Halo 4 Release Date Revealed!

Its official! In a recent article by 343 Industries (The Halo Bulletin 4.17.12), they announced the release of Halo 4 to be November 6th, 2012.

New Halo 4 Concept Art Released By GameInformer Magazine

The following images are new Concept Art for Halo 4 released by GameInformer. (Remember: You can always enlarge the images simply by clicking on them.)

And this image was released by Josh Holmes via Twitter.

Review: Halo - The Great Journey - The Art of Building Worlds

While at first, I wanted to buy the signed, Limited Edition version of this for $75, I decided to just get the regular version. I'd been looking forward to this book ever since it was announced.

The book is filled with beutiful art inspired by the games and books. There are concept images, as well as srapped designs. Great for Halo fans who like looking at preproduction designs. I was pleased with the quality of the images, but the number of images just didn't seem enough. It's about the size of the Halo Encyclopedia, maybe a bit thinner. Maybe I'm just greedy.

There's really not much else to say on the book. Great art, great commentary, great price. 5 out of 5, 9 out of 10.

Sequel to Halo: Glasslands announced!

Halo: Thursday War is to be released October 2nd, 2012.

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/03/tor-books-announces-next-book-in-halo-series

Sequel to Halo: Glasslands to be released before Halo 4!

Frank O'Connor said in The Halo Bulletin 3/7/12 that the 2nd book in the post-war series will be released before Halo 4 is released. But we will have to wait until after Halo 4 for the final book in the Forerunner Saga.

The first REAL information on Halo 4!

       I turned on my computer as usual today, wondering how many of you would be disappointed by the lack of expected Halo 4 info. But instead, I got a pleasant suprise. I see "Rebuilding Master Chief in Halo 4 - IGN" on the front page of Halo Waypoint. So I thought, "oh that's nice." I expected some little BTS of the design of MC. Instead, what I saw blew me away. Full-on gameplay!

       The video shows the HUD, scoring, multiplayer maps, and a couple tiny clips of campaign. It also confirms the return of the Battle Rifle, as well as the usage of Spartan-IVs in Multiplayer. Instead of playing as Master Chief, you will play as a Spartan-IV. Frank O'Connor also said that they have an in-canon reason of why the Blue and Red Spartans are fighting. (Insurrection...?).

        But that's not the only info we've been given today. Halo 4's embargo was lifted today, so it seems 343i has opened the floodgates. A video was released on OXM's website with an interview with Frankie at Microsoft Spring Showcase. He discussed the multiplayer maps a bit more, giving us a look at two of them. One, Wraparound, is a Forerunner solar facility that creates sunlight for a Shield World. The other, Warhouse, is a UNSC ship in orbit of a gas giant. He also went on to say that their main focus is polishing and shipping the game, not releasing a multiplayer beta. He said a beta would just be a major interuption, so don't count on one being released.

Video here: http://www.oxmonline.com/showcase-halo-4-interview-343-industries-frank-oconnor

       X-Play also interviewed Frankie and Kiki Wolfkill. It was said that Halo 4 will have CoD-esque unlockables and custom-loadouts. Not much else was said in the video. Link: http://www.g4tv.com/videos/57595/halo-4-gameplay-preview/

Possible Halo 4 info to be released on Monday?

       Thousands of fans got their hopes up this week that Halo 4 would be at the Microsoft Spring Showcase. As usual, there was nothing. Why? Because Halo 4 has an embargo that doesn't expire until March 5th. What's an embargo? An embargo is something that tech companies use to set a time when their product will launch and the press can publish their reviews of it.

       Ok, so legally, 343 can begin releasing info about Halo 4 on March 5th. So what? It doesn't necessarily mean they will. But others might. In reply to a fan's tweets, videogame journalist, Jan Meijroos has claimed that new Halo 4 info will be released on Monday. Screenshot below:

(read from bottom to top)

       So, this could mean that 343 themselves will release info, or it could mean he is going to leak something. Either way, keep you eyes peeled, but don't get your hopes up.

New Halo 4 Audio!

The following video shows more audio recording for the weapons in Halo 4. Its not much, but its the most we've had in weeks.

Mk-VII Armor and the "rocket-pistol"

In the Halo 4 trailer, we noticed two new things. Master Chief has new armor and a new gun. The armor is likely Mk-VII, the latest MJOLNIR Armor. But we're still not sure what the pistol is. Below is a new image released by 343i of the new Master Chief action figure wearing the new armor and holding the new pistol (dubbed "rocket-pistol"), as well as a couple images from the trailer.

Review: Halo Primordium (mild-medium spoilers)

       Halo Primordium. I really don't even know where to start with this book. This book really defines the term, mind = blown. I mean, so many questions were answered in this book, but it raised 2 times as many more.

       I don't want to spoil too much, but... the book is told from a very... interesting point of view. I'll leave it at that. It picks up where Cryptum left off. Chakas lands on a mysterious planet, and after a little observation, he discovers he's on a Halo. He meets another human, Vinnevra, and her grandfather, Gamelpar. They spend most of the book trying to find a way off of the Halo, and searching for Chakas' friend from Halo: Cryptum, Riser. But they soon encounter bigger problems, and cross paths with evil itself. They soon realize that getting off of the Halo isnt their top priority.

       There really isnt much to say without giving away too much of the book. But it definitely confirms that Halo 4 will have much to do with the Forerunners, and quite possibly Precursors and (brace yourselves) the Flood. While the latter may turn many Halo fans off, it just shows that Halo has never really been about the Covenant, but the Flood. Thats the true enemy here.

       While the book started off quite slow (like Cryptum), it soon picked up and became full of suspense and mystery. This is truely one of the best books of the Halo franchise, and is a must-read before playing Halo 4. 5 out of 5, 9 out of 10.