Months after the problematic release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, game developer 343 Industries has finally released a remastered version of Halo 3 ODST. The game was released via Xbox Live on May 30 and game critics are already noting huge improvements to the remastered version.
The remastered version of Halo 3 ODST is the game developer's way to thank game fans who stuck with Halo: The Master Chief Collection since its troubled launched last year. 343 Industries Bonnie Ross explained last December how this was a humbling experience for them and highlighted how the studio "can - and need - to do better" for Xbox fans around the world. Ross added, "We are so grateful to our fans who have stood by our side and we appreciate all of your patience as we worked through these issues."
Free game codes were also given away to eligible players who played the game between November 11 until December 19 last year. 343 Industries has sent the free codes granting access to the Campaign for Halo 3: ODST on Xbox One to these players via the Xbox Live. The notices will disappear after June 30, afterwhich, gamers will have to contact Xbox Live's customer support to redeem the codes.
343 Industries also has a reminder for players that the Master Chief Collection's version of Halo 3: ODST includes the game's core campaign only. There is no Firefight game mode. "Our focus is enhancing the Campaign for Halo 3: ODST, including it within Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and ensuring it delivers a great experience on Xbox One in 1080p and 60 fps," said 343 Industries. Also available now is the Remnant multiplayer map, a remake of the one from Halo 2: Anniversary, which is free for all owners of the Master Chief Collection.
And more than a week after the remastered version's release, game fans and critics are discovering the improvements done versus the original release. Tech news from Eurogamer reports that Digital Foundry states that the game is a great leap forward but with its weak spots. Ruffian Games, who took care of Halo 3 and 4 HD, handled this new version and brought the game to 1920x1080 resolution, running at 60 frames per second. An interesting improvement is the addition of anisotropic filtering to the graphics solution adopted with the original Halo 3: ODST. Some weak spots were also observed such as low resolution HUD and loading times.
All-in-all, the remastered version of Halo 3 ODST is a definite improvement over the initial launched game. There still are a few bugs that players experienced, however, 343 Industries and its related studios continue to work on the game in order to correct these issues.
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