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.