Halo Reach coming to PC via the Master Chief Collection is a boon to 360 Halo heads everywhere. All of the pizza memes and calls for Master Chief to come back to PC like the days of Combat Evolved and Halo 2 came to fruition when Xbox announced that Halo Reach would be coming to the Master Chief Collection, as well as to PC via Steam and the Microsoft store. Now that it’s been out for a while, I’ve noticed a common trend. The customization progression system in MCC Reach isn’t nearly as addictive or rewarding as its original release counterpart. When playing game after game after game, you don’t get a feeling of inching toward a reward, that EOD armor you wanted, the gold visor, etc. In my experience, this is due in large part to the one track progression. In OG Reach, customization was done via currency credits that could be spent to unlock any armor customization you wanted. It was open ended, but often slow moving. In MCC Reach, customization is done via a quasi battle pass system, where you unlock a point that unlocks a tier containing a customization item on a specific track of gear. (As to why it doesn’t just unlock the tier for you is beyond me, the battle pass points in MCC Reach do literally nothing otherwise.) This one track system removes player agency and also puts everyone on the same track, which might be appealing on paper, but if all you wanted was that EVA helmet or Mark V shoulder pieces to save up for, you’re going to be waiting for quite a long time. The lack of choice can turn a well paced level up system into a slog, waiting for your coveted armor pieces until you finally get them or (like me) lose interest until your next Halo craving. The carrot and stick method feels poorly paced in the MCC version, or perhaps is it that OG Reach players were just so used to such a grueling progression system, but it didn’t matter because we had such a lust for armor? Players from the 360 era will remember the endless grind to Inheritor, or the Haunted Pilot helmet. Maybe this step towards the battle pass progression was an inevitable step for Halo in the post Fortnite multiplayer era, but it does feel out of place put into a shooter from the golden age of the Xbox 360.
Comments