The time was drawing ever closer towards the release of the game on everybody’s mind. Halo had captured the hearts of so much of the world, that if it was to be released during the work week, the economy might’ve come to a grinding halt.
Luckily for the Earth, ASTIR had decided to launch the title on a Friday evening at the earliest, rather than the popular Thursday night favored by most gaming companies. This had resulted in half of the world being forced to either stay up late into the night, or wake early the next morning, but it was ultimately better for everyone that way.
However, at 8pm, Pacific time, just an hour before launch, a new and unexpected trailer was released on the ASTIR website. One that just so happened to simultaneously send both chills, and thrills, down the spines of every military across the globe.
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It started with the solemn atmosphere of a funeral.
Torches lined the surroundings, as those gathered looked upon a military casket draped in a flag of crimson and gold.
Soon, the sound of bagpipes could be heard, followed by the beating of drums and a voice singing a Gaelic hymn.
Two men, clothed in the finest military dress, folded the flag and handed it to a weeping mother as the second son watched on.
A one-eyed colonel took his position at the lead of a formation, walking in measured strides and performing a crisp about-face. His gaze swept over the civilians, meeting eyes with the brother left behind, before calling out in Russian to begin the 21 gun salute.
With each round shot into the air, the boy’s eyes flinch while his gaze hardend into one of determination and revenge.
Over the course of the next minute, scenes of the boy’s transformation played out while he went through the grueling training required to fill his departed brother’s shoes. All the while, the singing and bagpipes faded into the background, giving way as the banging of drums mixed in with the sounds of sirens, shouted orders, and weapons fire.
As the boy performs the last test dive of his training, the scene transitions into that of a screaming drop pod, cutting through the atmosphere as it descends upon a world engulfed by war.
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The boy is nervous and it shows in his movements, this being his first time in theatre after all. Despite his fears, he still resolutely charged through the oncoming fire, taking shots at targets as they appear and not even flinching as Banshee’s streak overhead.
It isn’t until he’s blindsided by a Brute that the boy’s charge was halted, as he’s beaten into the mud and his helmet goes flying.
All seems lost for the lad as his sidearm proved ineffective against the Brute’s thick hide and armor. He’s left with no other options than to fire wildly at his foe as it roared, completely disregarding him while relishing in the thrill of battle.
Alas, as a burning Banshee comes streaking down and crashes atop the reveling berserker, luck once again proves to be the greatest asset to possess on the battlefield.
The scene then cuts away, transitioning into the far future. The boy, turned man, weathered by years of unending war, now presided over yet another funeral. This one to bury one of his new brothers.
As the solemn singing returns in the background, the man gathered a weathered, yet familiar, red and gold flag.
He folds the banner and stuffs it under his chest plate as the singing intensifies and the drums beat loudly in steady rhythm.
Picking up his rifle, the battle scarred man turns to a new recruit, fresh from his training and flinching at distant explosions and gunfire, like he had been so long ago.
The boy meets his gaze as the man dons his helmet, the visor lighting up for the coming battle. With no words needed, he does the same and readies his rifle for the next fight.
The scene then blurs away, drums echoing loudly within the ears of all while the hypnotic Gaelic hymn resounds through the air.
Three words come into view; WE ARE ODST, before the first two quickly fade away and are replaced by the title, HALO.
Then, with one last beat of a drum, the screen went black and two final messages appeared.
‘Experience the life, struggle, and glory of a true Hell Jumper. Only in Full Dive.’
‘Experience a small preview in Halo: ODST.’
•••••••••••
It was easy to see why militaries across the globe were salivating at the chance to play this game.
While previously they had been excited at the prospect of their troops getting some combat experience in the virtual world, a full, comprehensive training regiment from start to finish, based off the knowledge of a far more advanced and united Earth military, was something no nation could ignore.
In the United States, they even started calling the White House and demanding that they start researching the technology needed for Full Dive in earnest. To them, no matter how much it cost, it was cheaper and better than training their men in the real world. Sure they might still have to train them physically, but that was always the easiest and least expensive part of forging a soldier.
That wasn’t even considering the increased effectiveness of joint operations in the future. It was safe to say that when all your forces are all trained in the exact same way, they work together like a well oiled machine.
It was like this that, less than an hour before the game’s release, ASTIR had officially wrapped in all the naysayers who’d looked down on their VR.
Halo was proving to be a force that would no doubt revolutionize the Earth of Marvel, and it was just getting started.