Halo: The Master Chief Collection

By BajiRav
in Xbox

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

Xerxes

Posted
Posted

Depending on your provider, you may be able to get a data top up. I know Telstra does this for free

 

Yeah, I'm with Telstra but you gotta be over your limit first before you can use that. It's handy for sure but in my case, better to just wait the week than waste a top up.

Grand Master

Matthew S.

Posted
Posted

Multiplayer takes a while to get into a game, and had a few moments of horror lag, unsure if that was at my end or what not, kinda like when back in the day on Halo 2 you could unplug the router as host and do that lag cheat. I was on Ivory Tower just lagging up the little elevator lift, my initial thoughts were "OH GOD the hacks back" but pretty sure it was lag.

 

Overall impressions, I freaking love it, only played first couple of missions on Halo:CE on Heroic (tried Legendary and found it harder than back in the day, maybe just need to get used to it again).

 

Tonight after work I'm going to go and try out the playlist section because that sounds really cool.

 

Oh and Nightfall series looks very impressive!

I've noticed all the games a tab bit harder than what they should be. 

Grand Master

+InsaneNutter MVC

Posted
  • MVC
Posted

First impressions are this is an awesome collection, the Xbox One needed something like this from day one.

I was worried about the 15gb download on Xbox Live, as download are usually very slow, however the game started installing then prompted me to download the update. I was able to play Halo CE after the game had been installing for 15 mins. In total it took around 1h 30mins for everything to install and the 15gb update to download.

Halo in 60fps is just so nice, it was like playing Gears of War for Windows after playing the Xbox 360 version for months, everything is just so smooth and sharp, which make?s the experience a lot more enjoyable in my opinion.

The Halo servers are pretty much dead at the moment though, matchmaking never worked at all for me. However many people I used to play Halo online with from years gone by we?re suddenly online playing again, so we just played custom games with 10+ people which worked perfectly.

To be honest I enjoy custom games than match making anyway. No messing about finding new players, everyone agrees on a map and game mode and we get right in to the game. No voting to avoid game modes / types you hate.

Dedicated servers looked to be used for co-op campaign, Halo 4 started out fine however later in the evening it was too laggy to play.

The graphics are really nice too, even on Halo 3 / 4 which haven?t been re-mastered. I do honestly think this collection looks a lot better than the majority of Xbox One games out today, even Halo 3 and 4 which have not been re mastered look really good. The level of detail and over all graphics look fantastic, with no signs of requiring any anti-aliasing at all.

Overall despite the server issues I?ve been very impressed.

Grand Master

-T- Member

Posted
  • Member
Posted

Yeah, I'm with Telstra but you gotta be over your limit first before you can use that. It's handy for sure but in my case, better to just wait the week than waste a top up.

The top ups are 3 per calendar year, so they reset in 2 months, and you do not need to be over your limit to use them. I work for Telstra and deal with BigPond regularly

Grand Master

sharpy2k4

Posted
Posted

So after playing a bit more Halo CE today I've decided I prefer it on the original graphics option, unless its a dark area where I switch to the new version as its so much brighter.

 

Also, what on earth have they done to the drop ships tri-weapon beam. On original you could easily snipe through it while being shot at, but on this one it just blinds you/is blurry. Is that the AA or motion blur or something? For example, on T&R sniping the turrets (same as the dropships) before if they shoot at you, they were in a 3 point triangle so you could still shoot/see through it, on this version its like a block of blinding light =/ 

 

Other than that, had more success on matchmaking tonight, still had a bit of lag and a while to find a game, but was topping the charts with 20+ kills like I used to.

Rising Star

Polonium

Posted
Posted

See, all games can screw up with online. Funny how it's not quite made the press like a certain Sony exclusive game though, right ;-)

 

This being said, I hope it's fixed soon so we can all get back to blowing ###### up as the mighty green MC.

Grand Master

DrunknMunky Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

XBL had some downtime over night which they attributed to the issues, but it has been up and running fine for hours. Yet Halo MM is still completely buggered...

 

I haven't managed to complete 1 round of MM never mind join / start a game :no:

 

MS / 343 are lucky Ubisoft messed up Unity which is taking the barrage of negative news. At this rate it's worse than the infamous BFBC2/3/4 server launch issues.

Grand Master

DirtyLarry Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

See, all games can screw up with online. Funny how it's not quite made the press like a certain Sony exclusive game though, right ;-)

 

This being said, I hope it's fixed soon so we can all get back to blowing ###### up as the mighty green MC.

I am sure you have already figured it out, but just in case you have not. Note how the name Neowin has Win in the title, which in this case is short for Windows. Also the history of this forum is a Windows based community first and foremost. Therefore you partially have your answer as to why your first sentence is this case.

With that said, there are some of us who do not join this forum as Windows enthusiasts and just computers and electronics overall enthusiasts, so we fight the good fight when we can.

Grand Master

spenser.d

Posted
Posted

I am sure you have already figured it out, but just in case you have not. Note how the name Neowin has Win in the title, which in this case is short for Windows. Also the history of this forum is a Windows based community first and foremost. Therefore you partially have your answer as to why your first sentence is this case.

With that said, there are some of us who do not join this forum as Windows enthusiasts and just computers and electronics overall enthusiasts, so we fight the good fight when we can.

He's got a point though that even outside Neowin (he just said 'the press'), it doesn't seem to be a big deal, which actually does seem odd. Perhaps it's because there's a heck of a lot more to it than MP, but it does seem strange.

Grand Master

Skiver Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

I wouldn't have even known there were problems unless I had been in here. I've got it but just not had a chance to play it yet.

 

When we talk MP are we talking competitive team death match style or is co-op campaign affected also?

Grand Master

DrunknMunky Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

I wouldn't have even known there were problems unless I had been in here. I've got it but just not had a chance to play it yet.

 

When we talk MP are we talking competitive team death match style or is co-op campaign affected also?

 

It's really tame in here compared to Gaf, Reddit and Twitter, but then DL pointed out why.

 

Haven't tried co-op but I believe private matches work, so I'd imagine co-op is uneffected too. I only own the collection for MP, hence my annoyance :P

Grand Master

Skiver Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

It's really tame in here compared to Gaf, Reddit and Twitter, but then DL pointed out why.

 

Haven't tried co-op but I believe private matches work, so I'd imagine co-op is uneffected too. I only own the collection for MP, hence my annoyance :p

 

Since seeing this I have now seen a couple of things on GameSpot about the issues.

 

I haven't had a chance to play anyway but I got it for co-op campaign mainly but I will be looking forward to some MP at some point.

Grand Master

trooper11

Posted
Posted

I am sure you have already figured it out, but just in case you have not. Note how the name Neowin has Win in the title, which in this case is short for Windows. Also the history of this forum is a Windows based community first and foremost. Therefore you partially have your answer as to why your first sentence is this case.

With that said, there are some of us who do not join this forum as Windows enthusiasts and just computers and electronics overall enthusiasts, so we fight the good fight when we can.

He was referring to all gaming media, not one fan site as you put it.

Also, fight the good fight? You guys crack me up. It always a war :laugh:

Seems like gaming news sites are starting to report on it though, so no need to worry.

 

 

Wow, you posted a Polygon story, I guess that means you do follow them sometimes.

Regardless, I think its a good idea for review sites to do this. If there are major issues with a game, revise the score until it is fixed.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Posts

    • AdGuard Family lifetime deal now only $14.97

      By News Staff · Posted

      AdGuard Family lifetime deal now only $14.97 by Steven Parker Today's highlighted Neowin Deal comes via our Apps + Software section, where you can get a lifetime subscription and save 91% on a lifetime AdGuard Family Plan. AdGuard is a unique program that has all the necessary features for what they claim to be "the best web experience." The software combines the an advanced ad blocker, a privacy protection module, and a parental control tool—all working in one app. This software deals with annoying ads, hides your data from a multitude of trackers, protects you from malware attacks, and even lets you restrict your kids from accessing inappropriate content. Install AdGuard and see the internet as it was supposed to be: clean and safe. Get rid of annoying banners, pop-ups & video ads once and for all Hide your data from the multitude of trackers & activity analyzers that swarm the web Avoid fraudulent and phishing website and malware attacks Protect your kids online by restricting them from accessing inappropriate & adult content Good to know Family Plan Length of access: lifetime This plan is only available to new users Redemption deadline: redeem your code within 30 days of purchase Max number of devices: 9 Access options: desktop & mobile Software version: AdGuard Family Updates included A lifetime subscription of AdGuard Family Plan normally costs $169.99, but this deal can be yours for just $14.97, that's a saving of $157.02. For full terms, specifications, and license info please click the link below. Get this AdGuard Family lifetime deal for just $14.97 (was $169.99) Although priced in U.S. dollars, this deal is available for digital purchase worldwide. As an online publication, Neowin too relies on ads for operating costs and, if you use an ad blocker, we'd appreciate being whitelisted. In addition, we have an ad-free subscription for $28 a year, which is another way to show support! Support queries If you have queries or need support for any of the Neowin Deals, please use the contact form here. Neowin Deals are managed and sold by StackCommerce who represent Neowin on an affiliate basis. Why we post these deals We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. So for those that keep moaning and complaining, be thankful we're still online for you to even do that. Other ways to support Neowin Whitelist Neowin by not blocking our ads Create a free member account to see fewer ads Make a donation to support our day to day running costs Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: Neowin benefits from revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site powered by StackCommerce.
    • Newegg offers insane combo deal on Amazon Prime Day 2026 that beats Steam Machine

      By sphbecker · Posted

      Sadly "beats Steam Machine" isn't much of a brag.
    • An oversimplified explanations of Passkeys

      By +Warwagon · Posted

      Passkeys: Think of them like a broken heart necklace. Imagine one of those heart necklaces that breaks into two matching pieces. One person keeps one half, and the other person keeps the other half. With passkeys, the website has one half, and you have the other half. If the website gets hacked and someone steals its half, that stolen piece is useless by itself. It cannot unlock your account without your matching half. This particular heart necklace is one of a kind, there is only one in existence. Your half of the necklace has to be stored somewhere. It might be stored on your phone, tablet, computer, security key, or a password manager that can sync it between all your devices. A security key is a small physical device that you keep with you, kind of like a house key, car key, or flash drive. I would not usually recommend a security key as the first option for the average person. For most people, it is easier to use their phone, computer, or a password manager that can sync passkeys between their devices. A security key is more like a spare key you keep in a safe place, just in case you lose access to your other devices or your password manager. Some security keys plug into your computer. Some plug into your phone or tablet. Some get tapped against your device. The idea is simple: a security key can hold another passkey for the same website. Think of it like creating a second one-of-a-kind heart necklace for the same account. One necklace could be paired with your password manager, while another necklace could be paired with your security key. That means the website has more than one matching half on file. One half matches the passkey in your password manager. Another half matches the passkey stored on your security key. So, if you lose access to your phone, computer, or password manager, you would still be able to log in using the passkey stored on your security key. Think of it like keeping an extra special necklace piece on a tiny keychain, stored somewhere safe. The website still has the matching half for that security key, but your half is safely stored inside the little key. A passkey does not automatically exist on every device you own. It lives wherever you save it. If your half is stored on one device, then that device is the one that has the matching piece. For example, if you create the passkey on your Windows computer and it is only saved to that computer, your iPhone does not automatically have that same half. If you create it on your iPhone and it only stays on that iPhone, your Android phone does not automatically have it either. That is where password managers come in. A password manager can act like a protected jewelry box for your passkeys. Instead of your half of the necklace being locked to only one device, the password manager can securely sync that half to your other approved devices. For example, Apple Passwords and iCloud Keychain can sync passkeys between your Apple devices. Google Password Manager can sync passkeys with your Google account. But password managers such as 1Password and Bitwarden can sync passkeys between everything, your phones, tablets and computers. Now, you might ask: “What happens if I lose access to the device that has my passkey?” That depends on where your passkey was saved and what recovery options the website gives you. If your passkey was synced through a password manager, you may be able to sign in from another device that has access to that same password manager. For example, if your passkey is saved in iCloud Keychain, Google Password Manager, 1Password, or Bitwarden, another approved device may still have access to it. If your passkey was saved only on one phone, computer, or security key, and you lose that device, then you may not have your half of the necklace anymore. In that case, you would usually need to use the website’s backup login or account recovery options. A lot of websites that support passkeys still let you fall back to your regular password. So if you lose access to your passkey, the site may still let you log in with your password, a code sent to your email, a text message, a recovery code, or some other account recovery process. That is convenient, but it is also important to understand: if the website still allows password login, then your password still matters. Passkeys are safer than passwords, but if your account still has a password as a backup, you should still use a strong, unique password and turn on two-factor authentication if the website offers it. This is why it is a good idea to have more than one safe way back into important accounts. For example, you might keep your passkey in a syncing password manager, add a second trusted device, save recovery codes somewhere safe, or set up a backup security key. A passkey is very secure, but just like a real key, you need a backup plan in case you lose access to it. Now, you might ask: “What stops a hacker from copying my half of the necklace?” That’s the important part: your half is protected. It is not something you type in, and it is not something the website gets to keep. Think of your half as being locked inside a tiny safe on your phone, computer, security key, or password manager. That safe only opens when you approve it with your fingerprint, face, PIN, or device password. When you log in, the website does not need to see your half. It only needs proof that your half matches its half. Your actual half is not handed over to the website. This is different from a password. With a password, you type the secret into the website. If you type it into a fake website, the hacker now has it. With a passkey, you are not typing your secret into the website. Your device is proving you have the matching half without giving the half away. That also helps protect you from fake websites. If someone makes a fake login page that looks like the real site, your device can tell it is not the real match. It will not use your passkey there. Now, could someone use your passkey if they stole your device, got into your password manager, or somehow unlocked the safe that holds your half? Yes, that is why your device password, PIN, fingerprint, face unlock, and password manager security still matter. But a hacker cannot just steal your passkey from the website or trick you into typing it into a fake page like they can with a password. That is why passkeys are safer than passwords. The two matching pieces have to come together, like two lovebirds who were once separated and are finally reunited.
    • Newegg offers insane combo deal on Amazon Prime Day 2026 that beats Steam Machine

      By hellowalkman · Posted

      Newegg offers insane combo deal on Amazon Prime Day 2026 that beats Steam Machine by Sayan Sen Building a PC is undoubtedly difficult nowadays but with this epic combo deal, Newegg is trying to make it as easy for you as it is possible. If you are making a new one or even upgrading an old system to a new Windows 11 device, this combo bundle is truly unmissable as you get AMD's Ryzen 9800X3D, a compatible X870 motherboard, a 240mm AIO liquid cooler and finally a Samsung 990 PRO SSD all for under $1000 (purchase link under the specs table down below). This should beat out the newly launched Steam Machine from Valve in terms of performance and performance per dollar especially if you are willing to set Linux up on it. Essentially with this combo you will get the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D 8-core 3D V cache CPU, Samsung's 990 PRO 2TB NVMe SSD, the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX Motherboard, and finally the Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240. Thanks to that massive vertically stacked L3 cache, the X3D desktop processors, including the 9800X3D, also come with the benefit of not needing fast memory. Even DDR5-5600 should be plenty for it. The technical specifications of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D are given in the table below: Specification Value Architecture Zen 5 Cores / Threads 8 / 16 Base Clock 4.7 GHz Max Boost Clock Up to 5.2 GHz L1 Cache 640 KB L2 Cache 8 MB L3 Cache 96 MB Total Cache 104 MB CPU Core Process TSMC 4nm FinFET I/O Die Process TSMC 6nm FinFET Socket AM5 Default TDP 120W Max Temperature (Tjmax) 95°C Thermal Solution Not included Memory Type DDR5 Max Capacity 256 GB Memory Speeds 2x1R: DDR5-5600 2x2R: DDR5-5600 4x1R: DDR5-3600 4x2R: DDR5-3600 PCIe Version PCIe 5.0 PCIe Lanes (Total/Usable) 28 / 24 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) 4 USB 2.0 1 Graphics Cores 2 CU RDNA 2 Frequency 2200 MHz DisplayPort over USB-C Yes Overclocking Unlocked Up next we have the tech specs for the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI Motherboard: Specification Value Chipset AMD X870 CPU Support AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 Series Desktop Processors Socket AM5 Memory Slots 4 × DDR5 UDIMM Maximum Memory Capacity 256GB Memory Support DDR5 8400–5600 MT/s (OC), DDR5 5600–4800 MT/s (JEDEC) Integrated Graphics Outputs 1 × HDMI 2.1 FRL (up to 8K 60Hz) 2 × USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3 (up to 4K 60Hz) Expansion Slots PCI_E1: PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU) PCI_E2: PCIe 3.0 x1 (Chipset) PCI_E3: PCIe 4.0 x4 (Chipset) Audio Realtek ALC4080 Codec 7.1-Channel USB High Performance Audio Supports up to 32-bit/384kHz playback on front panel S/PDIF output M.2 Slots 4 × M.2 M2_1: PCIe 5.0 x4 (CPU, 22110/2280) M2_2: PCIe 5.0 x4 (CPU, 2280/2260) M2_3: PCIe 4.0 x2 (Chipset, 2280/2260) M2_4: PCIe 4.0 x4 (Chipset, 2280/2260) SATA Ports 4 × SATA 6Gb/s RAID Support RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 for M.2 NVMe storage devices Rear USB Ports 4 × USB 2.0 3 × USB 5Gbps Type-A 2 × USB 10Gbps Type-A 1 × USB 10Gbps Type-C 2 × USB4 40Gbps Type-C Front USB Headers 4 × USB 2.0 4 × USB 5Gbps Type-A 1 × USB 20Gbps Type-C LAN Realtek 8126-CG 5G LAN Wireless Wi-Fi 7 (M.2 Key-E module pre-installed) Supports 2.4GHz / 5GHz / 6GHz bands Up to 5.8Gbps Supports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.4, MLO, 4KQAM Internal Power Connectors 1 × 24-pin ATX Power 2 × CPU Power Connectors 1 × PCIe 8-pin Power Connector Fan Headers 1 × CPU Fan 1 × Combo Fan (Pump/System) 6 × System Fan RGB Headers 3 × Addressable V2 RGB (JARGB_V2) 1 × RGB LED (JRGB) Other Internal Headers 1 × EZ Conn-header 2 × Front Panel Headers 1 × Chassis Intrusion 1 × Front Audio 1 × TPM 2.0 Header Debug Features 4 × EZ Debug LEDs 1 × EZ Digit Debug LED Rear I/O Ports Clear CMOS Button Flash BIOS Button HDMI 2 × USB 40Gbps Type-C 1 × USB 10Gbps Type-C 4 × USB 10Gbps Type-A 3 × USB 5Gbps Type-A 4 × USB 2.0 5G LAN Port Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Antenna Connectors Audio Connectors Form Factor ATX The Samsung 990 PRO is a PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD and still one of the fastest drives available today for under $500. Speaking of fast, sequential reads and writes are rated at 7450 MB/s and 6900 MB/s, respectively. The random throughputs for reads and writes are 1400K IOPS and 1550K IOPS, respectively. The 990 PRO is based on Samsung's 7th Gen V-NAND flash, and it too is TLC. It packs 2 gigs of LPDDR4 DRAM cache, which helps the random performance. The endurance rating for this is 1200 TBW (terabytes written), which should be sufficient for most users. The Samsung 990 PRO is compatible with the PlayStation 5, but if you are going to use the 990 PRO on a PC, check out the Samsung Magician app that lets you track your drive's health, update its firmware, customize various settings, and more. The tech specs are given below: Specification Value Interface PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 Form Factor M.2 2280 Controller Samsung In-house Controller NAND Flash 3D TLC DRAM Cache 2GB LPDDR4 Sequential Read (Max) 7,450 MB/s Sequential Write (Max) 6,900 MB/s Random Read (4K) Up to 1,400,000 IOPS Random Write (4K) Up to 1,550,000 IOPS TBW (Endurance) 1,200 TBW MTBF 1,500,000 hours Operating Temperature 0°C to 70°C Storage Temperature -40°C to 85°C Shock Resistance 1,500G / 0.5ms Heatsink No Get the combo deal at this link: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Samsung 990 PRO 2TB, MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI motherboard, Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240: $784.99 + $25 off with promo code FTTF77: $759.99 (Sold and Shipped by Newegg US) Good to know This Newegg deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • AMD confirms 26.6.2 FSR driver breaks on many Windows PCs

      By sphbecker · Posted

      I heard from a lot of people that driver support for the latest games when RDNA first came out (Radeon 5000 series) was pretty bad, but if you didn't buy the card on day one, or were not trying to play the latest titles, then you were isolated from that issue. Other than that, it's been good and only getting better.

  • Recent Achievements

    • One Month Later
      timbobit earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      nates earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Almohandis earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Rookie
      dorf went up a rank
      Rookie
    • First Post
      mike_rumble earned a badge
      First Post

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      469
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      165
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      104
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      87
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      71
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!