‘Halo 4’ Release Date: 'Darker Than Previous Games, Will Series End Better Than 'Mass Effect?' [TRAILER]
"Halo 4" is expected to launch during the 2012 holiday season, and information on the upcoming first person shooter has already begun to slip out. In the beginning of April new concept art leaked, and at the end of March fans caught a glimpse of what's to come when a high-resolution video surfaced. Wikipedia

A video displaying high resolution concept art has been leaked online, offering fans a peak at the world being developed by 343 industries. The breath taking trailer offers several clues into the new game, which is set for release in time for the 2012 holiday shopping season.

The art displayed in the video is by Sparth, who is working on the project. The artwork shows off a massive docking bay where ships dock and are dispatched on after the other. You can also see United Nations Space Command (UNSC) pelicans hovering nearby, suggesting that the the massive ship may be controlled by the human military faction. The video also shows off some epic landscapes both on earth and in space.

Halo 4 is intended to be a reboot of the series, and the first in a brand new trilogy. The game is the eighth title in the Halo franchise, and the first not being developed by Bungie studios. Instead the video game is being designed by 343 industries, who have promised to take everything that make Halo great and make it even bigger and better. In a first look trailer the new developers also say they want to use the video game medium to explore Master Chief's humanity. Holographic computer assistant Cortana will return to the series for the new game.

The official summary released by 343i states, Set in the aftermath of Halo 3, Master Chief returns to confront his own destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. Halo 4 marks the start of a new trilogy that begins with its release in 2012.

This will be the first time that Master Chief will return as a playable character since Halo 3 came out in 2007. Since then Halo titles have al been spinoffs focusing on new characters and playing styles. The plot will pick up after the third movie with master Chief and Cortana adrift on the wreckage of a UNSC ship heading towards a mysterious planet that is home to an ancient alien civilization. A key plot point will be the changes Cortana experiences due to her exposure to the Halo and the fact that she has continued to operate beyond her designated life span. 343i has also revealed that the new game will focus more on mystery, exploration and discovery rather than a straightforward first-person shooter. Developers say they have mapped out the three game story arc, with Halo 5 being very dark and Halo 6 providing resolution.