Miles Quaritch
Member
Unlike the bulk of the Master Chief Collection, the campaign portion of Halo 2 Anniversary doesn't actually operate at a native 1080p which is no doubt the result of running two rendering engines simultaneously. The team has opted instead for a 1328x1080 framebuffer, which in terms of pixel count, actually contains fewer pixels than the default 900p choice. However, the end results generally look good, and appear visibly sharper as a result of scaling in just one direction. While still a fair bit blurrier than a full 1080p presentation, the end results are pretty acceptable considering the fluidity of the frame-rate. Both the classic campaign and multiplayer modes operate at full HD resolution - although it has to be said that Bungie's original visuals could sure use some anti-aliasing.
It's amazing to see the new level of detail present throughout each scene - surfaces that were once completely flat have been replaced with intricate pipework and chunks of machinery, giving a new life to the level design. Foliage is plentiful where appropriate, with the transformation of Delta Halo in particular taking flat textures and replacing them with complex layers of foliage and trees. Normal maps were used extensively in the original Halo 2 to give the impression of greater detail, and the remaster adapts this effect into real geometry, while also utilising superior textures. Overall texture quality is excellent throughout with a nice boost in fidelity that goes well beyond what was achieved in the original Halo's Anniversary release on Xbox 360. All of these changes are cosmetic so you won't find yourself getting stuck on new pieces of scene geometry here. However, by directly tying the game to its original form the door is closed on improved animation or level tweaks - which seems like a bit of a missed opportunity in some ways.
It does allow for clear upgrades in other areas though. Fully dynamic shadows have been implemented throughout the campaign, giving extra depth to each scene, bringing the game more in line with Bungie's original vision for Halo 2. The team spent more than a year creating and ultimately scrapping a renderer that used stencil shadows to allow objects to cast and receive shadows. While it proved too demanding for the original Xbox hardware, those dreams have been fully realised in Halo 2 Anniversary, albeit with a different rendering approach. Shadow resolution isn't remarkably high but the quality of the filtering leaves them appropriately soft and free of any noticeable LOD 'pop-in' issues. Scene depth is further expanded with a solid ambient occlusion implementation that provides appropriate contact shadows where applicable. Anisotropic filtering is also utilised in both renderers, retaining crisp texture detail even at a distance. Impressively, it seems that AF was also selectively employed in Halo 2 on the original Xbox, but the implementation here is far more complete.
Particle effects also see a huge boost in quality, with nicely animated and well-lit explosions coupled with smoke plumes giving a real sense of body to the carnage. In addition, particles and smoke now properly receive lighting and shadow from surrounding objects. Unfortunately, the resolution of these effects is compromised in order to maintain a high frame-rate - looking closely at any explosion effect reveals some pretty serious pixellation. It's not usually a problem, but when the screen is filled with explosions and plasma it becomes pretty clear that resolution has been sacrificed.
Additionally, a beautiful implementation of high-dynamic range lighting has made its way into the game, producing results not unlike Bungie's own work on Halo 3. Transitions between cramped interiors to expansive exterior environments use this to create some remarkably dramatic lighting that is completely absent in the original game. Dynamic lights also play a larger role with every plasma shot producing its own light source, playing nicely off the texture work. This makes for some particularly dramatic moments while battling the Covenant, particularly within the game's darker environments. On the more subtle side, there's a nice glass shader utilised to give large panes of the material an appropriate appearance, while water has also been improved, though perhaps not to the same degree as the fully dynamic pools seen in Halo 3. Walking through these pools produces simple particle effects to simulate splashes rather than deforming the water mesh.
The multiplayer component of Halo 2 Anniversary is a completely different beast from the single-player campaign. Based on an updated Halo 4 renderer, the new Anniversary maps all operate at a full 1080p with some impressive design work throughout. Unfortunately, while the bump to a full 1080p is nice, some of the other improvements haven't made there way into this portion of the game. Most noticeably anisotropic filtering is completely absent, leaving otherwise excellent texture working looking a bit blurry at oblique angles. This is particularly frustrating as the new texture work is excellent and image quality is otherwise great.
One of the key features of The Master Chief Collection is its promised frame-rate - a full 60 frames per second across all four games. Replaying each of these games at 60fps has been a treat and thankfully, Halo 2 Anniversary manages to mostly deliver on this promise across all three engines. Not surprisingly, the campaign and multiplayer modes both handle slowdown completely differently though. Single-player has the odd torn frame manifesting at the very top of the screen, along with some dropped frames, but it's clear that lowering the resolution was the right move in the campaign as the end results are quite smooth. The same is true of the classic campaign, which manages to hold 60fps for the vast majority of the time. Surprisingly there are a few instances in which slowdown rears its head even in classic mode, leading us to once again conclude that utilising two renderers simultaneously is putting quite a strain on the system.
Verdict.
As the crown jewel in The Master Chief Collection, Halo 2 Anniversary delivers an expertly remastered experience for the new generation. The updated campaign is beautifully realised and feels closer to the source material than Saber's original attempt at remastering Halo: Combat Evolved back in 2011. The inclusion of the original classic mode remains an interesting treat for those interested in seeing the original visuals again, but we can't help but wonder if the image quality for the remastered campaign hasn't suffered a bit as a result of its inclusion. The new CG sequences are also a treat for fans of the game and demonstrate just how much further the Halo aesthetic could be pushed in the future.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-halo-2-anniversary-tech-analysis
Lots more at the link.
