes to the campaign.
The visuals in Halo 1-2 have been given a new, updated look that goes above and beyond what I would have expected from a collection of older games. The textures, character and weapon models, along with the lighting have all been redone and the difference, especially with the first two “Halos” are amazing. Perhaps the coolest feature of the “Master Chief Collection” is the ability to swap between these updated visuals and the original graphics with a press of a button, no menus required.
Players can start from the very beginning and work their way through to the conclusion of the controversial “Halo 4” or pick and choose which missions from any of the games they’d like to play. There is even a playlist feature that allows players the chance to build their own “greatest hits” of missions. That means if you still want to experience the rest of the storyline but never want to, say, fight through the Library again, you can make that happen.
If the review ended here, the “Master Chief Collection” would be given an A+ and possibly the game of the year. The collection of all of the best Halo games (minus ODST) with the playlists and graphical updates make this a simple no-brainer for first-person shooter fans, Xbox One owners or anybody who just wants a good, solid game to spend some time with.
But as I mentioned earlier, “Halo” has always been two experiences and it’s with the arguably more popular multiplayer modes that “Master Chief Collection” drops the ball. Hard.
The term “broken” is thrown around quite a bit these days and it’s often used incorrectly. A bug that appears every so often doesn’t normally break the game. A lost connection here and there happens. I give a good amount of leeway to bugs, unless they truly break the game. So when I say the multiplayer modes found in “MCC” are broken, you understand that it’s not something I say lightly.
To start with, matchmaking is a nightmare. Long waits can be expected, but the waits here are excessive and punctuated with frequent drops and stalled connections. I once timed how long it took to try to join a game and I shut off the timer at 18 minutes. Despite never having issues with Xbox Live connectivity on any other game, suddenly it feels as if I’m trying to game over a LTE connection.
The development studio is aware of the problems, and has even issued an apology for the poor online experience, so the problem is widespread. If I were reviewing “MCC” on its online merits alone, it would be a D-, at best. Sure, there are nearly infinite modes of play, spanning all of the greatest maps in the series, but if you can’t actually play on them, they might as well not exist.
So, that’s where “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” sits. If you don’t care about the online modes, this is an easy purchase. It’s by far the best ensemble game we’ve seen. If you’re only in for the online multiplayer, I would highly recommend waiting until they pushed out the promised patches before buying.
Bottom Line: “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” is nearly perfect with its single-player modes, and horribly flawed with its online components.
Platform: Xbox One Rating: M for Mature Online: xbox.com/halo
