httpv://youtu.be/JcEUI8xhxgU

As the perfect kick-off to Microsoft's E3 2012 Press Conference the Halo 4 footage on display was nothing short of stunning. Beginning first with a live-action sequence setting up the story of the downed ship that Master Chief must fight his way to, the trailer was equal parts back-story and game story.

That back-story will be further fleshed out in a series of live-action episodes released to gamers through Xbox Live. And in an attempt to give players a clearer picture of the tragedy that befell the crew of the UNSC Infinity, Microsoft has released an extended cut of the live-action footage.

After years of waging war with the Covenant and sending numerous fleets out to battle, the UNSC has finally commissioned a ship with the intent of creating peace. Of course, this is the Halo universe, and any form of peace would be bad for video game sales. Thankfully it doesn't take long for the Infinity to make contact with the new enemies in Halo 4, and from there things get really bad.

That planet the crew land on, luckily, just happens to be the same one that Chief and Cortana are making their way through, sparking the Spartan on a rescue mission. From there the game kicks into the demo that 343 Industries had on display during the Press Conference — a demo that was filled with transforming weapons, enemies that were equal parts Covenant and Tron, and Master Chief's particular brand of carnage. It was all fantastic stuff, and a worthy candidate for one of the best gameplay trailers of this year's festivities.

Halo 4 Extended Cut Live Action Trailer

Along with setting up the first plot point for Halo 4, the Infinity will also serve as the home to Halo 4's multiplayer. Rather than plop players into a non-descript series of battlefields, Halo 4's multiplayer uses Infinity has a sort of training simulation. It's on the Infinity that the multiplayer portion of the game takes place, but the mode is not bound by that location.

Look for more of this live-action halo footage in the coming months leading up to Halo 4's release in November.

What did you think of the live-action portion of the Halo 4 demo? Would you like to further explore the story of the UNSC Infinity?

Halo 4 releases November 6, 2012 for the Xbox 360.

Source: YouTube