Halo 2 HD Remake May be Underway

[The Wooster]

Halo 2 HD Remake May be Underway

Halo 2 may be getting the Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary treatment if reports are to be believed.

343 Industries, the developer charged with the Halo franchise following Bungie's decision to fly the Microsoft coop, has started development on a follow up to last year's Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

Xbox Magazine didn't cite any sources or give any details about the project, and Microsoft responded to questions about the title in its traditional manner. "Our focus right now is on developing Halo 4. Beyond that, we do not comment on rumors or speculation," a Microsoft spokesman told Kotaku.

Personally, I'd be more surprised to learn 343 weren't working on a follow up to Anniversary. Slightly-upgraded ports of last-generation titles have become a relatively quick and easy money spinner for most developers. While Sony has been pushing HD ports of PS2 titles hard, the Xbox's library has been left mostly untouched.

Source: Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/5924247/halo-2-high+definition-remake-said-to-be-in-development]

Permalink

 

[Knife-28]

What I'd like to see is them remake Halo 2 as Bungie was originally going to make it, but what with 343 making another trilogy, I doubt they'd be working on a 'Halo 2: Anniversary' anytime soon.

 

[Terminate421]

I wouldn't mind the remake, personally. Even if it was just campaign.

INB4 "OBVIOUS MILKING OF FRANCHISE"

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

What I'd like to see is them remake Halo 2 as Bungie was originally going to make it, but what with 343 making another trilogy, I doubt they'd be working on a 'Halo 2: Anniversary' anytime soon.

what was going to be different about it?

never heard of this before.

OT: I'll check it out, but i doubt I'll buy it, I had plenty of fun with it back in the day but most of those games don't give me that same thrill anymore, I'd just be tossing money away.

 

[noahpocalypse]

If the gameplay was exactly the same again... And the MULTIPLAYER was too...


I'd buy this in less than a heartbeat. I'd buy this so fast your heart would stop from shock.

... Zanzibar, my precious baby. I'll come back...

 

[Knife-28]

What I'd like to see is them remake Halo 2 as Bungie was originally going to make it, but what with 343 making another trilogy, I doubt they'd be working on a 'Halo 2: Anniversary' anytime soon.

what was going to be different about it?

never heard of this before.

OT: I'll check it out, but i doubt I'll buy it, I had plenty of fun with it back in the day but most of those games don't give me that same thrill anymore, I'd just be tossing money away.

Just compare the E3 2004 demo to the final product.


If they included that in the final game, even without current gen graphics, it would be a day 1 buy for me.

 

[Narcogen]

What I'd like to see is them remake Halo 2 as Bungie was originally going to make it, but what with 343 making another trilogy, I doubt they'd be working on a 'Halo 2: Anniversary' anytime soon.

You mean, by retconning Halo 3 out of existence?

 

[bobmus]

As long as they use the Halo 2 multiplayer settings (or as close an emulation as possible), rather than just tacking them on as an expansion of Halo 4's godawful-sounding multiplayer.

 

[Quiet Stranger]

What I'd like to see is them remake Halo 2 as Bungie was originally going to make it, but what with 343 making another trilogy, I doubt they'd be working on a 'Halo 2: Anniversary' anytime soon.

what was going to be different about it?

never heard of this before.

OT: I'll check it out, but i doubt I'll buy it, I had plenty of fun with it back in the day but most of those games don't give me that same thrill anymore, I'd just be tossing money away.

Just compare the E3 2004 demo to the final product.


If they included that in the final game, even without current gen graphics, it would be a day 1 buy for me.

Point out the difference for me between the demo and the released Halo 2? It's been a while since I played Halo 2 so I don't understand what I'm suppose to be seeing and going "OOOOOHHHH"

 

[llamastorm.games]

What I'd like to see is them remake Halo 2 as Bungie was originally going to make it, but what with 343 making another trilogy, I doubt they'd be working on a 'Halo 2: Anniversary' anytime soon.

what was going to be different about it?

never heard of this before.

OT: I'll check it out, but i doubt I'll buy it, I had plenty of fun with it back in the day but most of those games don't give me that same thrill anymore, I'd just be tossing money away.

Just compare the E3 2004 demo to the final product.


If they included that in the final game, even without current gen graphics, it would be a day 1 buy for me.

Point out the difference for me between the demo and the released Halo 2? It's been a while since I played Halo 2 so I don't understand what I'm suppose to be seeing and going "OOOOOHHHH"

Basically nothing in that video is actually in the final game at all, that whole level was cut as well as other changes and omissions.

 

[The Rookie Gamer]

Halo 2 HD Remake May be Underway

Halo 2 may be getting the Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary treatment if reports are to be believed.

343 Industries, the developer charged with the Halo franchise following Bungie's decision to fly the Microsoft coop, has started development on a follow up to last year's Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

Xbox Magazine didn't cite any sources or give any details about the project, and Microsoft responded to questions about the title in its traditional manner. "Our focus right now is on developing Halo 4. Beyond that, we do not comment on rumors or speculation," a Microsoft spokesman told Kotaku.

Personally, I'd be more surprised to learn 343 weren't working on a follow up to Anniversary. Slightly-upgraded ports of last-generation titles have become a relatively quick and easy money spinner for most developers. While Sony has been pushing HD ports of PS2 titles hard, the Xbox's library has been left mostly untouched.

Source: Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/5924247/halo-2-high+definition-remake-said-to-be-in-development]

Permalink

By the MS rep's comments, I'd eat my hat if Halo 2 Anniversary doesn't come out November 9, 2014.

What I'd like to see is them remake Halo 2 as Bungie was originally going to make it, but what with 343 making another trilogy, I doubt they'd be working on a 'Halo 2: Anniversary' anytime soon.

what was going to be different about it?

never heard of this before.

OT: I'll check it out, but i doubt I'll buy it, I had plenty of fun with it back in the day but most of those games don't give me that same thrill anymore, I'd just be tossing money away.

Just compare the E3 2004 demo to the final product.


If they included that in the final game, even without current gen graphics, it would be a day 1 buy for me.

Point out the difference for me between the demo and the released Halo 2? It's been a while since I played Halo 2 so I don't understand what I'm suppose to be seeing and going "OOOOOHHHH"

Basically nothing in that video is actually in the final game at all, that whole level was cut as well as other changes and omissions.

Yeah, they couldn't include that, unless they wanted to dig up all the old Halo 2 development, add 10 more levels, and change the story severely. That demo was on something the original Xbox couldn't run, but Bungie still tried to base a game on it, failed, and produced the Halo 2 we got in roughly 9 months, hence the bugs galore.

 

[Space Jawa]

So when should we expect the inevitable Halo collection (with Halo 1-3, ODST, and Reach)? Sometime after they've finished a remake of 3?

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

What I'd like to see is them remake Halo 2 as Bungie was originally going to make it, but what with 343 making another trilogy, I doubt they'd be working on a 'Halo 2: Anniversary' anytime soon.

what was going to be different about it?

never heard of this before.

OT: I'll check it out, but i doubt I'll buy it, I had plenty of fun with it back in the day but most of those games don't give me that same thrill anymore, I'd just be tossing money away.

Just compare the E3 2004 demo to the final product.


If they included that in the final game, even without current gen graphics, it would be a day 1 buy for me.

O.O

wow, that actually seemed like it could be awesome. Man I hope they include stuff like that in the anniversary game, I'd definitely buy it.

 

[CowboyfromHell666]

I wouldn't mind an anniversary edition of Halo 2. I never got to experience the game's online component when servers were still up, so it'd be nice to play on the old maps(even if it's inevitably going to be in the Reach engine).

 

[The Tibballs]

Screw the Halo 2 HDing, give me a HD version of Stubbs the Zombie.

Edit: Or the Evil Dead games.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

What I'd like to see is them remake Halo 2 as Bungie was originally going to make it, but what with 343 making another trilogy, I doubt they'd be working on a 'Halo 2: Anniversary' anytime soon.

what was going to be different about it?

never heard of this before.

Several levels were cut, including one that was supposed to come between when the Chief killed the Prophet of Regret in the Temple and him ending up captured by the Gravemind. It was supposed to be an underground tunnel level full of the Gravemind's shifing tentacles, and you got control of a Forerunner tank to ride around it, that could obliterate basically anything. It would have given a proper introduction to GM, showing how manipulative he is as he draws you into himself.
Other things that were cut were the Engineers (who finally made it in Halo 3) Another flood form called the Juggernaut (whose data was actually included on the disk but never implemented) and general bug testing.
Oh, and an actual conclusive ending. It wasn't supposed to be a cliffhanger, it was supposed to wrap up the plotlines, not tell you to finish the fight. There was a tonne of stuff cut.

Personally I would prefer it if they just took the time to port Halo 3, Reach and the upcoming new Halos to PC. Then I could play the rest of the series.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

What I'd like to see is them remake Halo 2 as Bungie was originally going to make it, but what with 343 making another trilogy, I doubt they'd be working on a 'Halo 2: Anniversary' anytime soon.

what was going to be different about it?

never heard of this before.

Several levels were cut, including one that was supposed to come between when the Chief killed the Prophet of Regret in the Temple and him ending up captured by the Gravemind. It was supposed to be an underground tunnel level full of the Gravemind's shifing tentacles, and you got control of a Forerunner tank to ride around it, that could obliterate basically anything. It would have given a proper introduction to GM, showing how manipulative he is as he draws you into himself.
Other things that were cut were the Engineers (who finally made it in Halo 3) Another flood form called the Juggernaut (whose data was actually included on the disk but never implemented) and general bug testing.
Oh, and an actual conclusive ending. It wasn't supposed to be a cliffhanger, it was supposed to wrap up the plotlines, not tell you to finish the fight. There was a tonne of stuff cut.

Personally I would prefer it if they just took the time to port Halo 3, Reach and the upcoming new Halos to PC. Then I could play the rest of the series.

that would've been very nice to play those bits, even with halo 2 being my favorite it definitely would've been even better with those parts in it.

I could be wrong, it could just be a rumor, but aren't they making all (well i'm assuming all) xbox 360 games compatible with windows 8? if so, I doubt they would waste their times with true ports and would just egg people into getting that instead.

 

[McJobless]

You mean, by retconning Halo 3 out of existence?

I see no problem with that. 3 was a mess; harder to follow story-line wise IMO.

 

[Narcogen]

You mean, by retconning Halo 3 out of existence?

I see no problem with that. 3 was a mess; harder to follow story-line wise IMO.

I suppose it would be possible to undo some of the changes that were made to facilitate Halo 3 being a full game, instead of just the final 3-4 levels of Halo 2, but on the other hand, I think Halo 3's plot is pretty straightforward compared to Halo 2. H2 is heavy on exposition, and is split between two perspectives (MC and Arbiter). I rather liked the Arbiter's storyline, though, and it's a bit of a shame that it comes to its conclusion with Arby as an NPC.

I'm not sure it's so much that H3 is hard to follow, it's just that not much of what goes on is really relevant. It skips over what happens to the MC on Truth's dreadnought (that stuff got put into a comic, apparently) and then there's lots of faffing about done on Earth-- for the second time. Basically we get a repeat of everything we saw in the first part of Halo 2 in slightly different environments. Halo 3 doesn't properly start until the Flood arrive on Earth, and the Chief, Cortana and Cmdr Keyes enter the portal that takes them to the Ark, Installation 00.

My theory was always that originally, the artifact on Earth was not a portal to the Ark, but the Ark itself. So if you tack the last 3-4 levels of Halo 3 on after the end of Halo 2, I suppose you could get a single coherent storyline.

I just don't think they'd do all this so soon, nor do something so drastic. Halo 1's campaign was the oldest, and still, the only changes that were made were cosmetic ones, with a new renderer. With 343 so unwilling to touch gameplay aspects of the older titles, even to the point of being uninterested in rebuilding their campaigns using the existing Reach engine, opting instead just for a new coat of paint. Such a drastic re-imagining of the original trilogy's ending is, I think, not in the cards.