I have been thinking about this for a long time… How will HALO 4 manage to capture the whole HALO Universe when it constraints itself primarily to John 117 and Cortana as they explore the alien planet? How will the game feel like HALO without marines and the UNSC and even a hint of connection to what you are actually fighting for- humanity? How will HALO 4 succeed at being so innovative if there is not a speck of what was there before?
That’s when I considered the possibility of a split campaign. At the beginning, I disliked the idea. I didn’t want to play in the shoes of some random Spartan or ODST or whatever. But then I read Glasslands, MASSIVE INCOMING SPOILERS, in which the Spartan IV project was introduced. The new generation of Spartans were more akin to the originals- the ORION project- and were volunteers which received minor augmentions and were aimed primarily focused on very specific missions which were secret to the rest of the population below the pay grade. The S-IV project has existed for a while (by 2553) although how much time exactly is unknown.
With the new Spartans, 343 can introduce us to a new set of much more human and believable characters and can manage to keep what makes HALO HALO whilst still going with their innovative stile that can only be described as a reboot to the series.
If, per chance, the game does have a split campaign that takes us into the human controlled regions of the Galaxy, with a different type of gameplay that is still classic HALO, we can only imagine what the story can be about in that part of the campaign… All we know right now is that the UNSC INFINTY will play a certain role in the game and that part of its crew are S-IVs.
Lets gather the evidence for and against HALO 4 having a split campaign…
FOR
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John and Cortana’s story can not possibly cover all the important parts of the HALO Universe without sacrificing the lonely, mysterious, explorative and revalatious (I like making up words) feel that that part of the game seems to be all about…
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The UNSC INFINITY in the concept art is shown orbiting a terraformed planet, while John and Cortana seem to be inside a completely metallic planet.
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No ally marines for a really long part of the game?
AGAINST
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343i keep saying they want to focus on John and Cortana.
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Master Chief has gotten new armor, from where? Maybe the UNSC INFINTY came to him and gave him the armo later in the plot. But would that work? Changing your armor mid-way would also change your gameplay, no? How would that work?
THE VERDICT
I am pretty torn, what do you think? And do you even want a split campaign? Go ahead, say what you think.
Mm-hmm, I see.
Oh yes, I completely understand.
Yup.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Okay, well.
Um. Yeah.
To be honest, the Spartan 4s are going to be no were near as good as the 2s.
I wouldn’t want a game where I am constantly switching between strong and weak.
Also, Halo CE was pretty much you and Cortana half the time anyway.
The fact that there might not be any marines in Halo 4 doesn’t bother me. How do you know that the Infinity is going to meet John in the Campaign?
> Mm-hmm, I see.
>
> Oh yes, I completely understand.
>
> Yup.
>
> Mm-hmm.
>
> Yeah.
>
> Okay, well.
>
> Um. Yeah.
I don’t… What?
> To be honest, the Spartan 4s are going to be no were near as good as the 2s.
>
> I wouldn’t want a game where I am constantly switching between strong and weak.
>
> Also, Halo CE was pretty much you and Cortana half the time anyway.
> The fact that there might not be any marines in Halo 4 doesn’t bother me. How do you know that the Infinity is going to meet John in the Campaign?
I don’t. Hell, I am actually suggesting they might not. That’s why I’m saying there could be a split Campaign…
> > To be honest, the Spartan 4s are going to be no were near as good as the 2s.
> >
> > I wouldn’t want a game where I am constantly switching between strong and weak.
> >
> > Also, Halo CE was pretty much you and Cortana half the time anyway.
> > The fact that there might not be any marines in Halo 4 doesn’t bother me. How do you know that the Infinity is going to meet John in the Campaign?
>
> I don’t. Hell, I am actually suggesting they might not. That’s why I’m saying there could be a split Campaign…
The only way I would realy like a split campaign is if the other charicter was a Forerunner.
Elites where done in Halo 2, ODST/Humans were done in Halo 3 ODST, Spartan 3s where done in Reach.
Give us some Forerunner 
> To be honest, the Spartan 4s are going to be no were near as good as the 2s.
>
> I wouldn’t want a game where I am constantly switching between strong and weak.
>
> Also, Halo CE was pretty much you and Cortana half the time anyway.
> The fact that there might not be any marines in Halo 4 doesn’t bother me. How do you know that the Infinity is going to meet John in the Campaign?
The 4s have mark 7 armor meaning that they would be just as good as the two, the Spartan 4 program has the benefits and perks of the 2’s program, with the success rate of the 3’s program. The only difference is, is that they use consenting adults like the Orion project, and to be honest that is the only similarity between the two programs. The Spartan 4 program is only similar to the Orion project in ethics, not bio and technical engineering.
So Prone, what do you have to say about this? Do you think the Campaign will split?
> > > To be honest, the Spartan 4s are going to be no were near as good as the 2s.
> > >
> > > I wouldn’t want a game where I am constantly switching between strong and weak.
> > >
> > > Also, Halo CE was pretty much you and Cortana half the time anyway.
> > > The fact that there might not be any marines in Halo 4 doesn’t bother me. How do you know that the Infinity is going to meet John in the Campaign?
> >
> > I don’t. Hell, I am actually suggesting they might not. That’s why I’m saying there could be a split Campaign…
>
> The only way I would realy like a split campaign is if the other charicter was a Forerunner.
>
> Elites where done in Halo 2, ODST/Humans were done in Halo 3 ODST, Spartan 3s where done in Reach.
>
> Give us some Forerunner
You know that’s never going to happen 
> So Prone, what do you have to say about this? Do you think the Campaign will split?
Honestly, I don’t think it will be a split campaign like Halo 2, but I do belive that it will include allot of back story and [SPOILER ALERT] The fact that Frank O’Connor said that the AI BB will be a big part of the campaign defiantly means that their will be a huge story to tell, maybe they might do a split story thing in Halo 5 but it wouldn’t really bother me if they decided not to include it.
They said that a spartan’s armor upgrades (changes) while in cryotube
That’s MARK 7 for you, it’s completely comprised of Nano technology.
> That’s MARK 7 for you, it’s completely comprised of Nano technology.
How would you say that might work gameplay wise? Maybe a replacement to the health system?
> > That’s MARK 7 for you, it’s completely comprised of Nano technology.
>
> How would you say that might work gameplay wise? Maybe a replacement to the health system?
I always thought about this, it would make sense, every time a new wound is opened up the nanites instantly get working to seal up the would with bio foam and some kind of antiseptic adhesive that works with the bio -foam to speed up the coagulation process.
> > > That’s MARK 7 for you, it’s completely comprised of Nano technology.
> >
> > How would you say that might work gameplay wise? Maybe a replacement to the health system?
>
> I always thought about this, it would make sense, every time a new wound is opened up the nanites instantly get working to seal up the would with bio foam and some kind of antiseptic adhesive that works with the bio -foam to speed up the coagulation process.
It could get much better than the current health system, I think. Going back to the days of Halo 2 and 3 where you weren’t always checking your health and working around it will be cool. Plus, it could be awesome visually, imagine thousands of really small round black bots rearranging themselves around your armor when you get hurt. It would make the game feel much more like the 26th century. IMO the game only feels a hundred years or so in the future right now- yeah, you could say that colonization slowed down the process of technological development but that only kicked in around the 2300s.
> > > > That’s MARK 7 for you, it’s completely comprised of Nano technology.
> > >
> > > How would you say that might work gameplay wise? Maybe a replacement to the health system?
> >
> > I always thought about this, it would make sense, every time a new wound is opened up the nanites instantly get working to seal up the would with bio foam and some kind of antiseptic adhesive that works with the bio -foam to speed up the coagulation process.
>
> It could get much better than the current health system, I think. Going back to the days of Halo 2 and 3 where you weren’t always checking your health and working around it will be cool. Plus, it could be awesome visually, imagine thousands of really small round black bots rearranging themselves around your armor when you get hurt. It would make the game feel much more like the 26th century. IMO the game only feels a hundred years or so in the future right now- yeah, you could say that colonization slowed down the process of technological development but that only kicked in around the 2300s.
Hmmm I guess, in fact I really like that idea, but I personally like to see how much more my armor can take until I die, not just die and get confused as to how something killed me so quickly, this way you can judge whether or not you want to continue fighting or take some cover temporarily. I think the Nanites should be used as a regeneration agent, so it would make more sense when your health recharges, just like the elite’s ones do now.
You’re idea of the Nanites fixing armor really goes well with the armor damage aesthetic that people are barking about, you could just hit a button after a game for the option to let you’re armor repair and watch the Nanites work their magic.
> > > > > That’s MARK 7 for you, it’s completely comprised of Nano technology.
> > > >
> > > > How would you say that might work gameplay wise? Maybe a replacement to the health system?
> > >
> > > I always thought about this, it would make sense, every time a new wound is opened up the nanites instantly get working to seal up the would with bio foam and some kind of antiseptic adhesive that works with the bio -foam to speed up the coagulation process.
> >
> > It could get much better than the current health system, I think. Going back to the days of Halo 2 and 3 where you weren’t always checking your health and working around it will be cool. Plus, it could be awesome visually, imagine thousands of really small round black bots rearranging themselves around your armor when you get hurt. It would make the game feel much more like the 26th century. IMO the game only feels a hundred years or so in the future right now- yeah, you could say that colonization slowed down the process of technological development but that only kicked in around the 2300s.
>
> Hmmm I guess, in fact I really like that idea, but I personally like to see how much more my armor can take until I die, not just die and get confused as to how something killed me so quickly, this way you can judge whether or not you want to continue fighting or take some cover temporarily. I think the Nanites should be used as a regeneration agent, so it would make more sense when your health recharges, just like the elite’s ones do now.
>
> You’re idea of the Nanites fixing armor really goes well with the armor damage aesthetic that people are barking about, you could just hit a button after a game for the option to let you’re armor repair and watch the Nanites work their magic.
Exactly what I’m thinking.
Great minds think alike my friend : )