Halo 4 is a first-person shooter video game developed by 343 Industries for the Xbox 360 console. It is the first installment in a new trilogy of Halo games, named the Reclaimer Trilogy. The game was released worldwide on November 6, 2012, with the exception of Japan where the game was released on November 8, 2012. Halo 4's story begins four years after the ending of Halo 3; the player assumes the role of the Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced supersoldier. The story is mainly set on a Forerunner planet, where Master Chief encounters the alien race known as the Covenant and ancient warriors of the Forerunner ecumene known as the Prometheans. Master Chief is accompanied by the artificial intelligence construct Cortana.
Halo 4 was officially announced on June 4, 2011, at E3 2011. On September 26, 2012, it was announced that the game's development was complete. Halo 4 grossed US$220 million on its launch day, with an estimated gross of $300 million in its opening week, marking a new record for the franchise. The game received generally positive reviews from professional critics on release.
