Synopsis
The video begins with various images of Phantom dropships unloading Brute forces who brutalize human Marines, as well as Covenant CCS-class battlecruisers and assault carriers glassing Earth. It is narrated by the Prophet of Truth speaking for the Covenant, mocking the humans' attempts to defend the world. The movie cuts to the Master Chief, and continues on with nothing but a dramatic new rendition of the Halo theme (on the Halo 3 Original Soundtrack, it is titled "One Final Effort") and showing the Master Chief and the Arbiter battling through various Earth areas, against Phantoms and a new Scarab. It features Yanme'e, Jiralhanae, Mgalekgolo, Unggoy and Sangheili. as well as a brief glimpse at a Kig-yar engaged in combat, as well as a glimpse of the new HUD system, which contains several new components.
Revelations
The video contains several revelations for the game, both to canon and to campaign play. The biggest of which is that it seems that Master Chief and the Arbiter fight side by side throughout at least some of the game, defending Earth from the Brutes. Numerous shots show the Arbiter and the Master Chief fighting enemy Brutes and their Drone and Grunt forces. The video was the first to officially confirm that the Arbiter will be appearing in the game, and also features other members of the Sangheili race, confirming that the Elites and Marines now fight together against the Covenant.
The video also features the apparent revelation that Phantoms will be destructible, and able to be shot down in the campaign. It also features all new Scarab walkers, much more heavily armed and armored than those that have appeared before.
343 Guilty Spark and Cortana make their first appearances, showing that they, along with the Master Chief and Arbiter, are reunited at some point. Furthermore, it is shown that other than the Brutes, some Covenant warriors have undergone minor changes from Halo 2. Hunters and Elites look almost identical to their former appearances, while Drones and Grunts are given significant technical improvements. The Grunts appear less "cute" and more grub-like, with red eyes and slack mouths (as seen in screen shots on Bungie.net). Human Marines have undergone major graphical improvements, and Commander Miranda Keyes has undergone an overhaul, with a more defined uniform and hair, which is noticeably browner than before.
Trailer analysis
From 0:06 to 0:12 seconds in the video, the first pictures of the level Sierra 117 are shown. From 0:13 to 0:20, the first shots of the level The Storm are shown. During this time period, we see the first of the new Brute armor, in red and blue. During this time, the Brute's violent and aggressive nature is shown.
The next sequence is from the cinematic at the end of Floodgate the game. From 0:21 to 0:26 two Covenant separatist CCS-class battlecruisers glassing Voi to prevent the Flood on Earth from spreading. A lone Phantom dropship is shown flying away from the far cruiser.
From 0:27 to 0:43, more live action is shown from the levels Sierra 117 and Crow's Nest are shown intermittently. One with the Arbiter and Master Chief both carrying and firing heavy machine gun turrets.
At 0:28, a Brute can be seen what appears to be punching a downed Marine among the concrete pieces and near a small fire (center-right in the screen, near the right open wall of the burning base and before the camera makes a 'zoom').
0:44 shows an in game cutscene of the Master Chief and Arbiter standing in front of a covenant Anti-Aircraft Battery. Three Longsword type fighters fly overhead in formation, and the location is revealed to be the crater from the Halo 3 Announcement Trailer. The crater houses the Portal.
At 0:47, Master Chief is fighting a Chieftain in the UNSC base. The Brute swings a Gravity Hammer. The view switches to first person and Master Chief kills it with a Shotgun.
At 0:48 to 0:49, it shows pieces of the Mombasa Tether that has been destroyed. This sequence also shows the first two Jump Pack Brutes. When Master Chief zooms in using his sniper rifle, the Brutes are shown to be wearing jump packs, and the one he shoots drops a Radar Jammer (identifiable because of its shape and red glow).
At 0:49, a fourth type of grenade can be seen carried by Master Chief. It has now been confirmed as the Brute Firebomb Grenade.
At 0:51, in the background to the left, the Forerunner Dreadnought last seen in Halo 2 is shown to have landed on Earth.
At 0:52, the Master Chief destroys a Phantom for the first time in the video.
At 0:53, the Master Chief is seen throwing a Plasma Grenade onto a Brute. Behind the squad of Brutes are two Deployable Covers set up beside each other.
For the next 10 seconds, more parts of Voi are shown.
At 1:02, one of the Unggoy is shown piloting a Ghost, Master Chief quickly destroys the Ghost with a Rocket Launcher.
At 1:04, Commander Miranda Keyes can be seen dual wielding the M6G Pistol in her right hand and the M90 Shotgun in her left.
At 1:06, the Covenant anti-aircraft battery is shown again, and shoots down a Longsword.
At 1:07, Cortana is shown in pain. Master Chief, the Arbiter and 343 Guilty Spark, watch on the covenant Separatist carrier, Shadow of Intent.
At 1:08, at least three UNSC frigates are shown in tight formation firing their main cannons.
At 1:11, a Chieftain is seen running towards the camera in a factory while armed with a Gravity Hammer.
At 1:12-1:13, a Brute is seen with a Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle, and a Jackal can be seen in the background. The Personal Shield, not in the beta, is shown being carried by Master Chief.
At 1:14, the Master Chief is shown boarding a Brute Chopper.
At 1:15, a Brute is seen charging the Master Chief but the player blasts him with a rocket launcher, a holographic Prophet throne and the Prophet of Truth are shown. Before the Brutes shoot you can see a green Waypoint marker indicating a teammate.
1:16 Shows a brute deploying a Bubble Shield.
1:17-1:18 show a close-up of the Master Chief firing the M6G Pistol. It then switches to a first person view of a series of plasma grenade explosions.
1:19 shows the Master Chief using the Brute Shot's melee attack on an un-helmeted Brute.
From 1:20-1:21, we see gameplay footage of the Master Chief riding in another Chopper across a battlefield.
At 1:22, the Master Chief is shown in a Pelican dropship over the Ark. He is accompanied by Hocus and Sgt. Johnson. Five Pelicans are then shown dropping from underneath a Covenant assault carrier in high orbit above the Ark.
At 1:30, The Master Chief blows up another Phantom using a Missile Pod.
At 1:32, a Jiralhanae Captain Major is shown. A marine fires an AIE-486H Heavy Machinegun from the rear ramp of a Pelican. Note that it is still on its tripod.
At 1:35, a Pelican is hit hard by a Banshee.
At 1:37, the Brute Chopper is shown, driven by the Master Chief.
At 1:38, a Personnel Carrier variant of the classic Warthog is shown, with Master Chief at the helm and at least three Marine passengers.
At 1:40, Master Chief, shoves a marine out of the way as he jumps at the Arbiter and points a pistol up under his jaw. This is the cutscene from the first time that they meet in Halo 3, and takes place on the first level ).
At 1:42, the new Scarab is shown. It is now lower to the ground, and has two cannons. The next few seconds show Master Chief assaulting the Scarab. At 1:44, the Arbiter is seen carrying a plasma cannon. At 1:45, Bungie gives away how to destroy a Scarab in Halo 3, as at this point Master Chief destroys an X-shaped power core in the middle of the Scarab and the Scarab explodes bright blue in spectacular fashion. As it is detonating in the top left corner appear a number of aircraft one of which is a Hornets, the human counterpart to the Banshee.
At 1:53, the Portal is shown open in a fairly dark sequence. The scenery is completely filled with a huge cloud of ash, and at least five CAS-class assault carriers and battlecruisers are shown, which appear to be leaving Earth, along with a lone Pelican flying toward the camera.
At 1:56, the end of the trailer comes with Master Chief in an in game cutscene leaning over a Covenant terminal: the location of Cortana. The trailer then flashes the Halo 3 logo and "Bungie". It ends at 2:11.
Transcript
Truth: "You are, all of you, vermin! Cowering in the dirt thinking... what? That you might escape the coming fire? Your world will burn until its surface is but glass!"
Trivia
- In the last few frames of the trailer, when the Bungie logo flickers, a message is hidden reading, "The fight lives on The Chosen One, Marathon Continues."[citation needed]
- This trailer is used as the "Video Preview" for Halo 3 on Xbox LIVE.
External links