'Halo 4' Multiplayer Gameplay Footage Captures E3 Action

Jul 7, 2012 by Brian Sipple

Prefacing the start of Halo 4‘s campaign, 343 Industries revealed that players will be reacquainted with the past trilogy’s events, which steer directly into the narrative on Chief’s newly discovered Forerunner planet. The reasoning is simple: not only has it been 5 years since Halo 3, the developer also expects to attain its largest audience yet, full of new fans discovering what Halo has to offer.

But in order to truly woo veterans of the Halo Universe – the passionate following amassed over each of Bungie’s five games – 343 knows that the barometer many of them will be using to pass judgement lies within another portion of Halo 4: the competitive multiplayer designed around the UNSC ship Infinity.

Several portions of the component were the subject of our Halo 4 multiplayer hands-on at E3. Our Riley Little spent time on Longbow and Wraparound, two of Halo 4′s new maps, thoroughly acquainting himself with many of the game’s weapons, vehicles, and control alterations. Needless to say, he felt that “Halo 4‘s multiplayer is better than it’s ever been before.” Not to be outdone, meanwhile, Rob Keyes took us through the highly-touted Spartan Ops co-op structure and fleshed out more details on the mode’s Promethean enemies, venturous settings, loadouts, and story premise.

Until now, though, official footage Halo 4′s multiplayer has remained tightly guarded by 343. The new trailer above, released by the developer as an E3 post-mortem, provides a solid few minutes of fragging, meleeing, in-match weapon boosting, and pulverizing kills – all looking sublime in native 720p. At the same time, it chronicles one of 343′s strategical approaches to E3: bringing in notable community members and professionals from the MLG circuit; introducing them to new modes (Infinity Slayer and Regicide and Spartan Ops) and new maps (Haven, Adrift and Longbow); and culling their reactions for vital feedback and, yes, publicity.

Claude Errera, founder of halo.bungie.org, for instance, points to an element of Spartan Ops that no doubt is an integral part of 343′s marketing strategy for the mode. The co-op campaigns of past Halo’s (Spartan Ops in Halo 4 replaces campaign co-op) would often feel long for even one mission, he says at 2:00 in video; Errera seems to find the serialized, widely segmented Spartan Ops more accommodating. In 50 missions, 10 maps, and 10 new weapons for Season 1, we can certainly say it fits with 343′s focus on wider appeal alongside classically addicting features.

Ranters, seeing Halo 4 multiplayer in action, what are the components you think will stand out once the game finally releases?