No, not really, sorry to get you excited. But it is a possiblity that Bungie will release another game starring the Chief, let me tell you why.

Frank O’Connor recently spoke with USA Today about the upcoming Halo 3: ODST, but the key phrase that came out of his mouth was ”I doubt we have seen the last of Master Chief.” Sounds pretty sneaky to slip that in right at the end of the interview. Let the rumors fly boys.

Other than that, O’Connor commented on ODST, saying it:

“is significantly more than an add-on. It’s a lot of game. You play the game through the point of view of an ODST. They are dropped into combat from orbit. They have a rivalry with the Spartans that is well known to the fans of the fiction. We finally let you into their boots as it were. …It’s kind of a detective story in a way. But it is much more action-packed than that.”

Read (USA Today)

The upcoming standalone expansion pack is a prequel to the popular shooter, detailing the invasion of Earth from the perspective of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST). It was announced earlier this year to much fanfare.

According to Bungie, the game will feature around 3-5 hours of single-player gameplay and is not to be viewed as a “$60 title”. It will be released in Fall 2009.

The game will have players control The Rookie, a silent character part of a five-man ODST team dropped down to New Mombasa during the events of Halo 2. They are then split up and it’s the players job to hunt down the four others in an open world.

This is where things get interesting – when you reach one teammate’s last known location using the PDA, you are presented with a crime scene that triggers a “Lost” style flashback scene where you take control of the missing squadmate for a more traditional, linear Halo level.

Each of these levels will last about 30 minutes, keeping in line with Bungie’s expected three to five-hour gameplay in the expansion.

It is due out later next year exclusively on Xbox 360.

Meanwhile, over on NeoGAF, Bungie’s Luke Smith posted word that Recon “isn’t a stealth action game like Splinter Cell.” What that means is that core gameplay mechanics like health regeneration may be out of the question, but Smith is being cryptic about it: "No, I’m not talking about how it’s different.”

Halo 3: Recon is expected to be released exclusive to Xbox 360 in Fall 2009.

It will be set before the events of Halo 3, having players take on the role of an ODST drop soldier. Microsoft claims that it will “greatly resemble that of previous Halo experiences” but will “require players to employ more elements of stealth and cunning than ever before.”

Recon will include all of Halo 3’s online functionality, including four-player co-op, the Forge map editor and more. It will also include new multiplayer maps.

Halo 3: Recon is due out in Fall 2009.

Dubbed Halo 3 Recon, the expansion will serve as a prequel to the original Halo 3, having players step into the shoes of an USNC recon soldier. It will feature brand new multiplayer maps.

More information is expected soon.