The Halo franchise has been very successful for Microsoft. It is one of their longest-running video game series, with the first title, Halo: Combat Evolved having launched in November 2001. All the classics in the Halo series have thereby been remastered for modern PCs and consoles, and they were launched as a part of a collection in 2014. This remastered collection was named “The Master Chief Collection”. It consists of games like Halo: Reach. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 3: ODST. Rumor has it that another Microsoft franchise might get remastered following the style of the aforementioned one.
Why is the Master Chief Collection so Special?
The Master Chief Collection was different, i.e., it was unlike any other remaster or remake. The new features introduced with it included remastered visuals and audio, while keeping the original feel of the games intact. The compilation also came with several new PC settings and optimizations to let it utilize modern hardware. But, the defining feature was that gamers need not buy all the titles in the compilation at once. Microsoft let users decide which games they wanted to play and purchase them separately. This means you could buy Halo: Reach while your friend can buy Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST, and it would be absolutely fine.
What are the New Developments Concerning the Gears of War Series?
Sometime earlier, we had rumors that another Microsoft franchise might get the same treatment as Halo, and a Master Chief Collection-like compilation might drop sometime soon. But, we were unsure which series Microsoft is currently working on. Luckily, we might have got some leads in the latest episode of the XboxEra podcast. In the latest episode, co-host Nick Baker raised the matter of a Master Chief Collection-like remake for another Microsoft franchise.
He did not mention the name of the series that the studios are currently working on. But, in the YouTube video for the episode, the section is labeled as “Oh, Gears Collection?” This development is massive, and might inadvertently confirm the existence of the upcoming Gears remastered collection. Baker even hinted at a possible announce date when he commented that the tech giant might keep it as one of their summer E3 2022 announcements. E3 2022 is happening from June 9-12 this summer, although it is “officially” canceled.
The Current State of Gears of War Games
The Gears series is in an interesting position at the moment. The first game in the series was remastered and released for modern PCs and consoles in 2016, as part of the Gears of War Ultimate Edition. Gears of War 4 and 5 were released in 2016 and 2018 respectively, and the titles are playable on both PC and consoles. Furthermore, news about an upcoming Gears of War 6 leaked from the Nvidia GeForce Now database leak a few months back.
But, Gears of War 2 and 3 currently cannot be bought or played on modern PCs and consoles. This is a bit underwhelming provided the action and story these games packed. Provided the series is broken up in such a condition, a Gears of War remake will help gamers to enjoy it in the order developers intended it to be.