Halo 3 ODST's new Floodfight gametype is one of the best things to ever come to the Master Chief Collection.
Yesterday 343 released a new update for the Master Chief Collection with a fusillade of content, changes, and fixes. Some of these were pretty big: Halo 2 is now visible on the custom games browser, campaign cross-play was added for Halo 3 and ODST, and there's a few mod adjustments. The headlining new feature was Floodfight, a new firefight gametype that introduced Halo 3's flood to my favorite game mode of all time.
Being a Firefight purist and having beta tested Floodfight, I was extremely skeptical on the new mode. Floodfight not only adds flood to traditional ODST Firefight maps, but it also packs in Halo 3 weapons like the battle rifle, assault rifle, and even the energy sword. This changes the meta considerably...but for the better. I'm elated to report that Floodfight is incredibly fun. In fact, it's the most fun I've ever had in Firefight.
The flood are scaled in a satisfying way and are no longer bullet sponges. Everything's balanced to the point where enemies are fun to kill and there's enough threat and challenge by sheer volume of on-screen enemies. Things can get out of hand really fast in smaller maps leading to hectic and tense battles, which is the main driving force behind Firefight.
Oh, and Sentinels will fly in to battle the flood while eradicating your shields in the process.
It's like a little campaign mission and brings back old memories of beating Halo 3's The Floodgate on legendary at launch back in 2007.
The Master Chief Collection has slowly ebbed away the boundaries between classic Halo games. This is often for the better. The old-school modes and maps are still there and customs will always preserve the game's legacy, but 343 has done a fantastic job in merging the past not only with the present, but also melding a legacy together using the connective tissues that once separated each release.
The weapon crossovers create a new and exciting element to traditional and classic gametypes--something that I was very resistant to at first--and these kinds of additions only enhance core gameplay.
Between the custom games browser, mod support, and enhanced Firefight content, the Halo Master Chief Collection offers more value than ever before. I can't possibly imagine how it gets any better than this.