Skip to main content

‘Forza Horizon 4’ reportedly includes famous ‘Halo’ level

Forza Horizon 4 - E3 2018 - Announce Trailer

The original Halo: Combat Evolved is one of the most important games — if not the most important — that Microsoft has ever published, and it looks like one of the company’s upcoming titles will pay tribute to it. Forza Horizon 4 will reportedly include a mission based on the “Silent Cartographer” level, and we couldn’t be more excited to race around in a Warthog again.

An image, which appears to be a leak from Forza Horizon 4, was posted on Reddit over the weekend and shows a Warthog from the Halo series driving along a beach. To the left of the Warthog, you can clearly see a Halo ring in the sky, and a large Covenant ship looms overhead, partially obscured by clouds. Given the amount of driving found in “Silent Cartographer,” it seems like the obvious choice for a tribute.

In July, an icon for a showcase race in Forza Horizon 4 seemed to suggest the Halo series’ Pelican ship would also be making an appearance. This event is likely the same as the “Silent Cartographer” mission, as the Pelican is heavily featured in the original Halo. The mission opens with an enormous battle on a beach before eventually making its way indoors. It was a technical marvel on the original Xbox 17 years ago, and we’re excited to see what Playground Games can do with it in 2018.

“Silent Cartographer” isn’t the only mission in the original Halo to heavily focus on driving. The final mission, “The Maw,” features a tense escape sequence as you race to escape the Halo ring before it’s completely destroyed. A similar mission was also included at the end of Halo 3.

Forza Horizon 4 has much more going for it than just a Halo mission. The game features dynamic seasons that can completely change how you race, as well as an online open world, 4K resolution and 60 frames per second on Xbox One X, and more than 450 cars. Though you’ll have the option to play with real racers in an online open world, Forza Horizon 4 will also support a more traditional offline mode. The game comes to Xbox One and PC on October 2, and it’s part of Microsoft’s Xbox Play Anywhere program.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
The Crew Motorfest is in a race with Forza Horizon 5, but it’s destined for second place
An offroad race in The Crew Motorfest

As I played three hours of a preview build for The Crew Motorfest, I felt that I’d experienced most of what it had to offer before.

The Crew Motorfest: Cinematic Introduction | Ubisoft Forward

Read more
Fable 4: release date, trailers, gameplay, and more
Scenic view of a castle from the new Fable trailer.

Fable fans have waited since 2010 for a true Albion adventure, and it looks like they'll have to keep waiting a bit longer. The next installment in the franchise, apply named Fable 4, is in production but from a brand new studio known only for its racing games rather than fantasy RPGs. We've caught a few glimpses at the new game, and while more details are still to come, there's plenty worth diving into. Here's everything we know about Fable 4.
Release date

There is no definite release date for Fable 4, and players shouldn't get their hopes up anytime soon. Even after an in-engine trailer was shown at the Xbox Games Showcase in 2023, not even a release window has been announced.
Platforms

Read more
Forza Motorsport includes a one-button accessibility option and ‘CarPG’ hooks
A red and blue car clash in Forza Motorsport

While Forza games are a dime a dozen, Forza Motorsport could be the most pivotal installment of the series to date. Set to launch on October 10, the racing simulator is aiming to change the trajectory of Xbox’s long-running series. It’s being positioned as a live-service platform that’s built to last for a good chunk of the Xbox Series X’s life cycle, if not the entire thing. It’s a similar approach that Halo Infinite was poised to take, though Forza Motorsport seems like it's in a much better position to pull it off.

Forza Motorsport - Official Trailer

Read more