Halo’s Best Ever Trailer Was For Halo 3

The Halo franchise has had its fair share of unique and captivating trailers, but perhaps nothing will ever be more memorable than the “Believe” campaign for Halo 3. The videos that stemmed from this advertising chose to focus on the aftermath of war rather than the excitement of it. The “Believe” campaign and the massive diorama that was made from it has stood out to fans not because of the action it portrays, but the emotional journey you are taken through.

The campaign consisted of 6 central videos, most of which featured live action actors. The central theme of the campaign was to depict a single, unknown battle in Halo 3. Elderly veterans of the war between the Human-Covenant forces would walk through the “Museum of Humanity“, speaking about their harrowing experiences and the role that the titular Master Chief played. At the heart of these advertisements was a massive 1,200 square foot diorama depicting a frozen moment during one of these battles. A minute and a half long video took viewers through an emotional journey of the grizzly scene, leaving many in silence at the end.

The video is painfully beautiful. Unlike the fast paced action driven sequences most Halo advertisements utilize, this “Believe” ad is very slow and serene. A single camera pans throughout different moments in the battle, focusing in on the faces of human and Covenant soldiers alike. Explosions have been paused mid-way through their rise as bodies are frozen mid-air, sent back by the blasts. Human soldiers are seen cowering behind whatever they can find, fear clear in their eyes as their massive opponents search for them amongst the bloodshed. Soldiers carry one another through the chaos as others are breaking down with one another. The battle feels endless and brutal, and humanity feels so small against it.

Halo 3’s “Believe” Campaign Is The Best Advertising The Halo Franchise Has Ever Had

These human soldiers are often forgotten in the larger scope of Halo‘s gameplay, as players often take the role of superhuman Spartans. The foot soldiers, the men who often die around you as you play, become the focal point of the campaign. They’re depicted as everyday people, sent into war against enemies who greatly outmatch and overpower them. Brutes and Hunters tower high above their enemies as humans are seen mid sprint as they run for their lives. The bodies of soldiers and Covenant litter the battle ground, covered in ash. Others are seen frozen as they collapse to the earth, having been fatally wounded. A serene piano plays over the battle, encapsulating the fragility and hopelessness of the fight.

One of the final shots shows Master Chief, seemingly lifeless in the hands of a Brute who overlooks the battle, cheering in victory as the Covenant overtake the human forces. As the music softens, a ray of hope shines as the Plasma Grenade in Chief’s hand begins to glow before he looks up directly at the camera. The scene fades as “Believe” comes across the screen. This moment, this video, is so effective because it perfectly encapsulates the themes of the Halo franchise: “War, duty, sacrifice, and most importantly the heroism of Master Chief“. The Chief is central to the game’s themes and has always been regarded as a hope to humanity. The diorama encompasses the hopelessness of human soldiers as they face seemingly unbeatable odds and the hope that comes with Master Chief.

The Halo 3 “Believe” campaign is host to raw emotion and the consequences of war. Players often feel so powerful in the face of their opponents, but the trailer shows another side, a perspective that is often overlooked as you shoot aliens and become the hero. These battles in Halo 3 often meant survival or extinction for the human race and the diorama perfectly encapsulates that reality. At the end of the day, all these soldiers had was hope, hope in Master Chief. They had to believe that even when everything seemed lost, he would rise again.

Source: Game Daily/YouTube

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