posted at n4g.com on 5/14/12:
So who is the primary hero in the Halo series? Without question, it’s Master Chief. Why would someone even bother to ask that question? Well, because The Official Xbox Magazine (OXM) has decided to stir the pot, big time. An image of July’s addition of OXM has surfaced (you can see it above) and there is really only one part of the page that caught my attention: “NEW HERO?!”
_____________________________________________________________________________
HD Admin: Today, ng4 released the next story from stickskills.com, which goes into detail on the storyline and new game features:
_____________________________________________________________________________
Halo 4′s New Hero Is Revealed
Halo fans, for the most part, have come to known John 117 as their hero of choice. After 343 Industries and Microsoft announced the release date and unveiled the cover for Halo 4, gamers are quite anxious for more details on the upcoming game.
In the upcoming July issue of the Official Xbox Magazine, quite a few details emerge on the game. Among the most interesting details, the magazine reveals information on the “new hero” coming to Halo 4. While Master Chief is still the main focal point of the story, 343 Industries is bringing a new character into the mix.
At some point early in the story, Master Chief will encounter the UNSC Infinity. For those of you that read the Halo novels, you’ll already know that the UNSC Infinity is largest craft in the human fleet. The Infinity serves as more than just a ship in the game, however, as it will be an option available to you in the menu.
The mode serves as a side campaign where you’ll enlist as Spartan-IV on board of the Infinity. Each week after the game has been released, you’ll receive a short CGI episode of the Infinity’s adventures starring four new characters. Each episode is said to include five varied co-op missions which will star your “persistent Spartan” and your friends. What does this all result in? By the very end, you’ll have an animated series on your Xbox 360 and a second campaign featuring your Spartan-IV alongside Master Chief’s respective story.
It appears that the mode will be free to all of those that purchase a new copy of Halo 4. However, if you happen to buy a used copy of the game it appears that you’ll need to purchase an online pass of sorts.
What does 343 Industries mean by “persistent Spartan” you ask? Your Spartan-IV will be taken into every battle that you participate in. We’ve included a quote from the article below that helps describe how exactly this works.
Your Spartan-IV will be a persistent character you take into all battles on board the Infinity, co-op, team, and free-for-all. Spartan-on-Spartan battles have been moved into the Infinity’s Combat Deck, where a war-games simulator is used for training. And the improvements you make to him (or her) won’t just be cosmetic. Following the trends established in Halo: Reach, your Spartan will unlock game-altering combat options.
Multiplayer, as a whole, is said to be more friendly to newcomers this time around as well. Players will be able to earn points for more than just melee, gun, and grenade kills. Any progress you make in the Spartan co-op modes allows you to earn different unlocks to help you face off against real players in the multiplayer arena.