With the E3 2014 coming ever so closer, anticipation for "Halo 5: Guardians," which was earlier announced by Microsoft, has been building up.

There have been no official details of where or how the story will go from here besides the fact that it will land on the Xbox One come 2015. There was also the teaser over at Xbox Wire by 343 Industries general manager Bonnie Ross, which hinted at the E3 2014, "Many fans noted that I was very deliberate with my phrasing on stage at E3 last year. I spoke about a 'journey,' rather than a destination--and that journey definitely begins in 2014 with a giant leap, rather than one small step."

Given this, there's surely more than just the teaser announcement of the official "Halo 5: Guardians" title as well as exclusive wallpapers of the franchise from Halo Waypoint.

As far as more details go, however, DualShockers has managed to snag some clarifications over at NeoGAF with development director Frank O'Connor. According to the report, "Halo 5: Guardians" will feature strong female characters, though there's interestingly no reference to Cortana, who was part of the previous franchise (however, understandably so, since she has supposedly met her demise).

In addition, there is a mention of a "new engine" coming with "Halo 5: Guardians."

"The things at the core are vital, but a tiny fraction of the overall engine footprint. It's a new engine. Not an iteration or a rendering evolution."

Over at Halo Waypoint, O'Connor has also expounded a bit on the engine that fans can expect for "Halo 5: Guardians." To begin with, the three-year space between the "Halo 4" and "Halo 5: Guardians" was not just about creating a new game, but a new engine as well.

"We are moving to a whole new platform with the Xbox One--a new architecture, new graphics hardware and bluntly some new ways to think about gaming, period," said O'Connor over at Halo Waypoint.

There was also a mention of 60FPS and dedicated servers for a better Halo experience, and one that can push not just the actual gameplay, but "Halo" as a franchise as well. In any case, surprises are still in store for fans come E3 2014.

New Cast for "Halo" Digital Feature

Apart from the next-gen game, the "Halo" franchise is also looking at more progress for its other upcoming feature, Ridley Scott's project.

Prior to E3 2014, it was announced that star of "The Good Wife" Mike Colter has already been cast to play Marlowe for the "Halo" feature. According to The Wrap, his character is a rising star in the army albeit one who is troubled by the system that he is in.

Casting at this point is not surprising, since Polygon reports that Ridley Scott's digital feature is already in the production and shooting phase, with its release expected sometime this year.

Read more gaming and tech news:

Driveclub Gets Screenshots and More Details on Microtransactions

Samsung Galaxy S5 Update on T-Mobile Paused, a New Galaxy S4 with Android 4.4 Kitkat Launched

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare vs. Battlefield 4: A Look at the Villain and the PS Plus for BF4

RELATED STORIES