A deadly new foe has been revealed inHalo Infinite. Jega ‘Rdomnai, a Spartan Killer, will be hunting Master Chief throughout the campaign ofHalo Infinitewhen it launches on December 8.
In a recent interview with IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey,Halofranchise Narrative Writer Jeff Easterling, and Associate Creative Director Paul Crocker, more light was shed on Jega. This new character serves as theleader of the Hand of Atriox,Halo Infinite’sSpartan Killers.
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In the sixth installment of theHalofranchise, Master Chief finds himself on the Zeta Halo ring. Also occupying the ring are a rogue faction of the Covenant called the Banished.This renegade faction is led by Atriox, who served as the primary antagonist in 2017’sHalo Wars 2.Jega serves as both the right hand to Atriox and one ofHalo Infinite’sboss fights.
Crocker states that Jega was designed to be the “creepiest, most disturbing character that’s been inHalo.” There’s clearly a history to the character, who first appeared in the Campaign Overview trailer that was released a few weeks ago. His mandibles and left arm are robotic, his voice is discordant as he taunts Master Chief, and the red glow of his plasma weapons lend an overall sinister tone. While a lot of attention went into the design of the character, it will be interesting to see if this carries over to the game as a fully realized character.
Having a rival or antagonist for Master Chief has always been a core part of theHalofranchise. Each entry has made the attempt in one form or another, fromthe Arbiter inHalo 2to the Didact inHalo 4.The idea of a stealthy, primal, and terrifying rival that stalks the player through the campaign is one that works and could greatly benefit a game likeHalo Infinite.It all comes down to execution. Will Jega be likeResident Evil 2’sMr. X or will he be like nearly every other attempt’s scripted hunter?
While having a villain that can go toe to toe with Master Chief and instill fear in the player is nice, having said villain be another Elite may come across as uninspired to longtime fans. During the interview, Easterling explained the concept for Jega being “the inverse of what you’d expect from the Arbiter.” While it is an interesting thought experiment, it’s a similar road to one that players walked inHalo 2.But that’s the whole idea, to hold up a mirror to a beloved character and try and engage new players in a similar fashion to what veterans experienced with the Arbiter. Creating yet another iconic character in a beloved franchise can be like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Time will tell if the experiment is successfulwhenHalo Infinitereleases.
Halo Infinitewill be available on December 8 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
