Halo: Reach 
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Full Halo season 2 trailer promises all the stuff we wanted the first time aroundJan 11, 2024 - VG247Roughly one month before its premiere, a new trailer for season 2 of the Halo TV series on Paramount+ has arrived, and it's full of action and grit. You can watch the full trailer here, but we can tell you in advance it's looking much more compelling than season 1 by a wide margin. Mind you, marketing can be deceptive, but after the so-so reception of the first volume of episodes in 2022, it looks like things have moved in the right direction with new showrunner David Wiener (Fear the Walking Dead, Brave New World). The official plot descriptions coming from Paramount aren't exactly useful, but the previews have shown that season 2 will largely focus on the Fall of Reach, though you can expect deviations from the established canon even if the overall vibes seem closer to the video games' now. After all, a handful of plot threads from season 1 should be fleshed out and/or wrapped up instead of simply dropped. Right now, it appears that the show won't reach the titular location until season 3... should it get renewed. That is a bit of a gamble, but we're happy to spend a whole season in Reach unless the entire thing is irredeemable shite. Read more You can now play Halo: The Master Chief Collection’s multiplayer on Steam DeckApr 6, 2023 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunForget rumours of a portable Xboy. Halo: The Master Chief Collection’s newest update has enabled matchmade multiplayer, and together with the custom game browser for the Steam Deck, you can now play some of the wackiest maps in any FPS from the comfort of your bed - or anywhere in the galaxy really. MCC’s multiplayer was previously disabled on Steam Deck since the mode required Easy Anti-Cheat, which has now been turned on. Read more There are Moa Burger Pringles and now I'm convinced moas are in Halo InfiniteMar 4, 2021 - EurogamerI never thought I'd see this: Moa Burger Pringles. These limited edition Pringles, sold exclusively in Walmart (so we don't have to suffer them on these shores) riffs on a Halo: Reach in-joke - and a rather niche one at that. OK, some background. In the world of Halo, the moa is an ostrich-looking creature native to the planet Reach. So the lore goes, moas were used as pets and also food. They're sort of like Halo's version of the chocobo from Final Fantasy. Read more Bungie's Halo website and its player stats go dark permanently in FebJan 15, 2021 - EurogamerBungie's Halo website goes dark permanently in February, scattering its many player stats to the wind. In a post on Bungie.net, the developer said halo.bungie.net goes offline permanently on 9th February. Almost nine years ago, stats and files from Bungie's Halo games stopped getting updated on Bungie.net. Since then, all stats, files and other data from Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach lived on at halo.bungie.net. Read more Halo 4 gets a few more days of testing, adds crossplay to ReachOct 31, 2020 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun If there’s been one small positive about this year, it’s the reliable rollout of once console-locked Halo games on PC through Halo: The Master Chief Collection. With Halo 4 currently on the launchpad, 343 Industries have chosen to extend the game’s testing (“flighting”) period by another week, with the Insider client now testing crossplay support for Halo Reach. (more…) The Master Chief Collection will test Halo 2, Forge mode by the end of the monthMar 14, 2020 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun Not two weeks after Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary snuck onto PC, and we’re already talking about the sequel. Steady on, team. This week, John “Masterchief” Halo’s handlers over at 343 Industries announced plans to flight (that’s Halo-speak for “test) Halo 2‘s return to PC in The Master Chief Collection. It’ll trial alongside Forge and Theatre modes for Halo: Reach by the end of the month, with potential fixes for that game’s stubborn audio bugs. (more…) 343 Industries share progress on Forge for Halo: Reach, Halo 3, and Halo 2 AnniversaryJan 29, 2020 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun343 Industries have released their January development update for the Halo: Master Chief Collection and it’s a chunky one. The update goes over progress made on all of the Halo games that 343 are bringing to PC as part of the collection, from test flight plans to matchmaking playlists, and Halo Forge. I’ll stick to the last one and let you read the rest of the novel if you so choose. (more…) Play Sea of Thieves and Halo: Reach for pennies Game Pass is only 1 right nowJan 3, 2020 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun I ve been spending the past few weeks playing co-op games with my BFF. I wanted to try Sea of Thieves, because when I m not dreaming of being an astronaut, I m dreaming of being a pirate. Being Scottish, I suggested we use Game Pass, Microsoft s games subscription service, and was surprised to see that it was only 1. Then I was surprised to see that the next renewal date for my sub is April. Score! It s a holiday discount, so you ll probably need to be super quick, and though it claims that it s your first 3 months , I had already signed up and unsubbed from Game Pass when Sea of Thieves was first released and I still got the deal. If this doesn’t work for you, you can probably sign up for a new account. Microsoft aren t shy about putting games up there. You can enjoy Halo: Reach for a paltry amount for a few months. (more…) Halo: Combat Evolved testing could begin in January, 343 Industries saysDec 20, 2019 - PC GamerHave you been banned from Halo: Reach, and you're pretending that you don't know why? The latest Halo: The Master Chief Collection development update might be able to help clarify where you went wrong. "We are committed to ensuring that players have a positive, fair, and safe experience playing MCC online," developer 343 Industries wrote. "While many of the behaviors we’ve seen may seem innocuous, the reality is that when a player participates in something like 'AFK farming' in Grifball, they’re creating a negative experience for all the other players in the session. Over time, this creates real issues and hurts MCC by driving away frustrated players." To make sure that everyone is on the same page, 343 shared a list of three things that might not seem like big deal, but are: * AFK & Macros: This has been and will remain a bannable offense. For now, we have only issued temporary bans based on the egregiousness of the offense. We will continue to monitor this behavior and take enforcement action as needed. * Coordinated XP Boosting: This is a bannable offense and falls under category of unsociable and unsportsmanlike behavior. Many, if not all, of the reports we have received on these involved various forms of bullying, hate speech, intimidation, and betraying against players who joined a match and did not want to participate in the XP bossting activity. This is not behavior that we will allow or tolerate in any way and we encourage players to continue to report instances of this happening so we can investigate. Also remember to mute other players and on Xbox, you can ‘block’ and ‘report’ players who violate the Xbox online code of conduct. * Firefight Suicides: Intentionally suiciding in Firefight in an effort to exploit XP gains is another bannable offense and falls under the category of unsociable and unsportsmanlike conduct. Reports of this behavior will be investigated, and punishments will be issued if found true. The update also runs down a number of new features 343 is working on for The Master Chief Collection, including an open mic option for voice chat, interface improvements, and Message of the Day and Server Ping lists for PC. Improvements to the progression system and text chat are also in the works, while mod support, zoom improvements, and more video options are "in active design iteration." Other features that are being discussed but not currently developed include: * Regional server selection; * Cross-Play between Xbox & PC; * Steam account linking; * VFR Improvements; * Idle System Improvements; * Customization Improvements; * In Game FPS Cap/Adjustments; * Better ways to report players; * Bringing PC features to Console (Like FOV Sliders); "As we close the year out and start to look at what’s ahead of us in 2020, I wanted to give you an update on progress we’re making on the other games heading to MCC on PC. Ri...Local Co-op for Halo on PC: answers at lastDec 11, 2019 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun Ever since the Master Chief Collection was announced for PC back in March, fans have been clamouring for the Xbox version s classic split screen local co-op to be included in the PC port. But so far, it seems they ve had no luck. In a Reddit AMA at the time, 343 Industries community director Brian ske7ch Jarrard said it was a tricky issue, and that 343 was still looking at what can be supported . Eight months later, the collection s roll-out on PC has started with Halo: Reach – but there s no split screen to be seen. Luckily, however, I can reveal that Rock Paper Shotgun has secured answers to the local co-op question at last. Or at least, the answers to a local Co-op question. By which I mean, I can tell you how all the main characters in the Halo series would handle a trip to the local branch of Co-op, the UK s beloved budget supermarket. I’ve got no idea about the split-screen thing. Here s the information you were almost definitely looking for: (more…) Halo: Reach's remaster is OK - but key improvements are requiredDec 8, 2019 - EurogamerThis week's arrival of Halo: Reach on Xbox One, Windows Store and Steam is a highly significant release. Nine years after its Xbox 360 debut, it has finally been added to the Master Chief Collection with all last-gen Bungie and 343 titles now available to Xbox One users. It's also available on PC as part of a scheduled, episodic roll-out of Halo titles - and it's the first full franchise release to hit the platform since 2004. It's a big deal then, but how does it improve on the original and are there any problems with the conversion? I've been really looking forward to this, simply because as the final Bungie release in the series, Reach is simply an incredible game that's just as brilliant to play today. Its single-player component is deeply evocative of everything that made Halo: Combat Evolved a milestone achievement. There's that sense of ambience and enchantment from its beautifully designed alien structures and the sheer scale of its outdoor environments. Then there's its incredible soundtrack, of course - and all before we consider the actual gameplay mechanics, which still feel superb. It's Bungie at the top of its game and it's frankly unmissable. So how can we improve on such a wonderful piece of work? Well, the increased processing power of today's hardware gives us plenty of avenues for an even better Reach experience. The first and most immediate difference in the remaster is the frame-rate. The inconsistent and often chugging performance level of the Xbox 360 release was eventually cleaned up to a nigh-on locked 30fps via its back-compat release but this new port goes the extra mile, targeting 60fps instead. On PC, you can technically go higher, but the situation is somewhat complex there - and I'm not sure going beyond 60 is actually a good idea. Read more Wot I Think: Halo: ReachDec 6, 2019 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunDeveloper: 343 Industries, Splash Damage, Ruffian Games, Bungie Publisher: Xbox Games Studios Release: Out now On: Windows From: Steam Price: 7/$10/ 10 I’m bad at liking old shooters, because I struggle to see through the ways they’ve been surpassed. Modern games look better. They feel better. They have bumslides. They are generally obliged to develop their protagonists into something more than a number and a helmet. These are all problems for the nine-year-old Halo: Reach, but I’ve ultimately enjoyed myself despite them. There is wisdom in the old ways, even if they no longer punch so hard. Although, in fairness, the punching itself is still solid. (more…) 5 reasons why Reach is the best Halo gameDec 5, 2019 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun I can t help but love Halo. It s one of the few things that lodged firmly enough in my teenage heart to build itself a permanent nest there, and it still comes and goes freely, even though the iron gate of age has barred so much else from getting in. Ever since 2001, when I saved to buy an OG Xbox purely for the sake of playing Combat Evolved, I ve gotten needlessly excited about playing each new release on launch day. I was also the guy Nate wrote this article about. Over the last eighteen years, we ve slugged through pretty much every new release in the series together, and they ve burned a string of happy little plasma scars on my brain, each one a memorial anchor for a whole period of my life. A decision to join the army in my early twenties saw me playing Halo 3 in drafty barracks in Wales, about to be sent to Afghanistan. Despite feeling incredibly removed from normal life, just a few bars of the theme, or the familiar clatter of the battle rifle, would instantly transport me back to a sort of home. (more…) Everything you should know about Halo: Reach season pointsDec 4, 2019 - PC GamerHow do you get Halo: Reach season points? Halo: The Master Chief Collection has finally made its way onto the PC and with it comes a bundle of classic Halo games. Halo: Reach is the first to release with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, ODST, 3, and 4 to follow in 2020. Considering Halo: Reach released on the Xbox 360 just under a decade ago, 343 Industries has made some changes: one of those are the introduction of season points. Halo: Reach season points are a new progression system where players can earn and spend points on seasonal cosmetic items like pieces of armour, Firefight voices, and nameplates. How to get Halo: Reach season points Getting season points is easy enough: it isn't immediately clear in game, but they can be earned by just playing the game. As you complete activities, you'll start to increase your rank, and as you level up your rank, you'll earn season points. Your rank is displayed on the top of your screen and follows a military-style system. You'll begin as a recruit and work your way up the chain of command. When a season is over, players will be able to keep all the items they bought with their points with the surplus carrying over into the next season. If a new season starts and you haven't unlocked all the content for the season before, you can still go back and continue to work towards those achievements. If you're planning on playing Halo: Reach on PC, check out our Halo: Reach PC port impressions where we get into the technical nitty-gritty and give the definitive answer as to how well it currently runs on PC. Halo: Reach brings the series back to PC with a mostly fantastic portDec 3, 2019 - PC GamerFive years ago, Microsoft released Halo: The Master Chief Collection on the Xbox One, uniting nearly the entire Halo series in one mammoth game. It was a disaster. The collection was so buggy and broken, Halo developer 343 Industries has spent the past few years fixing its many, many issues. Today that apology tour finally arrives on PC with Halo: Reach, the 2019 release of a 2010 Xbox 360 game. I played it on Steam alongside 140,000 other people who are, clearly, excited to play a Halo game on PC again. Good news for all of us: Reach looks great, feels great, and has almost everything I'd want out of a PC port. It's the opposite of the Master Chief Collection's terrible debut. After a few hours of testing the campaign and multiplayer, I'm confident that this nails the fundamentals of a good PC port. It runs smoothly on fairly modest hardware, as a port of a 2010 game should. On my i7-6700K and GTX 980, running Reach at 1440p, my framerate mostly hovered between 180 and 220 fps when unlocked. I didn't experience any stuttering, crashes, or significant issues. I also didn't run into any lag in online multiplayer. Even super fast paced one-hit-kill SWAT matches felt perfect, thanks to dedicated multiplayer servers and mouse controls that, as best as I can tell, feel just as good as other FPS games on PC. There are some features missing from this PC port that I hope 343 Industries adds as it continues to expand the Master Chief Collection on PC. It could use more granular graphics settings and alt key bindings, but there's nothing here that stops me from having a lot of fun playing Reach right now. Here's the quick technical breakdown. Framerate options: 60 fps and unlocked Unlocked framerate! Bless. Halo: Reach offers only two options here, listed under an "experimental settings" header in the video settings menu. You can lock the framerate at 60 fps, or set it to unlimited. Reach also supports enabling and disabling V-Sync to eliminate screen tearing. One bit of weird UI design here: you have to tab the framerate setting to the left to select unlimited, rather than to the right as you'd expect. In blog posts, 343 has said this unlocked framerate implementation isn't final, and the developer is already working on post-launch updates for Reach. Unfortunately, I noticed significant screen tearing in campaign when playing with an unlocked framerate. But it's an easily solvable issue. You can use a program like Rivatuner to lock in a refresh rate like 144 Hz, or play on a G-Sync or FreeSync monitor, or choose to use V-Sync or the 60 fps lock. I really only noticed the tearing during cutscenes on my 144 Hz monitor; it may have been present in gameplay, too, but if so it never proved distracting for me. Also, it's nice to see cutscenes running at a smooth 60 fps now. Back on the Xbox 360, Halo Reach was capped at 30 fps, but dipped below that threshold from time to time. General graphi...Halo: Reach has launched on PCDec 3, 2019 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunHalo’s Master Chief Collection starts today with the release of Halo: Reach, the prequel to the rest of the sci-fi space marine stories and the first of the revamped bunch to spawn on PC. Five other Halo games will follow, ending with Halo 4 by the end of 2020. (more…) Halo: Reach will let you bypass anti-cheat so you can use modsDec 3, 2019 - PC GamerOne of the most exciting things about Halo: The Master Chief Collection's imminent arrival on PC, starting with Reach today, is that the modders will be able to get their hands on it. While 343 Industries confirmed mod support earlier in the year, it won't be ready for launch, but in the meantime there's a solution that will allow you to muck around in the campaign and custom modes. In the Halo subreddit's recent Weekly Discussion (cheers ResetEra), a 343 employee clarified that, while official mod support is still being worked on, this doesn't stop players from being able to enjoy the fruits of the modding community's labour, as there's an official workaround that will let everyone bypass Halo: Reach's anti-cheat tools. "We’re still working to improve this down the road, but for now you will have an option when you launch to bypass anticheat," 343_farn wrote. "This will allow you to play around with campaign and customs but not allow you to play any match made games. I highly suggest making a copy/backup of anything you modify so you’ll be able to switch back and forth easily." Mods will never be allowed in matchmaking, however, and if you want to play any matchmaking games after bypassing the anti-cheat, you'll need to revert back to the original files. Modders have already been hard at work, and have been since Halo: Reach's first PC test, and you'll be able to check out what they've been putting together when it launches later today. Here's when Halo: Reach unlocks in your time zone. How does Halo Reach on PC improve over Xbox 360?Nov 19, 2019 - EurogamerIt's been a long wait but Halo: The Master Chief Collection is finally coming to PC. At X019 last week, Microsoft confirmed that the planned episodic roll-out of the collection is set to kick off on December 3rd with the arrival of Halo: Reach. We went hands-on with the port at the event, grabbed a bunch of capture and dug deep into the settings menus. We also spotted the intriguing addition of an 'enhanced mode' that uses the extra power of modern hardware to further upgrade the Reach experience beyond resolution and frame-rate alone. System requirements for Reach are slight to say the least - which is perhaps not surprising when you bear in mind that the original game launched just over nine years ago for Xbox 360. 343 Industries says that an Nvidia GTX 770 (pretty much on par with a GTX 680 or GTX 960) is good enough to deliver 60 frames per second at 4K resolution - and you can get an idea of what that experience looks like by taking a look at the video embedded on this page. Based on our playtest of the PC game, 343 Industries has stuck to the Master Chief Collection template established by the Xbox One compilation. New assets - if any - are thin on the ground: this is effectively the original Reach, liberated from the 1152x720 resolution of the Xbox 360 game. That's absolutely fine as despite being mastered to last-gen standards, the art design still holds up beautifully today. Performance-wise, the original release had some issues maintaining its 30fps target frame-rate - a situation resolved by the revamped Xbox One back-compat rendition of the game. Obviously though, PC goes much further: at X019, the game ran very smoothly at 60fps and it'll be interesting to see if the port can be unlocked to run faster still. Read more Steam Charts: Put Out Of Its Misery EditionNov 18, 2019 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun This is, really and truly, the last ever Steam Charts. Which, I realise, is something I’ve said before. More than once. But this time it’s really true! Erk, I’m not really sure how to convince anyone of this. I’m the boy who cried last ever Steam Charts. (more…) Halo: Reach kicks off PC Halo rereleases in DecemberNov 14, 2019 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun The revamped PC rereleases of Bungie’s classic console shooter series Halo will kick off with Halo: Reach on December 3rd, Microsoft announced today. Reach was the fifth Halo FPS to be released but will be the first to come from The Master Chief Collection cos it’s a prequel to the lot. Have a gander at the new trailer below. (more…)
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