Halo: MCC multiplayer groans on launch day

Were you excited to dust off those rusty old battle rifle and grenade-throwing skills in “Halo 2” multiplayer today? I certainly was.

But alas, “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” is suffering from some unruly multiplayer issues — surprising, considering Halo’s solid record when it comes to handling server load on launch day.

Matchmaking is currently down across all three games; Halo: Combat Evolved multiplayer doesn’t have a playlist just yet. Players trying to match up in a playlist will be stuck in a “finding players” purgatory.

It’s likely that 343 and Microsoft will sort out these issues soon. In the meantime, there’s plenty to enjoy about Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Take a moment to fire up the Halo 2 campaign; the cutscenes are breathtaking and the gunplay is still sublime.

Take a gander at the controls before you start, though. You may have forgot, as I did, that the left trigger throws grenades. Sorry Sgt. Johnson…