The latest Halo Infinite trailer during E3 2021 revealed a new Cortana replacement companion for Master Chief. Following the events of Halo 5: Guardians, the fate of Cortana is unknown (at the time of writing), but what is clear is that she will not be accompanying John-117 on his next mission. Halo 5: Guardians spoilers below.
Halo 5: Guardians saw Cortana turn rogue due to rampancy, and betray Master Chief. At the game's end, Cortana and her team of A.I. began consolidating power, and forced the UNSC Infinite into an emergency slipspace jump to flee her and regroup. Needless to say, Master Chief would have to figure out his next step without his trusted A.I. companion, so 343 Industries have introduced a new character to give the game the original Halo feeling. It was previously teased that a new Halo Infinite trailer was in the works for E3 2021, but the addition of a new A.I. to replace Cortana was not expected.
The latest Halo Infinite trailer, posted by IGN after premiering during E3, shows Master Chief floating through the wreckage of a destroyed ship. During his search, Cortana's voice from previous games can be heard, despite her no longer being Master Chief's A.I. The chief asks for Cortana's location, upon which a new (and currently unnamed) A.I. tells John-117 that she's been deleted—supposedly by him.
Chief says he did no such thing, which confuses the A.I., who also reveals that she herself was supposed to have been deleted already. With things not adding up, Chief suggests the A.I. insert herself into his helmet so the two set out to figure out what happened. While initially hesitant, the A.I. decides to accompany Chief, which is where the trailer ends.
Of course, from a gameplay perspective, an all-knowing A.I. feels necessary to keep players informed about what is going on, where to go, etc (for those wanting more Halo Infinite gameplay, there is also a trailer for that) . Narratively meanwhile, there is a mystery that needs to be addressed, and it affects both of the trailer's characters.
Microsoft's joint presentation with Bethesda was home to many big reveals, such as The Outer Worlds 2 being announced, so the talk about a new A.I. may not be the most shocking thing to read. However, the presence of a new A.I. playing the Cortana role in the Halo Infinite story raises some questions, namely will she (the new A.I.) live and stay a permanent fixture? And, if yes, what would that mean for Cortana? Surely these questions will be answered when Halo Infinite releases this holiday season.
Source: IGN/YouTube
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June 14, 2021 at 12:08AM
