A deadly new foe has been revealed in Halo Infinite. Jega 'Rdomnai, a Spartan Killer, will be hunting Master Chief throughout the campaign of Halo Infinite when it launches on December 8.

In a recent interview with IGN's Ryan McCaffrey, Halo franchise Narrative Writer Jeff Easterling, and Associate Creative Director Paul Crocker, more light was shed on Jega. This new character serves as the leader of the Hand of Atriox, Halo Infinite's Spartan Killers.

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In the sixth installment of the Halo franchise, Master Chief finds himself on the Zeta Halo ring. Also occupying the ring are a rogue faction of the Covenant called the Banished. This renegade faction is led by Atriox, who served as the primary antagonist in 2017's Halo Wars 2. Jega serves as both the right hand to Atriox and one of Halo Infinite's boss fights.

Crocker states that Jega was designed to be the "creepiest, most disturbing character that's been in Halo." There's clearly a history to the character, who first appeared in the Campaign Overview trailer that was released a few weeks ago. His mandibles and left arm are robotic, his voice is discordant as he taunts Master Chief, and the red glow of his plasma weapons lend an overall sinister tone. While a lot of attention went into the design of the character, it will be interesting to see if this carries over to the game as a fully realized character.

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Having a rival or antagonist for Master Chief has always been a core part of the Halo franchise. Each entry has made the attempt in one form or another, from the Arbiter in Halo 2 to the Didact in Halo 4. The idea of a stealthy, primal, and terrifying rival that stalks the player through the campaign is one that works and could greatly benefit a game like Halo Infinite. It all comes down to execution. Will Jega be like Resident Evil 2's Mr. X or will he be like nearly every other attempt's scripted hunter?

While having a villain that can go toe to toe with Master Chief and instill fear in the player is nice, having said villain be another Elite may come across as uninspired to longtime fans. During the interview, Easterling explained the concept for Jega being "the inverse of what you'd expect from the Arbiter." While it is an interesting thought experiment, it's a similar road to one that players walked in Halo 2. But that's the whole idea, to hold up a mirror to a beloved character and try and engage new players in a similar fashion to what veterans experienced with the Arbiter. Creating yet another iconic character in a beloved franchise can be like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Time will tell if the experiment is successful when Halo Infinite releases.

Halo Infinite will be available on December 8 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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Source: IGN