Halo: The Master Chief Collection - Everything You Need to Know

When Halo: The Master Chief Collection was announced at E3, it was met with thunderous applause that few announcements will ever rival. This reception was for good reason, Halo: MCC is a massive package that is looking to go where no collection has gone before.

Given Halo: MCC‘s scope, chances are that even if you’re a Halo fan there are some details about this package that you’re unaware of. To help introduce you to what could end up being the single most content-rich game of 2014, we’ve put together a guide.

Check out the gallery below to learn everything you need to know about Halo: MCC.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection - Everything You Need to Know

A unified interface

Halo: MCC's menus are unified, making it feel like you're playing a cohesive package rather than four strung together parts—which is common with collections. The main menu contains each game (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4) within its single-player and multiplayer tabs. There's also an Extras section that allows you to customize your profile, settings, and multiplayer skins for each game.
All four games run at 1080p, 60 FPS

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4 all run at 1080p resolution with 60 frames per second in single-player and multiplayer. So, while Halo 3 and Halo 4 haven't received anniversary treatment (yet), they look considerably better than their Xbox 360 originals.
Halo 2: Anniversary is here

The biggest piece of Halo: MCC's package is its inclusion of Halo 2: Anniversary. Originally, 343 Industries intended for this to be a standalone game, but eventually added the other titles to create a full collection. So, as you might guess, Halo 2: Anniversary is a big deal. It's a more well put-together package than the Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary; it's more refined, and a bigger jump in fidelity since it makes a two generation jump (Xbox to Xbox One).
In Halo 2: Anniversary you can toggle between the original Xbox graphics and the new remastered look at any time by pressing a button on the Xbox One Controller. You can also do this during cutscenes, which is perhaps even more remarkable. The cutscenes have been re-imagined by Blur, and are quite a showpiece.
Made better, all audio has been redone. You'll hear much more powerful sound effects, and electrifying musical compositions. Toggling between the original and Remaster is quite the experience.
Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta

If you buy a copy of Halo: MCC, then you'll have a guaranteed spot in December's Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta. This will be the first time consumers will be able to play Halo 5. It's sure to be a big topic for December, so this is definitely a nice perk.
Halo: Nightfall live action digital series

A new Halo live action series is ready to hit Xbox, and you get instant access if you buy Halo: MCC. Called Halo: Nightfall, it is produced by Ridley Scott, and stars some talented actors.
100 multiplayer maps, 6 remade

Halo: MCC includes a full 100 multiplayer maps to play in online and local multiplayer. Additionally, six maps from Halo 2 have received anniversary treatment, meaning they've been remade with not only better graphics, but new features. It's worth noting that the originals of these six maps are also available, so you don't necessarily have to play these beloved levels with the enhancements.
4,500 GamerScore to collect

Although Halo: MCC was originally announced as containing 4,000 GamerScore spread across its four games, 500 more will be added in the Day 1 Update. If you're an achievement hunter, there is no better game to play.
Every mission is unlocked from the start

The moment you boot up Halo: MCC you'll have everything unlocked. So, you don't necessarily have to play through each campaign. Instead, you can begin playing playlists, or hop into any of the missions with a friend without any investment.
Dozens of Playlists

Since Halo: MCC is the first collection of the Halo franchise, it's been able to take advantage of the popular Playlists feature in a spectacular way. Basically, you'll be able to hop into a series of missions or events. While there are basic Playlists such as the ones for completing a game on Legendary, there are some creative ones that let you play the most action-packed moments of the series back-to-back with or without a friend.