'Halo' remasters to include 'Halo 5' beta

Forming part of Microsoft's media briefing at E3 2014, the announcement followed up on a tease delivered at the previous year's event.

Forming part of Microsoft's media briefing at E3 2014, the announcement followed up on a tease delivered at the previous year's event.

'Halo' games 1 to 4 comprise the collection, named after the series' heroic supersoldier, Master Chief, and each will run at a smooth 60 frames per second on Xbox One, according to Xbox's written announcement.

'It's about retelling Chief's entire legendary tale precisely the way you remembered it, and then also from a new perspective as we lead up to the release of 'Halo 5: Guardians' next year,' said Bonnie Ross, studio head at 343 Industries. 'It's not just a celebration of our past, it's also about laying the foundations for our future.'

Executive producer Dan Ayoub saw it as an opportunity to rekindle memories and introduce a new generation of fans to the series via a one-disc retail edition on Xbox One.

'We're going to create custom playlists, taking great moments from all four games and combine them together. It's pretty cool,' he laughed.

Just as 'Halo: Combat Evolved' was given a 10th anniversary re-release in 2011, Ayoub confirmed that the collection's 'Halo 2' would likewise receive the anniversary treatment, while a combined total of over 100 multiplayer maps would also form part of the package.

As for 'Halo 5: Guardians,' a beta is to launch this December, introducing new game modes and features within the series' traditional multiplayer arena environment, said Ross, while digital live action series 'Halo Nightfall' paves the way in narrative terms as a full release for 'Halo 5' draws closer.