Halo 4: The Awakening of a Hero
When the news first exclaimed of Halo 4, the entire world watched in awe. The continuation of Master Chief and the vast universe set centuries ahead of our time, but also hundreds of thousands of years before captivated our intrigue and skepticism. (Explained here.)
The information concerning plot, gameplay, features, perks, and audio between its reveal and now has overwhelmed the gaming world and Halo fanatics such as myself.
The story we know so far of the Reclaimer Trilogy is Master Chief awakening from Cryo-Sleep to find the floating half of Forward Unto Dawn being pulled into a titanic metal sphere with Forerunner glyphs strown across the surface. Later on the shield world is revealed to be inhabited by Prometheans, a forerunner species led by none other by The Didact (in which I believe is inhabiting that metal, glowing sphere we see in the campaign trailer).
Cortana, who is steadily becoming rampant due to her diminishing life-span, has a greater role in this trilogy than the last and from leaked (and speculated causes) may become the very thing that makes or breaks Master Chief.
The story concerning his armor change is also vaguely explained as Cortana crafting it while the spartan was sleeping due to reasons beyond our temporary comprehension. So far it looks good, but aesthetics are not enough in such a story-driven atmosphere.
Master Chief: Ready for Action
Additional info for supporting characters will come in the form of a live-action miniseries called Forward Unto Dawn, that will explain Thomas Lasky’s story that will tie directly to Halo 4’s plot. From the official website:
“Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” tells an exciting story of heroism and sacrifice on a scale never before seen in the “Halo” universe, taking fans back to the beginning of the human and Covenant war and leading into the events of “Halo 4.” Set against the backdrop of a United Nations Space Command (UNSC) military academy, a group of highborn cadets are training to be the next generation of soldiers in the UNSC’s ongoing war with insurrectionists in the outer colonial planets. Among these cadets, Thomas Lasky struggles with his doubts about this war, and with the burden of expectations he may not be able to carry. As Lasky comes to terms with his potential as a military leader, the terrifying alien alliance known as the Covenant arrives and turns his world upside down. Inspired by the Master Chief, he must decide what it means to be a hero.”
The story so far is only scratching the surface of what we’ll see on November 6th. A lot of people are speculating that the Forerunner planet Requiem is actually Onyx, the planet composed entirely of inactive Sentinels. The only reason in that conclusion is the fact Dr. Cathrine Halsey has a part in the investigation of Requiem. As stated in The Thursday War, Requiem was the final resting place of The Didact they claim as a living God and “must not be awoken”, surrounding himself in ancient weapons known as Promethians.
(Promethians as we know were advanced AI, but according to Kiki Wolfkill, they are nothing less than living organic matter.) It also reveals a weapon catche on Onyx that turns the tide of the war between the Humans and Sangheili, further proving Dr. Halsey’s role in the new trilogy.
Now not to say much about the ending, multiple reports have released that the climatic battle between the UNSC and the Didact fail to shed light on a tie into Halo 5. 343i has quite the plate to devour (bad analogy alert) when it comes to surprizing us with the next installment; the gracious donations of new features leaves it looking rather…dry.
343 Industries has surprized us with a lot, perhaps they will do the same again 3 years from now.
Better With A Pen 