The new footage employs live-action scenes and CGI to tease one of the biggest gaming releases of the year: Halo 4.

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he video: Take heed, Halo fans. On Thursday's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the world got its first glimpse of "Scanned," the cinematic launch trailer for Halo 4, one of the most highly anticipated games of the year. The spot was produced by Fight Club and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo director David Fincher, and directed by Tom Miller, who was the visual effects lead on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. (Watch the trailer below.) The TV spot merges live-action footage with CGI to guide viewers through Master Chief's indoctrination into the USNC's soldier-building Spartan program, providing a rare window into the silent protagonist's past as a young boy named John. Halo 4 comes out for Xbox 360 on Nov. 6. 

The reaction: "I don't know how I feel about live-action trailers," says Matt Peckham at TIME. The Halo 4 commercial is "certainly movie-like" and "well-directed," but it's nothing like playing the actual game. It is "a bit confusing," says Erik Kain at Forbes. It tells me "very little about the gameplay or what these fiery-headed monstrosities will actually look like." I was left wanting more. Actually, "Miller and Fincher's work on 'Scanned' should be applauded for its distinct visual style, and for providing a compelling piece of marketing," says Anthony Taormina at Gamerant. Diehards might cry foul at the sight of Master Chief as a child, "but once he suits up he's undeniably awesome." Take a look: