Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Developer: 343 Industries Release date: November 6, 2012 Platforms: Xbox 360
There’s a reason Microsoft started their press briefing with the public unveiling of Halo 4’s campaign: it looks amazing. New developer 343 Industries is injecting the Halo universe with bold new ideas while retaining what makes the series stand out in the crowded shooter market. Most notably, visor modes a la GameCube’s Metroid Prime series and a new race of robotic enemies. I played the Spartan Ops and War Games multiplayer modes, but campaign has always been the main focus of Halo for me.
What I’m looking forward to most is the return of Master Chief’s personal AI, Cortana. We spent a majority of Halo 3 fighting our way to rescue her, and she became more fragile as the story progressed. Once she was back in our head (it’s a long story), the game was almost over. AIs have a lifespan of seven years before they deteriorate, Cortana’s been in service for eight. The glimpses of her breaking and lashing out have me excited to see how far gone she is and how it will affect Chief’s mission. 343 is taking my favorite aspect of the franchise and making it the forefront of the story and I couldn’t be more excited.
