User:ATP2555 II/Halo: New Battles

Halo: New Battles is a third-person tactical shooter in the Halo universe, developed by Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. and published by Microsoft Innonative Arts. This game marks the start of a new trilogy of Halo third-person shooters.

The game was announced at E3 2010, but no other word was heard from then, and it was believed to be cancelled, until 2011, where it was confirmed to be for release in 2012.

Characters/Setting
Halo: New Battles takes place in 2611, approximately 58 years after the events of the Human-Covenant War, on the newly formed colony world Xidia, colonized in 2579 and deemed as the "New Reach", aswell as being marked as the new main military hub for the UNSC. After the end of the Human-Covenant War and Great Schism, the Covenant Empire is reformed under the name New Covenant Empire. The game follows Jones-460, a SPARTAN-II with a rough career, which includes recieving four demotions, losing three medals, and spending twelve months in an ONI brig for interference. Jones-460 must defend the planet Xidia, alongside other UNSC forces, from the newly-reformed Covenant forces during the Second Human-Covenant War.

Over the course of the storyline, the player will travel across Xidia to repel the Covenant threat, which includes locations ranging from a relay facility, underground mines, ONI facilities, and even full-scaled battles on Xidia's capital city. The player will also encounter native creatures of the planet, such as the Zéta and Sao.

Plot
The game begins in November 2611. In a dark area of space, a Covenant Cruiser silently drifts past the colony world of Xidia, before it starts it's destination towards it. A UNSC Navy cruiser known as the "Bossu", currently in orbit above Xidia. A Pelican approaches the ship, carrying Jones-460 who has just been released from the brig under request from Captain Nerash Elso. He is given orders to secure the Skilute Relay Station, which has gone into a blackout in the past twenty hours. On this mission, Jones is given an assistant A.I., known as Heartless Winter. Afterwards, Jones heads down to the planet, supported by a Marine fireteam. They investigate, and find that the station has been attacked by an unknown assailant. Jones searches further in, and the power goes out. It is soon revealed that the cause of the distruption is a Covenant Grunt strike team that has snuck past the UNSC sensors. Jones eliminates them, and turns the power back on. At this point, after Jones resets the power, the Covenant Cruiser previously seen in the opening drifts over the station. UNSC comms go ape, and WINTER CONTINGENCY has been declared.