Halo: The Master Chief Collection News

Halo 4's upcoming test flight will let you try out new Forge features

After several long years of not having Halo 4 on PC, players will finally be getting a first-look at the elusive PC version of this great FPS game during the next test flight for Halo: Master Chief Collection. Thanks to a blog post on Halo Waypoint, we now know what is being tested.

343 says that it wants to "test our distribution pipeline, test various new features and quality of life improvements, gather feedback on the content listed below, and ensure all supporting systems are functioning properly in preparation for bringing Halo 4 to Halo: The Master Chief Collection on PC".

To do this, the test flight will explore how certain campaign missions and Spartan Ops missions work within the PC version. Several new features will also be made available for players to test (and possibly break), including the ability to create your own maps in the Forge mode, customisation for your Spartan, theatre mode, and challenges. Content for 'Season 4', as well as options for input-based matchmaking and crossplay with the Xbox One version of the Master Chief Collection will also be tested.

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Halo 3: ODST and Firefight are out on PC now

Halo 3: ODST, the most divergent game in the series, has finally arrived on PC for the first time. You can pick it up separately or as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection now. I only finished the first two Halos at release, so I've got a lot of catching up to do, and it's ODST that's piqued my interest the most. Instead of plonking you inside the armour of a Spartan super soldier, ODST follows the misadventures of a group of shock troopers sent into Covenant-occupied New Mombasa. Though it ended up being a full-featured Halo romp, it originally started life as a smaller side project, so it wasn't quite as beholden to the previous games. This led to some significant changes in tone and gameplay, though it still kept many of the trappings of the first trilogy. It also serves as a follow-up to Halo 2, showing us what happened after the Covenant took over New Mombasa. ODST comes with the co-op wave-based mode, Firefight, which has also been added to the Xbox version of The Master Chief Collection. While it's a separate mode, it's connected to the campaign via unlockable characters and maps, which you'll get by playing through the eight-hour story. The arrival of ODST also means that a new season has kicked off, with new unlockables ranging from character skins to nameplates. Here's what you can get: 12 Halo 3 Weapon Skins 30 Halo 3 Visor Skins 10 ODST Character Skins 4 ODST Character Skins (Unlockable via Challenges) 30 Nameplates Most of these can be snatched up by spending points earned through ranking up in multiplayer and completing challenges. The PC version of ODST will let you shoot your way through New Mombasa in 4K at 60 fps if you've got the hardware, and also includes customisable controls, ultrawide support and other PC-specific enhancements. You can get it now on the Microsoft Store and Steam. There's a new update available, too, with tweaks and bug fixes for the entire Master Chief Collection. Check out the full patch notes.

This mod makes the Halo 3 rat into a flying, fire-breathing rat tank

Everyone loves the Halo 3 rat now, for reasons that are not entirely clear. But love him we must, and that's particularly true now that there's a Halo 3 mod for The Master Chief Collection that turns Halo 3's usually hot-dog sized rat into a Subaru-sized battle tank or combat aircraft.

The rat tank does not include animation. The rat tank is your friend. The rat tank can breath fire, and the aerial variant fires a superheated laser beam to bring fire and ruin upon your enemies from on high. The flying version also has a pair of glorious wings, which it flaps occasionally while shooting the aforementioned laser (which appears to emanate from his rat nose). The rideable rat is clearly rear-wheel drive, as it's capable of pulling some pretty sick-looking drifts around corners.

There are not many guidelines or instructions included in the Flyable Rat and Drivable Rat mods. Modder Gamtus only says "just don't mistreat them", although whoever made the demonstration video we're about to show you definitely did not follow this rule.

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Halo 3: ODST comes to PC as part of the Master Chief Collection next week

There's some good news if you've been eagerly waiting for Halo 3: ODST to join the fight on PC. Developer 343 Industries has revealed on Twitter that Halo 3: ODST is coming to Steam as part of the Master Chief Collection September 22nd. That's only a week away, too, which is neat.

The first-person shooter's public beta - sorry, 'public test flight' - kicked off last month. It featured a range of things such as a range of single-player and co-op levels to try out in all difficulty levels, from Mombassa Streets and Tayari Plaza to Uplift Reserve and Data Hive. There was also a range of Halo 3: ODST weapons to try out in Halo 3's multiplayer. To gain access, though, you had to be signed up for the Halo Insider program. So it's worth keeping that in mind if you want to test Halo 4 out before it comes out.

Halo 3: ODST initially came out 11 years ago, which makes me feel old. It takes place during and after the events of Halo 2 and puts you in the burly suits of the United Nations Space Command soldiers - better known as Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, hence the name of the game.

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Prepare to Drop: Halo 3: ODST Launches on September 22, 2020

Halo 3: ODST comes to PC as the next installment in Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Experience the events preceding Halo 3 through the eyes of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST) as they return to familiar ground and attempt to uncover the motivations behind the Covenant’s invasion of New Mombasa.

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