An Xbox.com forum poster, DM Duo Maxwell, is claiming to have reproduced, in its entirety, an exclusive Game Informer article from the upcoming April issue that reveals details about Bungie's next project. According to the post, Bungie's next project will be a Halo game for the Xbox 360, currently codenamed, Forerunner.

The source reports that the game will feature "huge persistent worlds" using a modified Halo 2 engine. The main campaign will still feature Master Chief and will showcase 4-player co-op. The missions, however, will not be linear, nor will objectives been required. For example, if players are tasked with capturing a weapons depot, but decide to forego the assignment, then they will loose the opportunity to seize the additional weaponry and, in effect, will hand these weapons over to the enemy.

If you are charged to capture a weapons depot, for instance, you might not choose to do it, or may fail trying. Although our source says the game still has a definite mission structure, your failure at this particular task will mean that wh atever extra firepower may have been yours for the taking had you caputred the depot will instead strengthen your enemies from then on. This cause/effect concept applies to the game's destructible environments as well. Of course, the philosophy is nothing new in video games, but it clearly embraces Bungie's love of multiplayer and the lessons learned from the series' success online. We imagine that these tidbits are surely only the tip of an iceberg that hopefully includes plans to merge the offline and online worlds together to great effect.

Highlights

• Halo 3 isn't currently called Halo 3. In fact, it doesn't even have halo in the name - it is called Forerunner
• It will include HUGE environments.
• It will be somewhat open - i.e. A mission where you have to go invade/destroy an armory will determine how much weaponry you have for the next mission and how much the opposing forces will have.
• Will have a definite mission structure - but still be somewhat open.
• 4 Player Co-Op
• A gameinformer source (not named) HAS SEEN THE GAME IN ACTION.  He also explains that the reason Bungie says there is no Halo 3 is because it will most likely be called "Forerunner"

Update: So much for the rumours about Halo 3 being called Forerunner - turns out it's all a hilarious April Fool's joke. Heh. According to a forum post by a bloke from Bungie: "We can't smack 'em for an April Fool's gag. Not like we never did any." Ah well.