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. Thatoneguy
    Dec 6, 2012
    8
    Im not an extreme die-hard halo fanboy, though I have played all the games, and I don't like CoD, so please try not to expect an overly biased review. The graphics here are undeniably beautiful, some of the best on the xbox, especially the lighting, absolutely gorgeous. The Campaign is long and engaging, my first play through on normal took me roughly 8-11 hours, which is pretty damn longIm not an extreme die-hard halo fanboy, though I have played all the games, and I don't like CoD, so please try not to expect an overly biased review. The graphics here are undeniably beautiful, some of the best on the xbox, especially the lighting, absolutely gorgeous. The Campaign is long and engaging, my first play through on normal took me roughly 8-11 hours, which is pretty damn long for a campaign in a modern FPS. Its nice to see a company putting proper thought into a good quality campaign these days, **** multiplayer is turning into a virus for FPS games. Though one major gripe I do have is the ending, I won't spoil it but it makes little sense, though it still is extremely sad. The multiplayer is definitely my biggest complaint, there are plenty of balancing issues, especially with those double XP mother **** who are all probably level 190s by now. The next problem is the loadouts, and the commendations, the loadouts is way too CoD like for me, and it ruins what I wanted this game to be, a traditional halo game similar to halo 3 or 2. If loadouts were completely irradicated, my major complaint would be wiped away. Next is commendations, its too much just to get one piece of armor, **** trillion splatters to get a green visor!? No thanks. I love the new specializations, the armor looks unique, the concept gives gameplay more depth, and its a much more awesome reward than being reverted back to level 1 and just getting the title of "Prestige." The sound design is marvelous, beautifully orchestrated music and amazing weapon sound effects, as in that's exactly what you expect that gun to sound like. If that wasn't enough we have spartan ops, weekly episodes of 5 missions, along with amazingly well done cinematics and superb voice acting, FOR FREE. And if THAT wasn't enough, they are constantly adding new modes to online multiplayer, and updating the game all the time, truly a devoted company. Overall I suggest anyone reading this review to go out and buy this game NOW.… Expand
  2. Xarnis
    Dec 5, 2012
    9
    Score- 10.0 (Having trouble with Metacritic's Score system)

    Halo 4 is an epic science fiction tale if there ever was one. It is a superbly crafted game that fully captures the essence of the Halo universe left by Bungie Studios. Bungie's successor in developing the Halo franchise, 343 Industries are clearly people who love Halo this makes the game all te better. 343 has put in tons of    Score- 10.0 (Having trouble with Metacritic's Score system)

    Halo 4 is an epic science fiction tale if there ever was one. It is a superbly crafted game that fully captures the essence of the Halo universe left by Bungie Studios. Bungie's successor in developing the Halo franchise, 343 Industries are clearly people who love Halo this makes the game all te better. 343 has put in tons of improvements into this game, and whether it be storytelling, graphics, sound, this propels Halo 4 above and beyond my expectations, making it one of the best games of this year, if not one of the best in this generation. The story is fantastic and is possibly the best in the Halo franchise to date. It harkened back to Combat Evolved, where Master Chief an Cortana discover a strange planet an encounter new enemies, unlike anything seen before. In Halo 4, the Chief and Cortana discover the Forerunner planet of Requiem, which is filled with brand new lush environments in which the game takes place. These environments are beautiful and fun to play around in. We also meet the Prometheans, who are a nice fresh enemy group that challenges your skills and tactics. The story here is mostly focused on the relationship between Cortana and Master Chief, which creates an emotional attachment to the characters that hasn't been seen in a Halo fame before. You will definitely feel the emotional impact by the end of this game. The graphics have surpassed anything I thought was capable of the Xbox 360. It is definitely up there with the top visual games of the generation, and the CGI in cutscenes shines. The sound has been completely overhauled. The arsenal of weapons at your disposal is phenomenal and all of these weapons sound fierce in their own right. The guns pack a heavy punch upon firing, creating an incredibly satisfying moment when you obliterate someone with an Incineration Cannon, or mow someone down with the Assault Rifle (which isn't half bad in this game). The multiplayer has been adjusted to be similar to games such as Call of Duty or Battlefield; and that's not a bad thing. You can now create custom loadouts, which creates the tactical class building feel of other games, while still maintaining the traditional Halo feel. Power weapons are still scattered around, but they are able to be seen on the player's HUD, making them a hotspot for intense firefights. Also added to the class building system are abilities (returning from Reach) which areuch more balanced this time around, and "perk-esque" traits (such as unlimited sprint, faster reload and weapon swap, etc.). This is a welcome addition and allows more variety in the gameplay. The gameplay of multiplayer still feels like traditional Halo, but with these improvements, it feels even better. Replacing Firefight mode from ODST and Reach is Spartan Ops, which is episodic missions, accompanied by a CGI cutscene story. Each Episode composes of 5 chapters, but they are very short (a whole episode takes about 1-1.5 hours on Legendary). They're fun diversions, albeit minimal ones. Still they add longevity to the game, which is already sprouting with it. There are some minor annoyances however. The jump from Normal to Heroic and legendary difficulties in Halo 4 is large and very hard. Hali's legendary mode has never been forgiving, but Halo 4's difficulty spikes are extreme. While this, and the removal of Firefight make for slight annoyances they can't damage hiw good this game is. Halo 4 is not a perfect game. There never has, and never will be a perfect game. But Halo 4 is probably the closest we'll get for this generation of consoles. It may not be perfect, but is so, damn close.    … Expand
  3. Mattyice
    Dec 4, 2012
    6
    Game of the Year...This Halo is by far the best of the series. Stunning graphics, a great story, the usual amazing Halo Multiplayer, and Spartan Ops is a good addition. If you have an Xbox, you MUST buy this game! An instant classic. My choice for best game of 2012.
  4. lilkillpappy
    Dec 4, 2012
    2
    doesn't matter what we say on here, they sold millions and made millions, they could give a **** less if they create **** games, as long as they make money. The Xbox 360 is extremely under powered, and has been showing its age for a very long time now. The art in this game was the only reason it looked good, otherwise the low res textures, jagged lines, and horrible fade distance justdoesn't matter what we say on here, they sold millions and made millions, they could give a **** less if they create **** games, as long as they make money. The Xbox 360 is extremely under powered, and has been showing its age for a very long time now. The art in this game was the only reason it looked good, otherwise the low res textures, jagged lines, and horrible fade distance just destroyed the graphics on this game. If you like games for combat and no other reason then this game will be perfect for you. If you like depth to the gameplay, and a story that is not serialized, and actually makes sense then this game will be VERY boring. And thats what this game is. Despite the things that it does well with the combat, sound effects, and art, the game in the end lacks an interesting story that makes sense, and has very shallow gameplay. Plus the main story is extremely short. This game can be beaten in a day. Why do they keep making this crap? And now that it has become serialized, its just going to get worse and worse.… Expand
  5. Justinavery7074
    Dec 4, 2012
    9
    It's a great game but nothing like the previous excluding Halo Wars and Halo 3: ODST. the graphics kill in this game. It's go **** beautiful to look at. I really like this game and want to love it but there's not the same feeling as with the other 4
  6. kolopop123
    Dec 4, 2012
    1
    This is no longer Halo, it has been sold out to the CoD kiddies. Its been sped up, sold out and now takes next to no skill to play. 343 have destroyed it

    RIP Halo
  7. getbacktogaming
    Dec 3, 2012
    0
    There is a lot of positive stuff about this game but what really irritates me is this : WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY GOLD TO PLAY SPARTAN OPS OFFLINE!?! This mentality at M$ earns this game a 1/10. It's outright disgusting. Costco will be taking my game back. I am not paying 60 $ to HAVE to pay another membership just to play OFFLINE! If I want to play online I can do it for free on my PS3 or playThere is a lot of positive stuff about this game but what really irritates me is this : WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY GOLD TO PLAY SPARTAN OPS OFFLINE!?! This mentality at M$ earns this game a 1/10. It's outright disgusting. Costco will be taking my game back. I am not paying 60 $ to HAVE to pay another membership just to play OFFLINE! If I want to play online I can do it for free on my PS3 or play for XBL Gold... but now you guys are going to start charging for play Spartan Ops offline?!? I MEAN WHAT THE HELL??? It's not like this mode was not playable solo or local splitscreen... it is! If you start requesting Gold for this there is no end to your greed. Keep your video game. If I want to play it I'll wait for a price drop I am not paying full price to be ripped like this. Gosh even MW2 and MW3 special ops were all playable splitscreen... Black Ops can even have local splitscreen / LAN matches!?! Seriously shame on you Micro$oft and 343.… Expand
  8. Zorgon
    Dec 3, 2012
    10
    Regardless of the ubiquitous use of minute numerical values from overwhelmingly negative reviews let me state the absolute truth about this game. It is the best Halo title to date. However it is not without fault. Some textures are lacking in detail and some weapons like the "boltshot"
    are overpowered. The story however is compelling, epic and crisp. Despite its lack of a giant cast of    Regardless of the ubiquitous use of minute numerical values from overwhelmingly negative reviews let me state the absolute truth about this game. It is the best Halo title to date. However it is not without fault. Some textures are lacking in detail and some weapons like the "boltshot"
    are overpowered. The story however is compelling, epic and crisp. Despite its lack of a giant cast of characters. The game IS worth the money by all means and spartan ops is an enjoyable ride. HOWEVER spartan ops requires Xbox Live, unlike firefight which was great for parties with friends who did not own an Xbox 360 or Xbox Live. The online multiplayer is the most fun engagement in modern gaming but it lacks in certain game modes I enjoyed from Halos Reach and 3. Like grifball. By the time this is read however there could have already been an update for matchmaking which included these game modes and more.    … Expand
  9. JohnnyP
    Dec 3, 2012
    8
    This game's campaign is amazing, just like every other game in the Halo series. However the multiplayer really lacks anything new, there are weapon balancing issues, and there are only 10 maps playable at launch, only 4 of which are playable in Team Slayer (the most popular game type of the series). It kind of feels like they left out maps on purpose so that you would be more inclined toThis game's campaign is amazing, just like every other game in the Halo series. However the multiplayer really lacks anything new, there are weapon balancing issues, and there are only 10 maps playable at launch, only 4 of which are playable in Team Slayer (the most popular game type of the series). It kind of feels like they left out maps on purpose so that you would be more inclined to purchase their map packs.… Expand
  10. Kilzer
    Dec 2, 2012
    6
    Halo 4's story was impressive as Master Chief develops in his personality through his journey with Cortana, while short, it was nothing short of interesting and impressive. However, despite the campaign, the multiplayer seems lack-luster and bland. The old Halo style is no longer there, instead it is mashed up with COD game play style, everyone has sprint, you have support abilities whichHalo 4's story was impressive as Master Chief develops in his personality through his journey with Cortana, while short, it was nothing short of interesting and impressive. However, despite the campaign, the multiplayer seems lack-luster and bland. The old Halo style is no longer there, instead it is mashed up with COD game play style, everyone has sprint, you have support abilities which are "perks", and kill streaks called ordinances, the matchmaking playlists are very limited and there is no "Team Objectives" like in Halo: Reach or Halo 3, you have to pick to what you are feeling now, instead of picking random. The level designs are also boring and there doesn't seem to be enough for release. Some maps are even imbalanced for game types such as CTF where jet packs reign supreme or one team has the better base to defend . The graphics I give an A for consoles, but split-screen seems to cause major fps lag in larger games. Spartan Ops seems to be rehashed every episode and brings rarely anything new to the table except for the standard "kill this, defend this" which last only about 7 minutes each, while it is nice to have a co-op experience such as spartan ops, I feel they could have done better. Overall I give the story a 9/10 (Only because they seem to rush everything at the beginning). and the overall game a 6/10 because of the multiplayer and Spartan Ops.… Expand
  11. jsp41
    Dec 2, 2012
    9
    Ignoring all the people who didn't even give this game a chance, this game is incredible. Best campaign since Combat Evolved, it really had me invested and the ending was both brilliant and saddening at the same time. The graphics are absolutely stellar, one of the best looking games I've ever played on Xbox 360. the multiplayer is great as always, and 343 has finally integrated a rankingIgnoring all the people who didn't even give this game a chance, this game is incredible. Best campaign since Combat Evolved, it really had me invested and the ending was both brilliant and saddening at the same time. The graphics are absolutely stellar, one of the best looking games I've ever played on Xbox 360. the multiplayer is great as always, and 343 has finally integrated a ranking system that makes a lot more since than the previous Halos. The only thing that brought the game down in my opinion was the short length of the campaign (which almost has to be forgiven, since the campaign is amazing) and the new Spartan Ops integration falls flat. It's not nearly as replayable as Firefight, and is just kind of boring. Overall incredible game, don't let the negative reviews sway you in any way, the ignorance of people on this site should be looked down upon, this game is amazing and soiling it with scores of one and zero are just idiotic and juvenile. Play this game, I promise you won't regret it.… Expand
  12. Wright98
    Dec 2, 2012
    9
    I love this game. The graphics are immense and the campaign is also brilliant. Multiplayer has brilliant maps and guns. Ordnance is a feature I love and forge is great for building anything you like, the magnets really help.
  13. norse
    Dec 2, 2012
    5
    Distinct sense of "Meh" - the Halo storylines have become weaker and weaker since the original. The single-player campaign is of course graphically gorgeous, but boring and unmotivated as all heck. The enemy AI is seriously dumb; the one redeeming quality is the ability to play coop.
  14. SuperiorBRAIN
    Dec 1, 2012
    10
    The Best Halo Period...Great Graphics which are the best the Series Have ever seen...... Great Multiplayer, Very Competitive Online Community Check it out
  15. Brickthegrim
    Dec 1, 2012
    10
    Combat - Cleanest and most balanced yet with countless ways to play effectively even online. Whatever gun loadout you choose and power up you can always be effective
    Story - Pulled me back into the Halo universe and gives you A LOT of information and story content in a short time period and if you don't know the lore and have not watched some of the content on Waypoint or the in game    Combat - Cleanest and most balanced yet with countless ways to play effectively even online. Whatever gun loadout you choose and power up you can always be effective
    Story - Pulled me back into the Halo universe and gives you A LOT of information and story content in a short time period and if you don't know the lore and have not watched some of the content on Waypoint or the in game terminals than you might get lost pretty easily.
    Enemies - Unique combat in all game types makes it fun and on legendary forces you to be the perfect soldier
    Spartan Ops - Special mention because two reasons the first the cinematic is addicting I find myself anticipating it as much as I would my favourite TV series. However the missions can be generic.
    War games - Very well done good maps overall great new game types but I do miss big team objective.
    Forge - Very well done and can't wait to see what people can create!    … Expand
  16. sweatyfatfngrz
    Dec 1, 2012
    1
    Am I reviewing the right game? I keep reading all these positive reviews and I have to wonder how many bong rips you'd have to take to get that perception of this game. Seems like the only thing going for it is the huge fan base that the other Halo games established. The story was cheesy, graphics left a lot to be desired and the online game play was so lacking that I'm not sure whyAm I reviewing the right game? I keep reading all these positive reviews and I have to wonder how many bong rips you'd have to take to get that perception of this game. Seems like the only thing going for it is the huge fan base that the other Halo games established. The story was cheesy, graphics left a lot to be desired and the online game play was so lacking that I'm not sure why they even bothered. About the only thing that came out of this game is now I know which of my friends like purple, cyan and pink. Thank God the new Black Ops is out and I get $40 for trading this in! Would have given it a 0 out of 10 but that is just ridiculous.… Expand
  17. TheGreyKnight
    Dec 1, 2012
    10
    Congratulations to 343i Studios for creating such a masterpiece of gaming. Through my personal playing of all the aspects of Halo 4, I have only encountered a few minor glitches, that literally have done nothing to slow me down.
    Looking at Halo 4, you would be hard pressed to believe this isn't a next-gen title, as the graphics are utterly stunning, and demonstrate what a talented team of    Congratulations to 343i Studios for creating such a masterpiece of gaming. Through my personal playing of all the aspects of Halo 4, I have only encountered a few minor glitches, that literally have done nothing to slow me down.
    Looking at Halo 4, you would be hard pressed to believe this isn't a next-gen title, as the graphics are utterly stunning, and demonstrate what a talented team of developers can do with outdated technology. 343i's emphasis on story and personal connections in Halo 4 comes shining through with a deep, emotional rollercoaster that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat through most of the game. From the absolutely stunning beginning, all the way through to the mind-blowing ending, Halo 4 keeps you wanting more and more.
    Not to be outdone by the incredible campaign, the multiplayer emerges as the best in the entire series. The use of ordinance drops and new game modes makes for an entertaining and balanced competitive multiplayer scene. Meanwhile, Spartan ops delivers a fresh and compelling entry into the series. The use of CG scenes to lay the foundation for the impressive firefight-based missions adds to the overall story based experience 343i wanted to deliver. As always, Forge represents the continuing advancement of player generated content, allowing for an unrivaled creation mode. This review truly doesn't do Halo 4 justice, and the only advice I can truly offer at this point is, go out and try it. You won't be disappointed.    … Expand
  18. Joshsreviews
    Dec 1, 2012
    9
    343 industries has delivered. This game is outstanding in many ways. The graphics, for example, has stepped up gigantically. There is a clear contrast between the graphics of Halo: Reach and Halo 4. And it's Halo 4 that has the better side of the contrasting graphics even though both games are based on the same engine. The sound throughout the game is amazing and you can tell the time and343 industries has delivered. This game is outstanding in many ways. The graphics, for example, has stepped up gigantically. There is a clear contrast between the graphics of Halo: Reach and Halo 4. And it's Halo 4 that has the better side of the contrasting graphics even though both games are based on the same engine. The sound throughout the game is amazing and you can tell the time and effort that 343 industries has put into the sound on Halo 4. The gameplay is great and the AI are definitely much more sophisticated than in any Halo game before. The multiplayer gameplay is also great, the maps are well designed, the forerunner weapons are brilliantly brought into the game yet some gametypes are missing such as VIP, One Flag, Race, Infection, (this was replaced with Flood, of which isn't as good in my opinion). This has a downside to the fun Forge custom game maps that people make. The ranking system could also have reverted to the Halo 3 1-50 skill ranking yet that is believed to be brought in with a major update in January. Overall the multiplayer should definitely keep you playing for many weeks, months or even years. Spartan Ops is a mode which contains small missions which get updated every week (5 missions per week) and you can complete these solo or for up to 4 players. The best part? Every week it's free! Forge is also much easier to build yet there isn't a large scale envionment like Forge World on Halo: Reach. Overall I am loving Halo 4 and I will continue to do I'm sure. Graphics - 9.5
    Sound - 9
    Gameplay - 9    … Expand
  19. crazyc9
    Nov 30, 2012
    10
    Honestly one of the best Halo games yet. The only things i don't really like is that the Prometheans are crazy powerful and the DMR is also CRAZY POWERFUL
  20. johnspartan
    Nov 30, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Halo 4 is a good game in my opinion, although many do not seem very good, but to me, this is one of the best in the series. The story is very compelling from start to finish, with an introduction you see Dr. Catherine Halsey talking about the Spartans. It then shows that reactive Cortana Master Chief to see who made ​​contact, was the Covenant that apparently were at war with humans again. Then they arrived to Requiem, known the Didact, the antagonist of the game. In the end, he dies, and what surprised most is the death of Cortana, very tragic. The game has excellent graphics, good gameplay, good multiplayer. In conclusion, a great game.… Expand
  21. chrismagnani
    Nov 30, 2012
    8
    Good multiplayer like always but boring and repetitive campaign. The graphics are improved over the previous games and the sound also is a lot better. Campaign though is by far the weakest of all the Halo games to date. If you are buying this game just for the campaign just don't do it. You'll be disappointed and will have wasted $60. If you plan on playing multiplayer on Live then I guessGood multiplayer like always but boring and repetitive campaign. The graphics are improved over the previous games and the sound also is a lot better. Campaign though is by far the weakest of all the Halo games to date. If you are buying this game just for the campaign just don't do it. You'll be disappointed and will have wasted $60. If you plan on playing multiplayer on Live then I guess it's worth it.… Expand
  22. XxpyrosmilexX
    Nov 30, 2012
    10
    All I can say about Halo 4 is that it is probably the best game I have ever played. The story is amazing, multiplayer is SEXY as hell and the Spartan Ops mode is juicy. I can never get enough of this game. If you are not a fan of Halo or have never played a Halo game, I don't care. Get this game. It's worth every penny. Hell its worth more than its retail price! 343i, thank you for thisAll I can say about Halo 4 is that it is probably the best game I have ever played. The story is amazing, multiplayer is SEXY as hell and the Spartan Ops mode is juicy. I can never get enough of this game. If you are not a fan of Halo or have never played a Halo game, I don't care. Get this game. It's worth every penny. Hell its worth more than its retail price! 343i, thank you for this wonderful game and I can't wait for the next installment!… Expand
  23. CMM
    Nov 30, 2012
    9
    Halo 4 is fun, it has problems and glitches (my campaign progress was reset and it was solo legendary so I had to do it again) but overall it's a great game. I wish spartan ops was better and they had firefight.
  24. Cure9269
    Nov 29, 2012
    10
    343 have more than equaled Bungie by delivering a sequel worthy of the Halo name. Not only that they have built an impressive new graphics engine which makes Halo 4 one the most stunning games ever made. Halo 4 may not feature as much inovation as people may have expected but they have crafted a slick and stunning shooter that more than rivals anything else out this year. The story has343 have more than equaled Bungie by delivering a sequel worthy of the Halo name. Not only that they have built an impressive new graphics engine which makes Halo 4 one the most stunning games ever made. Halo 4 may not feature as much inovation as people may have expected but they have crafted a slick and stunning shooter that more than rivals anything else out this year. The story has more focus, the charecters more depth. And a real emotional undercurrent has been added that asks some very interesting questions about Master Chiefs mental state. The multiplayer is so balanced and fun to play, the edition of classes and better integration of power weapons in the form of ordnance mean that even the weaker players out there will get a chance to play with cool stuff. The only downside is Spartan Ops. Hyped up to be a revolutionary episodic series spanning 5 weeks giving the player more insight to the background events of the main campaign. The problem is these levels are short lacking in any real personality and purpose. They feel more like training exercises than a supposed new adventure. This is a small issue that doesn't stop Halo 4 being the great package it is. 343 first game ever it frankly brilliant. And now the foundations have been built for the next 10 years who knows where we will end up in Halo 5. All I know is I can't to get there.… Expand
  25. Smashsoul
    Nov 29, 2012
    10
    Halo may not be the king it once was nearly a decade ago. But I think it is safe to say that under the excellent supervision of 343, it
  26. emoney
    Nov 28, 2012
    9
    Overall great game and i love the weapons although the campagin is short who gives a damn the multiplayer matters the most in games today its more like a 8.5
  27. RighteousSteel
    Nov 28, 2012
    7
    This game is good. The only problem is that it feels more like Halo: Reach 2 than a sequel to Halo 3. There are not many maps to play on, and every always chooses the same ones every match. The campaign is interesting and fun, and worth playing through a second time with your friends. Maybe once some DLC comes out the multiplayer will be more fun. The spartan ops is a welcome addition, butThis game is good. The only problem is that it feels more like Halo: Reach 2 than a sequel to Halo 3. There are not many maps to play on, and every always chooses the same ones every match. The campaign is interesting and fun, and worth playing through a second time with your friends. Maybe once some DLC comes out the multiplayer will be more fun. The spartan ops is a welcome addition, but everybody still misses firefight. Overall, a good game.… Expand
  28. ezreal
    Nov 28, 2012
    9
    This game is just amazing ! Both Campaign and Multiplayer are better than ever before:) The story is more interesting and suprising while the storytelling is much better,too. It is more emotional than any halo game before! A lot of people complained that the campaign was short, but it's 7 hours long which is okay. Considering Spartan Ops (a new mode) is a co-op camaign with a differentThis game is just amazing ! Both Campaign and Multiplayer are better than ever before:) The story is more interesting and suprising while the storytelling is much better,too. It is more emotional than any halo game before! A lot of people complained that the campaign was short, but it's 7 hours long which is okay. Considering Spartan Ops (a new mode) is a co-op camaign with a different Story, there is still enough Content for solo/splitscreen co-op fans. The good thing about Spartan Ops is, that the levels are designed for co-op, but the story and presentation is rather flat compared to the campaign mode. It should be mentioned that the game is a lot faster than previous Halo games, not only because of the ability to sprint without picking it as an armor ability. The Spartans are faster, jump higher and feel more like supersoldiers. There is no fall damage , which is great and the health bar is nearly gone, you can take a few hits after the shields are down and that's it. There are a lot more armor abilities like the ability to see threw walls (for a limited time only) and all of them feel balanced. In Multiplayer, you can unlock and choose different armor abilities in addition to the new perks and the new "kill streaks" (It's different than killstreaks thought, you get rewarded after earing a certain amount of points in a match) let you choose between weapons and things like a supershield or a speed boost. These additions are fun and rewarding, but are not as unbalanced as in cod. They are powerful, but not too powerful ;) Oh and there are some multiplayer modes missing, but those who are there are more fun than ever before. Infection has been replaced with the genious flood mode, CTF has been improved there are a few other new modes... I liked all modes and that is a huge achievement ! Oh I forgot to mention it, there are a bunch of new weapons that are great ! However, there are a few flaws... There could have been more multiplayer modes, I personally miss the Headhunter mode and the firefight mode from Reach and the second flaw is that splitcreen doesn't feauter widescreen. Dual-Wielding is missing,too (except for CTF). It is a masterpiece and all in all it is the best Halo game yet, but there are a few things, that other Halo games did better.… Expand
  29. theoperator69
    Nov 28, 2012
    5
    (the halo 4 story was satisfying IMO, this review is more centered on the multiplayer)

    I Love halo, and also enjoy cod on many occasions. These games should be kept separate; converging their features don't make you gain both audiences. 343 said when asked about implemented COD features "Yea we want more of the market share of players, that's the major reason for the change." This game    (the halo 4 story was satisfying IMO, this review is more centered on the multiplayer)

    I Love halo, and also enjoy cod on many occasions. These games should be kept separate; converging their features don't make you gain both audiences. 343 said when asked about implemented COD features "Yea we want more of the market share of players, that's the major reason for the change." This game should probably receive around an 8-9, but for a halo game, it deserves a 6, plain and simple. I am a huge fan/player of halo 2, 3 and reach online. Halo 4 fails in my opinion to retain its uniqueness of the halo series. I actually enjoyed the fact that sprint was not inherent in previous halo's, IMO this is a core game mechanic that should have been retained. While the Cod mechanics don't technically make for a bad game, they do drastically change the way the game plays. I am surprised to see so many 9's and 10's from halo fans, I would have thought the changes toward COD would yield 7's and 8's at most. I didn't want ANOTHER Cod, I wanted another Halo.    … Expand
  30. Chron1cNinja69
    Nov 28, 2012
    10
    I easily give this game a 10/10 due to the fact that the game offers great graphics, has a slight mix of CoD, and Halo. And they've added the "Sticky Detonator" as well as some Forerunner technology with a great balance of teams and weapons. It is still rather easy to hack or mod in the game, considering I've seen a couple hackers myself and it makes me angry. The game is new though, andI easily give this game a 10/10 due to the fact that the game offers great graphics, has a slight mix of CoD, and Halo. And they've added the "Sticky Detonator" as well as some Forerunner technology with a great balance of teams and weapons. It is still rather easy to hack or mod in the game, considering I've seen a couple hackers myself and it makes me angry. The game is new though, and all new games have glitches and kinks that need to be worked out. The 343 Industries that created and developed it did an overall great job and I would play this my whole life if I could.… Expand
  31. THE_KONGONATOR
    Nov 27, 2012
    9
    What... a... game. Considering a new studio developed Halo 4, this is stunning. Kudos to 343 Industries. They have just gained my support. Wonderful multiplayer like always, and the single player is fun and a great challenge on Legendary. The achievements are well set-out and they game is fabulous in each and every way. Halo is the King of Online FPS, this is coming from a COD Fanboy whoWhat... a... game. Considering a new studio developed Halo 4, this is stunning. Kudos to 343 Industries. They have just gained my support. Wonderful multiplayer like always, and the single player is fun and a great challenge on Legendary. The achievements are well set-out and they game is fabulous in each and every way. Halo is the King of Online FPS, this is coming from a COD Fanboy who has been playing COD since the first on PC. This time though, BO2 can do one, Halo 4 is the one.… Expand
  32. frugal_frogger
    Nov 27, 2012
    9
    OK, to be honest I've never been a Halo fan. These titles are the most generic FPS you can play. However, for the MP value alone, they are worth it. Like COD, you can ALWAYS find a good MP scene online. You will ALWAYS find an arsenal of weapons and maps that will keep you addicted to your online gaming fix like nothing else. Outstanding online gameplay.
  33. TheProCritic
    Nov 27, 2012
    10
    At first i was unsure about purchasing this game because of the many negative and few positive User reviews i've seen, but after watching gameplay i decided that Halo 4 was for me. After playing almost entirely through the campaign and over 5 hours of online multiplayer, i can certainly say that 343 Studios has succeeded in the creation of such a memorable and time consuming game. TheAt first i was unsure about purchasing this game because of the many negative and few positive User reviews i've seen, but after watching gameplay i decided that Halo 4 was for me. After playing almost entirely through the campaign and over 5 hours of online multiplayer, i can certainly say that 343 Studios has succeeded in the creation of such a memorable and time consuming game. The campaign brought back the master chief in the the most epic fashion possible. The campaign is very fun and quite a challenge at times as well, it creates a perfect balance of challenge, gameplay, and story to generate what seems to be the most memorable of all the Halo campaigns. The multiplayer is fantastic, unlocking weapons, armor, and emblems is only half the game, but working towards unlocking these things gives a great sense of achievement, the multiplayer makes me feel like i'm playing the Halo we all love and remember, it makes me forget about how much i disliked Halo: Reach, and gives me that fantastic feeling that previous Halo titles have always given me. I have complete respect for 343 studios for being able to replicate and improve the Halo universe, and for that i give them props. If you have yet to find a great FPS, look no further, Halo 4 is here.… Expand
  34. Augusto1029
    Nov 27, 2012
    10
    First of all I have played all halos, since the original Xbox, and this delivery did not disappoint. 343 did a fantastic job creating a robust experience, campaign and multiplayer wise. The visual experience was also fantastic, the controls remained classic but I love the feedback you receive the shooting and how different this feedback is from gun to gun. Also there is an storyFirst of all I have played all halos, since the original Xbox, and this delivery did not disappoint. 343 did a fantastic job creating a robust experience, campaign and multiplayer wise. The visual experience was also fantastic, the controls remained classic but I love the feedback you receive the shooting and how different this feedback is from gun to gun. Also there is an story telling element from the campaign all the way up to Spartan Ops, a great idea that is keeping the game fresh and relevant. In regards of the story as other have said, the emotion created around the relationship Master Chief / Cortana, was well executed and it did let me, personally, craving for more Halo.

    Halo being an FPS, its a bench mark for games like Mass Effect 3, that are not able to handle the pressure of a high expectations ending. Thanks 343i, I am looking forward for other projects and of course: More Halo!    … Expand
  35. iOnlySam
    Nov 26, 2012
    9
    Halo 4 is an amazing game, and with a great campaign and multiplayer behind it, there's no doubt that I think the game is an exhilarating experience for any Halo fan, new and old.

    The campaign surrounds Cortana more than Master Chief this time around, giving the Halo series a flip on perspective. Cortana has a rare disease, which is running herself into insanity, giving the mission to    Halo 4 is an amazing game, and with a great campaign and multiplayer behind it, there's no doubt that I think the game is an exhilarating experience for any Halo fan, new and old.

    The campaign surrounds Cortana more than Master Chief this time around, giving the Halo series a flip on perspective. Cortana has a rare disease, which is running herself into insanity, giving the mission to Master Chief to solve her issues. The campaign is a great experience, which I think everyone who hasn't tried it should definitely give it a go. With a fantastic layout of each mission and a great balance of huge fights and small gun fights to banshee hijacking opportunities, it makes Halo 4's campaign the greatest Halo campaign in its series, if not one of the best on Xbox 360.

    The graphics, are as great as ever. Master Chief looks stunning, the guns look realistic, and the locations never see to amaze me, because they blow me away. One thing that I found in the game which created a level of immersion that no other game can give you is the small pieces of the helmet that you can see when playing as Master Chief in the campaign, unfortunately this doesn't continue into the multiplayer, leaving the immersivness as good as it always was, sadly not taking it to the level the campaign has achieved.

    Multiplayer couldn't be better... Than CoD... But it is... In some ways. Graphics far beat CoD, full stop, but I still am not getting that feeling of "The game was amazing, I need to play another". Or "I will play betters than that next round." Unfortunately I only find myself playing Halo 4's multiplayer for the daily challenges, I will play it, complete the challenges, then play maybe one or two more games and then swap to my playstation for Black Ops 2 or Borderlands 2. Although I have to say that the multiplayer is top notch in perspective of its customisation, spartan abilities, weapon load outs and great map designs.

    The spartan ops is one extra which I feel is a very good extra for the game and props to 343 for introducing some new style of gameplay. The forge world, as much as it is good, can be as repetitive as it always was and gets boring quickly as those awesome levels which you see are too hard to make by yourself. Verdict:
    Halo 4 is probably one of the greatest gaming sequels in history, winning me over with the enhanced graphics and the challenging Spartan Ops. Throwing me overboard with joy with an excellent Campaign with big time events and making me feel good about completing challenges in multiplayer. But not enough to make me play the game all day and night.

    A force to be reckoned with in 2012.    … Expand
  36. Triggern0metry1
    Nov 26, 2012
    10
    This game was fantastic I honestly don't know what a lot of people are complaining about. 343 industries have done a great job, and yes there may be some stuff in there that COD has but gaming evolves and if you don't evolve with it you'll end up with the dinosaurs.
  37. Banshee-Friend
    Nov 25, 2012
    2
    This game was terrible. The graphics werent the worst, but they seemed to be the result of "trying too hard" to make it look good. Bad CGI comes to mind when I see the profuse use of specular. As for the story, It reminisced a generic sci-fi plot, which was entirely inconsistent with the Halo franchise. Several unending plot holes including changes such as the look of the Chief, Cortana,This game was terrible. The graphics werent the worst, but they seemed to be the result of "trying too hard" to make it look good. Bad CGI comes to mind when I see the profuse use of specular. As for the story, It reminisced a generic sci-fi plot, which was entirely inconsistent with the Halo franchise. Several unending plot holes including changes such as the look of the Chief, Cortana, Forward Unto Dawn changing appearance "suddenly". I have also been unable to find a buy-able explanation on the incogitable hostility of the Covenant after all that has transpired in the Halo story from previous games. As for the multiplayer, I might as well play the new call of duty. It does not at all play like a halo game. with the addition of killstreaks(ordinance), perks, weapon unlockables, and how easy it is to kill someone makes it as far from Halo as you can get with a 'Halo' Game. This was clearly a poor attempt to 'milk the franchise' after Bungie decided to stop creating Halo games. Very disappointing for a Halo game, I would not recommend even rending this game.… Expand
  38. Viperspider
    Nov 25, 2012
    1
    This is my second review. Unlike my first this will be quick and to the point. ||||| Halo 4 is a horrible pathetic disappointment. I have had this game for maybe 3 weeks and I've already shelved it for good. It is my brothers game so i cant return it, but i wish i could. Keep in mind that i only played the multiplayer on the weekends and i played the campaign through while i had a weekThis is my second review. Unlike my first this will be quick and to the point. ||||| Halo 4 is a horrible pathetic disappointment. I have had this game for maybe 3 weeks and I've already shelved it for good. It is my brothers game so i cant return it, but i wish i could. Keep in mind that i only played the multiplayer on the weekends and i played the campaign through while i had a week off from college with a little MP here and there. So i havent even been playing this game extensively, and it still bored me to tears in just 3 weeks. |||| The campaign is horribly written, boring and theres nothing compelling you to keep playing, The ending is the worst i've ever seen, instead of a nice cut scene we get a horrible "Press LT to ***" which was the most pathetic excuse for a climax i've ever seen. The multiplayer is stale, unbalanced, laggy and the maps and playlists are horribly designed. The only good map is a Halo 3 remake. |||| The latest Halo title is just another addition to the stagnant pool of FPS genre titles that have come out in the last 3 years or so. Dont buy this game people, save your money for toilet paper because you'll only end up wiping your ass with this game anyway.… Expand
  39. Lilbutter
    Nov 25, 2012
    8
    Fantastic game! Best graphics on Xbox 360 by a mile. Gameplay is great in single player, but not hooked on multiplayer, just is'nt doing anything for me. have'nt been hooked on a halo game since 3, but this is still a great game.
  40. Vandral007
    Nov 25, 2012
    9
    I hate Halo. I've hated Halo for a long time. For me, Halo represents the beginning of mainstream gaming. As more and more people line up for their Halo or CoD releases, a piece of orginiality dies within the gaming industry, which is now dominated by megacorps out to make as much money as possible. (nothing wrong with trying to make money, but they don't seem to care about the qualityI hate Halo. I've hated Halo for a long time. For me, Halo represents the beginning of mainstream gaming. As more and more people line up for their Halo or CoD releases, a piece of orginiality dies within the gaming industry, which is now dominated by megacorps out to make as much money as possible. (nothing wrong with trying to make money, but they don't seem to care about the quality of the game.)

    I could never attatched to Master Cheif, and I didnt' care about the overarching story. Just hated it. Didn't even play ODST or Reach. Halo 4 gets released, and I'm given a copy by a friend. For a laugh, I load it up, thinking I'll hate it like I hated all the others. 7 hours later I put down the controller having finished the campaign. I may have to go back and give the other games in the series a chance, because Halo 4 has blown me away! Graphically it is gorgeous, the sound design is probably the best of the year. The gameplay is quick and intuitive, but the story.... oh man the story is what has guaranteed a purchase of Halo 5 for me. 343 Studios should be commended for taking a faceless soldier lacking any basic personality, and using sublte (yes subtle in a Halo game) story telling, allowing the player to actually connect to Master Cheif and Cortana. It was brilliant... probably the best story in a game this year, barring maybe The Last Story. Multiplayer is great fun, and Spartan Ops are also great. Don't listen to Halo haters. I know... I used to be one.    … Expand
  41. Stuu
    Nov 25, 2012
    4
    343 industries clearly wanted to distance themselves from Bungie by redesigning how the Halo universe looks and how it sounds. Unfortunately for 343 compared to Reach the game feels far less impressive with less appealing aesthetics and the completely redesigned sounds seemed to miss the mark too.

    The game itself tried to do to many things to please a larger audience base. New to the    343 industries clearly wanted to distance themselves from Bungie by redesigning how the Halo universe looks and how it sounds. Unfortunately for 343 compared to Reach the game feels far less impressive with less appealing aesthetics and the completely redesigned sounds seemed to miss the mark too.

    The game itself tried to do to many things to please a larger audience base. New to the game are mech armor, linear flying sequences (which uncannily seemed like Starfox 64 with a halo skin) Quick time events and even a set piece that seemed to be taken from portal, where the bad guy inexplicably re-arranges a level design to make it harder (but not impossible for some reason) to get from point A to point B. On the note of the Bad guy, his motivation is brushed away in one line of dialogue and then takes a position of complete indifference to Master Chief for the rest of the game even though he is continually foiled by the chief. Cortana no longer has her strong personality but rather now reminds me of someone craving attention by constantly complaining just to get Master Chief to reassure her which accumulates to the most out of place cut-scene.

    The multiplayer is now more focused on fast paced action rather than weapon spawn camping. which is a significant improvement. Though the need for a perk to be able to pick up fallen grenades seems a bit odd for a halo game.

    Overall a massive missed opportunity with the poorly written and heavily retconned plot where Microsoft might have been better off just creating a completely new universe from scratch rather than attaching onto the existing halo one.    … Expand
  42. theoffice
    Nov 25, 2012
    6
    Overall a strong entry into the series (6.5/10). Regarding the campaign: Definitely a significant improvement over Halo: Reach as you simply do not sit back and fight wave after wave of enemies. Harkens back to Halo CE to me, but without the sense of exploration and wonder. Here you actually make forward progress most of the time. Problem is that if you go off the beaten path you'll dieOverall a strong entry into the series (6.5/10). Regarding the campaign: Definitely a significant improvement over Halo: Reach as you simply do not sit back and fight wave after wave of enemies. Harkens back to Halo CE to me, but without the sense of exploration and wonder. Here you actually make forward progress most of the time. Problem is that if you go off the beaten path you'll die quickly from the astounding increase in enemies and return far back as checkpoints aren't common. The covenant enemies are interesting and fun to fight as always but the new Promethean foes lack interesting characters and often stick to certain areas until you attack. There's also only 3 different types. Furthermore you're going to find yourself using mostly their weapons exclusively as there is no way you'll have ammo otherwise (get used to the lightrifle). Next, I felt the design and gameplay were decent, though it mostly revolves around moving from one button to the next to advance the story. Speaking of which... the story is weak. Very weak. And very difficult to understand if you have only played the games. It's just... strange. I felt the story in the previous 4 main games were good but this one was just kinda dumb and odd. I like the Chief but his relationship with the computer, Cortana, was weird and this new "threat"/ backstory (not explained in game at all though everyone seems to know it in the game) is dumb. This is obviously just my opinion......................... Regarding multiplayer: This is Halo 4's strong suit and will give it staying power. It's a strong experience with solid gameplay and options. Lots of character customization. Not much else to say. It's fun though still, imo, is not as good a Halo 2............................................. Regarding graphics and sound: graphics are fantastic. Best I've seen on xbox. The sound for some guns is great such as the DMR and sniper rifle. However on others it is totally horrendous such as the battle rifle............................... So overall a 6.5 as the campaign was an improvement but the lack of exploration/wonderment feeling, design mostly involving moving from one waypoint marker to the next, CG cutscenes used extensively, and the very weird, weak story really took away from the potential. The multiplayer is strong but I don't think it'll be something I keep going back to like Halo 2, a game I still find extremely satisfying. Personally recommend a rent.… Expand
  43. MrRivers
    Nov 24, 2012
    10
    Best graphics, best single player campaign, best weapons, best multiplayer. A masterpiece, 343i demonstrated the love for the series, bringing the best Halo yet to the Xbox console. Thank you
  44. Larux18
    Nov 24, 2012
    9
    Personally I thought Halo would die with Bungie, after a not-so-good remake of the first game by the hand of 343 I doubted the potential that this game would have, but I am happy to say, I was completely wrong. The first thing that stands out when you play Halo 4 are the visuals, this is by far the best looking game for the 360, it can even compete with PC graphics to a certain point sincePersonally I thought Halo would die with Bungie, after a not-so-good remake of the first game by the hand of 343 I doubted the potential that this game would have, but I am happy to say, I was completely wrong. The first thing that stands out when you play Halo 4 are the visuals, this is by far the best looking game for the 360, it can even compete with PC graphics to a certain point since the level of detail is amazing. The first thing I covered was the campaign, it was entertaining with a story now focused on Cortana and the forrunner awakening instead of Chief and the Halo rings. Prometheans stand out as the new enemies with some new challenges and badass weapons. Overall the campaign was great but it was a little short with only eight missions. However the next part makes up for it. Multiplayer is the star of this franchise since Halo 2, and it does not disappoint. There are various multiplayer modes, both old and new, which have excellent, faster, and more aggressive combat. Load-outs can now be created and selected and there are now powerful weapon drops, or ordinances, that are rewarded with kill streaks. One new vehicle has been added called the Mantis, which is a mech that is balanced enough to be badass yet destroyable. There are some great maps present such as the remake of Halo 3's Valhalla called Ragnarok, which is amazing. Also, there are now more than a single map for forge, and since most of the big team maps are massive there are good spots to be creative. The other multiplayer mode apart from the competitive modes is Spartan Ops. This mode is basically co-op missions with a unique story and with new episodes being released with time, the only problem I have with spartan ops is that with a few players I've had a great delay, making the game unplayable. Again, forge is better than ever, with some awesome maps, great new tools, and new options promoting creativity. This game has so much that I assure it will be completely worth whatever price it is where you live, 343 has done an amazing job and created one of my game of the year candidates.… Expand
  45. PulseEnder
    Nov 24, 2012
    10
    Halo 4 is an outstanding game and is a direct sequel to Halo 4 and is the first Halo game in the new Reclaimer saga and is the first original Halo game made by 343 industries and is backed up behind the recent Halo live action web series Forward Unto Dawn. Plot: after Halo 3, Master Chief has remained in cryogenic sleep upon the vessel known as Forward Unto Dawn, and has requested toHalo 4 is an outstanding game and is a direct sequel to Halo 4 and is the first Halo game in the new Reclaimer saga and is the first original Halo game made by 343 industries and is backed up behind the recent Halo live action web series Forward Unto Dawn. Plot: after Halo 3, Master Chief has remained in cryogenic sleep upon the vessel known as Forward Unto Dawn, and has requested to Cortana to be re-awakened when needed. Cortana realizes that their vessel is under attack by the Covenant who have broken their truce with the humans. When she awakens chief she warns him that they are orbited an ancient Forerunner planet, Requiem. The planet's Gravity Well intiates and brings the Covenant and as well as Chief, Cortana, and The Dawn into a collision course with the planet. On Requiem, Cortana reveals she is rampant and should be dead and will eventually think herself to death. They attempt to re-establish communications with the Infinity, a massive vessel that is home to the new spartan 4 program led by Commander Del Rio. In an attempt to clear communications lines they accidently free the ancient forerunner, Diadect, who is hell bent on eliminating humanity, and whose power manipulates the Covenant and the Prometheans into becoming his army. Comparison to Halo 3: Chief sports a new look in his mark 7 armor and is a bigger and better badass then he already was. Also their is more insight into Chief's legacy, Cortana's emotions, and the Spartan program itself. the Battle Rifle returns as well as the Covenant Carbine, the option to duel wield does not return. Comparison to Halo Reach: graphics are crispier, goes back to classic Halo 3 HUD, sprint is a default part of the experience as it is now not an armor ability, the DMR returns, and the infection game mode has evolved into the more gripping Flood game mode, Firefight mode does not return. New elements for the Halo experience: A new enemy known as the Prometheans are an interesting species that weild guns that shoot light and build right into your hands. Also the oppurtunity to pilot a Pelican is now here. Multiplayer: All multiplayer matches take place on the Infinity as training simulations for the Spartan 4s. Also Spartan Ops gives you 5 new missions for 10 weeks after Halo 4's original release as long as you have an Xbox Live Gold account which you get 2 weeks free for purchasing Halo 4. This game uses create a load out customization options which make for a customized experience as well as ordanance which gives the player random killstreaks in the form of a choice of weapon, grenade, or amor ability. My opinion: Halo 4 is a must play game that will be remembered as the most revolutionary Halo title since the original Combat Evolved itself. It reminds me of Call of Duty in terms of its easy to jump into play style, and its more interactive campaign, and killstreak like create a class like system. Even the Spartan Ops remind the player of Special Ops from Modern Warfare. I would reccomend this to anyone who wants to begin gaming or to anyone who owns an Xbox 360, even so I would find a way to try out this great game.… Expand
  46. Innermostpizza
    Nov 24, 2012
    10
    smooth gameplay mixed with an enticing story creates a stunning new Halo game. Spartan Ops adds quick but fun missions updated weekly. The multiplayer is among the best in all of the Halo games. The game overall is balanced, sleek and beautiful! 343 should be proud to have made a game worthy to have made a game that raises the bar on standards. 343 has shown that Halo is in capable hands.
  47. glacier777
    Nov 24, 2012
    7
    It had a lot to live up to didn't it? I loved Halo:Reach and I give it a 10. I am giving Halo 4 a 9 and here's why:

    Campaign: The campaign in reach was its weakest feature but it is one of the strongest in Halo 4. 4's campaign is more imaginative, longer and is much more fun to play. The Campaign is up to the CE's standard and will not disapoint fans. 10/10 Spartan-Ops: I will    It had a lot to live up to didn't it? I loved Halo:Reach and I give it a 10. I am giving Halo 4 a 9 and here's why:

    Campaign: The campaign in reach was its weakest feature but it is one of the strongest in Halo 4. 4's campaign is more imaginative, longer and is much more fun to play. The Campaign is up to the CE's standard and will not disapoint fans. 10/10

    Spartan-Ops: I will overlook the fact that it is a rip off from COD. S-O replaced firefight which really annoyed me because firefight was fun. S-O is not as bad as I thought it would be because it ties in with the campaign and the missions are short. The only issue is that you re-spawn, no checkpoints etc.. This makes S-O slightly pointless, however I would not get rid of S-O, I would just bring back firefight as well. 9/10

    Multiplayer: 343 said that there were going to be changes and they were right., However, almost every change has made it worse. On reach less was more. 343 have thrown that out of the window and created gameplay that is too fast and frankly just boring and repetitive. On reach it felt like every game had a story and every game game slowly developed, where as now games are boring and too fast. There have been too many new features and too many classic features have been removed. 6/10

    Forge and Custom Games - There are three forge world's - great idea. However none of them are big enough! This also means that custom games is not as fun. Also where did the race game type go? I have given it a 7 because these are still unique parts of halo and forge is really good. There's just not enough space.
    7/10

    Other features and website: Waypoint is still good, the armour is as good as reach's, the commendations have improved the theater and file share are still good. The new website isn't as good as bungie.net though. 9/10

    Overall halo 4 retains many features that make halo amazing and also the campaign is second to none. Unfortunately 342 have included too many new things which have ruined parts of the game.
    All of my scores added together and divided by 5 equal 8 but this game deserves a 9 because it is still an amazing game. There are just too many annoying features that detract from the beauty of halo.    … Expand
  48. Thatuserguy
    Nov 24, 2012
    6
    It's decent; not particularly amazing, but not bad either. Campaign is an alright length, but the story isn't particularly amazing. It leaves more questions than it gives answers, and more often than not, it feels like they came up with cool moments and just tried to string them together with an average-at-best story. It's somewhat annoying as well, as even on normal difficulty, mostIt's decent; not particularly amazing, but not bad either. Campaign is an alright length, but the story isn't particularly amazing. It leaves more questions than it gives answers, and more often than not, it feels like they came up with cool moments and just tried to string them together with an average-at-best story. It's somewhat annoying as well, as even on normal difficulty, most enemies act like bullet sponges, often with promethean knights taking a whole clip of ammo or more to take down. Because of this, ammo runs out quickly, more often than not leaving you with weapons unsuited for the particular occasion you're thrown into. The music, while somewhat interesting to listen to, is much different than past halo games, and none of them left a lasting effect on me. I only liked one song from the entire soundtrack a significant amount, and I don't even know the name of it. The graphics were pretty good, but there were times in both gameplay and cutscenes that it seemed 343 just gave up trying to make it look all pretty. For example, take a look at chief's armor at the end of the first mission: it looks extremely low res despite him being the main focus of attention. And as for the final boss fight that we were all waiting for throughout the entire game that we all expected to happen with the evil of the didact throughout the whole game? A quicktime event. A quicktime event leading to a cutscene that ends the game. Talk about a freakin' tease. On the subject of teases, a halo ring is shown in the game, but we never go on it. It's like they put it there so they could justify the halo in the title and nothing more. Overall, the experience is kind of disappointing despite cool moments, and the story isn't too particularly involving or interesting. It's lacking the magic of previous halo campaigns.

    Spartan Ops sort of makes up for the campaign, but at the same time, some of the locations they take place at are just recycled from multiplayer or campaign. Not to mention, there's only like 5 missions per episode, and they're so short that more often than not you find yourself asking "It's over already?" While 343 has boasted about custom games having more options than ever, they made this happen at the expense of several other options. Entire gamemodes such as race, juggernaut, VIP, invasion, and assault have been all but removed, something that hurts the experience greatly. Theater also remains a one person only ordeal, something that's truly disappointing. Forge has some improvements, but at the expense of previous improvements. You can magnetize objects, lock them, see which item you're hovering over, have dynamic lighting, and can place zones where spartans have specific traits, but in return, can no longer zoom or move an object slowly, both which serve to make forging a much more irritating experience. The 3 maps replacing forge world that are specifically built for forging are hardly even BTB maps in size, meaning you're very limited by size. It would be much more preferable to have forge world back with different palletes and more items at this point, as there's so little that you can do. And now for the big one: multiplayer. The maps are all fairly entertaining, but, again, are lacking something that every other multiplayer map in previous halos had. I don't know what it is, but they just don't play too amazingly well. The ranking system is basically the same as Halo Reach's, but with a new coat of paint. Custom loadouts are alright, but in engagements with them, more often than not the guy who was spotted first is usually the guy who winds up dead. Custom loadouts also allow for the noob combo of plasma pistol and dmr, a tactic I've seen much more of in Halo 4. As for this next part, I guess I can't blame the game as much as the players, but it seems nobody uses vehicles anymore unless it's a gauss hog, a mantis, a scorpion, a banshee, or wraith. Normal hogs and mongeese are often just left sitting there while players make a run for it on foot instead. Ordinance drops are also interesting, but hurt gameplay. There's no map control of the areas with the power weapons, because the power weapons could spawn anywhere, meaning instead of the game focused around map control that we all know and love, it's become a more run and gun game. Halo's multiplayer has definitely changed, and sadly, I don't think it's for the better. At least AA's are more balanced now though.

    Overall, the UI is cluttered and annoying to navigate. The new weapon sounds, while some have enjoyed them, don't seem to fit the experience too well. Everything just sounds...off. For example, the rocket launcher no longer has some meaty launching sound, but instead sounds like a unintimidating "woosh" noise when being launched, and the DMR sounds much more deadly than it is. Most of the armor in general also looks rather silly, and no longer is easily identifiable, as lots of the armor looks similar to one another.    … Expand
  49. TheSquirrel
    Nov 24, 2012
    7
    While every other game in the series is saving with world with some character secondary story, the campaign in Halo 4 is flipped. Saving the world seems to take a back seat to the Master Chief's quest to solve Cortana's rampancy. This makes for a more emotional story, but a less intense one as well. The saving the world story which I will not spoil doesn't seem to be given the attentionWhile every other game in the series is saving with world with some character secondary story, the campaign in Halo 4 is flipped. Saving the world seems to take a back seat to the Master Chief's quest to solve Cortana's rampancy. This makes for a more emotional story, but a less intense one as well. The saving the world story which I will not spoil doesn't seem to be given the attention it deserves. This is easily the most amped up storyline Halo series has seen, what with numerous leading up books and movies, yet the story in the game itself doesn't feel alive and fleshed out.

    That is my largest complaint in a game that I like very much. The music is incredible, the environments are beautifully detailed, and the facial CG is beyond incredible. I cannot wait to play more Infinity so that I can write a follow-up to this review.

    My final complaint is the complete stripped down content you get if you are not online. Never have I been so disappointed with offline content. It was an inevitability that the days of offline gaming were coming to an end, but I never imagined not even having access to a campaign scoring system, the elimination of offline firefight, just stripped down. Were it not for the lack of offline content, this game would have been a 9 for me. The lack of out-of-box value, however, has shown that 343 has largely abandoned the offline gamer, and considering that Reach, ODST, and Halo3 had plenty to keep one occupied unconnected, this step back has tarnished my view of this series;

    Until the Internet guy makes it to my house...    … Expand
  50. mattnotley2004
    Nov 23, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 343 Industries did an amazing job with Halo 4. I was quite intrigued by the campaign story line, which I felt was just as good as the original Halo, if not better. It's graphics and cinematics are stunning! Although, I'm a little divided on the multiplayer design, especially when playing online. It doesn't quite fit in compared with other Halo releases. I don't like the new ranking system, and the need to purchase abilities such as Jetpack and Hologram. I was also very disappointed they killed off Cortana in the campaign, although I somewhat feel this is part of a twist, moving the story into Halo 5. Overall, such an awesome game.… Expand
  51. PatrykG
    Nov 23, 2012
    7
    So after many spin-offs on Halo we finally got a 4th. Now the graphics are alot more impressive than the other Halos but the gameplay has not changed and the storyline I mean why did a fourth one have to come out so now we have a Quadrilogy and then probably a 5th and a 6th and a 7th, but in the end I will say that Halo 4 is the best Halo since Halo 3 and probably the best FPS game of the year.
  52. Eric_DeVr33z
    Nov 23, 2012
    9
    This game is incredible. Halo 4's multiplayer is the best that the series has ever offered, with exciting matchmaking and the ability to customize your loadouts to suit your play style. The campaign has an excellent story, fleshing out the relationship between Master Chief and Cortana more than ever before. My only real criticisms of Halo 4 are that the campaign doesn't provide a very wideThis game is incredible. Halo 4's multiplayer is the best that the series has ever offered, with exciting matchmaking and the ability to customize your loadouts to suit your play style. The campaign has an excellent story, fleshing out the relationship between Master Chief and Cortana more than ever before. My only real criticisms of Halo 4 are that the campaign doesn't provide a very wide variety of objectives, and I still prefer Firefight to Spartan Ops. But otherwise the game is fantastic, and well worth the money for both new and old Halo fans.… Expand
  53. KILLMN
    Nov 23, 2012
    10
    Awesome game maybe can't reach the level of Bungie games but it on the right path.Good beginning 343.
  54. 25TonnesOfFun
    Nov 23, 2012
    5
    Anybody who gave this game anything more than an 8 must of never of played halo 3, which in my opinion was the best FPS multiplayer game ever made. Halo 3 is the most balanced FPS experience ever and 343 just shat all over that. extremely dissapointed with this game as it has way too much of halo reach in it with all these extra abilitys that make the game more complex then it need be. itAnybody who gave this game anything more than an 8 must of never of played halo 3, which in my opinion was the best FPS multiplayer game ever made. Halo 3 is the most balanced FPS experience ever and 343 just shat all over that. extremely dissapointed with this game as it has way too much of halo reach in it with all these extra abilitys that make the game more complex then it need be. it is just not fun now that everybody can have camo or start with a battle rifle. the maps are also kind of crap with exception to ragnarok, but thats a halo 3 map anyway so essentially all the maps are utter doo doo. most of the game modes are boring, they really need to bring back big team games like one bomb and massive 8 vs 8 flag games. im not gonna take the game back as its still playable but i had hoped they would of learnt their lesson from how dissapointing reach was.… Expand
  55. alpharowe
    Nov 22, 2012
    4
    I love the Halo storyline especially Reach. However this Halo 4 campaign was a disappointment. The story was convenient and one dimensional. You might have replaced the words UNSC (United Nations Space Command) with USSC (United States Space Command). Having one black dude and one Asian dude does not count for diversity in the world. At least Halo Reach had Spartans with more exoticI love the Halo storyline especially Reach. However this Halo 4 campaign was a disappointment. The story was convenient and one dimensional. You might have replaced the words UNSC (United Nations Space Command) with USSC (United States Space Command). Having one black dude and one Asian dude does not count for diversity in the world. At least Halo Reach had Spartans with more exotic names.

    The Game play was very repetitive. and it felt like playing a game of Pacman whereas playing Reach you felt that each level you were playing you were accomplishing a greater goal to the story line. I didn't have the same excitement I usually have will a Halo game. Games are more than just graphics, sounds and lighting. It missed that 4th dimension. Excitement. Despite this the MasterCheif/Cortana relationship was cool in this game. But overall I am very disappointment.    … Expand
  56. RobertoAlbatraz
    Nov 22, 2012
    9
    The game is good. The singleplayer whilst missed out on some good opportunites **boss battles**, was fun to go through and only the 3 tower type of game missions were boring. A part of the story reminded me of 24 (when a super soldier has saved the world mulitple times and you havent done anything of that magnitude maybe just take his word for it and help the dude out). I wanted to seeThe game is good. The singleplayer whilst missed out on some good opportunites **boss battles**, was fun to go through and only the 3 tower type of game missions were boring. A part of the story reminded me of 24 (when a super soldier has saved the world mulitple times and you havent done anything of that magnitude maybe just take his word for it and help the dude out). I wanted to see brutes and some larger enemies to take on. The guns sound and feel awesome well done to 343. Would love some diversity in gameplay though, such as a much slower mission that tries to put you on edge. Overall the game is awesome, well worth buying and playing. Its a fun game and the multiplayer and singleplayer will keep people going back to the 360 to play more.… Expand
  57. Sh0dan
    Nov 22, 2012
    7
    This game is over hyped in my honest opinion. Not that its a bad game, its a solid shooter polished to a high sheen over numerous iterations since the original Halo: Combat Evolved. The problem for me is that it doesn't do anything new, fresh or innovative. Even the levels feel like they have been stripped directly from previous Halo games. Really, its just the same old Halo FPS many of usThis game is over hyped in my honest opinion. Not that its a bad game, its a solid shooter polished to a high sheen over numerous iterations since the original Halo: Combat Evolved. The problem for me is that it doesn't do anything new, fresh or innovative. Even the levels feel like they have been stripped directly from previous Halo games. Really, its just the same old Halo FPS many of us used to love, but are perhaps a bit jaded on and tired of now. The story doesn't do anything to reinvigorate the universe either. IMO some mysteries like the "who are the Forerunner?" should never have been answered. Pulling back the curtain reveals how poor the writers really are at science fiction. It really is an unnecessary addition to the universe and has thoroughly put me off the Halo universe for a lifetime. I'm not even interested in seeing a Halo movie after playing poor man Star Wars wannabe.... The levels and missions are some of the most linear and narrow of the entire Halo series, even worse than some of the horrendous railway tracks of Halo 2. There is only one level that stood out as expansive, choice driven mission, but after replaying it a second time that is actually a clever illusion and in fact you are kept on the critical path just as strictly as the first level. Add to that the inability to play the coop mode 'Spartan Ops' offline without a gold membership and the fact they only made the single player, secret terminal videos accessible via Halo Waypoint (which also requires a paid for membership - fu M$!) and unless your a Halo multiplayer PvP junky, then there isn't much to enjoy here.… Expand
  58. Rockondevil
    Nov 21, 2012
    9
    Great game, not really as good as Halo: CE and Halo 2 were for their day but that's just my opinion.
    For 343's first game, even if it hasmost of the game already made it is still a decent effort.
    Campaign was fun and entertaining and the graphics are great. Unfortunately the down side to it for me was they tried to put to much CoD influence into the Multiplayer. Microsoft just because    Great game, not really as good as Halo: CE and Halo 2 were for their day but that's just my opinion.
    For 343's first game, even if it hasmost of the game already made it is still a decent effort.
    Campaign was fun and entertaining and the graphics are great.
    Unfortunately the down side to it for me was they tried to put to much CoD influence into the Multiplayer. Microsoft just because it is popular doesn't mean you need to emulate it.
    Biggest gripe for me was they showed Master Chiefs eyes.    … Expand
  59. etfromsd
    Nov 21, 2012
    10
    Honestly, the best FPS in years. Near live action graphics, roaring gun sounds, immersive campaign and multiplayer with by far the best gameplay in the series. Keeps a typical Halo feel with a new edge. Even the skyboxes and masterful scores of music are done perfectly and are sure to turn heads. Oh, and did I mention that the greatest story on Xbox has been extended and even improvedHonestly, the best FPS in years. Near live action graphics, roaring gun sounds, immersive campaign and multiplayer with by far the best gameplay in the series. Keeps a typical Halo feel with a new edge. Even the skyboxes and masterful scores of music are done perfectly and are sure to turn heads. Oh, and did I mention that the greatest story on Xbox has been extended and even improved upon? The game is legit and will be around for years to come.… Expand
  60. Banned4rever
    Nov 21, 2012
    10
    Halo 4 atinge o ápice da sétima geração de videogames, e ainda da um pequeno spoiler da próxima gen. Os gráficos são de babar, o máximo já alcançado em consoles, com a mesma ia e mapas grandes de sempre. A relação Cortana e Chief está ainda mais forte
  61. guest1321
    Nov 21, 2012
    10
    I think I must have overhyped myself because I didn't feel stunned by the visuals when I first popped it in. Yes, they looks great but I think I had seen to many screen shots that I really expected to be blown away but when I popped it in it was what I had already seen. Having read the two Forerunner trilogy books prior to playing this I was excited to see how the forerunner, given thereI think I must have overhyped myself because I didn't feel stunned by the visuals when I first popped it in. Yes, they looks great but I think I had seen to many screen shots that I really expected to be blown away but when I popped it in it was what I had already seen. Having read the two Forerunner trilogy books prior to playing this I was excited to see how the forerunner, given there history with the human race, would be poised in this game. For those of you have read both and then played the game you were certainly understand when I say that the game does a fantastic job of lightly tying into the books and then making major pieces of the game way better. Bottom line, the campaign was great and music made it epic, and it no way let me down which was a bit of a concern the month before launch. The online was quite a shock. It didn't feel like Halo, borrowed a lot from Call of Duty but it still felt true to its nature. It took some getting used to but now I love it. The various changes they made felt forced at first but once I though about it I felt like they fit better in the Halo universe than anything else I could imagine them doing and another online like 3 or reach was not an option so it was a good compromise. I dabbled in the first episode of Spartan Ops and I like that it was a fairly smooth experience and other than the occasionally crappy teammate who just killed everyone else, it was actually a lot of fun. Halo is definitely in my top 3 this year and with the amount I keep going back to it I expect it will continue to move up. As I know some people are Halo-adverse I can't say I would recommend it to everyone, but if you are the kind of person that has ever had the slightest interest in Halo, this is an awesome point to jump in.… Expand
  62. Henrycsi
    Nov 21, 2012
    10
    Halo is back on its feet again. After a few mediocre entries into the series, namely, halo reach, Halo 4 delivers a surprising and rejuvenating jolt of wonder, fun, and solid gameplay that the series definitely needed.
  63. minharo200
    Nov 21, 2012
    9
    Halo 4 is not a perfect game. There are moments where it does outshine many other shooters like the previous Halos, but those moments [as grand and big as some as they are] do get bogged down in the details. To start, the campaign, is great, but not a game changer. The campaign has a really good story [not the best one in the series] and is more emotional and honest. Getting to know theHalo 4 is not a perfect game. There are moments where it does outshine many other shooters like the previous Halos, but those moments [as grand and big as some as they are] do get bogged down in the details. To start, the campaign, is great, but not a game changer. The campaign has a really good story [not the best one in the series] and is more emotional and honest. Getting to know the Chief a little better and seeing the problems with Cortana and the such makes for a compelling story, intertwined with the Prometheans and the such. However, the threat itself was not... well, I felt they were tying to go for a more 'YOU MUST SAVE THE WORLD' sort of story and while yes, thats what Halo is about [like in 1 - 3], it was a dramatic battle to a countdown that really felt out of place [coming from the previous campaigns]. Still, it was a good story and everything was paced quite well. Prometheans are a fun lot to fight and the little variations in the missions left everything in a nice bow. Side Note: they couldve put skulls in the game that you actually had to hunt down, would have been nice but whatever. Also, the fact you cant view terminals in game but have to log into waypoint really doesnt motivate me to go looking for those. Easter eggs were one reason to replay the campaign and this campaign just doesnt motivate me.
    MULTIPLAYER: The multiplayer is faster and has a ton of replayability but I feel they could have tweaked the damage output of a few weapons a bit more carefully since a few are nerfed while others are OP. Zombies is a joke however, thats honestly something they screwed up. overall, a fun game, worth the money if youre a Halo fan.    … Expand
  64. wiles01
    Nov 21, 2012
    7
    There are lots of set pieces in this game that make you giddy with excitement at the new ideas. The Mantis combat walker, the Mammoth 6 wheeled sandcrawler type vehicle. Lots of neat ideas. They did a good job of revising the franchise.

    Then there are other parts of the game that make you want to beat your head against the wall in frustration. It is hard sometimes to see where you    There are lots of set pieces in this game that make you giddy with excitement at the new ideas. The Mantis combat walker, the Mammoth 6 wheeled sandcrawler type vehicle. Lots of neat ideas. They did a good job of revising the franchise.

    Then there are other parts of the game that make you want to beat your head against the wall in frustration. It is hard sometimes to see where you are supposed to go next and you just kind of have to search your way around.

    Good story though and great graphics and gameplay otherwise. If you are a fan of Halo it is a must buy, if you are not a fan, then it might be a pass for you.    … Expand
  65. massassim
    Nov 21, 2012
    10
    this game is amazing? no, it can't be defined with words how great this is... a masterpiece, mindblowing, 10 of 10 , a classic that your childs will have to play. I am from old scholl gaming, and this is so amazing like mario, zelda and lara croft! it's even better than that
  66. GregOnGames
    Nov 21, 2012
    8
    I most definitely approve of this game. I was impressed straight away by the noticeable beef-up in graphics. Halo has never been known for its land breaking visual content, but this game changes that within seconds of seeing that beautiful artwork, you realize this is what a Sci-Fi Shooter should look like. I found that campaign addictive, in single player and Co-op. Enemies are toughenedI most definitely approve of this game. I was impressed straight away by the noticeable beef-up in graphics. Halo has never been known for its land breaking visual content, but this game changes that within seconds of seeing that beautiful artwork, you realize this is what a Sci-Fi Shooter should look like. I found that campaign addictive, in single player and Co-op. Enemies are toughened and ready for a fight, and its noticeable that 343 did a fantastic job on setting the difficulties to what you'd expect, especially on Legendary. Gameplay feels splended as well, boasting new sounds for every weapon, and movements made by the player and the AI characters. The game just feels a lot better then most games I've played this year. Multiplayer has a whole new edge to it as well. The addition of custom load-outs made it feel like they were really passionate in kicking some Call of Duty ass this year, which is a big argument in itself. I did feel however that the storyline did not meet up to the expectations I quite had for a new company coming in with virtually limitless possibilities. Though, what they did add, they made it work great, leaving minor loop-holes that i'd hope are going to be told in the games to come. Overall, I feel a solid 8 is a great score for this great entry into a new world of Halo.… Expand
  67. Oceanicus
    Nov 20, 2012
    5
    A bad case of too much hype, I must say it's beyond great compared to Halo Odst and legends, however that's not saying much. And for the name this game represents it could ' ve been a lot, and I mean it, better. I only recommend it to die-hard fans or to people who will only play on-line.
  68. MrArmageddon17
    Nov 20, 2012
    8
    I have really enjoyed my time on this game so far. The campaign is pretty good. I would have preferred more shorter missions rather than the few long ones. At times it gets to the point where you just want the mission to be over. However there are some pretty epic scenes and the game looks fantastic. It must be pushing the 360 to its limits. The multiplayer is also a good time. I like theI have really enjoyed my time on this game so far. The campaign is pretty good. I would have preferred more shorter missions rather than the few long ones. At times it gets to the point where you just want the mission to be over. However there are some pretty epic scenes and the game looks fantastic. It must be pushing the 360 to its limits. The multiplayer is also a good time. I like the random map drops. Takes away the importance of knowing the power weapon locations and the fastest way to get there. The personal ordinance drops are a blessing and a curse. It's nice to rewarded for playing well but it is unnecessary. I would prefer to have the map drops happen more often and get rid of the ordinance drops. The custom loadouts are ok. I'd prefer if you just picked a gun and the grenades though. I find everything else unnecessary. The guns you can pick from however are incredibly balanced. Anyone who says otherwise is just complaining to complain. I would also like to see them get rid of map voting or improve the system. There are about 10 maps and in the 30 or so games I've played I think I have played 4. Often I have played the same map 3 times in a row. Also after games if the majority of the party leaves it would be nice to have the remaining group search for more players. I have had games that started 3 vs. 1 which is pretty lame. Over all a good game. Any complaints I have are really just nitpicking and personal preference.… Expand
  69. Hamburglar
    Nov 20, 2012
    8
    The game has incredible graphics, something I long wanted form a Halo game, the campaign is entertaining but feels short. The story is filled with potential but is lacks proper detail. The new enemies pose a new challenge and fun to kill just as much as the covenant, but some weapons feel useless against them. The sound is impressively good! The soundtracks are decent, a few stand out butThe game has incredible graphics, something I long wanted form a Halo game, the campaign is entertaining but feels short. The story is filled with potential but is lacks proper detail. The new enemies pose a new challenge and fun to kill just as much as the covenant, but some weapons feel useless against them. The sound is impressively good! The soundtracks are decent, a few stand out but don't compare to the classics. 343 did a really good job in half the game, but the other half is disappointing. Multiplayer is great, and people complain about not being able to pick grenades from ground without the perk but I've found them placed on maps, still better to pick them from dead bodies tho. What I have to complain is, that Spartan Ops is a good idea, and better than Firefight in some ways, it does not have the customizable options or sense of possible failure that drove Firefight to be fun and even intense at times. Another bad thing about Spartan Ops is it would have been better of as downloadable adds, or playable on disc like firefight so that I can still play and enjoy it EVEN OFFLINE, but no, instead i MUST have xbox life with a GOLD account just to play it, so i wouldn't be able to access it at all if I had no Live or internet. WHich for me is just terrible, not to mention that Theater mode only works only multiplayer and no campaign or Spartan Ops, and there appears to be no way to save an entire film. So so long for my proud no death legendary campaign runs I would save and later review on Theater lobby. Over all the game is a leap forward in Halo, but a step down in overall features. My review score would be 8.75.… Expand
  70. racinglightning
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    Halo 4 is a jaw dropping, unbelievably beautiful, well thought out, masterfully assembled game. It is undeniably the best bang for buck game this year, if not of all time. Halo 4's campaign injects something that has always been lacking in the franchise, human emotion. It is the first Halo that actually seems like it was written for a more mature audience, the enemies are more fearsome,Halo 4 is a jaw dropping, unbelievably beautiful, well thought out, masterfully assembled game. It is undeniably the best bang for buck game this year, if not of all time. Halo 4's campaign injects something that has always been lacking in the franchise, human emotion. It is the first Halo that actually seems like it was written for a more mature audience, the enemies are more fearsome, and aggressive, than any other Halo, even the Grunts are scarier looking, and meaner than ever. In addition, the co-op mode tells a completely different story than the campaign, is released over the next few weeks, is interesting, and fun. The multiplayer is the best so far. Halo 4 is a great evolution in the series, and a personal favorite so far.… Expand
  71. JNELY
    Nov 20, 2012
    9
    This game is excellent. Singleplayer: The story is lacklustre (but has real potential for sequels) and those flying things are a pain in this ass. Those two minor gripes aside, I loved the new campaign! Spartan Ops: It's revolutionary. It keeps the story going, offers great co-op content, and is a fun alternative to previous Firefight modes. Multiplayer: I love it. It seems like theThis game is excellent. Singleplayer: The story is lacklustre (but has real potential for sequels) and those flying things are a pain in this ass. Those two minor gripes aside, I loved the new campaign! Spartan Ops: It's revolutionary. It keeps the story going, offers great co-op content, and is a fun alternative to previous Firefight modes. Multiplayer: I love it. It seems like the majority of problems people have with it stem from the game being different than Halo 2. Since I never played much Halo 2, this isn't a problem for me! It brings modern standards to Halo, and keep it fun and exciting. However, I wish there wasn't so much overlap between different guns. I rarely find myself switching from the DMR to any other weapon.… Expand
  72. Lord_Zorin
    Nov 20, 2012
    5
    I've spent hours, days, months, and much time of the last 8-9 years in the Halo universe. Halo 4, in my own eyes, had something special for the player, something that would amaze, and something that would tear apart our old beliefs, and fill it with something new. Like a new muscle, I expected the mass of the community, along with me, to feel some pain before it was built and accepted byI've spent hours, days, months, and much time of the last 8-9 years in the Halo universe. Halo 4, in my own eyes, had something special for the player, something that would amaze, and something that would tear apart our old beliefs, and fill it with something new. Like a new muscle, I expected the mass of the community, along with me, to feel some pain before it was built and accepted by us. "I Love Halo!" and that will not change, but I felt, that something was missing, that the Campaign was left with something missing, it felt short to me. But yet in another way, it felt long, but that was only because there were less missions, but each were dragged out longer.

    Graphics, Voice Acting, Animation, it was excellent, along with the barrage of Sounds, Music, and Cinematic Experience, I felt the Campaign dealt a real strong punch to the franchise, setting it up there to be something great. But overall, the Campaign itself, was a bit of a letdown, and not because I'm a die-hard Halo fan. Sure enough, I was one of the unfortunate people who saw spoilers before the game came out, but I don't feel it would have made any difference. Things were easy to predict. The plot, the storyline, was just kind of loosely-knit together. There was only one section of the campaign that created a strong emotional response from me, but that was basically the climax. In other words, I've played the first episode of Spartan Ops, and spent many hours online, only to feel that it's just, not as amazing as it sounded. On pen and paper, it sounded perfect, but when I started my Great Journey to the online world, I experienced many things, including massive lag. Regardless, of whether or not it was my Internet connection at the time, it took it's toll. Spartan Ops, was meant for a Co-Op experience, and was most definitely meant to be played on the harder difficulties. The fact that it was mostly a "cut and paste" of segments of Campaign levels, left me unsatisfied, along with it's inability to create a story, a plot, that seemed meaningful to me. From the views of some friends, I hear the second Episode has added to the plot, and I can only wait and see what is in store for us.

    Multi-player was enjoyable, and the fact that one got to relive memories from Halo 3, in an all new way on "Valhalla" or as it is now known as, "Ragnarok". The fact that armor is no longer credits focused, but rather, you unlock it by achieving some extreme commendation, or you rank up, it feels more open, that you don't need to wait 500 games saving credits to get that one helmet you desire. As for "loadouts" it's nothing new, if anything, it seems to be a Call of Duty rip-off, but in it's own way, it still changes the entirety of the online experience. Then you throw in "Personal Ordnance" and you get the feeling of kill streaks, from Call of Duty again.

    Instead of taking the step in making Halo unique, it's been created this time, to fit in. To pull players from other games, into the franchise. I can only hope that the future of Halo, is less of a disappointment. That being said, I will not give up my Limited Edition copy.

    I didn't hype myself up like others, and I was left wanting more, desiring more, from everything.    … Expand
  73. Terbo
    Nov 20, 2012
    7
    Overall not a bad game; I enjoyed the campaign but agree with those who feel it was too short. My first play-thru was heroic and I finished in under 5 hours. Graphics were improved; I wasn't crazy about the music. I like Spartan Ops, and if 343 continues to release new missions for an extended period of time, gamers will likely not feel so shafted over the minimal campaign content.Overall not a bad game; I enjoyed the campaign but agree with those who feel it was too short. My first play-thru was heroic and I finished in under 5 hours. Graphics were improved; I wasn't crazy about the music. I like Spartan Ops, and if 343 continues to release new missions for an extended period of time, gamers will likely not feel so shafted over the minimal campaign content. Multiplayer was fun, but I love grenades, and well, lets just say I could kill more spartans with a single fart than with 50 halo 4 grenades. Overall not a bad game, but something is missing. Something is missing from this halo, that makes it, well, less halo-ish.… Expand
  74. mjthadw
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    HALO 4 has a great emotionally charged new campaign with one of the most popular heroes in gaming. I couldn't play the multiplayer mode because of the lack of hard drive space but the campaign is very solid, challenging, and never frustrating unlike black ops 2. Halo 4 gets a 10 just for the campaign alone. I just wish I could have played multiplayer. Halo 4 is my third favorite game thisHALO 4 has a great emotionally charged new campaign with one of the most popular heroes in gaming. I couldn't play the multiplayer mode because of the lack of hard drive space but the campaign is very solid, challenging, and never frustrating unlike black ops 2. Halo 4 gets a 10 just for the campaign alone. I just wish I could have played multiplayer. Halo 4 is my third favorite game this year behind Mass Effect 3 and Borderlands 2.… Expand
  75. X-themask
    Nov 20, 2012
    0
    Well reason I gave a low rating was that this game felt like an alienation to actual Halo storyline. Not only did it greatly contradict the other storylines it just felt cluttered and jumbled. Honestly 343 should have spent a better time reviewing the storyline before it decided to adopt Halo as its new money baby. now they are just makeing the story for the money. It shows with lack ofWell reason I gave a low rating was that this game felt like an alienation to actual Halo storyline. Not only did it greatly contradict the other storylines it just felt cluttered and jumbled. Honestly 343 should have spent a better time reviewing the storyline before it decided to adopt Halo as its new money baby. now they are just makeing the story for the money. It shows with lack of detail in the Covies and just the general graphics that are dulled by the immense glare on everything. [this was the first game i had turn down the brightness cause everything was TOO shiny]. By all means this is a great first person shooter game but in no way is this a great Halo. i personally will not be buying anymore Halos unless 343 can improve.… Expand
  76. DarthPreamp
    Nov 20, 2012
    6
    Pros: Amazing Graphics Cons: Boring gameplay, Ridiculous Story The original Halo series was enjoyable to play. This feels like a chore. It is a beautiful to look at chore, but nonetheless, a chore. No joy in any aspect of it. The story feels as if it is weighed down by its own predetermined need to be easily accessible. I really can't believe the positive reviews on this?
  77. Awesome2daMax
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    OK, this is my honest review on the game and I believe it is great! Anyone that believes that they copied Call of Duty outright hasn't played the game. Sure, some features were in CoD first, but some features in CoD were taken from Halo. This is what games do, take ideas from other games and improve on them, which Halo has done. Halo 4 is faster paced than the previous games, with instantOK, this is my honest review on the game and I believe it is great! Anyone that believes that they copied Call of Duty outright hasn't played the game. Sure, some features were in CoD first, but some features in CoD were taken from Halo. This is what games do, take ideas from other games and improve on them, which Halo has done. Halo 4 is faster paced than the previous games, with instant respawns in some features, and contains custom loadouts. These loadouts are not in any way truly affected by rank. First of all, it takes 1 War Games Match to go from SR1 to SR2 (SR is the ranking system). At SR2, you can purchase either the DMR or the BR, the two best loadout weapons. If you want a Carbine or Lightrifle for PERSONAL preference, then you have to wait a bit. I prefer the Lightrifle because of its dual functionality, but it isnt BETTER to say the least. All the weapons have their range. Of course a DMR will beat an Assault rifle from a distance. But Assault Rifles will destroy DMR at close range. YOU need to get into position to get the kills, so stop complaining about OP weapons. And there are no "Prestiges" like someone else said, and Amour Abilities are not OP either. Neither are Tactical or Support upgrades. They make small changes for PERSONAL preference. So all in all, Halo 4 has a balanced multi-player.
    The campaign is short but very good. The levels are fun and exciting. So if you have 60$, buy this game NOW!    … Expand
  78. g0ddplay
    Nov 20, 2012
    9
    Halo your doing it right. What a fantastic game!!! The best graphics in a console FPS period. Killzone 2 looked just as amazing, just lacked COLOR. A story mode that finaly lives up to Halo: CE!!! Don't think about it just BUY IT. The thing I love about Halo is you pay for what you get unlike COD. Halo always changes and isn't the same game every year. Halo does share a lot ofHalo your doing it right. What a fantastic game!!! The best graphics in a console FPS period. Killzone 2 looked just as amazing, just lacked COLOR. A story mode that finaly lives up to Halo: CE!!! Don't think about it just BUY IT. The thing I love about Halo is you pay for what you get unlike COD. Halo always changes and isn't the same game every year. Halo does share a lot of elements with COD now. But it still feels like Halo thank god.… Expand
  79. OverlordT
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    The campaign overall is satisfying with occasional great moments that could only happen in a halo game. The covenant is still a fun challenge though on the other hand prometheans range from annoying to very irritating (when a knights shield is down and it teleports you will know what I mean). Multiplayer and Forge (map editor) is great (The forge system is very similar to Reach though)The campaign overall is satisfying with occasional great moments that could only happen in a halo game. The covenant is still a fun challenge though on the other hand prometheans range from annoying to very irritating (when a knights shield is down and it teleports you will know what I mean). Multiplayer and Forge (map editor) is great (The forge system is very similar to Reach though) while Spartan ops is basically firefight with added objectives and plot. Overall a great game with plenty of modes and features.… Expand
  80. Gummies
    Nov 20, 2012
    6
    This game was okay and it would have gotten a higher score from me if it was released like 3 years ago. Sorry but this is getting old and Bungie made better Halo games, even Reach IMO. I even liked Halo 3 so much that i sticked my ding dong into the disc and out several times, it was fabulous if i may say so myself.
  81. TannerIsGod
    Nov 20, 2012
    9
    Halo is just awesome ... and Halo 4 really sets the bar for where this genre should go next. Amazing stuff. There are certainly things it could do better ... but, yeah, it's really, really good.
  82. MooseSpoon
    Nov 20, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm not the biggest Halo fan out there. As expected this will likely feel just like another Halo game. However, there are vast improvements. Gone are the days of camping weapon spawns. Here now are the days of getting care packages with random weapons. I feel this makes multiplayer more appealing since I don't have to worry about racing to a weapon spawn that someone has camped and timed. Also, the new weapons add an interesting touch. While they do operate the same as already existing weapons, they do add subtle nuances such as how the boltshot reloads. It gets better. The human shotgun, DMR, and battle rifle are all here. The major negative factor for me was the spawn points feeling random and aim assist not allowing me to do my own work.

    As for the campaign, it was short. That does not mean it wasn't good. It provided the continuation of the Halo story but with aspects often overlooked. It very well portrayed the bond and tension between the chief and cortana. Also, it portrays the chief as a human being who is not perfect or emotionless. Throughout the campaign it shows chief's struggle to get jobs done with a friend who isn't operating perfectly and how he deals with tasks going awry and not being completed.

    Other than that, the environments should be noted. While the engine is modified but flawed, the environments are far superior to those experienced by franchises with more clout. (Sorry, call of duty.)

    Also, at the end of the campaign is a little thank you from 343 to the gamers who follow Halo. Overall, it's the small and subtle things that count and there are plenty of them to make this game feel like one of the best Halo games produced with enough differences to consider it something new and polished.    … Expand
  83. HonoredBacon
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    It is nice that 343i picked up Halo 3's HUD (so it really looks like we're wearing a helmet in-game) display and use it here, in Halo 4 and many other features too. To be honest, the campaign is quite short. 343i's design on this Halo is really artistic and it's sound effects for guns are incredible. CoD fans might not appreciate how the game's MP features are but it is enjoyable and stillIt is nice that 343i picked up Halo 3's HUD (so it really looks like we're wearing a helmet in-game) display and use it here, in Halo 4 and many other features too. To be honest, the campaign is quite short. 343i's design on this Halo is really artistic and it's sound effects for guns are incredible. CoD fans might not appreciate how the game's MP features are but it is enjoyable and still have balance in the games.

    The only flaw I have is it's short campaign and the somewhat unpleasant Promethean Knights and their flying companions. (They like to teleport away which makes it a little frustrating)
    *Actual score is 9.7    … Expand
  84. Sparsh
    Nov 19, 2012
    10
    all the PS3 fans come here and put **** comments here that i am a halo fan but still this game is not good and blah blah grow up man please
    and if u do not like halo and u r not a fan of halo then please do not write in ur reiews that u are a halo fan because almost all halo love this game
  85. David_wayne
    Nov 19, 2012
    10
    Halo 4 is the best Halo game in the whole entire series,I
    I wasn't completely sure how 343 studios would make this game,and I must admit I had my doubts.but after finally breaking down and going out to buy the limited edition halo 4 console,I must say it was worth ever penny.Halo 4 is a ground breaking marvel in the fps genre.and 343 studios did an amazing job with halo 4.the graphics are    Halo 4 is the best Halo game in the whole entire series,I
    I wasn't completely sure how 343 studios would make this game,and I must admit I had my doubts.but after finally breaking down and going out to buy the limited edition halo 4 console,I must say it was worth ever penny.Halo 4 is a ground breaking marvel in the fps genre.and 343 studios did an amazing job with halo 4.the graphics are some of the best yet on the xbox 360 (I wasn't sure if I was seeing animated charecters or live real people on cutscenes)everything was sooo realistic and even the sound track and gun fire explosions sound FANTASTIC.343 in my opinion beat Bungie's halo hands down.great job 343 I won't doubt you again in the halo franchise.TAKE THAT CALL OF DUTY, YOU'VE BEEN SERVED.    … Expand
  86. nms1215
    Nov 19, 2012
    7
    I was skeptical about this game. I have been a long-time Halo fan, since the start. I loved the original, Combat Evolved, and Halo 2 is what has made me an XBOX Live subscriber since the beginning. After Halo 3, ODST, and Reach, I was ready to abandon the franchise. 343, built for the Halo series, replaced Bungie and promised a return to the "epicness" of Halo: CE, with some realI was skeptical about this game. I have been a long-time Halo fan, since the start. I loved the original, Combat Evolved, and Halo 2 is what has made me an XBOX Live subscriber since the beginning. After Halo 3, ODST, and Reach, I was ready to abandon the franchise. 343, built for the Halo series, replaced Bungie and promised a return to the "epicness" of Halo: CE, with some real game-changing innovations. Bravo 343. The campaign suffers from weak story narration (it is tough picking up on the Forerunner backstory and the introduction of the main antagonist), but great character narration (your typical Master Chief-Cortana narration, with extra emotion). I had to (more like wanted to) spend a whole day on the Halo wiki to learn about the deep mythology that was ignored by Bungie. It can be a bit overwhelming at times, but it was eye-opening as well. The terminals throughout the campaign also unlock videos on Halo Waypoint that give some much needed Forerunner backstory. The graphics have gone miles since the awful graphics of the past games. Animations are greatly improved. The missions are a great mix of that world-discovery from Halo: CE where you are just in awe of what you see, and fast paced combat scenarios with multiple possible solutions and not just your classic run-and-gun boredom. The multiplayer is great. The inclusion of custom loadouts was very smooth, and not like CoD (what I feared). The loadout weapons/abilities are all very balanced, as are vehicles (except the Mantes). Certain asymmetrical maps have balance issues if played with symmetrical gametypes (duh, except Matchmaking hosts those all the time). The only real problem is the highly overpowering Mantes (singular is Mantis). They can take out any vehicle, survive multiple hits from power weapons, and kill foot soldiers from nearly any range. Also, the Oddball game is awesome. You can now toss the ball strategically (to occupy enemies so they cannot use their guns, or to hand it over to teammates so you can fight off the enemies). Halo 4 is the Halo that Halo fans have been dying for, while appealing to all shooter fans.… Expand
  87. AfroThunda
    Nov 19, 2012
    9
    Halo 4 is an amazing installation in the Halo series that certainly rivals Halo 3. Halo has always been about story driven campaigns with amazing and varied enemy AIs, great set pieces, and an excellent musical score. All of these things have been pushed in the new game and the Promethean enemies bring much needed variety to the game. Also, the dialogue and character development exceedsHalo 4 is an amazing installation in the Halo series that certainly rivals Halo 3. Halo has always been about story driven campaigns with amazing and varied enemy AIs, great set pieces, and an excellent musical score. All of these things have been pushed in the new game and the Promethean enemies bring much needed variety to the game. Also, the dialogue and character development exceeds anything done in previous titles. As for the multiplayer, Halo has ALWAYS changed up the formula. Come on fans, think about Halo 1 to 2. Dual wielding, online gameplay, playing as a covenant, two concurrent stories, and numerous gameplay changes led to a very different experience. In ODST Bungie tried the more open world approach and marine gameplay ideas. Reach obviously introduced armor abilities and much more. Not all the additions and changes have been popular, but the changes kept the series fresh. 343 Industries continues that tradition in Halo 4 and has reinvented the Halo series. Yes it has load outs, but this isn't Call of Halo. The way loadouts work is still distinctly Halo, and honestly this is the modernization the series needed while sticking to its core gameplay mechanics. I understand my fellow Halo fans griefing over this one. I've been a fan since Halo 1. This is taking the franchise in a new direction but honestly, I don't want a release of updated Halo 1s or 2s being made over and over again. I want new directions and I want the series to continue to being a foil for the more stagnant FPS series. So my vote goes for a changing series that keeps to core roots than more of the same.… Expand
  88. Leprechaun_exe
    Nov 19, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've loved the Halo series since the beginning, and every single one has been great, this one as no exception. I was skeptical in buying it at first, because many game play videos made the game look like COD. Once you step in to the game, it feels much less like that. I agree that they really didn't need to add all of the COD mechanics that they did, but I can see past that. The graphics were stunning, I truly thought the characters in cut-scenes were actual people. The two points I took off of this game were due to the campaign seriously lacking. It was only four hours, and I felt that it was very repetitive. Many, many, many occasions on the lines of "go to each station and disable/activate something". Examples: The two light beams in Requiem, moving the lift in Shutdown, and overloading the shields during the ending. I also feel that the quick time event on the ending was unneeded. I was also excited for the Pelican mission, only to find out that you never even use the Pelican in the mission, you only use it to jump to the different stations in the level. Besides this, the game has been thrilling and enjoyable.… Expand
  89. adrian04morales
    Nov 19, 2012
    10
    Halo 4 is the best game ever because it take more skill, the story is awesome because there two enemies that you have to fight and have to fight a boss that is cool! The gameplay is beast. Master Cheif is BACK
  90. csund14
    Nov 19, 2012
    9
    Let me first confess, that this is my first Halo. I have played combat evolved, but i was never extremely hardcore about the series. Everyone is reviewing after having extensive experience with the game, so this might be refreshing coming from someone fairly new to the series. I would just like to say I think this game is amazing. The multiplayer(which is all I've been doing) seemsLet me first confess, that this is my first Halo. I have played combat evolved, but i was never extremely hardcore about the series. Everyone is reviewing after having extensive experience with the game, so this might be refreshing coming from someone fairly new to the series. I would just like to say I think this game is amazing. The multiplayer(which is all I've been doing) seems extremely balanced. No guns seem overpowering. I like that if you are being attacked, you do not immediately die, but yet have a chance to turn around and defend yourself. There are no "unfair" armor abilities. The maps are done very well, and although somewhat limited, they are never boring. The graphics look just beautiful. Visually, nothing is cluttered. Everything has a sleek look about it. I think, if you just want to have a good time, and take the game as it is, 343 has done a wonderful job.… Expand
  91. cdsmith7
    Nov 19, 2012
    10
    This game in my opinion is the best in the series. Keep in mind I thought Reach was a downgrade from Halo 2 and 3. There are huge improvements with weapons, graphics, sounds, story line in campaign, and level set up. 10/10 no doubt.
  92. TheTwizle
    Nov 19, 2012
    9
    Its very seldom that a game gets redone with this kind of shine! You can tell that 343 really put there heart and soul into Halo 4!! So lets get right to it! GRAPHIX = 10; The Graphix are the best for any shooter to date on console!! Everything is Modeled Beautifully and the style of the levels online and offline is top notch right down to the smallest detail!! Everything even littleIts very seldom that a game gets redone with this kind of shine! You can tell that 343 really put there heart and soul into Halo 4!! So lets get right to it! GRAPHIX = 10; The Graphix are the best for any shooter to date on console!! Everything is Modeled Beautifully and the style of the levels online and offline is top notch right down to the smallest detail!! Everything even little things like elevators and doors feels alive, even the new guns, you will know what I mean when you see it all! GAMEPLAY = 10; It is kind of the same old Halo. That said, it should be! Halo is a timeless classic that does not need too much change! There are plenty of new weapon's thrown into the multi-player mix to keep things interesting for a long time to come, Little things like not letting grenades drop when a player is killed changes the dynamic of the game quite a bit. This is definitely for the better!! You don't walk into a room full of dead guys and an endless supply of grenades to toss at incoming players! So far the new guns all feel balanced so far! The Campaign is done very nicely ...the story is totally engrossing and keeps you wanting to see what is going to happen next! As I had said b4 the whole game feels alive and never really gets stale! There are tons of new enemies and lvl's to shoot up with new guns!! MUSIC/SOUND EFX = 9; Very Halo! Very Suspenseful when needed! Everything seems to have a purpose and place and it also gives you that feeling that everything in the game is living and breathing! All of the Guns have been redone, everything from the sword to the BR has a different sound and almost different feel! I'm not sure if I like all of sounds to all of the old guns yet, its taking some getting use to, and it has thrown me off a few times in the beginning! But over all Everything still has that feeling of love and dedication from 343 and only time will truly tell if something is off truly. CONTROLS = 8; This is still where I wish some of the other halos would have given us a little more choice as to what buttons do what. You still have to find a preset controller setting that works for you, because there is still no custom config to the controller! I do prefer the recon setting so I at least have settled for something, but having to settle is not something I wanted to have to do! Over all the controls do work fine and they are useable! It just might be something of a decision maker for some people and might turn some people off a bit. This is also why I gave the game a 9 instead of a 10. REPLAY = 10; Halo has always had a ton of re-playability, yea after you beat the campaign you can go back through co op or with different skulls turned off and on. You can go back through on different difficulties but the story remains the same and so do the battles for the most part. The AI does change the way it fights on different difficulties and can really cause problems that being said. Multiplayer will get new map packs as it always does and its always a blast to play online multiplayer. There is a new mode that gives you weekly scheduled programs with more story and more game play that keep co op and single player exciting and fresh! Over all I think that the single player and co op is the best since Halo CE!! The story and feel of it is awe inspiring! Multiplayer is great and gets a lot of new things to play with and try out! The weekly free story updates should keep the Halo Universe rolling on until the next installment! OVER ALL = 9; This should be up for game of the year!! Yes I will say it is that good! A must have for anyone who really likes Halo and FPS fans alike ...unless your just a stubborn spec ops geek! ;p… Expand
  93. Meridius
    Nov 19, 2012
    6
    Campaign: Good story and great graphics, but lacking in storytelling - no sense of emergency from the gameplay and quick-telling of the story, and the score wasn't up to the task. Essentially, a huge weakness was its quick-windedness. Multiplayer: Great weapon and ability diversity, but loadouts and ordinance drops make this game harshly unbalanced (and very difficult to balance from aCampaign: Good story and great graphics, but lacking in storytelling - no sense of emergency from the gameplay and quick-telling of the story, and the score wasn't up to the task. Essentially, a huge weakness was its quick-windedness. Multiplayer: Great weapon and ability diversity, but loadouts and ordinance drops make this game harshly unbalanced (and very difficult to balance from a developer's perspective). Character customization is awesome, as are the challenges and experience leveling up, but the small rotations of maps for each gametype via matchmaking make playing redundant quick. And the lack of individual gametype leveling makes for some unbalanced opponent and ally skills. Overall: I don't see the "343 making Halo their own" here. They took the basics of Halo, and threw in everything that people have liked in the CoD (and copycats) games. We've seen one of the more original shooters become one of the copycats. Now we're left with Team Fortress 2, Mass Effect, and Gears of War as the only viable unique 'shooter' experiences.… Expand
  94. PlasmaPrestige
    Nov 19, 2012
    9
    Halo 4 isn't a perfect game, but it's a good example of how to revitalize a franchise whose success is in doubt as a result of transitioning developers. In fact, 343 Industries in many ways surpasses Bungie's in design and storytelling, and this is particularly evident in the campaign but can generally be seen everywhere in the game. Halo 4's campaign, albeit it a rather short journey evenHalo 4 isn't a perfect game, but it's a good example of how to revitalize a franchise whose success is in doubt as a result of transitioning developers. In fact, 343 Industries in many ways surpasses Bungie's in design and storytelling, and this is particularly evident in the campaign but can generally be seen everywhere in the game. Halo 4's campaign, albeit it a rather short journey even accounting for skill gaps, is the franchise's best when it comes to storytelling. The beauty is that Halo 4's story isn't just told through the cutscenes--as beautiful as they are--but through the living breathing world of Requiem and the ongoing battle Cortana faces--much of it in-game--with her own mortality. Fundamentally, Halo 4 is a game about humanity, more specifically, the humanity of the dynamic duo of the Master Chief. In Halo 4, we are posed with the interesting question of who is more machine than man: the rampant AI who is unable to distinguish between her cognitive self and human identity, or the one man tank who seemingly has no weakness, yet, at his core, is a human being. 343i sets this as the core of the campaign, and the consistent storytelling that results isn't simply good, it is quite honestly tear-jerking. Presentation wise, Halo--or any other game on the Xbox--hasn't looked better. The planet of Requiem pops with detail, from the vicious Promothean Knights to the structures that seemingly defy the laws of physics. The MC's character model is incredibly refined, with dents and scrapes signifying the journey of the MC not only as a soldier, but as a person--battered and self-questioning. The sound has nearly been redone, and everything sounds fantastic--from the intimidating weapons fire, phenomenal voice acting to the clunk of MJOLNIR armor on metal.

    Gameplay wise, Halo 4 is still Halo, even with all the additions 343i has made. The triangle of guns, grenades and melee is unbroken and those who master this triangle will consistently outcompete those who have not. Multiplayer is as dynamic as it has ever been, striking the right balance between a a worthwhile progression system and a balanced experience core to Halo. Spartan Ops, while great in concept, is ahit and miss with brief "missionettes" that aren't really cohesive. Luckily, 343i has room to improve this future episodes, but for fans of Halo's lore such as myself, Spartan Ops is certainly an improvement over monotonous AI killing characteristic of.Firefight.

    My biggest complaint about Halo 4 is the removal of some of the customization that made Halo 3 great. In the Forge, precision editing without the use of coordinates is no longer possible, and in gametypes, the classic Infection is no longer available. The latter is detrimental as this is the one gametype which spawned hundreds of very memorable custom experiences in Halo 3 and even Reach. Overall, Halo 4 is a massive win for not only 343i, but for Halo fans and the gaming industry in general. Anyone who owns an Xbox owes themselves to pick up this game.    … Expand
  95. Wakkorotti
    Nov 19, 2012
    3
    Halo 4 is absolutely a visually stunning game. The graphics are completely beautiful, the worlds look and feel real, and the new enemies, though there are only really three, at least interesting to look at. That being said, even on legendary, the campaign is painfully, woefully, short. I would almost classify it an EPIC failure. When you can turn on the Tough Luck skull and complete aHalo 4 is absolutely a visually stunning game. The graphics are completely beautiful, the worlds look and feel real, and the new enemies, though there are only really three, at least interesting to look at. That being said, even on legendary, the campaign is painfully, woefully, short. I would almost classify it an EPIC failure. When you can turn on the Tough Luck skull and complete a board like Requiem in a little over a half an hour, there is something wrong. The odd thing about Halo 4 is that the plot and story line are arguably the best in the series thus far, save the possible exception of Halo: Reach. But the new ancient evil awakened, the Didact does not inspire fear or foreboding and you never truly get to battle him. The re-imagined grunts still look ridiculous, and I want to know what happened to the skirmishers and Brutes. I feel like there was so much of the Halo universe left untapped by the game that I can only describe my feelings about it as disappointed. The game is a rehash of the same boards over and over and over again. Massive boards that you often travel through both ways and face the same enemies over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. the AI (Game level, not Cortana) is weak at best. You can sit in certain spots on certain boards and head shot enemies until they perish without them ever moving. Glitches like this stand out far more than the beauty of the worlds that 343I created. The magnum has returned as a great, and viable option for reeking mayhem both in the campaign, on Spartan Ops and in the multi-player game, so I was pretty stoked about that. Another big disappointment is the score. There are none of the hauntingly beautiful melodies from the original trilogy or driving beats to get the blood pumping for bigger battles. As a Halo veteran whose first game on the original Xbox was Combat Evolved, I was really hoping to get back to the core of why I was a Halo fan in the first place. Halo 2 was a huge disappointment as the focus seemed to shift to the online universe. I truly hoped Halo 4 would get back to that innovation and creativity. The first level, in my opinion, does exactly that and really raised my hopes that whole game was going to be more than just running and gunning. The interactions between Cortana and Master Chief, the different parts of the board where you have to climb or kill an elite made me overly optimistic. If the game continued the way it started, I think it could have been something special. At the end of the day, though, i was as disappointed in Halo 4 as I was with the weak storyline in Black Ops 1.… Expand
  96. rykeith
    Nov 19, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Bought this game expecting something great from a new developer. The campaign story was relatively good, though I don't feel as if I really gleaned much from the Halo universe by playing it. The story felt very concentrated to a very few narrow concepts and left me disappointed that it did not expand upon many different aspects of the story. It was essentially a story about Master Chief and Cortana. While this would have worked well as a backstory, it felt a little weak as the main theme throughout the game. The one outstanding aspect of the campaign was the superb graphics. It may be the best-looking game on the 360 to date.

    The multiplayer, at least compared to Reach, felt somewhat neutered. A few game types have disappeared, and Big Team Battle, my favorite, is also no longer a part of the multiplayer playlist. Also, I know that lag depends largely upon individual connections, but it seems that this game can especially suffer from it when compared to previous Halo entries. Overall, if you love Halo, you will probably like this game. If you just appreciate Halo, you may find this game average among a plethora of FPS out there.    … Expand
  97. mgilbert
    Nov 18, 2012
    10
    Halo 4 is a step beyond what I imagined it could be. Simply amazing! Loved the action-packed Campaign, Spartan OPs is a great ad on, I especially love the cinematic Spartan-ops episodes. The multi-player component is never boring, soemthing that's honestly hard to do, but is pulled off really well in this game. I love the innovation put into Halo 4!
  98. neokarny
    Nov 18, 2012
    6
    I'll start off by saying that for Halo, the multiplayer is the focus and the campaign is a nice addition. That said, I was pumped for Halo 4 and even pre-ordered it, which is the first time I have ever pre-ordered a game in my life. I got it and immediately went to playing multiplayer for a few days straight and all I can say is... I'm mixed.

    There's a lot of good in it, but playing it    I'll start off by saying that for Halo, the multiplayer is the focus and the campaign is a nice addition. That said, I was pumped for Halo 4 and even pre-ordered it, which is the first time I have ever pre-ordered a game in my life. I got it and immediately went to playing multiplayer for a few days straight and all I can say is... I'm mixed.

    There's a lot of good in it, but playing it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. It's honestly like I'm playing another game reskinned with a Halo theme and Halo weapons thrown in. At first it was fun to customize load-outs and rank up, but it quickly became frustrating and obviously a sign of game imbalance and a direct shift away from encouraging skill to who has the best weapon. Not only that, but the weapons are frustratingly imbalanced - at the moment it seems like DMR > all, except for power weapons. The "ordnance drop" system is frustratingly terrible - often giving you useless, close combat weapons in an open range map or vice-versa. I honestly prefer the area control of weapon spawns of the older Halo games.

    And don't get me started on the abilities. The one allows you to PICK UP GRENADES to resupply your used grenades. Seriously? Why can't my Spartan pick up grenades on the ground without having a perk that lets him do it? Ridiculous. Promethean vision seems to alter the game in a bad way that departs from the Halo feel...

    Pacing also ruins me. I'm especially used to the pacing of Reach, but even though I'm more than willing to go to Halo 2 or 3's pacing, Halo 4 just seems way too fast. The instant respawn no doubt helps this, and the kill time does as well. It seems like everyone is constantly dying and respawning. There is little way to kill a group because of kill time. Shots seem way too accurate (DMR, specifically). It comes down to whoever starts shooting first anymore, rather than real skill.

    The maps? Mediocre to poor. Valhalla seems to be the best, and even then it's rather shoddy. They're all easily forgotten, and lack all of the epic feel that some of the past Halo maps had. This is especially true for Big Team Slayer with the feel of a "huge map" completely gone, and even the bigger maps are crossed almost instantly by just running straight across them in seemingly seconds.

    Spartan Ops - what were they thinking? The premise for it is great. Continuing, episodic story-driven maps. Sounds fun, but it's not at all. It's probably the most bland multiplayer experience I've had in a game in a really long time. There's no thought put into them, they're thrown together and completely a mess. It's more or less a watered-down, poor story-driven variant of Firefight that completely fails to even compete. I didn't even care that much for Firefight honestly, and can't believe how much less I enjoy this gametype.

    I'm really disappointed, ultimately. I had really high hopes for this game and for 343, and I tried to force myself to love it like the past games, but I just come away with bitterness and mixed feelings. I'll leave it to others to review the campaign, as it's secondary to me, but the multiplayer is the lasting aspect of the Halo games that this particular installment is sadly lacking.    … Expand
  99. Faith12
    Nov 18, 2012
    9
    Halo 4 offers something new and something old both in the best of ways.The campaign, for the most part, feels like a well thought-out and well-weaved story in the huge Halo universe.
    The level design is fantastic, and varied, the last time a Halo game had this kind of variety in its campaign it was 2001 and Halo:CE was starting a FPS revolution on consoles. You are playing as Master Chief    Halo 4 offers something new and something old both in the best of ways.The campaign, for the most part, feels like a well thought-out and well-weaved story in the huge Halo universe.
    The level design is fantastic, and varied, the last time a Halo game had this kind of variety in its campaign it was 2001 and Halo:CE was starting a FPS revolution on consoles. You are playing as Master Chief of course and there are plenty plot lines being weaved in this campaign of which I won't spoil for you here, but its particularly amazing if, like me, you are a generally a big fan of great science-fiction. The campaigns variety in level design greatly benefits from the game-engine, which is arguably 343 industries greatest accomplishment in Halo 4. The lighting and textures in this game are the best to-date of any Halo game before it, and quite possibly the most beautiful looking game on the Xbox 360 console. Of course, the engine is not only responsible for the eye-candy but also for the game physics and the sandbox dynamics Halo games are well-known for by the hard-core Halo fans. The physics in the game are great, the game always makes you feel like you weigh a figurative ton, the weapons have the signature diversity to them as well as their place in the sandbox. Halo games have always had varied weapons of which nearly all must be mastered to escape tight situations in campaign and most importantly, in multi-player. The sniper rifle, Rail gun, and sticky detonator come to mind when talking about this, it absolutely feels like nearly every weapon in Halo 4 was included to fit a definitive role while also being flexible enough to be used in not-so ideal scenarios for said weapons. Which could not really be said about every Bungie-made Halo game, with Halo 2, Halo 3, and even Reach, there were a few weapons that were pretty much ignored by the player due to not having a role in the sandbox that could be more effective than another weapon, Not in Halo 4, from the fully automatic weapons, to the pistols, to the precision weapons and power weapons, every single one of them feels like it serves a purpose in the sandbox and that is impressive. The same could also be said for the vehicles in Halo 4, they all have a role, and they all feel properly balanced, no one vehicle feels over-powered, if you know how to identify its role in the sandbox you can be very effective with it. It all really is quite a testament to 343s abilities, but there are bits and pieces, campaign-wise, that feel out of sync with the rest of the generally fantastic story, there was a certain point in the campaign where I pressed a total of 3 different buttons on my controller to get through a scenario where I felt like I wasn't actually in control of anything. I was simply playing through a scripted event where hitting a single button would perform actions that could be enjoyed more-so if simply viewed. Any and all events like the one above have always been handled by a cutscene where you would see the chief (not in first-person) perform his bad-assery, to "play" through something like that felt quite unnecessary and also felt a bit out of place when considering how the rest of the campaign plays out, if you're going to make a cut-scene the best thing to do is not give the player mediocre control, either he absolutely controls the character or he doesn't, that idea is what creates great pacing. Another example of a stumbling is when I found myself watching a cut-scene that lead to a level, I walked about 30 feet forward and then was presented another cut-scene, that also kills pacing, good thing is it only happened that one time, but it's there nonetheless to show us that this is a development team still trying to master that Halo signature pacing Halo games have been known for as well as trying to place their own stamp on a franchise that they clearly love. Aside from those small gripes, the campaign is fantastic and should be a memorable one, some will undoubtedly find some of the dialogue strange and different but after playing through it a second time, you really start to understand what 343i was trying to do with these characters. The Multiplayer in Halo 4 is nothing short of a great advancement in the franchise, considering all I've talked about in the previous section, the weapon balance and roles in the multiplayer side of things is even more obvious, and (again) the same can be said for the vehicles. The map designs are also well rounded from the small-medium-large. The multiplayer is where the games balance absolutely shines. Of course there are a few things you will notice off the bat that will have you question 343s decision making, like removing friendly fire from 4v4 slayer on-line but after quite a bit of time playing through all of its game types, those concerns fade due to the fact that the game plays so well as-is. Add the weekly Spartan Ops episodic content and Forge and you get one of the most complete game packages.    … Expand
  100. cedberube
    Nov 18, 2012
    8
    as an halo fan, i'm pretty disapointed about the campain and find it really boring but i really like the multiplayer. But the best think who make halo really fun is the forge and just some little think, like the magnet, are really usefull. i know you are disapointed of the game but i enjoy the multiplayer of this halo who is really better than halo reach. so this is my point of view. sorryas an halo fan, i'm pretty disapointed about the campain and find it really boring but i really like the multiplayer. But the best think who make halo really fun is the forge and just some little think, like the magnet, are really usefull. i know you are disapointed of the game but i enjoy the multiplayer of this halo who is really better than halo reach. so this is my point of view. sorry for my english… 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

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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.
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  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.
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