Nearly 10 years after its original release, Halo: Reach has finally found its way to the Windows PC. How is it and how competitive is it with other modern PC games?
Let us immerse ourselves.
A visual upgrade
Halo: The Master Chief Collection on the PC offers only a few graphical options. You can set the resolution up to 4K, enable or disable V-sync, and set the frame rate to 60 frames per second or unlimited. In the game, you can also choose from three graphics options: Performance, Original and Improved.
The original setting is exactly what it sounds like. It restores the look of the game to Xbox 360 in 2010. The performance setting degrades the graphics a bit and makes it playable on older computers with a higher frame rate.
In the advanced Halo: Reach setting, things are starting to get interesting. The character spacing is longer, the textures are improved, the particle effects are more impressive and the foliage density is higher. If you compare the original image and the enhanced image below, you will see grass on the cliff on the right side of the screen. increased density in the small gray bush between pistol and tree on the right; and many more texture details on the rocks to the right of the rifle scope. It does not look like a new game or even a modern game, but it certainly looks better in every way.
And performance does not seem to be a problem. I was able to select the “Advanced” setting and unlock the frame rate to consistently experience the updated graphics at around 160 fps. On an Intel Core i7-7700K and a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Reach ran with 1080p resolution. The game never dropped below 90 fps through hours of playing, even in the most visually demanding, complicated areas. The only limitation is that the animations can get a bit shaky – like shadows moving at a different speed than characters or legs that are not quite synchronized with the movement – as soon as the game exceeds 100 fps, as Reach does at a frame rate was designed by 30 fps. Whether these topics are worth the smoother game is up to you.
Speaking of goals: Reach handles quite well with mouse and keyboard. Targeting is more suitable for the nervous opponents, and because of the often slow multiplayer action, getting the most out of each shot is always important. Unfortunately, the game’s Bloom system, which makes guns all the more inaccurate the more you fire them, feels significantly worse with the improved accuracy of a mouse. Knowing where each bullet should go, it was a source of endless frustration when I saw it flying in random directions. The system has always been one of the least favored additions to Reach by Halo fans, and on the PC the use of the assault rifle feels by accident.
One of the most welcome additions is the adjustable field of view, an option that is common on the PC, but is rarely found in the Halo series. In the past, this has always kept the field of vision close. The default is mid-70s, but an increase to 90-100 improves your situational awareness and shows the game’s great, often sprawling environments. If you overstrain the lack of general graphical settings, at least this aspect of the updated presentation is a big step forward.
The audio problem
Despite the impressive improvements in Reach graphics, the PC’s audio port is a disappointment. The sounds often mingle, with music, character dialogue and explosions competing for your attention in a muddy mix.
The entire sound has been flattened, and certain sounds are almost invisible even when heard through good headphones. It’s bad news during the campaign, but worse if you play against competing players online. It is difficult to try to hear where the shots come from or in which direction a vehicle is moving.
(embed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REdelyAV3-A (/ embed)
The Spartan gasps – what happens if you sprint for more than a second or two – drowns out almost every other sound in the game, and that can include the shots themselves. It is almost impossible to hear the footsteps of incoming players or enemies.
The good news is that this is a known problem and hopefully will be resolved in the future, although it may take some time.
“Players have reported various issues related to the game audio not sounding as expected (muted, inconsistent volume, poor quality, etc.),” the official blog post, which lists bugs and issues, states. “This is a known issue that occurs at startup and the team is working to resolve this issue. Unfortunately, this is not a quick fix that requires a lot of work and time to solve. “
Despite the few minor complaints about the shoot, which always felt a bit uncomfortable, and the disappointing sound, Halo: Reach’s PC release is an impressive first foray into The Master Chief Collection’s platform. According to 343 Industries, the other Halo games should be coming to the platform soon, and we can only hope that they will receive the same impressive visual enhancements as Reach.
