Halo 4 is an
upcoming video game and the eighth installment in the Halo franchise being developed
for the Xbox 360. Halo 4 is intended to be the first of a new trilogy of Halo
series games, named the "Reclaimer Trilogy". Whereas the previous
Halo games were developed by Bungie, Halo 4 will be developed by 343
Industries. The game continues some time after the ending of Halo 3, and marks
the return of the Master Chief as the main protagonist. Cortana will also
appear in the game. The game is set for a worldwide release on November 6,
2012.
Plot
Set in the aftermath of Halo 3, Master
Chief returns to confront his own destiny and face an ancient evil that
threatens the fate of the entire universe. Halo 4 marks the start of a new
trilogy that begins with its release in 2012.
—Official summary
Halo 4 marks
the return of John-117 - the "Master Chief" - as a playable
protagonist for the first time since 2007's Halo 3, as 2009's Halo 3: ODST and
2010's Halo: Reach focused on new characters and playing styles. Having been
lost in space in the finale of Halo 3, John-117 and Cortana, adrift aboard the
wreckage of the UNSC frigate Forward Unto Dawn, find themselves near a
mysterious Forerunner planet, which was first seen at the end of Halo 3 once
players beat the game on the highest difficulty setting.A key plot point will
involve changes to Cortana and how her exposure to Halo and her operation
beyond her natural lifespan may have contributed to her becoming "rampant."Developers
revealed in fall 2011 that the game will involve a "shield world," a
hollow artificial Dyson sphere type megastructure, possibly being set inside
it.
The story of
Halo 4 will be focused less on the Halo series' traditional straightforward
first person shooter genre, instead relying more on mystery, exploration and
discovery. Developers described the game as being grand in scope and scale.
Forerunner elements will be featured extensively in the game's environment.
Developers also suggested that the game will reveal how humanity and the UNSC
have adapted to the galaxy after the end of their war with the Covenant,
particularly how they have co-opted Forerunner technology.
Unlike the
original trilogy, the story has been designed to be part of a three-game arc
from the beginning. In addition, developer 343 Industries is aiming for a more
complete connectivity between all of their future media than before,and the
Forerunner Saga novel Halo: Primordium, the post-war novel Halo: Glasslands,
and the terminals in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, will "definitely"
have "resonant connections" to Halo 4's story.Little information has
been released regarding the storyline trilogy, but developers have intended
that Halo 5 will be a much darker title before the conflict is resolved in Halo
6.
Development
Halo 4 was
officially announced on June 4, 2011, at E3 2011. Its development was revealed
at the same time as Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.Microsoft's UK
entertainment director Stephen McGill saw the November 2011 release of Halo:
Combat Evolved Anniversary as a way to introduce a new generation of fans to
Halo before the release of Halo 4.
The game's
creative team, which comprises nearly 200 people who have been developing the
game since at least 2009, is led by creative director Josh Holmes.The game will
continue the Halo series' tradition of inspiring wonder in the player while
providing engaging, visceral gameplay. The game will utilize much of the
"sandbox" that has been featured across all six prior Halo games and
other media, in addition to introducing new characters, weapons, vehicles, and
other elements.[9] The game's "sandbox" and overall style are meant
to be more evocative of Halo: Combat Evolved than of later installments.
Master
Chief's character will also be explored and developed in more depth than in the
prior games, and the relationship between John and Cortana will be heavily
featured and greatly expanded. The new design of the Master Chief's armor has
undergone a number of iterations, and it has been confirmed that the design
from the announcement trailer is not the final version.Developer Frank O'Connor
said December 2 that both Master Chief and Cortana will undergo
"radical" changes in appearance for the new game, some of them
attributed to better graphics and others to story elements.
The art
director for Halo 4 is Kenneth Scott. He described the visual style of Halo 4
as being more ingrained in the expanded universe fiction, and more
"mature" than before. With the game's increased focus on the
Forerunners, the artists have invested heavily on the look and feel of
Forerunner technology. It has also been stated that there will be more
diversity to Forerunner structures, including fully active Forerunner
technology as opposed to the mostly inert and abandoned structures seen in the
earlier games.
Sotaro
Tojima, best known for his work on Konami's Castlevania: Circle of the Moon and
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, serves as Halo 4's audio director.
The team has performed many live audio recording sessions, several of which occurred
in Tasmania, Australia. Some of these recording sessions have taken place in
generally inhospitable environments, such as underwater, in fire, and in ice,
through the use of specially designed microphones; other recording sessions
have utilized "home made" explosives.Tojima intends for the game's
audio to be clearly grounded in the Halo universe, though to also have a more
realistic quality than in past titles.
On April 11,
2012, it was announced that British record producer and score composer; Neil
Davidge would be the lead composer for the soundtrack of Halo 4. Neil intends
to add "a touch of romance" to the score as well as adding more
electronic sounds whilst still keeping it grounded in the "Halo"
universe. He intends to keep the feel that Martin O'Donnell originally created
10 years ago but will not use any of the previous themes composed for previous
games, opting instead to create a whole new set for the new trilogy.
Trailer
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