New Halo 2 development footage

Bungie and Microsoft have released the second official promotional video on the making of their eagerly awaited sequel, Halo 2. While almost all the game footage is recycled from the E3 demonstration and earlier trailers, some new interviews with the game's developers offer interesting tidbits about the sci-fi shooter's story.

Towards the end of the video, writer/cinematics director Joseph Staten mentions that Halo 2 will be "a galactic romp from one place to the next," and infers it will contain numerous interplanetary locales. He also gave some details, mentioning that players would be transported "from the ruins of Halo to ancient forerunner facilities in the atmospheres of gas giants." Art director Marcus Lehto also obliquely mentions said facilities, saying he wanted to create existing "damage from 900,000 years ago."

The video also contains footage of Lehto next to a wire-frame schematic of a temple-like facility and a concept painting of a ruined landscape. There are glimpses of 3D artist Shi Kai Wang working on the mysterious new Covenant Prophet and his hovering throne. Gun nuts will be excited by weapons master Robert McLees' brief mention of the new submachine pistols, which he refers to as "bullet hoses."

The video also has a few humorous moments. Staten mentions that project lead Jason Jones had written a (now-scrapped) subplot where the Master Chief was betrayed by a female companion. "He was going through a really bad breakup at the time," said Staten.

The entire Halo 2 video can be downloaded by clicking on the links below or downloading it from DLX.