Halo 2 officially unveiled

Today Microsoft held its X02 press event in New York City, where the company showed off its forthcoming lineup of premier Xbox titles and also officially announced a couple of very highly anticipated sequels: Project Gotham Racing 2 and Halo 2, the sequel to Bungie's outstanding 2001 shooter. Though Microsoft released some details on the next Halo game at E3 2002 in May, this was the first time that the game had been officially revealed to be a true sequel, and we also had a chance to see a noninteractive, in-engine teaser trailer for the game that showed off its new graphics engine and set the stage for the game's storyline.

The Master Chief, the enigmatic main character of Halo, is back in Halo 2--as is Cortana, the AI construct that joins him early on in the original game. The teaser trailer shows the Master Chief arming himself in the belly of a spaceship. Shouldering an assault rifle, he makes his way through the dark corridors of the ship toward the hangar. During this sequence, the increased level of detail in Halo's graphics becomes obvious. Realistic real-time lighting effects, superior animation, and even more realistic bump mapping lend the visuals an authentic touch.

As the Master Chief enters the hangar, it is revealed that his spacecraft is orbiting Earth--and that Earth is under heavy fire from Covenant warships. The Covenant are the enemy race from the original Halo game, and it seems that they have found the human homeworld and are seeking to destroy it outright. Therefore, the Master Chief's new mission is clear: defend Earth and save humankind. The Master Chief casts open the airlock of his ship and literally hurls himself into outer space, toward Earth. His suit can apparently withstand the void of space, but won't he be incinerated during atmospheric entry? Cortana is quick to express her concern. The Master Chief coolly reassures her that everything will be fine. He isn't jumping down to Earth--he lands, hard, on a Covenant ship and prepares his assault. The trailer ends there.

Microsoft stated that Halo 2 would be available exclusively for the Xbox during the holiday season of 2003. The game will reportedly feature an expanded arsenal of weapons, as well as more than twice as many drivable vehicles as the original game. Though the game will feature online play via the Xbox Live service, Microsoft did not reveal any specifics about the game's online multiplayer modes. We'll be sure to bring you additional information on Halo 2 as soon as it is available.