'Halo 5: Guardians': Updates On Leaderboard System And 'Spartan Strike' For Windows 8

Besides the "Halo 5: Guardians," fans of the franchise are looking forward to one more thing coming this year and that is the "Halo: The Master Chief Collection." Now developer 343 Industries has given fans some more information to chew on as the release date for the collection nears.

Showcased via Halo Waypoint, the official website for "Halo"-related content, 343 Industries designer Max Szlagor has detailed some new aspects coming with the new campaign leaderboard and new features that will debut with the collection. The video below details the new scoring system alongside the fact that gamers can also set their rivals and compete with their scores. According to Szlagor, there are a few new features designed so that old players of the "Halo" franchise will keep coming back for more.

A unified user interface is showcased in the video, from which players can view the unlocked and locked achievements of the more than 400 announced achievements coming with the "Halo: The Master Chief Collection." There is an organised filter feature to check the achievement and one that has been revamped to allow players to obtain the achievement via a preconfigured system.

There's also a new widget that shows off the times, arranged accordingly, during which a player's friends may have achieved or finished a level. This is further expanded upon a simple click, which will take a player to the comprehensive leaderboard. Here is where it gets interesting. Gamers can choose to set someone as a rival, so that the player will be the gamers' benchmark for when they start playing the level.

Check out how the set-rival system works, as seen in the video below. IGN adds there is also a new player progress indicator, which is colour coded to see how players are faring against their rival. According to the report, green and red colour indicators will show players if they are gaining or losing against the rival they have set for themselves.

Apart from the anticipation of the "Halo: The Master Chief Collection," the "Halo" journey is far from being over or hitting a slow run. Developer 343 Industries and Microsoft prepare Windows 8 users for the upcoming "Halo: Spartan Strike." According to Xbox Wire, the shooter title will be debuting on Windows 8 devices and on Steam come Dec. 12.

It can be accessed as a digital download only for $5.99. "Halo: Spartan Strike" boasts of a new story, enhanced touch controls, improved graphics and a new score from Tom Salta. Just as in other mobile devices, the "Halo: Spartan Strike" is also looking at leaderboards, a new chapter in the "Halo" world, new weapons, vehicles and abilities and thrilling battles that resound with the "Halo" theme.

Best of all, those who are looking for a holistic "Halo" experience can look forward to Xbox achievements for unlockables in the upcoming "Halo: Master Chief Collection." It's an entire step towards preparing for the exciting journey towards the newest installment in the series, "Halo 5: Guardians."