More details on Halo 2: Anniversary for Halo: Master Chief Collection

By John Callaham
last updated

Today more information was revealed about Halo 2: Anniversary, the graphically enhanced version of the 2004 Xbox first person shooter that will be included as part of the Halo: Master Chief Collection for the Xbox One console.

As part of the annual Rooster Teeth Expo in Austin, Texas, Microsoft's 343 Industries and developer Certain Affinity revealed that Coagulation will be one of the six remastered Halo 2 maps that will be included in the Anniversary version. The game will also feature a number of returning game types along with new ones like Ricochet, Race, SWAT and Infection.

Perhaps the biggest announcement was that Halo 2: Anniversary will get a new vehicle, the Gungoose, which is basically a weaponized version of the ATV-like Mongoose.

Halo: Master Chief Collection, which will collect Halo 1, 2, 3 and 4, will be released for the Xbox One November 11. It will also come with a live action digital feature, Halo: Nightfall, and a code that can be used in late December to access the multiplayer beta for the upcoming game Halo 5: Guardians.

What do you think of these new additions for Halo 2: Anniversary?

Source: GameSpot

John Callaham
John Callaham
98 Comments
  • Pretty cool
  • Halo 2 Vista FOREVER
  • Vista is terrible!
  • Vista WAS terrible!
  • Yes. . With first platform update, my vista machine beats 7. In same PC I use vista 7 and 8.1 and speed compared in both OS.are this
    8.1>vista>7
  • Bull shit
  • I've only played the first halo. Played for about two hours or so. Glad this is coming out on Xbox one so I can finally see why this game is so great.
  • Can't wait
  • Slightly off-topic but will MS ever make another Halo game for Windows Phone?
    I really loved playing Halo: SA
  • Yeah they should make sunset overdrive for WP. If only 1gb ram I never mind,though I have Lumia 720.
  • They should release more WP exclusive games as well...
  • No information yet, but if they do, I hope it's more multiplayer-based (especially with the Snapdragon 810 that'll be taking advantage of the WiGi (flawless multiplayer anyone?)).
  • Agree, multiplayer games often lasts longer in the platform unlike solo games
  • Price?
  • $60 USD
  • I wish they had this for pc
  • Why. Halo will remain an Xbox Exclusive. Buy an Xbox
  • Absolutely not. Why buy a box that duplicates a PC you already have?
  • For the games that aren't on the PC you already have.
  • That's where I disagree. There are maybe 1 or 2 games that are Xbox exclusives that I like. I'm not paying 500$+ for hardware just to buy a few 60$ games. Just not worth it. Especially when they decide that the next Xbox will not have backwards compatibility for a game a buy now...
  • Ok. You want a cookie?
  • The question is, why arent they making them for PC ? the Xbox One and PS4 are x86 computers
  • Couldn't agree more.
  • Advanced gaming on PCs is a support nightmare. Sincere there are so many possible combinations of CPU, GPU, OS, input devices, etc., a company really has to commit on going support to the PC platform, which often isn't worth it for the number of copies sold. An Xbox One is a known configuration.
  • Sigh, yes troubleshooting is different on consoles. If you can't fix it, you have to send in for repairs or buy a new one.
  • X64 coz they have 8gb ram
  • Because Xbox One has exclusive games, apps, and features that your PC doesn't have.
  • If we want to go into the features, app, games PC has that a consoles does not, you won't like the result. I'm not buying every console out there for every exclusivity.
  • In my opinion, one of the reason why Microsoft doesn't make much Xbox games for PC is piracy. For a popular game like Halo2, you will expect that most players will just go to tor or TPB to illegally download for free. Whereas, consoles give more consolation towards developers that their games are relatively harder to crack and thus they have profits to make the next game. Look at what happened to Crytek, they're dying but I'm not sure of the reasons behind thou.
  • Piracy isn't limited to PCs. Crytek isn't dying due to piracy. Consolidation of DRM on hardware killed Dreamcast.
  • So I can sit in confort in front of my big screen tv.. Why sit in front of a monitor with a mouse?
  • Most/all games support controllers. You can easily hook up an Xbox controller or any controller and play on a television.
  • I got both I have my surface plugged in via HDMI and wireless keyboard and controller . Can ur PC run Xbox and PC
  • You think they would now that Xbox is all x86
  • If microsoft wants to prove their statements about "caring for PC gaming" then they will eventually release it for PC, if not then Valve will eventually succeed in moving PC gaming to linux, because Microsoft obviously doesn't care, no matter what their PR guys say.
  • Microsoft should make a steam competitor. They shouldn't support steam. Steam is their competitor.
  • Well Gabe Newell hated Windows 8, because it (more specifically a pre-installed store) was a threat to steam. And obviously it isn't because there are NO desktop games on it at all. Still Microsoft needs to do SOMETHING for the PC gaming community or they will slip through Microsoft's fingers. We've been waiting too long and didn't get anything good from Microsoft in ages. Now valve only needs to make Half-Life 3 a Steam OS exclusive and that would pretty much be the start of the end of PC games for Windows.
  • Games like battlefield series\star craft\Diablo\wow\league of legends\etc don't run or don't run natively on Linux. Linux\steam os still has a lot of hurdles to overcome. Hl3 exclusive for Linux will never happen and if it does it wouldn't make a dent in the windows gaming market. Also best believe hl3 is going to be ported to ps4\xbone. Steamos is cool for steamboxes\gaming boxes,which is a pretty small market compare to comsole.Outside of steamos ports, not many games are develop just for for Linux or even ported to Linux.  linux accounts for less than 3 percent of users  on steam. 
  • Well alienware has a box that's like the steamboxes but with windows that runs steam
  • 343 said thing like "We are listing to our PC fans, and will give them what they want", that was in a conversation about the Chief Collection and whether or not its coming to PC. So we could very well see it coming to PC, there was other bits hinting towards a release a few months after the Xbox One version. If that never happens, Microsoft is trying to get "One Windows", meaning all their devices work on ONE OS, they already did it with Windows 8, being a PC and Tablet compatible OS. They also made it so if you make a App for Windows Phone, it automatically makes ita self compatible with PC, Surface, And Xbox. So eventually Xbox will run off the same OS as PC, meaning PC gamers can play Xbox Games... And... Vise versa... (Obviously not very well in vise versa). So one day Halo will be on PC, I can guarantee it.
  • Same here. Halo: 2 for PC was pretty good.
  • So was Halo 1
  • mmm no, was very generic fps
  • Because of WAF(Wife Acceptance Factor). She likes games like Zumba Fitness World Party, Just Dance, Dance Central that'll be never be on a PC. Vs. a specced up PC. I'll never hear the end of it because of the total price. (i7, high/mid decent video card) <-- the point is I am the only one that'll be enjoying games, so might as well maximise to the whole family the EF(Enjoyment/Entertainment Factor). :)
  • My reason for buying a Xbox One. I hope there is a special edition console.
  • Halo was the game that push Xbox, Halo always a classic
  • I think its quite sad that Halo Master Chief Collection isn't on PC also,it started with PC and should be Xbox and PC exclusively! Many people have consoles and pcs but enjoy playing FPS on PC because of control aspect using mouse,really sad for people who long awaiting PC collection franchise for Halo
  • I am really sad for people who want Halo on PC. What's wrong with them. Halo needs to be an Xbox exclusive. What would be the reason to buy an Xbox of you could play it's exclusives on PC. I love my Xbox one and want as many exclusives
  • It is about HALO, not about xbox. HALO is awesome and it should be accessible to more gamers. MS uses halo just to sell his xbox. I am huge halo fan, and I was able to play just Halo 1 and 2. I just isnt fair!
  • The same argument has been used with WP's exclusives. Yet, one by one we have seen them on iOS and Android.
  • Technically halo started dev for mac first(Halo's public unveiling occurred at the Macworld Expo 1999) than move to xbox, after MS acquired Bungie Software. Halo came out for Xbox  November 15, 2001 PC July 12, 2002 OSX December 11, 2003
  • You are right technically. But Xbox made it a huge hit.
  • I would say that it made Xbox a huge hit. Might be a chicken vs egg discussion though lol. Either love both!
  • If they release it for PC I see absolutely no reason to buy an Xbox. Posted via the WPC App for Android!
  • Efin awesome!!!!
  • Off topic... What should I ask Cortana to get the wc predictions??
  • Who will win the Germany Brazil game?
    Who will win the [Team] [Opposition Team] game?
  • Thanks ;)
  • No problem! :D
  • Every freaking Xbox article its Sony people bitchin or PC people bitc hin. Xbox too expensive halo should be for PC, titanfall sucks , Kinect sucks the tv features suck rare sucks... Everyone shut the hell up and let me enjoy my Xbox that I spent 499 on proudly
  • Enjoy bro. I'm with u.
  • So every time you try to play on your xbox these WP central comments just pop out in the middle of the screen and "don't let you enjoy your xbox"?
  • Haha!
  • Ty.
  • They do on mine! So weird. Dunno how to turn that off.
  • Kinect is awesome.
  • +One
  • Will ad online co-op to the H2 campaign!!!
  • The dlc situation has been such a sour taste for so long that the objective sweetness of this unified mp catalog is greatly diminished. The offending nerve of them to release a map pack on top of the season pass. The collection is a mea culpa for a situation that should have never been. Fan base was driven away long ago. & the pucker has been ineffective at draining the slushy mouthful of viscous saliva
  • Do you know what you're talking about?
  • Doesn't really matter.
    Key is confidently believing your own bullshit.
    Then again, all halo fans ought to appreciate the cold hard reality of statistics. Check how quickly the player base dropped off from halo 4. Faster than any other release in the series.
    My own opinions aside, that is all anybody needs to see to make the inference. Care to differ or does my slushy mouthful outweigh yours?
  • You might be right, but do you have a source for the cold hard statistics?
  • I do not. But to quote my man Tommy "tom-tom" Aquinas, "Three conditions are necessary for Penance: contrition, which is sorrow for sin, together with a purpose of amendment; confession of sins without any omission; and satisfaction by means of good works."   I count two from 343. My forgiveness remains mine til the other condition is satisfied.
  • I was getting this minute one regardless
  • Yep, already pre-ordered.
  • I am waiting to get the Xbox one in hopes they will announce a limited edition master chief console.. Was hoping they would announce that.. Buuuh
  • This is going to be AWESOME! I have to admit, I'm really looking forward to this. The coolest thing about it has to be the fact that they are pricing it at the usual 59.99. When I first heard about it, I absolutely thought that it wouldn't go for any less than 100, considering your basically getting 4 games in 1. Having Halo 1-4 with (switchable) upgraded graphics and all the goodies, plus some added content, ion one disc... One word: SWEET! BRING IT ON!
  • That's 4 words
  • New additions still do not appease. Still no PC support.
  • I applaud your tact at sticking to the subject. If there is no PC support, why push the issue of additions? It would be akin to a soldier waging war while simultaneously professing, "Fighting doesn't interest me". Silly stuff chap. Either way, cheers to advanced gaming on the machines of our days...
  • You're right. Additions aren't the topic. I'm just sad. Cheers. I'll look forward to days where we are not bound to hardware for our gaming needs.
  • Pc release please. Seeing as windows is so prominent in the pc gaming scene why not make it a windows store exclusive - buy windows 8.1 and then buy this collection. Either way support pc!
  • I want this in my life!!!
  • What about 360?
  • I reckon they might make a separate H2: Anniversary edition for 360.
    You got Halo 3 and 4 on 360 already.
  • Going to buy it!
  • want another halo game for windows
  • I wish H2 anniversary would come put on the 360
  • 343 is a bad company! They killed my love for halo when they made the crappy halo 4! Now they will modify halo 2 and make I a bad game... :'(
  • I had a hard time playing halo 4 too with that... Sell out of a game. So much like a COD or black ops game.. Lost the halo charm. But I gave it a chance. It is still fun. And the story line is actually kinda cool. I mostly tried playing the game open mindedly
  • Sometimes, it's like watching a movie made into a game. Not my desired gameplay, at least it's still epic.
  • This isn't great news, I was hoping for all the halo 2 maps, not just six of them.
  • I've never owned a gaming console but fascinated by Kinect I want to buy one.
    Q1. Are there enough Kinect supported games to enjoy the experience ?
    Q2. What game types(like sports, fighting, fps, multiplayer etc) are playable with the Kinect
    Q3. Multiplayer local and online ?
    Q4. How is the control aspects of games like FPS since there is no mouse or touchpad to control the character in 3d environment. Since I've played halo on pc with a gamepad and that was very much terrible.
    Thanks I just love to play halo multiplayer on lan with my friends on laptops and online too only thing I am afraid to buy a console is control aspects of few games types.
  • No Love for PC ?
  • Ms seems to hate PC anymore. Don't see why they couldn't release it via their store in Windows 8.
  • I so wish Halo 2 was coming by itself to the 360. Then we 360 owners can own all of them on one console as well.
  • Gungoose!! So many must buys coming this fall for Xbox One. Plus the Halo 5 beta!
  • OT: Will there also be a Mass Effect for XBox One collection? :)