Halo the Master Chief Collection is the Best Remaster There is

There’s something about remakes and remasters that just kind of stink. Personally, I think it’s the idea of having to buy something again for, usually, pretty minimal changes. This was especially prevalent in the early days of the latest console generation, where all we got were remakes and remasters. That soon changed with the release of one remake collection: Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Now, as a bit of history, I am a big fan of the Halo games; arguably it was the first series that really captured my attention. However, with eight games in the main series spanning over three different console generations, it can take time to play them in sequence. Halo: The Master Chief Collection brings together the first four games in the series, as well as Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach. That’s a lot of games, and if that was all, it would be enough… but there’s more.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection stands apart for me because it offers updated versions of some of the older games. For instance, it launched with the remastered Halo and later automatically updated Halo 2 2 with new graphics at no extra cost. While there might have been some complaints about Halo 2 at the time of release (the campaign felt rushed as hell) its remaster is a 10/10 from me. The simple fact of including it as part of the package was a major win. Not only did Halo: The Master Chief Collection come with the base games, but it also had all of the multiplayer modes, including the co-op Spartan Ops released with Halo 4.

I personally believe the Halo: The Master Chief Collection represents the ideal rerelease of a retro series. It offers everything we love from the series in one easy-to-use package with options to play through the campaigns in one sitting or play random missions at the press of a button. Add to this the fact that it’s on Game Pass, and you’re looking at just a great deal.

Now, if you’ve never played Halo then I would massively recommend it, especially if you’re a fan of shooters. The original Halo series was one of the main instigators of a lot of what we love (or hate) in modern shooters. Honestly, playing through the whole series is like watching the evolution of the first-person shooter genre.

You have everything from tight controls to some of the best driving and flying gameplay I’ve come across in gaming. Added to that you have a fantastic story with incredible enemy AI and easily some of the best music in gaming. I dare you to tell me that the main choir theme is not incredible. 

Well, that’s probably enough gushing about a series, and hopefully, this is a trend that continues in other series. For instance, we can only hope that a similar design is used for both a Killzone and Resistance: Fall of Man remake… if that ever happens.