Changes: Halo 4

Revision as of 00:16, 2 December 2011

Halo 4

This article is about upcoming material. Editors must cite sources for all contributions to this article. Edits that do not follow this standard will be reverted without notice.

For more information, see the Citation Policy.

This article may not meet Halo Alpha's standards. You can help by cleaning this article.

“Wake up, John.”

— Official tagline

Halo 4 is the recently announced seventh 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,^[2] due to a mistake by the editing department,^[3] which revealed Halo 4 and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. The game was officially announced at the end of Microsoft's E3 2011 press conference.^[4]^[5] and is said to be the start of a new trilogy called the "Reclaimer Trilogy", developed by 343 Industries, Microsoft's new internal development studio.^[6]

Frank O'Connor confirmed that the planet seen in the trailer is Sigma 7 from Halo 3 (during the Legendary epilogue)^[7] and said that "It is safe to say it's not human".^[8]

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

Awakening

Template:Conjecture Start

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

In the teaser, Master Chief, asleep in his cryo-tube, 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 UNSC Forward Unto Dawn 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, the Chief prepares to face whatever warranted his awakening, as the Dawn approaches a mysterious planet/unknown construct with a massive portal/tunnel opening.

The Master Chief's armor has taken on several asthetic 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 version 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. A "pelvis-guard" piece is also missing. 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 was 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 construct shown in the trailer appears to not be of human or Covenant origin^[8]. 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 in the final terminal near the end cutscene 343 Guilty Spark says: “Hmmm, I sound like her…….. Oh but what I would not give to have even a single company of Prometheans here right now. Oh they would most certainly restore order with their trademark lethality, although that would mean he would have to be here too and without the Librarian around to temper his rage....Well...these reclaimers might almost prefer the Flood...(then a mysterious symbol appears then four unknown symbols appear).” 343 Guilty Spark could be talking about the new evil protagonist for Halo 4 replacing the Prophets of the first Halo trilogy.

Template:Conjecture Finish

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 frigate Forward Unto Dawn, 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,^[9] as well as the terminals in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, will "definitely" have "resonant connections" to Halo 4's story. ^[10].

In the Xbox 360 Official Magazine, Issue 78 November 2011, it has been confirmed the game will take place in 2553, a year after the events of the first three games, new UNSC weaponry will be available including new alien technology and more vehicles to drive include Forerunner vehicles, there will be mysterious new foes. Part of Halo 4 might be focusing on John finding a way of saving Cortana from rampancy and more secrets about the Flood. ^[11]

Appearances

Characters

Locations

Sigma 7^[12]

Vehicles

Charon-class light frigate
- UNSC Forward Unto Dawn
UNSC Infinity (First appearance)

Weapons

Unidentified UNSC pistol (First appearance)
The Reaper (Unconfirmed)

Trivia

In the end of Halo 3, the last words heard are spoken by the Chief, 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!"
Cortana's current condition is unknown. A Halo Legends story, Origins, puts the year at no earlier than 2556.
Frank O'Connor states that Master Chief's personality in Halo 4 would change due to the storyline.
Cortana seems to have 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 Unidentified Planet with Pelicans in the background and then a later one with the fleet destroyed.^[13]
Halo 4 will be the start of the Reclaimer Trilogy.^[14]
The artwork used on the front cover of Halo: Cryptum and Halo: Primordium are actually pieces of early Halo 4 concept art.

Gallery

Videos

300px|left 300px|right 300px|left 300px|right

Notes

↑ Forge was developed by Bungie; and Halo 4 need not have the exact same game modes as the previous games.

Sources

[2] Forge was developed by Bungie; and Halo 4 need not have the exact same game modes as the previous games.

[Official-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Xbox.com: Halo 4

[3] Xbox-360.nowgamer.com: Halo 4 confirmed

[4] Thegamershub: microsoft-leak-halo-4

[5] YouTube.com: Halo 4 Teaser Trailer

[6] Washingtonpost.com: Halo 4 voice control and the cloud

[XBoxForums-7] Xbox.com: "Master Chief returns to confront his own destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe, and a new trilogy begins."

[FIY-8] YouTube.com: Frank O'Connor's interview with Gamespot

[FIY2-9] 8.0 ^8.1 YouTube.com: Frank O'Connor's interview with IGN

[10] Halo Waypoint - 343 Sparkast 005

[11] YouTube: SDCC 2011: Halo Universe Panel Part 1

[12] Xbox 360 The Official Magazine', "Xbox 360 Preview", Issue 78, November 2011,pp.62

[13] GameTrailers: E3 2011: Halo Returns Interview

[14] IGN, Halo 4: Warthog in Forza 4

[15] Xplay: Halo 4 Begins Reclaimer Trilogy

[1]

[Notes 1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 {{Quote|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 [[UNSC light frigate|frigate]] ''Forward Unto Dawn'', find themselves near a mysterious planet first seen in the Legendary ending of ''Halo 3''.
-<p style="text-align: center;">'''Suppossed Leak'''</p>
-<p style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Halo 4 returns players to the story of the Master Chief and Cortana in the events that follow the conclusion of Halo 3. Players will experience an all new story and introduce a new roster of enemies and weapons to the Halo experience. Set against the top secret Forerunner planetoid known to ONI as Sigma 7, players will encounter a dark new foe and unravel more of the mysteries behind the forerunners and the Office of Naval Intelligence.</span></p>
-<p style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the heart of Halo 4 is a stronger focus than ever before behind story telling and player choice. Players will be offered an unprecedented level of customization and a narrative experience never before seen in a first person shooter. On a technical level Halo 4 pushes the boundaries of the action genre by incorporating larger battlefields than ever before and players will experience conflicts that seamlessly span land, sea and space.</span></p>
-<p style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Halo 4 will expand the series trademark arsenal of weapons and vehicles beyond any other title so far. Players can expect fan favorites to return along with new additions. </span></p>
-<p style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Halo 4 will also feature the revolutionary new Arsenal Improvisation Mechanics that allow for menu-free, creative customization of weapons and vehicles in the heat of combat. Players will take their fight to a new level by dynamically tailoring their weapons and vehicles to suit any situations or enemies.</span></p>
-<p style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the moment it seems 343 are focusing on the new and improved story and weapons system (of which the new AIM mechanic is only mysteriously alluded to) but there was some video shown that fills in some of the gaps. Halo 4 is set on a Forerunner planet that has an inner and outer surface that provides two distinct styles. </span></p>
-<p style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The outside is very industrial and features a wide range of hostile Forerunner tech and AI. The video showed space combat here. The inside of the planetoid is hollow and is sectioned off in to many tiers/bands (almost resembling Halo rings) that feature a myriad of natural environments not only resembling earth’s but many other alien terrains. </span></p>
-<p style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The video featured combat across a multitude of environments from space to mountains, plains and oceans. Presumably, ONI had been top secretly researching the planet for some. There are UNSC forces on the planet but they look really degraded and disorganized and it was implied that they may be divided into factions and warring with each other. </span></p>
-<p style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At one point we see a heavily modified warthog that has had the wheels replaced two kind of anti gravity devices. At another point the Chief is clearly sprinting which possibly implies a return of armor abilities. There was no sign of the Flood or the Covenant but at the very end of the trailer the ‘dark new threat’ was hinted at. <span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">The video ends with the Chief standing at a dark cave entrance and from within can be heard some menacing gurgling and grunting. Cortana says “They’re coming back … and there’s a LOT more of them this time”, the Master chief then readies a new weapon that looks like a cross between a rocket launcher and a Needler and it focuses on his helmet and visor and a number of strange digital effects ripple across his visor then the videos ends."</span>
-</span></p>
-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 [[UNSC light frigate|frigate]] ''Forward Unto Dawn'', find themselves near a mysterious planet first seen in the Legendary ending of ''Halo 3''.
 It has been noted that the [[The Forerunner Saga|Forerunner Saga]] novel ''[[Halo: Primordium]]'', the post-war novel ''[[Halo: Glasslands]]'',<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/Content/assets/en-us/Podcast/343Sparkast_005.mp3 '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''343 Sparkast 005'']</ref> as well as the [[terminal]]s in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'', will "definitely" have "resonant connections" to ''Halo 4'''s story. <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNDQN7nwZlw&feature=related '''YouTube''': ''SDCC 2011: Halo Universe Panel Part 1'']</ref>.