The fight is almost finished for Halo: The Master Chief Collection, as flight testing has now commenced for Halo 3:ODST, the second to last game to be added to the collection. ODST is itself a newer addition to the game, a DLC addition in the original Xbox One release that's been rolled into the full package over time. It includes the add-on campaign for Halo 3 that puts players in the boots of a human soldier called The Rookie during the Covenant invasion of New Mombasa. ODST also includes the first iteration of Halo's signature Firefight mode. Both halves of the experience are hitting PC for the first time with this beta test.
The team at 343 Industries has been hard at work porting the entire Master Chief Collection to PC as well as adding further enhancements to the Xbox One release. The collection was poorly received upon its initial launch due to a plethora of issues, and the game has been in some form of beta test ever since. Still, the company has vowed to deliver experiences fans won't soon forget, and even include a few new weapons and skins to enhance the decades-old titles.
Fans of the Halo franchise who have previously signed up for the Halo Insider program are already testing out the ODST campaign and Firefight, with 343 Industries recently announcing the start of the test. Previous tests have suggested that the game will launch mere weeks after tests start, although it's always possible that a major problem could delay the launch. Once launched, players who own the Master Chief Collection on Steam will be able to play Halo 3: ODST on PC for the first time. Players subscribed to Xbox Game Pass for PC will also have the option to join in the fun.
While console players already have access to Halo 3: ODST, there will be a few updates worth paying attention to. Weapons skins will be coming to Halo 3 across all modes, distributed via the same battle pass-esque season system as cosmetics for the Master Chief Collection's renditions of Halo: Reach and Halo: Combat Evolved. In addition, 343 Industries has ported over the Silenced SMG, SOCOM Magnum, and the Brute Plasma Rifle from ODST into Halo 3, giving players three new weapon options for multiplayer matchmaking and custom games. These weapons are only slightly different than their counterparts in Halo 3, but they should make for interesting dual-wielding combinations if nothing else.
Halo 3: ODST is a favorite game of many critics, who enjoy its jazzy atmosphere and low-key story. It's certainly unique among the Halo first-person shooters released so far, and it's great that it will finally land on PC with the same quality porting procedures that 343 has shown for the other games. As gamers wait a few additional months for the debut of Halo Infinite, it might behoove them to load up ODST on their brand new next-gen Xbox and see how the upgrades treat the moody streets of New Mombasa.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is available on Xbox One and PC.
Source: HaloSupport/Twitter