Rebuilding Master Chief in Halo 4

It's weird to think that it's been five whole years since we've been
treated to a new Halo adventure starring Master Chief (Halo CE
Anniversary notwithstanding). In that time we've taken control of
Orbital Drop Shock Troopers in Halo: ODST and the doomed Noble Team in
Halo: Reach, but it's been a long time since we've gotten behind the
helmet of John-117 himself.


A lot has definitely happened in that time as far as the Halo universe
goes. Behind the scenes, a sea change of sorts happened, as Bungie
wrapped up their developmental involvement in the series (which they've
spearheaded since the beginning), and the reins were handed off to the
team at 343 Industries,
composed of more than a few vets of the Halo series. The franchise was
definitely not on shaky ground at all, but there were some questions as
to how Halo 4 would feel without Bungie at the helm.


Last week, we got a new look at what we'd be able to expect from Halo 4,
and the results have come a long way from when we last saw it. Halo 4
will offer a more sophisticated and darker tone than the previous games
in the series, and will feature a new as-of-yet-unrevealed new enemy
threat. The team stated that Halo 4 would also take some strides to
humanize Master Chief, although they kept the specific details on the
story execution mum.


What we were allowed to see was a brief look at two new multiplayer maps
featured in Halo 4. Wraparound was a vertical map which appeared to
take place in the clouds and the second map, Warhouse, was a military
base with a giant mech set in the very center. Each map had more of an
intimate and less open feel to it, which will undoubtedly result in some
high kill counts and frantically paced shootouts. You'll also be using a
new brand of Spartan in multiplayer, the Spartan IV, a sleeker and
faster model than the Master Chief. The customization features that the
Halo franchise has been known for will be built upon, and 343 Industries
also revealed that Halo 4's multiplayer element would somehow tie into
the game's story, but wouldn't elaborate further on either.




Graphically, the engine in Halo 4 has come a long way. Master Chief's
character model looks quite a bit more detailed than he did in Halo 3,
and the lighting effects really seem to pop on his armor. Environments
also boasted the same vastly improved lighting details, and even though
we weren't given an in-depth look of Halo 4 in action, we could tell
that it will be a leaps and bounds improvement for the series.


Details on Halo 4 are still pretty scarce, and we're still waiting for a
greater look at the gameplay itself. However, knowing a bit more now
than we did about 343 Industries' take on the franchise, we can safely
assume that Master Chief's in good hands

Steven Hopper is the Executive Editor for IGN's Xbox channels