This is a video promoting the new interactive game by Bungie. It was released on September 22^nd exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game console.

The promotional video is notable because live actors are used to make a short movie. Possibly to prepare the ground for a live action full length feature film in the future. Given the games popularity and the popularity of the other games in the “Halo” franchise, this could well happen.

The game is based around a story taking place in the 26^th century. Earth is fighting a war against the “Covenant” an alliance of alien races committed to the destruction of human life. Shown in the Video are the Jiralhanae, otherwise known as “Brutes” One of the alien life forms threatening Earth. They are much larger than humans, extremely ferocious and hard to kill. Also shown is a Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft known as a “Banshee” The standard ground assault craft for the Covenant.

Earth is defended by the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) they are the Military, Exploratory and Scientific agency of the United Earth Government (UEG). The elite military arm of this agency is the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. (ODST)

The video shows a young protagonist named Tarkov. He attends the military funeral of an acquaintance, Staff sergeant K. Stark. Who had been a member of the 19^th Shock Troops Battalion of the 105^th ODST Regiment. Afterwards he volunteers to join ODST. He goes through a brutal training period that includes live ammunition and combat crawls in mud.

During one of his first missions he is dropped onto an unknown planet. Large forces of Jiralhanae were waiting at the drop zone and a fierce fight ensues. As Tarkov is moving forward a Jiralhanae Major strikes cutting his face and knocking him into a puddle. The brute moves to finish him off but just then a disabled banshee flies into the Brute, killing him and saving Tarkov’s life.

Years go by and Tarkov, now much older and hardened, his facial cuts turned to deep scars, is with four other troopers holding a battlefield burial for a comrade. As explosions sound in the distance, the troopers put on their helmets and move out.

During the funeral and boot camp scenes the commands are given in Hungarian. The song in the background is Welsh. The lyrics to the song are;

Gafflwn Dihenydd O’r fuddugol yn wiriol sydd, Ni fydd neb yn ein drechu, Falch ydy ni I drochu, Traed o flaen I’r Annwn, mewn y gwybodaeth fe godwn ni.

“We cheat Death from his rightful victory. No one can defeat us we are glad to plunge feet first into Annwn in the knowledge that we will rise.”

A couple of points on the translation;

There are a couple of Welsh words for “Death.” In this song the word used is Dihenydd, literally “The Ancient of Days” This is an old Welsh way of personifying death. Making death a person rather than an occurrence or a concept.

Welsh also has two words for “hell” Uffern is the Christian hell, the one of fire and brimstone and eternal torment. The word used here is Annwn, the Celtic otherworld where we go when we leave the mortal world. For warriors who die bravely in battle it is similar to the halls of Asgard in Germanic legend. Though Annwn is also a place of rest, joy and delight, for those of a less warlike nature or if you want to take a rest from war. It is a place of punishment for the wicked and in that context can be a grim and forbidding place. Either way, nobody stays there. Eventually we all once again, enter the Cauldron of rebirth. We know we shall rise again.