343 Industries: Halo 4 begins the Reclaimer Trilogy

If you're a Halo die-hard – not just “someone who likes them games where the green feller shoots aliens,” but who's read all the novels, memorized all the scripts and doesn't find the relationship between Master Chief and Cortana creepy – then does 343 Industries have a game for you. Hell, it's got three: the new games, it was revealed at a PAX panel this weekend, will explore the relationship between the faceless hero and his bodiless life-partner, as well as delving into the past of Chief and the Halo universe in what's being called the Reclaimer Trilogy. A concept-art trailer teases some of the games' upcoming sights and locations.

Here's a look at some concept art and footage from the new trilogy, animated and set to a foreboding soundtrack so you'll keep watching. The new games, 343 says, will explore elements mentioned as far back as the original Xbox titles, as well as those added to the terminals of Halo: Anniversary Edition. A point of comparison might be the Metroid Prime trilogy's elaboration on elements of the original side-on titles – but 343's Josh Holmes promises the games will still “play like Halo.”

Here, Frank O'Connor discusses the new trilogy with the best-named woman in games, Kiki Wolfkill. 343 says the new titles will go further into Master Chief's character as well as his “unique relationship” with Cortana, aiming to “sell the fantasy that Master Chief is an 800-pound hero that is part tank, part jet fighter.” Even for one of the most speculated-upon masked heroes in all of gaming, that's admittedly a possibility that hasn't been raised yet.

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