Microsoft's ExpertZone, a website designed to teach retailers about its products, has revealed new information about Halo 4. The site presented a number of slides that have detailed new clues about what players can expect when Halo 4 launches on Xbox 360.
The first thing to note is that Halo 4 is going to be a "darker, grittier game forcing the Master Chief to make some very difficult decisions". Master Chief will embark on an emotional journey where he will face "the greatest threat humanity has ever known". And it will span over the course of a new trilogy of games according to the slide.
New details about the story of Halo 4 have also been revealed including Master Chief's long-time companion, Cortana, starting to fall apart due to her artificial intelligence breaking down. It asks if Master Chief will still be able to trust her. Master Chief will also, for the first time, have a true nemesis as he fights against a new race "unlike anything seen before in Halo".
Will that new race be the Prometheans? Another slide confirmed the new class of enemies as well as 10 new weapons and 2 new vehicles plus "many of your favorites from the past". Two weapons were showcased during Microsoft's E3 press briefing earlier this month: The Light rifle is a Forerunner weapon carried by Promethean Knights, and the Scattershot, also a Forerunner weapon, is used for close-range combat.
The slides also promise an online experience with Halo 4 that "raises the bar" offing players something unique and different. It details career progression that unlocks new weapons and equipment, improved accessibility and approachability, and improvements to make multiplayer a more social experience through better matchmaking, drop in-and-out of matches, improved support to create, and more.
Part of the online experience is War Games, a competitive online multiplayer that features new multiplayer game modes, career progression, 10 multiplayer maps, Specializations to enhance your playstyle, and "more multiplayer maps with future DLC".
We were already impressed with what Microsoft and 343 Industries showed off at E3, but these new details really have us salivating over Halo 4 which isn't set to launch until November 6.
