Microsoft has launched their new advertising campaign for Halo 3.  This time out, they’ve taken a different approach — a series of artfully crafted pseudo-documentaries that take place 50 years after the events of the game.  We see the war in Halo 3 from the perspective of its veterans, in a style that’s almost like post-modern Ken Burns. 

Halo fandom is more than just rabid, it’s a cult, and I must admit that I am a part of it.  The series blends messianic imagry with a hard science fiction plot to form the fiction of the Halo universe — and although it doesn’t seem very original when viewed in pieces, the whole of Halo is extremely compelling.  Master Chief isn’t so much a hero as he is a religious savior, and the brilliance of Halo is that every player across the world gets to walk in his shoes and become him.  Say what you will about Gordon Freeman in the Half Life series — he may have risen to the occasion, but people don’t love him like they love Spartan John 117.

Below are each of the latest Halo 3 ads — even if you’re not interested in the game, take a look at them for their post modern genius and keep in mind that millions of people around the world love Halo above just about everything else and how they are responding to these images.