Halo 4

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3901 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,403 out of 3901
  2. Mixed: 725 out of 3901
  3. Negative: 773 out of 3901
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  1. Banjo_Reviewie
    Sep 8, 2023
    6
    Halo 4 is a decent time, the graphics are beautiful and the machanics are tight.

    But the ugly new designs for old characters, the annoying enemies, and the over dramatic narative keep it from being a truly great game.
  2. ASTR0_J0HN
    Sep 7, 2023
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Halo 4 was not great for the time, and did not live up to Bungie's line up of Halo games, however, it was not bad. The art style was done somewhat subpar, however you could deal with it in this game. The campaign was alright. The Prometheans were very generic, they were not that amazing, and got pretty old the more that I played the campaign. The Didact for a villain was good, however, did not follow Bungie's original plan to make Forerunners human, which came off a little weird coming from Halo 4, but not horrible. The multiplayer was average, even down to the core gameplay. It did feel a lot more like a Call of Duty game with the way that sprint worked. The Loadouts were not a very good idea, as all they did was allow you to pick the weapons you wanted, but there was kind of no point of getting other weapons that were around as powerful. Ordinance ray was also kind of dumb, and did not make sense being in a Halo game, there was no need for it. Spartan Ops was easily the worst part of this game. Most of the missions felt like repeats, and not only got repetetive, but on legendary, was somehow WORSE than Halo 2 jackal snipers. The story also eventually would lead into the events of Halo 5's campaign, which was a failure of campaign story writing. The Forge mode in this game was also average, and nothing was expanded more than what was already in Halo Reach. Overall this game was average at best, and sometimes lackluster, although, you could find some good times, in Forge and Multiplayer, and Campaign.… Expand
  3. Lelo_Oficial
    Aug 25, 2023
    7
    O jogo teve uma queda considerável de qualidade comparado a seus antecessores, a história eu achei confusa e não MT interessante, os gráficos e a gameplay são bons, mas o jogo é muito linear e não passa o mesmo felling dos outros Halo.
  4. MasterGubbers
    Jul 11, 2023
    7
    While this game certainly has some major flaws, some aspects of the game are truly amazing. The game still looks amazing, and has a great story. The multiplayer is poorly designed, and the Promethean enemies are awful to fight, but many great new weapons and vehicles were introduced, and the game overall is solid.
  5. ZackH25
    Jun 20, 2023
    6
    For me this halo game has the worst campaign of all the halo games. Mainly because in this game you have to fight the sentinels the most. It also made you fight the flying drone sentinels the most and that was so annoying. The missions were more boring than other halo games and the story was also very boring and dull- there were a few fun missions though- the one with the massive vehicle.For me this halo game has the worst campaign of all the halo games. Mainly because in this game you have to fight the sentinels the most. It also made you fight the flying drone sentinels the most and that was so annoying. The missions were more boring than other halo games and the story was also very boring and dull- there were a few fun missions though- the one with the massive vehicle. The multiplayer tried to copy call of duty in some ways and so was quite meh. The maps of the multiplayer were quite solid though. Overall a disappointing halo game.… Expand
  6. freegas
    May 6, 2023
    6
    I give this game a review of six out of ten because it is not particularly fun.
  7. DavidBondy
    Nov 16, 2022
    6
    Halo 4 is simply okay. While elements of the sound design, graphics, voice acting, and overall polish of the game have improved from the previous Halo titles, the game is a significant step down in terms of gameplay. The enemy AI, a long-standing strength of the entire Halo franchise, is one of Halo 4's biggest weaknesses during the campaign. The new faction is also pretty unfun toHalo 4 is simply okay. While elements of the sound design, graphics, voice acting, and overall polish of the game have improved from the previous Halo titles, the game is a significant step down in terms of gameplay. The enemy AI, a long-standing strength of the entire Halo franchise, is one of Halo 4's biggest weaknesses during the campaign. The new faction is also pretty unfun to fight. They're better than the flood, but that's a really low bar. The level design is sub-par by the standards of Bungie's Halo games (but probably average compared to most shooters.) It just feels average on all accounts of gameplay. I think it's telling that out of all the games in the Master Chief Collection, this is the one I would least enjoy replaying.

    I do recommend the Master Chief Collection, which this game is part of. However, if you're looking to only buy some but not all the games in the MCC, then feel free skipping out on this game. You're not going to miss much.    … Expand
  8. BobsityJonesity
    Aug 21, 2022
    6
    Really felt like a departure from the original series. I was never a huge halo fan but even I knew this game didn't feel true to the spirit of the franchise. The game mechanically was decent, the story was decent, and the gameplay sections were decent, ultimately the entire experience felt painfully average. The only thing helping this game is the multiplayer is fun even though it stillReally felt like a departure from the original series. I was never a huge halo fan but even I knew this game didn't feel true to the spirit of the franchise. The game mechanically was decent, the story was decent, and the gameplay sections were decent, ultimately the entire experience felt painfully average. The only thing helping this game is the multiplayer is fun even though it still doesn't feel like traditional halo multiplayer and feels much more washed out.… Expand
  9. memus
    Aug 14, 2022
    6
    Something felt off.

    Pros: + The new machines introduces by 343 are super cool: e.g. Mammoth, Mantis. + In general, the biology-inspired designs work: e.g. electric dogs, Didact's ship as chrysalis. + The retcon for index is kinda cool (though execution suffers). + So the game shines the most when it goes the furthest away from the original trilogy. Cons: - Gunplay feels off.    Something felt off.

    Pros:
    + The new machines introduces by 343 are super cool: e.g. Mammoth, Mantis.
    + In general, the biology-inspired designs work: e.g. electric dogs, Didact's ship as chrysalis.
    + The retcon for index is kinda cool (though execution suffers).
    + So the game shines the most when it goes the furthest away from the original trilogy.

    Cons:
    - Gunplay feels off. There is no punch to guns. Enemies are bullet-spongy.
    - Levels are meh. In a sense, you go through a set of very small rooms and need to kill all enemies to proceed further. Again and again. It makes gameplay feel kinda random, more like Quake 3 Arena or Doom rather than Halo.
    - Enemy AI is meh.
    - The graphics are meh. Some designs are quite cool. But there are many visual glitches (even to this day). Huge ships just disappear in the air after the explosion. Items re-spawn behind you. All this breaks the illusion quite a lot.
    - People look wooden. And the cutscene art direction in general is not up to the standard of previous games. Also, the story between Master Chief and Cortana will make you cringe.    … Expand
  10. Rai-N
    Jun 29, 2022
    7
    A a kid, I really enjoyed the game. It's the first shooter game I've ever played. I loved the the sci-fi action and the characters; however, I realize that the game isn't as good as I remember. The previous games have better gunplay, characters, and multiplayer, and story.
  11. HanTrooper23
    Apr 7, 2022
    5
    I played the hole game and I liked 1 part about it 1 PART but the muliplayer was okay but the spec ops I can rate because i never could but still I would just play Halo Reach.
  12. xavy6389
    Mar 27, 2022
    6
    the game is ok i did not like the story the gun play is good i have not tried the multiplayer but that all i have to say
  13. GamerDadIsBad
    Mar 26, 2022
    7
    When Halo's quality dropped due to 343i taking over it broke my heart as a fan of the first
    three instalments.

    I play it occasionally on The Master Chief Collection, but not as much as the first three.
  14. Diugo
    Mar 18, 2022
    6
    First of all, graphics are gorgeous. Amazing landscapes and very detailed textures. But when you reach the second half of the game it all becomes just grey. Everything is very grey after a while. The story should have been a standalone. Everything felt very pasted on. Like it wasnt meant to be there, but still is. Even tho i still really wanted to finish it to get the full HALO experienceFirst of all, graphics are gorgeous. Amazing landscapes and very detailed textures. But when you reach the second half of the game it all becomes just grey. Everything is very grey after a while. The story should have been a standalone. Everything felt very pasted on. Like it wasnt meant to be there, but still is. Even tho i still really wanted to finish it to get the full HALO experience i became very bored with the gameplay. The convenant are still very fun to fight, but the prometheans not at all. The best part of the game is the first hour or so, after youre done riding the warthog down the mountain is drops off exponentially. The starfox like mission was still a lot of fun tho. Not a bad game, just a bad halo game imho.… Expand
  15. JaySeacliff
    Mar 13, 2022
    7
    Even with it's massive problems what comes to game desing and story writing, Halo 4 is NOT a bad game. Is it flawed? Yes. Is it different from the earlier games? Also yes. But is it bad just because of it being different? No. Halo 4's gameplay is amazing and the graphics aren't bad at all, I'd even say Halo 4 is one of the best-looking Xbox 360 titles to this day. The story may be a littleEven with it's massive problems what comes to game desing and story writing, Halo 4 is NOT a bad game. Is it flawed? Yes. Is it different from the earlier games? Also yes. But is it bad just because of it being different? No. Halo 4's gameplay is amazing and the graphics aren't bad at all, I'd even say Halo 4 is one of the best-looking Xbox 360 titles to this day. The story may be a little lackluster and new enemies may be annoying but the game's still... worthy. Worthy Halo game. Still not entirely good but fine enough to be enjoyed.… Expand
  16. Dperks
    Jan 26, 2022
    6
    I really want to love Halo 4 and I've had to of played this game like a dozen times by this point. But after my most recent playthrough I cant say more then its okay. Halo 4 has a lot of issues that hold it back for me but I will say that my favorite aspect of the game is the story. I love learning more about the forerunners and having that human connection with Cortana developingI really want to love Halo 4 and I've had to of played this game like a dozen times by this point. But after my most recent playthrough I cant say more then its okay. Halo 4 has a lot of issues that hold it back for me but I will say that my favorite aspect of the game is the story. I love learning more about the forerunners and having that human connection with Cortana developing rampancy I thought were all great ideas. Execution wise though was handled kinda rough. Most of the important info about the forerunners is jammed into one exposition filled cutscene so if your not finding the hidden terminals in levels your probably lost. And the Didact as a villain could of been so much more. But the stuff with Cortana is great still think it could of been handled better but I do like the idea of making chief more human and exploring that personal aspect. And I also do like seeing him confront a superior like with what happens in the story even if it does seem kind of dumb for it to happen in the first place. So the story is rough but overall I like it where the game falls pretty flat is the gameplay. This is the least fun to play FPS Halo game to date. Where to begin the weapons for the covenant and these new promethium weapons just feel bad and some weapons are literally useless. Each faction needs to have a weapon equivalent which just makes it feel very redundant. Like you don't need 3 different assault rifle weapons especially when 2 of them are worthless. Enemy AI is also notably bad In this game they will constantly just stand their or get stuck on terrain and when compared to even Halo 1 its just sad. But what really kills me is the Prometheans because their just not fun to fight at all in this game. And theirs no verity in how they fight or how you should approach them its like of course I want to after the flying guys who can revive fallen enemy's and fling grenades back because their so damn annoying. And like previously stated their weapons' are all redundant and not interesting to use. And the grenade they have has to be the most useless grenade in any mainstream shooter cause that thing cant kill anything I swear. Finally I like most everyone else hate the redesigns in this game because well they just look ugly at least the covenant ones do. I don't mind the guns and equipment being redesigned as much but the elites just look wrong in this game. And I wish they didn't change Chiefs armor not only because it wasn't necessary and didn't make sense considering that he was stuck in a broken ship. But it would of made the ending when he goes into that big room with the other Spartans way more impactful if he had the same armor from the last 2 games. With all its battle damage he's received and the fact it would of seemed outdated compared to the other Spartans really showing that he's alone and outdated now I think would of made the ending much more impactful. Overall the stories okay they also had spartan ops which can be fun and gives a narrative after Halo 4 but because they reuse a lot of levels like way to much it gets quickly repetitive and boring. And the multiplayer is also my least favorite of the FPS Halo games and its hard to explain why. But a lot of my complaints about the guns and gameplay do translate to the multiplayer and it just feels the most generic Halo game to play unfortunately. Overall Halo 4 isn't bad but it just falls so short compared to its predecessors. With its more generic feel and plot that needed to get flushed out more and the fact that its probably the glitchiest in the series as well as I've experienced some bad technical problems with this game before. Such as a level being unplayable half way through meaning I had to restart the level.… Expand
  17. Amir7scorpioN
    Dec 11, 2021
    7
    343i really tried its best but...its like an action movie! a Call of Duty game at its best!
    writing is ok i appreciate the effort...but its not a great halo game!
    i hate Forerunners and their Guns,,, the villain is basically a sith lord... no boss fight with the villain? what was the point of him in the game ? but i enjoyed playing this game...although the musics are completely    343i really tried its best but...its like an action movie! a Call of Duty game at its best!
    writing is ok i appreciate the effort...but its not a great halo game!
    i hate Forerunners and their Guns,,, the villain is basically a sith lord... no boss fight with the villain? what was the point of him in the game ?
    but i enjoyed playing this game...although the musics are completely defferent because they are not made by Marty but 117 is good...the others? not so much

    anyway... it was Acceptable!    … Expand
  18. ElCosmoXD
    Nov 25, 2021
    7
    The story is amazing but sometimes the game is just confusing and hard (Even in normal difficult).
  19. churros
    Nov 22, 2021
    6
    Pros:
    + sprint button
    + beautiful graphics
    + hud improvements
    + improved crosshair

    Cons:
    - Prometheans enemies
    - Prometheans weapons
    - indoors section
    - repetitive
    - bad level design
    - convoluted story
    - Master Chief and Cortana dialogues
  20. Kostas101
    Nov 13, 2021
    6
    This was my first Halo game, and even though I enjoyed it, it was a very shallow experience. The gameplay is fun, the graphics are fantastic, the character models look great, and it's a well made game overall, but the story & characters are forgettable.
  21. ProfAmateur
    Aug 28, 2021
    7
    Auf der Xbox Series X spielt es sich wunderbar flüssig.

    + Neue Gegner
    + Neue Waffen
    + Schöne Levels
    - Missionsziele sehr eintönig, immer irgendwelche Konsolen oder Portale aktivieren
    - Missionsziele / manchmal unklar wohin man laufen oder was man machen muss, obwohl es recht linear ist
  22. SuperkenGaming
    Jun 4, 2021
    7
    Halo 4
    Annoying but beautiful
    Halo 4 is a 6 hour long first person shooter and is the first standalone game from 343 studios. And sadly after the great direction halo 3 was taking for the series, halo 4 approves the series and takes some major steps back at the same time.. Visually halo 4 is the most modern looking and beautiful halo game ive played so far.. I love the feeling of level    Halo 4
    Annoying but beautiful
    Halo 4 is a 6 hour long first person shooter and is the first standalone game from 343 studios.
    And sadly after the great direction halo 3 was taking for the series, halo 4 approves the series and takes some major steps back at the same time..
    Visually halo 4 is the most modern looking and beautiful halo game ive played so far.. I love the feeling of level variety here, not something you really get in halo games.. all the way up until reach every level kind of looked and felt the same, with no standouts.. here it felts like an actual world was crafted rather than generic space stations over nd over and over.. at least for the most part.. because the copy paste that the hole series suffers from is here as well… made worse by the fact that halo 4 is too easy to get lost in.. youll be in a new area and have no idea, thinking you went around in circles because again so many assets and layouts are just copy and pasted to new areas… and the progression indactors are just awful hee.. I get the point is to make the game not feel linear, but instead I just feel like a chicken running around with my head cut off, trying to trigger a door opening to move on…
    Halo 4 does attempt to add something new to the series with these robot like enemies and new weapons, but theyre just annoyingly frustrating..
    Ive personallyappreciated tht in every halo game up until this point you could just run through, especially tring to get through the entire series before infinite comes out.. but here in halo 4 there are tons of moments youre forced to clear the room, and the game really doesn’t do much to indicate this is necessary.. which is something that should’ve been done considering, once again.. halo games don’t typically make you clear a room to be able to move on.. . which brings me to the annoying enemies.. these robot enemies ar infurating to deal with.. halo 4 has an awful checkpoint system and in between these awful checkpoints are these enemies that spit bullets at you, or are large power houses followed by drones that not only shield enemies, but they heal them, they can also shoot, and they fold when you shoot at them.. and when you finally do hit them they seem to just absorb all of your bullets.. making th final stretch of this game more infuriating than all of the worst parts of the halo series combined..
    Halo 4 is a good game, it’s a challenging game.. it strays away from halo too much in the end.. which could be a good thing, but isn’t a good thing here…
    Im hoping for more positive change with halo 5, and less frustration.
    I give Halo 4
    a 7/10    … Expand
  23. Dom007
    Mar 14, 2021
    6
    Halo 4 is infinitely better than halo 5 and it has some good concepts, it just executes them poorly. The story isn't by all means dreadful, however it just feels uneventful compared to previous Halo games. The characters aren't by all means bad, they're just not as good as the previous Halo games and some are even unlikeable.
    Halo 4 however falls flat on its gameplay. It's boring, not    Halo 4 is infinitely better than halo 5 and it has some good concepts, it just executes them poorly. The story isn't by all means dreadful, however it just feels uneventful compared to previous Halo games. The characters aren't by all means bad, they're just not as good as the previous Halo games and some are even unlikeable.
    Halo 4 however falls flat on its gameplay. It's boring, not very fun, it's tedious and some of the enemies are just poorly designed. Enemy variety has never been Halo's strong point, but no matter the enemy type they where always fun to fight. Halo 4 is the opposite, the promethians are not fun to fight and the covenant are not fun either.
    So whilst there are some nice concepts with halo 4, like the story for example. It just isn't a fun game to play.    … Expand
  24. Tbrown5
    Jan 15, 2021
    6
    this game is odd however has some good however a lot of bad, this was 343s first attempt to make a halo game and the outcome was moslty bad, this game banks off of alot of highlights, the pretty good story, and being a halo game. the multiplayer is a cheap rip off of call of duty, the forge was a shell of its former glory, the gameplay is horrible, and the story is good however itthis game is odd however has some good however a lot of bad, this was 343s first attempt to make a halo game and the outcome was moslty bad, this game banks off of alot of highlights, the pretty good story, and being a halo game. the multiplayer is a cheap rip off of call of duty, the forge was a shell of its former glory, the gameplay is horrible, and the story is good however it completely drives away from the past halos. this game had alot of shoes to fill and halo 4 had feet that were to small for those shoes, this game is a halo game, however a bad halo game, better than 5 however just a nock off of its competition.… Expand
  25. Skurttish
    Jan 5, 2021
    7
    It’s a mixed bag here, but I think there’s enough good to give it a 7 that should be a 6.

    First off, the gameplay is fun, but ammo is really scarce. I feel like my guns ran out after only a few shots, and that made it feel like I was always in danger of being pinned down in a bad checkpoint with no ammo. Didn’t like this. But, the new enemies were great, especially the buffing class,    It’s a mixed bag here, but I think there’s enough good to give it a 7 that should be a 6.

    First off, the gameplay is fun, but ammo is really scarce. I feel like my guns ran out after only a few shots, and that made it feel like I was always in danger of being pinned down in a bad checkpoint with no ammo. Didn’t like this.

    But, the new enemies were great, especially the buffing class, those stupid little butterflies. They were a pain, in the best possible sense. I liked having to select a priority target at the beginning of a firefight.

    BUT some difficulty spikes were nuts. One example is a level with about 80 jackal snipers chilling on a plateau above you. It was maybe 78 too many, I think.

    Story-wise, here’s a big negative: The story has big gaps that you apparently have to read a book to understand. I won’t give anything away, but this fact alone drops my score significantly. If you can’t explain it in the game, cut it and no one will miss it.

    Otherwise, the beginning is a great breath of fresh air to a franchise that was starting to feel a little stale at the end of Halo 3. The first few missions are great, and the new enemy has new guns that are really fun to use (even if they aren’t super different from the guns previously).

    Then the game gets real slow in the middle, and nothing of interest happens for several more missions. Except, for some reason, a mission is stolen from Titanfall 2. It was weird, but whatever.

    In the fifth mission aboard the Mammoth I hit numerous bugs. Not sure what happened, but my Mammoth kept on floating through non-rendered terrain until everything would just stop. I restarted over and over and it finally fixed itself.

    Then the final mission and the ending of the game was awesome, in my opinion. Really enjoyed the final mission from start to finish.

    And that’s how you get a 7 that should be a 6: Make an okay game with a few great things.    … Expand
  26. wiredspore44
    Dec 28, 2020
    5
    This is definitely the most divisive Halo game. I personally thought the story was pretty weak and i didn't like how they handled the chief's relationship with Cortana. The level design was decent but the new enemies, the 'Prometheans' were pretty bad as there was no strategy when fighting them. I also hated how limited your ammo is and i personally couldn't stand the main villain. AtThis is definitely the most divisive Halo game. I personally thought the story was pretty weak and i didn't like how they handled the chief's relationship with Cortana. The level design was decent but the new enemies, the 'Prometheans' were pretty bad as there was no strategy when fighting them. I also hated how limited your ammo is and i personally couldn't stand the main villain. At least the gameplay and level design is still good.… Expand
  27. trival
    Nov 21, 2020
    6
    campain is ok. BUT i haven't seen such a lazy designed ending in a looong time
  28. houfie
    Nov 17, 2020
    6
    Jogo bom, pudi me divertir muito. Gostei muito do que joguei, me diverti muito
  29. RoninNinjaXL
    Sep 25, 2020
    5
    it went downwards with this game

    Story: 5
    Gameplay: 7
    ost: 7
    Characters: 6
  30. Hellhammer
    Sep 4, 2020
    7
    Halo 4 is a game that really split the community. It looks and sounds amazing and feels good to play. What makes the game feel off to many Halo fans is the plot which now makes Chief into more of a "charcater" rather than the silent ass kicker we are used to. The plot itself is ok, but not too memorable. The online felt fine, but lacked a real lasting impression which made it hard for meHalo 4 is a game that really split the community. It looks and sounds amazing and feels good to play. What makes the game feel off to many Halo fans is the plot which now makes Chief into more of a "charcater" rather than the silent ass kicker we are used to. The plot itself is ok, but not too memorable. The online felt fine, but lacked a real lasting impression which made it hard for me to return to it. The new enemy types are also not satisfying to fight when compared to the covenant, being more comparable to the flood. Overall it is a fine shooter, but alienating for Halo fans.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2012
2
#2 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2012
2
#2 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 87
  3. Negative: 1 out of 87
  1. Hyper Magazine
    Dec 17, 2012
    90
    Halo 4 eschews esoteric delivery for a sledgehammer story with a blockbuster aesthetic. Epic, engaging and sensorially awesome. [Jan 2013, p.60]
  2. Eurogamer Portugal
    Dec 5, 2012
    90
    In the end, this game is still a fairly conservative and faithful to the original spirit, even with some significant changes.
    Read full review
  3. DailyGame
    Dec 3, 2012
    75
    The narrative is outstanding, even in spite of a few plot-point missteps, and the character evolution of Master Chief and Cortana deserves to be further explored with these wonderful storytellers (well, maybe one of them can't happen, but I'll avoid spoilers). However, the gameplay feels jilted, awkward and unrefined, three unforgivable sins in a landscape populated with other quite-capable FPS franchises. As a result, I'm going to average everything out: great story plus bad gameplay equals an average experience. And in this overcrowded FPS genre, "average" is isn't something I'd recommend buying.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »