Many people are anticipating the release of Halo 4, and seeing where the story takes us in this new trilogy. While most details are being kept “tight-lipped,” 343 let a few things loose in their latest Bulletin. There were a lot of “we’ll have more details soon” or “we can’t discuss that yet” type answers through-out, I figured I would filter through and bring you the nitty-gritty.
With 343 taking over and Bungie leaving the Halo series behind, many of us wondered if this would negatively impact the game and traditions that Bungie developed over the past 11 years, and after reading the Q&A, I feel a lot more confident that 343 is going to bring us a game that not only feels like a traditional Halo entry, but also has a distinct feel and style it’s own. Halo fans can expect many of their favorite modes and playlists to return, as well as a nice selection of new ones. If you’re worried about things like Forge and Theater, no need to fear. You also don’t have to worry about Grifball, it will be back.
Many people are also asking if there will be a public beta, and unfortunately, it seems as though there are no plans to hold one as 343 cited that they would have to split their resources to build one. It’s stated that testing will be done on a “significant scale.”
It’s also noted that the game is in the “crunch” stage. The game is being optimized, polished, and putting the finishing touches on the gameplay and user-interface. The final orchestra sessions are booked, but the game is playable from beginning to end.
Other things we can expect to be revealed soon are the game’s score composer, more details about the campaign and the game’s story, as well as the final release date, which is confirmed to be sometime around Holiday 2012. It’s safe to say that information on the game will begin to flow out on a greater scale after E3 in June.
If you would like to read the full Q&A post, check out 343’s Bulletin post by clicking here.
