If you know anything about the modern age of video games, you should know who Bungie is. The developers of the blockbuster Halo series understand what it means to create hype with their projects and this one is no different. If you were anything like me, you were one of the many who went to Bungie.net as the countdown expired to see what they had next in store. The time ran out, I clicked the link, I watched the presentation, and now I want more.
I won’t bore you with the obvious because you all should have seen the teaser by now, but I will point out some specifics:
1. In the opening shot, one of the buildings is labeled “TRAXUS” which is a reference to a company in the Halo series known as Traxus Heavy Industries.
2. Falling towards the planet is what appears to be a pod possibly carrying a passenger, but on closer inspection we see more of these pods raining down like meteors. Are there passengers being held within? If so, who might they be? Is this the entrance of the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers?
3. Near modern looking cars are shown throughout the streets. If the Halo series is supposed to take place 500 to 600 years into the future, what is the deal with modern technology? Does the story take place before the events of the Halo series?
4. Shots are taken with what looks like a series of before and after clips. From what seems be a security camera’s point of view, we see what causes the “metropolitan disaster” as the “pods” (as talked about in 2) are seen flocking in the sky before they rain a wave of destruction. The one thing I notice is how they split into two divisions before descending from the sky. At this point we have to stop to think deeper into their purpose. Or maybe I’m just thinking too hard about this?
5. After the crash landings, there are a series of warning messages that appear on screen. “PLEASE REMAIN CALM” is the easiest one to catch, but the most interesting are the ones saying “MADDIE, WHERE ARE YOU?” and “DANGER: FLOOD ZONE.” Will Maddie be introduced as a new character, or is it just simple Bungie humour? If the Flood are destroyed at the end of Halo 3, does this story take place before Halo 3’s campaign?
There are many speculations about what this teaser shows us such as it being a DLC expansion for Halo 3 for a new set of campaign missions, or even being a whole new game. With everything looked over, all signs are pointing to a possible Orbital Drop Shock Troopers storyline. This is what we wanted back at E3 08, but it was well worth the wait. What ever it is, it has our attention and we’ll have our eyes open for it.
UPDATE: If you happen to log onto your Xbox 360 and download Bungie’s teaser, you’ll notice the following caption, "High action and deep mystery await players in this new Halo 3 campaign experience. Prepare to drop!"
It appears as if it will be a brand new campaign experience, more than likely in the form of a DLC add-on. Stay tuned as more news develops!
