A series of developer diaries by 343 Industries surrounding their work on Halo 4 have been finding their way on the internet filling fans with joy to get look on what adventures lie before the Xbox Mascot we all know as Master Chief.

What seems to be the centre piece in many of the updates are how story telling is supposed to evolve and how this may effect gameplay. With a universe that expands beyond games into novels and even comic books, the developers at 343 see the universe of Halo as diverse and flexible of cult classics such as Star Trek. Their major selling point so far seems to be, how the Chief will be the subject of deeper story telling in comparison to previous instalments in the franchise. Considering the source material available, the character oh John-117 has a lot more to offer than what many believe.

The idea of presenting a more elaborate character development in the single player campaign seems like a welcomed addition, especially when we hear the Executive Producer Kiki Wolfkill (awesome name) acknowledge that Master Chief is more of a silent protagonist compared to others, but when speaking about how this is supposed to cross over into gameplay seems worrying. They want to make him more “human” and gameplay more “immersive” while working with the set viewing angle the player experiences. Wolfkill ensures us we won’t see the Chief crying or anything similar but I hope this doesn’t simply mean we get to sit back and watch the screen jump from side to side as players are caught in a scripted crash sequence with arms flailing around from a first-person perspective. This fear was confirmed while watching Gametrailer’s “First Look” from the Spring Showcase.

Next to a more thought out single player experience 343 plans to “innovate” the Halo multiplayer. Is Halo’s multiplayer in need of innovation? This may be a case of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”. Surely, the addition of classes and new gear may have enriched the multiplayer experience, making it feel more contemporary, yet in the development team’s interviews they speak of giving more context to the multiplayer.

Together with these ideas, Halo is also supposed to leave room for “new players”. The wish to add to the games story for more substance is concerning, not because it is not possible, but because there is plenty of room for failure, especially in the hands of a new studio.

Next to all these new additions players can expectto encounter weapons and vehicles from previous entries, but a subject which may seem trivial may have revealed some information on a topic which has not been touched on so far, the enemies. 343 promises to confront players with a threat “beyond anything” they have encountered before, though when speaking about reintroducing elements from previous instalments, 343 Industries’ Art Manager Neill Harrison claims, “All weapons, vehicles and enemies have all been updated, graphically.” This can be a case of misguiding editing, but when reminded the new story arc is supposed to take place only 5 years after the original trilogy players might be confronted with some familiar alien races, may they be friends this time around or foe.

Change is something which never seems to be well received due the risks that follow, especially when regarding the following behind the Halo series. However, I find the attempt to innovate a franchise as massive as this one intriguing in a time where the industry seems to be flooded by cash-in titles and copy paste sequels.

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