Halo 3 E3 2007 Trailer

The Halo 3 E3 2007 Trailer was a video relased by Bungie Studios for the E3 gaming convention, showcasing the first real glimpse at the Halo 3 campaign. It was also released on the night of July 10, 2007 via Bungie.net and the Xbox Live marketplace for free download. The duration of the video is 2 minutes and 11 seconds.

YouTube version of the trailer RHg1_Yl7bTs

Synopsis
The video begins with various images of Covenant CCS-class Battlecruisers and Assault Carriers wreaking havoc on the forces of Earth, as Phantom dropships unload Brute forces who brutalize human Marines. It is narrated by a new, unfamiliar, raspy voice speaking for the Covenant (presumably a Prophet or Brute 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 MJOLNIR Mix and showing the Master Chief and the Arbiter battling through various Earth areas, against Phantoms and a new Scarab. It features Drones, Hunters, Grunts, and Elites engaged in combat, as well as a glimpse of the new HUD, which contains several new components.

Revelations
The video contains several new 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 is the first to officially confirm that the Arbiter will be appearing in the game, and also features other members of the Elite race, confirming that the Elites and Marines now fight together against the Covenant.

The Video also features the apparent revelation that Dropships, including the Pelicans and 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. The Master Chief and Arbiter will work together to bring at least one of these down.

343 Guilty Spark and Cortana make their first appearances, showing that they, along with the Master Chief and Arbiter, will work together 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 detailed 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 a level that is probably Assault (Level) are shown. During this time period, we see the first of the new Brute armor, in red and blue. Both of the shots appear to be live gameplay.

The next sequence appears to be cinematic in nature, and is almost surely a piece of a cutscene from the game. From 0:21 to 0:26 two Covenant CCS-class Battlecruisers glassing Earth. A lone Phantom dropship is shown flying away from the far cruiser, and presumably is carrying at least one of the main characters.

From 0:27 to 0:43 more live action is shown from the levels Sierra 117 and Assault (Level) 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 (centre-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 some kind of walking Covenant device that appears to be a gun emplacement. Three Longsword type fighters fly overhead in formation, and the location is revealed to be the crater from the Halo 3 Announcement Trailer. It is not yet known what level this crater is a part of. Also, interestingly at 0:46, the mysterious vortex that appears above the Ark is already shown forming, despite the fact that the Ark has not yet been activated.

0:47 to 0:49 show what appear to be pieces of the orbital elevator from the level Metropolis that has been destroyed. This sequence also shows the first two Flying Brutes. When Master Chief zooms in using his sniper rifle, the Brutes are shown to be wearing jetpacks, 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 is currently unknown if it will be in the final game. It may be an deployable item.

At 0:51 in the background to the left, the Forerunner Ship last seen in Halo 2 is shown to have landed on Earth. This is also obviously live action gameplay.

At 0:52, Master Chief destroys his first Phantom.

For the next 10 seconds, more parts of Voi are shown.

At 1:02, one of the Grunts is shown driving a Ghost, Master Chief quickly destroys the Ghost with a Rocket Launcher.

At 1:04, Commander Miranda Keyes can be seen dual wielding the newly developed M6G Pistol in her right hand and the M90 Shotgun in her left.

At 1:06, the mysterious Covenant Walking Gun Emplacement is shown again, and shoots down a Longsword. This time it is shown that it is definitely not the new Scarab. With this revelation, it appears that at least one level of Halo 3 will be focused on disabling the emplacement so that Longsword fighters can fly into the Ark crater.

At 1:07, Cortana is shown in pain, her image being transmitted by 343 Guilty Spark. Master Chief, the Arbiter, 343 Guilty Spark, and another Elite are present. This may be on the level The Key, on High Charity.

At 1:08, at least 3 UNSC Frigates are shown in tight formation firing their main guns.

At 1:10, the Arbiter yells for some reason. Master Chief stands beside him, both are unarmed.

At 1:11, a Chieftain is seen running towards the camera in a factory with while armed with a Gravity Hammer.

At 1:12-1:13, a Brute is seen with a Plasma Rifle, and a Jackal can be seen in the background. 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 Prophet (possibly Truth) are shown. Before the Brute is shot you can see a green Waypoint marker indicating a teammate (possibly online co-op play or the Arbiter.)

The next sequence is the one that raises the most questions in the whole trailer. At 1.22, the Master Chief is shown in a Pelican dropship over a strange object which appears to be of Forerunner origin. He is accompanied by two other individuals: an pilot in a pressure suit (It is not an ODST suit as it is not a marine helmet and has breathing apparatus on the face where the mouth and nose would be. On an ODST helmet the whole face is covered by a visor whereas this one is much thinner.) and Sgt. Johnson. Five Pelicans are then shown dropping from underneath a Covenant Assault Carrier in high orbit above the object.

The nature of the object in this scene cannot be discerned from the trailer footage. It is unknown whether it is a planet, a Halo installation, or something else entirely.

However, the object cannot be Earth for many reasons. First, not very many Covenant ships are shown flying above the planet, when it is known that Earth is being overwhelmed by a full Covenant invasion force. Secondly, the continents on the planet are not even similar to Earth's. Thirdly, (even though these may have been destroyed) no MAC guns are present in the atmosphere. Finally, it would be very strange for a Halo to be crashing into Earth, because as far as is known, no Installations exist within many light years of Earth.

Note: The object appears to have some sort of cities on it, which are arranged in the shape of a Forerunner symbol (visible at 1:29).

At 1:30, MC blows up another Phantom.

At 1:32, a Brute is shown in yellow armor. A marine fires a 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, displaying that Pelicans can also now take damage.

At 1:37, the new Brute Chopper is shown, driven by the Master Chief.

At 1:38, a new Personnel Carrier variant of the classic Warthog is shown, with Master Chief at the helm and at least 3 Marine passengers. The Warthog is damaged, with all windows shot out.

At 1:40, Master Chief jumps at the Arbiter and points a pistol up under his jaw. This is probably the cutscene from the first time that they meet in Halo 3, because it 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 new weapon that fires blue plasma, possibly a portable 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 (very easily, too, as he only uses a single Brute Spiker) 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 bears a resemblence to a helicopter, lending credence to the rumors of the Hornet, the human couterpart to the Banshee.

At 1:46, at the top middle screen, there appears to be a new plane. The plane is not shiny and has different wings than the Banshee.

At 1:53, the Ark is shown opening in a fairly dark sequence. The scenery is completely filled with a huge cloud of ash, and at least five Covenant Assault Carriers and Battlecruisers are shown, along with a lone Pelican flying toward the camera (the lowest ship to the ground in the scene).

At 1:56, the end of the trailer comes with Master Chief in an in game cutscene leaning over a Forerunner control device that is glowing bright blue. The trailer then flashes the Halo 3 logo and "Bungie". It ends at 2:11

Transcript
Unknown character voiced by Peter Weller:
 * 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!

Links
See and download the trailer: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/21469.html?e3i=1&type=mov Also here: http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=ethreeblowout

Listen to or download the music played in the E3 2007 Trailer: http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=news&cid=12651