Video game makers created a real-life replica game world to mark the launch of Halo 4, the latest instalment in the £1.8 billion franchise.
On Tuesday evening Xbox360 turned Liechtenstein into the setting for a two-hour adventure inspired by the game.
Superfans and media from 16 different countries had to solve a series of cryptic clues to help 'save mankind from extinction' by pretending to fight off the threat of an attack.
This involved travelling to a top secret location before being unexpectedly thrust into a mock war zone which recreated brutal battle grounds through pyrotechnic explosions, thunderous sound effects and cinematic set builds.
Historical landmark Gutenberg Castle, which stands on a 70-metre high spur of rock, was transformed into a futuristic military base.
Farmland became a military camp and post-apocalyptic battle ground, and a working mine was used as an arena for an explosive appearance from hero of the game the Master Chief.
Chris Lewis, Vice President of Microsoft EMEA, said: "Halo is a $3 billion blockbuster franchise which has shaped entertainment history and defined a generation of gamers.
“From the world’s first ever red-carpet premieres for a video game to sending a man strapped to a jet-pack 50-foot above London’s iconic skyline, Halo launches have continually broken the mould and we are back with a colossal bang for Halo 4, transforming a country on the biggest scale imaginable”.
Acclaimed film director David Fincher, whose work includes Fight Club and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, produced a launch trailer for the new game and American talk show host Conan O’Brien and actor Andy Richter are voicing two of the game’s characters.
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The soundtrack was composed by award-winning producer and composer Neil Davidge, long-term co-writer and collaborator for Massive Attack.
Halo 4 is available in shops on November 6