With Halo 4, the newly-crafted development studio 343 Industries is attempting to build the next great adventure for the legendary Master Chief. We had a chance to visit their office (located in the old Bungie studio) and discuss their approach on how to take the Halo series in a bold, new direction while remaining true to the past 10 years of excellence.

Watch the video below to see studio creative director Josh Holmes and Halo 4 executive producer Kiki Wolfkill share their thoughts on the development of the new Halo trilogy and what 343 Industries has in store for the fans.

I started and finished the Infamous vampire-themed DLC today, and was surprised by how much my opinion about it has changed since this morning. Going in, I was skeptical. It’s a non-canon side-story, it doesn’t use your Infamous 2 save data, and you don’t have access to Cole’s full range of abilities. That may sound damning, but now that I’ve completed Festival of Blood, I can say that it is among the best post-release additions to a game I’ve ever seen.

The name id Software rings of nostalgia. Franchises like Wolfenstein, Doom, and Quake laid the groundwork for the first-person shooter genre, and I can still see their designs influencing many of today’s new releases. Despite the studio’s pedigree, it hasn’t developed an FPS title since 2004’s Doom 3. The genre has changed significantly in the years that have followed. Franchises like Half-Life and Call of Duty are the genre’s trendsetters. Now, id Software makes its long-awaited FPS return with a new franchise called Rage. Can the father of the FPS reemerge as the powerhouse it once was, or will it be playing catch-up to the genre’s latest trends? The answer is a little of both.

We already knew that EA was working on the next installment of the Medal of Honor franchise, but with Battlefield 3 out the door, the publisher has started the hype machine for its next major military shooter.

Copies of Battlefield 3 came packaged with an insert pointing people toward the Medal of Honor website, which was updated yesterday with a couple of blog posts dropping some hints at the next Medal of Honor.

While the actual information in these posts is minimal, EA has revealed a new unit patch (pictured above) that will be featured in the game. Though the unit is not named, the post says the patch "should give you a good idea of what type of team you'll be a part of in our upcoming game."

Any guesses as to what top-secret elite military force we'll be stepping into the shoes of this time around?

Achievement leaks? Those happen all the time. Screenshot leaks? Yep, we get those. Sometimes even videos. But leaks of a game's manual? That's reserved solely for games that fans are going crazy waiting for. Case in point: Skyrim.

Someone has posted an image gallery containing pictures of the inside and outside of a supposed leaked copy of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's game manual. We were sent a link to this gallery as a news tip (thanks, Chase!), so we're not really sure where it originated from, but the pictures definitely seemreal and believable. Still, consider it rumor for the time being.

The text of manual contains everything from a description of how to cook to some lore from in-game texts. If you're obsessed enough to be poring over a game's manual prior to release, then this is all probably stuff you already know, but maybe it will help cool your burning desire for a night at least.

My only question: Does the person who posted these pictures have a copy of the actual game? And if so, how do we track him or her down to steal it post-haste?

Rumors of a multiplayer mode had been swirling around Mass Effect 3 since its announcement, but EA and BioWare finally made it official. The series’ third entry will have a separate co-op mode that allows you to play alongside your friends – an addition that may raise some doubts among Mass Effect’s legion of single-player fans. If you haven't seen it yet, you should catch up by checking out the co-op reveal trailer.

Gotham City’s skyline glows warmly, showing decades of progress and prosperity in each of its majestic towers. On this night, this impressive view is obstructed by the massive concrete walls of Arkham City, Gotham’s new home for its lunatics and murderers. Behind these barriers, a section of the city has been transformed into a prison with no rules. The inmates govern themselves. Anarchy reigns in the streets as they vie for territory control. The city’s historic landmarks are altered to bear the signature of the villains controlling them. The Penguin nests in the museum. The Joker’s maniacal laugh echoes across the docks. No sane person would dare enter this dangerous penitentiary. For Batman and the gamer controlling him, however, Arkham City is the ultimate hunting grounds and a place where one of gaming’s most remarkable adventures unfolds.

The first installment of the Elder Scrolls V development diaries sheds light on the challenge of creating a compelling and unique fantasy setting.

When returning to the Elder Scrolls after working on Fallout 3, the art team at Bethesda Studios knew it wanted to go a different direction from Oblivion, which adhered closely to the traditional medieval look. After experimenting with several radical design departures, the team gravitated toward a more gritty theme influenced by Conan and ancient Viking lore.

Max is back. It feels good to type those words, especially in light of how long Rockstar went dark on Max Payne 3 following our cover story. The dormant period even caused some to speculate that the game was destined for development hell. Fear not, readers – Max Payne 3 is real, and I’ve seen it being played thanks to a recent Rockstar demo session. Not only is it real, it’s shaping up to be one of my most anticipated titles of next year.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was one of my favorite games of this generation. Taking a cast of indelible characters through a thrilling adventure packed with jaw-dropping set pieces, it was a masterwork of video games as pure entertainment. Sure, BioShock might have had more on its mind, but with Uncharted 2 Naughty Dog delivered a perfect piece of pop fun.

Uncharted 2 raised the stakes for this franchise, setting an almost impossibly high bar for its successor to live up to. I’m happy to report that it does not disappoint.