Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. Halo 2: Anniversary. Halo 3. Halo 4. There's a lot of Halo in Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and I'm not just talking about the four lengthy campaigns, Forge mode, and all that online multiplayer. When you play The Master Chief Collection, you get a strong sense of a larger, cohesive whole. Sure, these games are direct sequels to each other, but there's more here than just continuity of story and evolution of mechanics. As you hop from game to game, playing as Master Chief in his many incarnations, a timeline coalesces not just of the games themselves, but their place in video game history, their place in popular culture, and their place in your life.

My memories of playing Halo are inextricable from the time in my life in which each game came out, and playing through The Master Chief Collection has often felt like a stroll through an impeccably ordered photo album. All four campaigns are arranged neatly with all missions unlocked, free for you to pick and choose right from the start. The multiplayer is similarly arranged, but alas, that portion of the digital copy of the game I was provided with for review purposes was only patched in recently. Until I can put significant time into online play and mess around with Forge (also recently added), the full review will have to wait. This review in progress will focus only on the four campaigns and how they are presented in The Master Chief Collection.

Let's start with . This, along with some Locke-voiced terminal videos accessible throughout the Halo 2: Anniversary campaign, show a forward-looking side to this nostalgic collection. The Master Chief Collection is aiming to not merely take you on a walk down memory lane, but to get you excited for where the Halo journey is going.

Next week I'll be chiming back in with my full review of The Master Chief Collection, once I've played a whole bunch of multiplayer and messed around a bit with Forge (including the new forge-able Halo 2 levels). Be sure to check out the video review and gameplay clips for a look at these games in action, and let me know how you think it's shaping up in the comments below.