Halo 4

"Wake up, John."

- Official tagline

Halo 4 will be the tenth installment, and the seventh main installment in the best selling Halo franchise. The game was first revealed on Microsoft's homepage hours before the start of their E3 press conference, due to a mistake by the editing department, which revealed Halo 4 and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. The game was officially announced at the end of Microsoft's E3 2011 press conference. and is the start of a new trilogy called the Reclaimer trilogy, developed by 343 Industries, Microsoft's new internal development studio.

The game is currently expected to be released in November 6, 2012 following the release of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary on November 15, 2011.

It has been confirmed that the Covenant will return, and as of March 7, 2012, there are no plans for a Halo 4 Beta.

Multiplayer
A video released by 343 Industries revealed some of the multiplayer of Halo 4.

The maps to be featured in Halo 4 will not be based upon campaign levels, and instead will be designed from the ground-up with the aim of competitive gameplay in mind.

Gameplay will feature something that resembles a perk system and armor abilities will return, though in a slightly different way. 343 Industries has also confirmed that the storyline between multiplayer and campaign modes will intertwine with one another in a minimal sense.

Maps

 * Wraparound
 * Warhouse

Very little is known about the multiplayer of Halo 4 at the moment. However, several short clips of gameplay of "BR Slayer" have been showed, a team based slayer gametype with the newly-designed Battle Rifle serving as the primary weapon, on the maps Wraparound and Warhouse; These clips of gameplay confirm that the Battle Rifle will be in Halo 4. It retains its ammo capacity of 36 rounds from Halo 2 and Halo 3 and is still a 3-round burst system, similar to its previous incarnations. Several aesthetic changes to the Battle Rifle have been made, similar to the changes done to the Assault Rifle from Halo 3 to Halo: Reach. 343 confirmed that weapons and vehicles carried over from previous Halo games will also be visually modified "in service of the experience (they're) trying to create."

Similar to SPARTAN-IIIs in Halo: Reach, in Halo 4's multiplayer the player takes control of SPARTAN-IVs, possibly to be equipped with MJOLNIR Mk. VII armor. Similar to Halo 3 and Reach, armor customization has been confirmed from gameplay, which revealed the large scale of artistic variety between the armor variants. It has also been confirmed that in Halo 4, unlike any previous Halo FPS, the Red and Blue teams will have a legitimate reason for fighting each other. The contains a highly advanced simulator where Spartan IVs fight against each other in unique environments to keep them constantly battle-ready. It is also implied from the ViDoc that there will be more changes similar to this to multiplayer, although nothing has been confirmed. There will be a new armor ability that allows you to see through walls called forerunner vision. This ability emits a noise however.

Additional changes to the multiplayer from Reach include a modified score tracking system, with kills now confirmed to be worth 10 "points", with multiplayer games now going up to as much as 400 points. The health bar from Halo: Reach has been removed, possibly indicating the removal of health packs. The radar is now "two dimensional", and doesn't differentiate enemies or friendlies on radar based on their elevation. A new mode is also being introduced called Spartan Ops. It will feature an episodic campaign that will release a new level every week. Spartan Ops will also feature difficulty changes and four-player co-op. Spartan Ops and matchmaking will directly tie into each other.

Capture The Flag has been officially announced to return to Halo. 343 stated that "Old/Classic gametypes will feel fresh". Halo Multiplayer will return with its max player count in one game at 16. 343 says they "want Halo 4 to be really fast-paced". Also, like Halo tradition, preset weapons, like the AR and Magnum will also be a Multiplayer option.

Unlike previous Halo games, when a player gets a Killing Spree or a Headshot, the titles will appear in the middle of the screen as small blue words, as opposed to near the killfeed. A video of this was shown here.

Forge
Nothing is known of Forge in Halo 4 as of now, even whether or not it's in the game. However, 343i has said that upcoming news of Forge won't be disappointing.

Awakening
Little is known about the game at this point. The teaser-trailer debuted at E3 2011 titled, Awakening, is thus far, the major source of information.

In the teaser, John-117, asleep in his cryo-chamber, awakens as Cortana shouts for him to wake up. Although slow to wake from his stasis (as is normal for cryo-sleep), the Chief energetically snaps into action. He gets out of the tube and approaches Cortana, reassuring her that he is awake and present. An explosion reverberates through the hull, cutting their brief reunion short and alerting John to the danger of the situation. With little time to lose, he transfers Cortana to her data chip and exits the room, drifting weightlessly through the disintegrating interior of the with the aid of a thruster pack. As he maneuvers through the debris-filled corridor, he grabs what seems to be a magnum-like pistol that fires off single-use explosive projectiles. He uses the weapon to blast open an opening in the aft section of the ship. Exiting through the torn section, John prepares to face whatever warranted his awakening, as the Dawn approaches Requiem with a massive portal/tunnel opening.

John's armor has taken on several aesthetic changes. The details have been increased and the look and feel has changed, although still remaining similar to the Halo 3 Mark VI armor. This is probably because 343 Industries didn't want to stray too far from the original armor of Halo 2 and Halo 3. Though the same, the armor looks a little different (in the teaser-trailer). The shoulder-pieces appear to be different from the original Mark VI version in Halo 2 and Halo 3. 343 Industries said there's an actual story reason for the armor change.

There are rumors there might be a new voice actor for Cortana, because during the trailer, Cortana's voice sounds distinctly different from Jen Taylor's, the voice actor in the trilogy. However, they may have just used a temporary replacement for the teaser only (and Jen Taylor may be voice-acting for Cortana in the actual game), or it might have been because when her voice was heard the video was panning "inside" the Chief's body, and therefore muffled her voice.

An "ancient evil" was stated to appear on the leaked Halo E3 page. It has the possibility of being either the Precursors, the Forerunners, the Flood, or something entirely new and unexpected. It should also be noted that the Legendary planet shown in the trailer appears to not be of human or Covenant origin. Since Halo Fest 2011, new developments have taken place that show what seems to be the identity of the enemy. It has been confirmed that inside the planet are machines of unknown origin. They seem to be Forerunner in nature, but it is unconfirmed.

A video was released at Halo Fest showcasing concept art of a humanoid creature. What this creature may be has yet to be revealed.

In Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, during one of the Terminals, 343 briefly talks about the Didact's plan in case the Halo rings did not succeed. This could have some indication to the Forerunner planet at the end of Halo 3. However, this could also be referring to the Shield Installations, since the Didact campaigned the use of Shield Worlds as opposed to the Halo Array.

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 as a playable protagonist after three Halo games focusing on different sets of characters. Having been lost in space in the finale of Halo 3, John-117 and Cortana, adrift aboard the wreckage of the, find themselves near a mysterious planet first seen in the Legendary ending of Halo 3.

It has been noted that the Forerunner Saga novel Halo: Primordium, the post-war novel Halo: Glasslands, as well as the terminals in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, will "definitely" have "resonant connections" to Halo 4 ' s story.

It was confirmed the game would take place in "2557. Four years, seven months and ten days" since the end of Halo 3.

An enhancement to the game is a much longer campaign than the traditional length of most Halo campaigns. The average length of a Halo campaign is about 8 to 10 hours, more if the difficulty is set to Heroic or Legendary.

According to the Halo 4 article in Game Informer magazine, the game starts off with the Master Chief and Cortana in the remains of the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn in 2557, with Cortana stating she's updated the MJOLNIR suit's firmware while the Master Chief was unconscious, apparent from the new HUD. Intruders are detected on multiple decks, which are identified through flying through an elevator shaft and making the way to the observation deck 4 floors up as Covenant. Firstly, the Master Chief is attacked by an Energy sword wielding Elite, to which he comments "I thought we had a truce with the Covenant", then encounters Grunts and Elites as he continues towards the observation deck. Cortana points out that the hostiles "aren't outfitted like standard military" and could be rogue. Some Elites, for example, have no armor on their arms. The ship is then boarded by more landing craft and eventually the pair crash land on Requiem (a.k.a. the Legendary Planet).

Characters

 * Cortana
 * John-117
 * UNSC Marine Corps
 * Covenant Empire

Locations

 * Requiem

Vehicles

 * M12 Force Application Vehicle
 * New, Warthog Variant
 * Pelican
 * M274 Mongoose ULATV
 * Banshee
 * Pelican
 * M274 Mongoose ULATV
 * Banshee

Weapons

 * Unidentified UNSC pistol
 * MA5C Individual Combat Weapon System
 * BR85HB SR Battle Rifle
 * M6G Personal Defense Weapon System
 * M41 Light Anti-Aircraft Gun
 * Unidentified DMR variant
 * Type-51 Carbine
 * Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword
 * Assault Carbine
 * Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol
 * M90 CAWS Shotgun
 * M9 Frag Grenade

Trivia

 * During the E3 2011 trailer there are a few easter eggs, such as a video monitor that appears to display what looks to be a Halo Array.
 * During August 2012, there will be a McFarlane toys toy fair in London, which will unveil brand new weapons, vehicles and possibly even characters.
 * In the end of Halo 3, the last words heard are spoken by John-117, as he speaks to Cortana before entering his cryo-chamber: "Wake me, when you need me." In the Halo 4 teaser trailer, the first words that one can hear are screamed by Cortana as she tries to wake the Chief: "Chief! I need you!"
 * It has been confirmed that Cortana is in a rampant state.
 * Frank O'Connor states that John's personality in Halo 4 would change due to the storyline.
 * Cortana seems to have a darker and partially curly hair in the first teaser trailer.
 * The UNSC may still be involved somewhat in the story, as denoted by the presence of the Warthog in the game. A further hint towards the UNSC returning is in the Concept Art trailer when many UNSC ships are shown approaching the "Legendary" planet with Pelicans in the background and then a later one with the fleet destroyed.
 * Halo 4 will be the start of the Reclaimer trilogy.
 * The artwork used on the front cover of Halo: Cryptum and Halo: Primordium are actually pieces of early Halo 4 concept art.
 * On January 24, 2012, details regarding canonical vehicles and characters were released at the Toy Fair 2012 in London, in the form of official licensed models.
 * The sound of live gun-fire and mortar fire was recorded in the desert, by working with the U.S military.
 * The health system will not rely on Health kits, but still will be different from Halo 3's health system.
 * Assassinations will return, although slightly altered.
 * The Covenant will return, although in a completely overhauled form, as they will be the least of the Master Chief's problems.
 * Being the seventh main installment in the series, Halo 4 itself may be a seven reference, even though the number is primarily Bungie's favorite number; although many employees at 343i are ex-Bungie employees.
 * It may also be that the seven reference is in the fact that Halo 3: ODST was a spinoff, Halo: CE Anniversary was a re-release, and Halo Wars was an RTS, deviating from the FPS format of the core games. This leaves Halo: CE, 2, 3, Reach, and three iterations in the Reclaimer trilogy, making a total of 7 "real" or "core" Halo games.
 * A new 4-player mode called Spartan Ops will replace Firefight mode from Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach. It will feature a new objective-based mission every week and will be spread out over seasons. It ties directly with the campaign and will focus most on cooperative play.
 * A possible easter egg for the upcoming game may be the range number in the new Sniper Rifle; it reads "RANGE: 1234.56". This was first seen in one of Red vs. Blue's Halo 4 videos here.
 * Another possible easter egg that may appear in the game could be Conan O'Brien and Andy Richter's voice overs they did with 343i employees Frank O'Connor and Kiki Wolfkill on April 18, 2012. O'Connor says that when "Master Chief is about to go to war, the last thing he's gonna see is a couple of Marines (O'Brien and Richter) living a real moment". O'Brien questions if his Marine character will have a gun, to which Wolfkill answers yes, but the character has "chosen not to use it". O'Connor says that O'Brien's character will be "in the hanger of the biggest starship humanity has ever built" before O'Brien jokingly calls it a "Death Star" (from the Star Wars series). During a meetup with Conan and these two, Conan revealed a small portion of gameplay of Halo 4 in which his voice overs were played while he was getting shot. He yells humorous things like, "That hurt my feelings!" and "That tickles!" while laughing or crying. If O'Connor and Wolfkill were to actually put O'Brien's and Richter's voice overs in the game, their Marine characters would be "breaking the fourth wall".