Cortana has always been a central character in the Halo story, but never before has she been brought to life like she has in Halo 4. Not according to Mackenzie Mason, at least, the actress behind the face and performance capture for the sexy AI.
What does that mean, exactly? Mason spent around six months acting out every one of Cortana's scenes, line for line and movement for movement. As she puts it, "It's me. My lips move her lips." Cortana's previous voice actor, Jen Taylor, dubbed over Mason's performance in post, as 343 was reportedly hesitant to give Cortana a brand new voice as well. But for all intents and purposes, Mason is Cortana.
Like the other characters in Halo 4, she's been given new life (it might be extra startling, since she's an AI) by a new cast of performance capture actors. And Mason seems perfect for the role (to see what we mean, watch her in action in this video).
She's a Super Mario World enthusiast with an acute appreciation for what makes Halo, Halo. That definitely came through in our chat—as well as some hints about Halo 4's ending, Cortana's newfound rampancy, and other parts of Halo 4's story. Read on and decide for yourself just how different the new Cortana will be—and find out just how much Mason was willing to reveal.