HALO 4

Halo 4 is the seventh Halo game (including the remake) and the fifth on the Xbox 360. Halo 4 begins a new trilogy of games called the The Reclaimer Trilogy, following the protagonist John-117 (Master Chief) of the original Halo trilogy. Halo 4 was announced on June 6, 2011 at Microsoft's E3 press conference. It is being developed by 343 Industries. Halo 4 has been confirmed for Xbox 360, but has not been announced for PC or the upcoming Xbox successor. Halo 4's worldwide release date has been confirmed for November 6, 2012. 

Release Date November 6, 2012

Platforms Xbox 360


Developer 343 Industries

Publisher Microsoft

Official Site halo.xbox.com




Plot Details

Immediately following the events of Halo 3, Chief and Cortana were set adrift on the derelict ship, Forward Unto Dawn. In the Announcement Trailer, Cortana wakes Chief from his cryogenic stasis as the ship has come across a planet called Requiem.

Cortana's also detected an intruder on board, which happens to be Covenant invaders probably joining them from the fleet outside Chief's derelict ship. No word on why the Covenant are there at all, never mind why they've broken their truce with humans, nor what role they play in the narrative.Additional UNSC forces on a deep space mission will also come to Requiem in the course of the game's events. 

A major plot point in Halo 4 will surround Cortana nearing the end of her natural life cycle, which is about 7 years. She has interfaced with Forerunner technology and the Gravemind and is overloaded with information. The usual effects of age cause Artificial Intelligences to display signs of madness.

Halo 4 will open with a prologue to introduce new players to the plot.

343 industries also stated that the books Halo: Glasslands and Halo: Cryptum will have tie-ins with Halo 4.

In the E3 2012 footage, the UNSC Infinity crash lands on Requiem, with a spherical alien ship pursuing it. 

A New Enemy: Prometheans

The Covenant is not the primary enemy in Halo 4. Franchise Development Director Frank O'Connor has said players will not be fighting the Flood, but 343 has stated "You will be fighting an ancient evil," and the May 2012 Issue of Game Informer confirmed new Enemies with different forms called Prometheans will appear in Halo 4.

Several AI enemies were shown in the E3 2012 Microsoft footage.  Some were humanoid, some bug-like. All were identified by Cortana as synthetic, and in possession of Forerunner technology.


The Prometheans use Forerunner Weapons identified by Cortana that reassemble themselves into different configurations. One weapon was shown dissolving the AI opponents that fires similarly to a shotgun.

At the end of the E3 2012 Halo 4 demo, the symbol of the didact appeared, as well as a message that read: "An ancient evil awakens." The didact was a high-ranking figure of Forerunner society and the supreme commander of the Forerunner military.

Where does Halo 4 take place?

The unknown planet seen during the Legendary ending of Halo 3 and also seen in the Concept Art Trailer at Halo Fest is called Requiem. It is surrounded by a Dyson Sphere, a superstructure that contains it wholly. The planet's giant ring-like developed areas do not resemble Human or Covenant technology because they belong to a new enemy race.

Based largely the concept art, much speculation has surrounded the extinct Forerunners and their existing superstructures like the Halo Arrayand the Ark. The rings and spires match known Forerunner architectural style.

When does Halo 4 take place?

Halo 4's story is set in 2557. The opening sequence takes place 4 years, 7 months, and 10 days after Master Chief steps into cryo sleep at the end of Halo 3. 

What is 'The Reclaimer Trilogy'?

At 343i's Halo 4 panel at Halo Fest 2011, Josh Holmes discussed the impending Halo trilogy and revealed the name of the upcoming three-game series, The Reclaimer Trilogy, which will include Halo 4, Halo 5 and Halo 6.

Astute Halo fans will recall that Guilty Spark, the AI presence from the original Halo installation in Combat Evolved (and namesake of 343i, the Halo 4 developer), often referred to the Master Chief as the Reclaimer throughout their interactions. Guilty Spark also plays a prominent role in Halo CE Anniversary's new addition to the original game, terminals.

Who is developing Halo 4?

Bungie is no longer developing the Halo series. After Bungie separated from Microsoft in 2007, Microsoft created 343 Industries to develop the Halo franchise. Several staff members from Bungie relocated to 343i, such as Franchise Development Director Frank O'Connor. 343i has previously developed the Halo Waypoint app and the Defiant map pack for Halo: Reach including help from the studio, Certain Affinity.

What characters are returning in Halo 4?

The only confirmed characters in Halo 4 were revealed in the initial Announcement Trailer. The subsequent Concept Art Trailer did not reveal any specific characters, but UNSC Ships and Vehicles (Pelican and human characters are apparent in the concept art. An Unknown Woman was shown along with her voice actor in the Making of Halo 4 Trailer.

343 Industries has confirmed that we won't see the same old Master Chief in Halo 4. Frank O'Connor has confirmed that Chief's armor will undergo some changes in the new game.

"There's some fairly radical modifications to his armor," O'Connor said. "Some of those are an artistic evolution, but some are connected to the story. We just can't talk about it yet. He's been in space for a long time."

Halo 4 Executive Producer Kiki Wolfkill has stated "We’ve done some work on the armor design. Part of that was [the] art vision, part of that was the functionality we needed from him as a physical warrior. How do we make sure the armor reflects that?"

Cortana

Master Chief won't be the only one who's different in Halo 4. Cortana will also have evolved since we last saw her in Halo 3. For instance, Cortana has chosen a new look for herself during Master Chief's sleep.


"Seven years is the lifespan for a smart AI before it enters a state called rampancy," O'Connor said. "Cortana was getting close to the end of her natural lifespan at the end of Halo 3 but she has been exposed to far more information than any other AI in existence. She's going to develop some muscle from that process but it also contributes to her rampancy - that much information makes things worse."

Will Halo 4 have co-op?

Like Halo: Reach, the Halo 4 campaign will include four-player co-op. Halo 4 will also introduce an episodic co-op Multiplayer mode called Spartan Ops.

What will Halo 4's multiplayer be like?

Halo 4's Multiplayer is called Infinity, named after a massive 3 kilometer-long vessel (called the UNSC Infinity) sent into deep space stocked with Spartans, who battle in training sessions. There are two types of multiplayer modes now, War Games (Deathmatch, Capture the Flag etc.) and Spartan Ops (a co-op, episodic mode). Here are some changes made to Halo 4's multiplayer:

• Halo 4 will have loadouts called Specializations. Rather than everyone rolling out with the same weapons online, players bring customized gear into battle. Everyone packs a primary and secondary weapon, armor abilities (including Active Camouflage, Jetpack, and Hologram) and a grenade type.
• Weapons still appear around the map, but they appear in random spots via drop pods.
• The respawn time in Team Slayer is instantaneous rather than reliant on a clock.
• Sprinting is an innate ability everyone can use.
• Players can also use an ability called Forerunner Vision to peek through walls, Batman style. The X-ray vision upgrade is an armor ability you'll equip.
• Abilities are unlockable via Spartan Points, the currency fueling the in-game economy. Points unlock additional Ops missions, armor abilities, and cosmetic upgrades.
• Multiplayer is somehow connected to the single-player campaign.
• There is no longer a Firefight mode.
• You can now join games in-progress
    
  HUD

The heads-up display has been changed in Halo 4. The HUD is discussed in the Making of Halo 4 Trailer, and further discussed by Halo 4 Executive Producer Kiki Wolfkill in a preview event on March 2, 2012. "The HUD ... gives you all the game information you need. It sounds like a small thing, but how do you make sure the player feels like they have 26th century technology around them? What would it look like, sound like, what information would it give you?" The result is a helmet that uses small parallax movements and visual cues to show that you are moving in a massive suit. 

Red vs. Blue Backstory

Halo 4's multiplayer will tell the story of why red Spartans fight blue Spartans. The Spartans go at it on the combat deck of a ship called the Infinity in an adversarial simulator. This means you will not play as Elites online, as 343's focus lies on the Infinity's Spartan IVs. 

SPARTAN IVs

Halo 4 introduces a new type of Spartan, the SPARTAN IV. These are the Spartans you'll be playing as in multiplayer.

Multiplayer Maps

Two Multiplayer Maps have been shown in Halo 4. Both were revealed in the Making of Halo 4 trailer. Maps in Halo 4 are designed for multiplayer and not recycled from singleplayer. 

Wraparound is a Halo 4 Multiplayer map that takes place in an unidentified structure. Its gameplay is primarily vertical.

Warhouse is a Halo 4 Multiplayer map that takes place in an abandoned military base where a giant Mech is being constructed.

When is the Multiplayer Beta coming out?


In an FAQ on the game's official site, 343 revealed that the development team would need to be split in order to plan a public beta test, and one isn't in the works as a result.

"While we are testing Halo 4 code, gameplay, and systems at significant scale to get excellent data, input, and feedback, we are focused on polishing and shipping our experience for the duration of the year, and splitting resources to manage and build a beta is not on our schedule," the post reads. 

What is Spartan Ops?

Spartan Ops is a separate story-centric multiplayer campaign for four players. It presents objective-based missions, each preceded cinematics that tell an unique story, which will be added weekly to expand on Spartan Ops' story. These updates will happen for an undisclosed amount of time following Halo 4's release.

Spartan Ops factors into Halo 4's storyline. The SPARTAN IVs that now populate multiplayer are all aboard the UNSC Infinity. The Infinity is on a deep space mission, but the Spartan Ops segments are likened to "away missions" in the May 2012 issue of Game Informer.

Will there be a Halo 4: Legendary Edition?


Microsoft and 343 announced the Limited Edition for Halo 4 on May 16, 2012. A Legendary Edition has not been announced. The Limited Edition costs $100 and includes get a special large box, the ability to unlock six multiplayer Specializations early, a 90-minute version of the live action film Halo 4:Forward Unto Dawn, and nine Maps that will be released after Halo 4, as well as some other bonus content.
See also: Limited Edition details

What Weapons and Vehicles are Returning in Halo 4

Both Covenant and UNSC weapons have been confirmed to return in Halo 4. The new Enemies use Forerunner Weapons that reassemble themselves into different configurations. One weapon was shown dissolving the AI enemies. 

UNSC Weapons and Vehicles

Battle Rifle 343i:

Confirmed that the Battle Rifle will return, but it has been completely redesigned.  

Assault Carbine:

The Assault Carbine was confirmed in Game Informer.
Assault Rifle:
The Assault Rifle was confirmed in 343's Spark Cast.
 DMR:
The DMR was also confirmed in 343's Spark Cast.

Sniper Rifle:
The Sniper Rifle was confirmed in Game Informer.  

Rocket Launcher:
The Rocket Launcher was confirmed in Game Informer.  

Magnum:
The Magnum was confirmed in Game Informer.

Shotgun:
The Shotgun was confirmed in Game Informer.

Warthog:
The Warthog has been completely redesigned for Halo 4. Its interior is much more detailed than ever before.

Covenant Weapons and Vehicles

Covenant Carbine:
Confirmed in Game Informer.

Plasma Pistol:
Confirmed in Game Informer.