A wise woman once said: “Halo is where the heart is. Home is where the Halo is”. This video game franchise needs no introduction, having defined gaming on Microsoft’s Xbox console, it didn’t rise to the top for nothing; and to celebrate nearly a decade of success, Microsoft and 343 Industries decided to release the Master Chief Collection.
If you don’t already know, the Master Chief Collection will include Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4, with improved frame rates, graphics, and increased resolution, you get to relive the old days anew. Unfortunately, you may find yourself waiting a little longer on release day considering the massive 20 GB day-one update, especially if your internet connection speeds are low.
This day one update will be required to access the multiplayer modes, and considering the number of titles in the collection, an update this big doesn’t come as a big surprise (no pun intended). Still, while updates are usually met with excitement, as they promise new features and are free, when they’re this big they can be annoying.
“Do I understand the inconvenience and annoyance for some users? Of course.” Said 343 Industries co-founder Frank O’Connor. “I’m not going to blow smoke or ignore it. For some folks it will be straight up annoying and I both apologize unreservedly for the [irritation], and hope that the package and the way it works more than makes up for it.”
Considering the collection is designed to run as a single, seamless product, O’Connor noted the practicality of having a massive update compared to shipping the collection with multiple disks that gamers will have to periodically switch between. This way, gamers that opted for a digital download and those that opted to buy the disk version will both be able to enjoy the game as it was designed to be enjoyed. Although, it helps to know that the game will be able to launch before installation is complete, giving you time to enjoy some content while you wait.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be available come November 11 via the Xbox Games Store. Pre-order is now available so get ready for the return of Master Chief in glorious 1080p! Check out the trailer above.
