User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3901 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. Jul 17, 2020
    0
    Terrible. Banshee and so many vehicles that ruin the maps. Valhalla was a great map in Halo 3, but Ragnarok is plagued by the Mantis and Banshee. The flag is very stupid and the menu sucks. The perks are annoying and overpowered. The DMR is way overpowered compared to BR and Carbine. Overall Reach was a 7/10 for me, but this is even worse...much worse.
  2. Nov 6, 2012
    0
    It would be a good game if it wasn't called Halo, but I have come to expect a certain standard from Halo. Halo 3 was my favorite and although this is good it falls short of Halo 2 and 3. It is probably close to Halo 2 in terms of quality, but honestly feels like Halo 2 meets Reach. There are too many gimmics that take me out of the multiplayer. I just can't see it being the halo IIt would be a good game if it wasn't called Halo, but I have come to expect a certain standard from Halo. Halo 3 was my favorite and although this is good it falls short of Halo 2 and 3. It is probably close to Halo 2 in terms of quality, but honestly feels like Halo 2 meets Reach. There are too many gimmics that take me out of the multiplayer. I just can't see it being the halo I wanted. Ragnarok is good, Haven is great, Solace is great, but the rest of the maps are only average. Expand
  3. Mar 11, 2014
    0
    This game is a disgrace to the series. Please support Halo 2 Anniversary. It's our only hope as 343i has let us down. Do not buy Halo 5 because it's clear they have killed halo. Only support past title remakes!
  4. Nov 7, 2012
    0
    All this game is, is CoD with a Halo skin on top. If I wanted CoD I would have bought CoD but instead I got MW4. This is not the kind of gameplay you're used to getting from Halo. 343 just tried to make it like CoD so they would get more sales they basically sold out on us for a few bucks. 343 you suck.
  5. Mar 11, 2014
    0
    disgrace to the franchise. halo 2 anniversary is the only hope. bxr and button combos must return. halo 4 killed our community and destroyed all hope for 343. do not buy halo 5 or support anything, but remakes from bungie games.
  6. Nov 11, 2012
    0
    A fine game but it's not Halo. It's more like MW dressed up, right from the stupid climbing sequence right from the start. Game looks great, and audio is fine, but it doesn't sound like Halo. None of the familiar audio queues are there everything sounds different. Even the Warthog which has been given a gasoline engine for this release. Loadouts, are straight out of MW. 343 may have wantedA fine game but it's not Halo. It's more like MW dressed up, right from the stupid climbing sequence right from the start. Game looks great, and audio is fine, but it doesn't sound like Halo. None of the familiar audio queues are there everything sounds different. Even the Warthog which has been given a gasoline engine for this release. Loadouts, are straight out of MW. 343 may have wanted to put their stamp on this game, which they did, and made a MW clone rather than a Halo game. Story seems contrived, just a made up world so Cortana and the Chief have a nice backdrop for their cheesy dialog.

    Don't get me started on multiplayer. I always liked Bungie's attempt to make matchmaking balanced, I'm my opinion unlockable loadouts have broken that. Why should I be at an disadvantage in matchmaking because I have not played as much as the kid next door. He already has enough advantage with skills and map knowledge don't add weapons and perks to that as well, you're just making the multiplayer less accessible to players. I play Halo multiplayer because I don't want to play COD, now I don't have a choice.

    This is the first Halo game I haven't bought and I don't think I will be. I'll be sending my rental back as soon as I finish the campaign.
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  7. Nov 14, 2012
    0
    This game is just HALO 4 trying to copy COD which equals garbage..................................................................................................
  8. Nov 7, 2012
    0
    The fact that this is a Halo game makes it all the more disappointing for me. The campaign was short, and extremely unmemorable. New enemies were unexciting, and the "new" weapons were simply the same weapons we all know from the previous games sporting a new paint job. The campaign was done within 4 hours, and felt both uninteresting and anticlimactic. The final boss fight devolved into aThe fact that this is a Halo game makes it all the more disappointing for me. The campaign was short, and extremely unmemorable. New enemies were unexciting, and the "new" weapons were simply the same weapons we all know from the previous games sporting a new paint job. The campaign was done within 4 hours, and felt both uninteresting and anticlimactic. The final boss fight devolved into a poorly executed QTE that left much to be desired to say the least. Multiplayer was similarly boring, taking multiple pieces from the Call of Duty including custom loadouts and killcams. However, this too lacks any new enticing features. While visuals are definitely beautiful in this game, they alone can not make up for the uninteresting gameplay and terrible, short story. This game is an insult to the Halo franchise, and fans will likely be disappointed. Expand
  9. Nov 8, 2012
    0
    I've been playing Halo for ten years and I don't see this as Halo anymore. if you enjoyed Reach then you'll enjoy this crap, mainly because this game aims to compete with CoD by becoming CoD...... again like Reach. Which is of course a horrible decision. Every single second of the multiplayer is filled with crap, like perks, unbalanced AA's again, weapon drops, over powered vehicles, andI've been playing Halo for ten years and I don't see this as Halo anymore. if you enjoyed Reach then you'll enjoy this crap, mainly because this game aims to compete with CoD by becoming CoD...... again like Reach. Which is of course a horrible decision. Every single second of the multiplayer is filled with crap, like perks, unbalanced AA's again, weapon drops, over powered vehicles, and dumbing down the game so some silly 3 year old could play it and kill a seasoned player with ease. The multiplayer is an abomination of horrible, unfair, and un-fun gameplay. I would not recommend buying this if you intend to play multiplayer.

    If you however want to play campaign, I enjoyed this funnily enough. The campaign had story, and has playability to it unlike Reach's boring linear campaign. I give the rating of the campaign roughly a 95, but because the ,multiplayer is just so horrible I can't give it anything more than a 0 overall. Do not buy this game or future Halo's until the developers come to their senses and make a 'Halo' game, not CoD on steroids.
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  10. Jul 16, 2014
    0
    While it wears the Brand 'Halo' on it, it really just feels like an 'okay' game.
    The single player mode didn't meet my expectations. Other than a few parts in the single player, the campaign was really boring and forgettable with no noteworthy locations that caught my eye(unlike the previous halo games, this was a first). It's obvious that microsoft is pushing for this to be an 'online
    While it wears the Brand 'Halo' on it, it really just feels like an 'okay' game.
    The single player mode didn't meet my expectations. Other than a few parts in the single player, the campaign was really boring and forgettable with no noteworthy locations that caught my eye(unlike the previous halo games, this was a first). It's obvious that microsoft is pushing for this to be an 'online experience' by locking away the spartan ops campaign only to those who have an xbox live subscription just rubs me the wrong way since the game lists it even though I haven't signed on Xbox live in months. I really feel like I didn't get my moneys worth this this title and since half of the single player experience is locked away because of microsofts greed I don't plan on purchasing another halo title until this predicament is sorted out, which judging by microsoft's obvious greed it will never happen...
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  11. Nov 9, 2012
    0
    I am disappointed. I was a big , fan of halo 1,2 and 3 ( over 70 days of play time on halo 3 ) but this halo is not something that fit with the quality of the trilogy. I will start with SP. The story last 4 hours in normal ( short as f*** for a 60 $ games ) and is not ''punchy''' like others halo. A very linear environment with nothing special and some really similar objective make theI am disappointed. I was a big , fan of halo 1,2 and 3 ( over 70 days of play time on halo 3 ) but this halo is not something that fit with the quality of the trilogy. I will start with SP. The story last 4 hours in normal ( short as f*** for a 60 $ games ) and is not ''punchy''' like others halo. A very linear environment with nothing special and some really similar objective make the campaign something that do not worth it. For the MP , this game should be called DMR 4 instead of Halo 4. The dmr is the only DECENT gun in the whole multiplayer. It just feel like a halo reach V 2 , even more crappy. I will sell this waste of time and stick to halo 3 instead , who still a decent and interesting game. Halo 4 do not deserve the name HALO. Expand
  12. Dec 28, 2012
    0
    What a waste of time and money! This game is nothing else than walking from room to room and killing something. Everything except good gfx for a console is just terrible!
  13. Jan 7, 2013
    0
    Just terrible. There is nothing wrong with adopting elements from other games, especially competitors, but this game is just a reskinned call of duty clone. Dont see how? Let me explain. First of all, the munitions drops are very similar to care packages, or things along that line, but again, it's not just this, it's because of this and alot of things. Secondly, the spartan points, OH GOD,Just terrible. There is nothing wrong with adopting elements from other games, especially competitors, but this game is just a reskinned call of duty clone. Dont see how? Let me explain. First of all, the munitions drops are very similar to care packages, or things along that line, but again, it's not just this, it's because of this and alot of things. Secondly, the spartan points, OH GOD, the spartan points. Spartan points are just the renamed credit system from halo reach. The problem with the credit system was that it killed custom games, the funnest part of the halo series. You may be asking "How did it kill custom games?", well, it's because it put a huge focus on grinding out your character in match making, leaving people who just wanted to have fun in the dust, like me. Heck, I don't ever see a single one of my friends play Halo 4 for this reason, because no one plays anything besides matchmaking, and matchmaking gets boring because it's the same ol stuff over and over. Not to mention you not only unlock armor, you also have to unlock your weapons, armor perks, and weapon drops, meaning that alot of people will absolutely spank you because you haven't unlocked the weapon your good with yet or because the guy owning you grinded out so much and has a rocket launcher from one of his sure to be many munitions drops. The single player has alot of problems, mainly that it's outright boring. The problem is that it's mainly nothing but jungles and forerunner structures, atleast the other halo games, mainly 2 and 3, had some variety, and while you may say "Your complaining about there being nothing but jungle and forerunner structures on a forerunner planet" Yeah, true, but we didn't know ANYTHING about this planet until the first trailer, so they could've done much better than this. Not to mention the story itself is convoluted and boring. The characters are boring as all hell, to the point that you can tell who's gonna eat a bullet and who isn't, and you can see the ending a mile away. The series as far as I'm concerned ended with Halo 3, where custom games were very common, and almost always fun, the singleplayer stories may have been a little lacking, but there was plenty of variety in the environment, and you didn't have to grind out for armor after you hit your second officer rank, lieutenant, after that, it was just to show off. Halo 3 will always be a masterpiece, as will every halo game before it, but stay away from every halo game after halo 3, because they suck. Expand
  14. Nov 6, 2012
    0
    it is too boring, very similar to the previous. Unfortunately, it is as I feared, 343 have simply exploited the previous technologies without adding anything new. it's a shame...
  15. Nov 6, 2012
    0
    This game has nothing interesting. It's the same old song once more, the new aliens are anything but dramatic, the gameplay is exactly the same as in the old episodes. Moreover there will be no PC version, which, from Microsoft is a shame, really. I regret have bought it already.
  16. Nov 6, 2012
    0
    This could be the triumph for the series, but 343 Industries lost the opportunity. The graphics were impressive at first, but showed to be weak with strange textures, bad draw distance and some bugs. They also destroyed the gameplay, and the only good thing about the game is the online. But even the online is not that awesome as some like to say. It was a complete waste of time.
  17. Nov 7, 2012
    0
    I'd give this game 10 out of 10 if it wasn't for the spartan ops avaiable only for gold. There's goes 70 dollars on a 6 hours single player campaign i played a thousand times in better halo games. Give me back Bungie
  18. Nov 7, 2012
    0
    Tje Worst Halo i ever play!! no way people...
    the campaign lasts 6 hours, graphically is disappointing,
  19. Nov 7, 2012
    0
    If you're new to the Halo multiplayer franchise i advise you to pick up Halo 3 its cheaper and totally the same.its just the typical walk shoot game nothing new story ehhh nobody cares about the story multiplayer is worse then ever.
  20. Nov 7, 2012
    0
    On a visual level the game looks stunning and has the standard smooth gameplay Halo fans will be accustomed too. Very little of the tried and true formula has changed though, in essence this game from the opening feels like you're walking a path trodden countless times before, only this time it's been given a makeover and everything is more shiny and beautiful to behold. While much of theOn a visual level the game looks stunning and has the standard smooth gameplay Halo fans will be accustomed too. Very little of the tried and true formula has changed though, in essence this game from the opening feels like you're walking a path trodden countless times before, only this time it's been given a makeover and everything is more shiny and beautiful to behold. While much of the core gameplay and design of the Halo series has always been a strong point in the genre, there was always room for improvement. Halo 4 seems more content to stick to what gave the franchise success in the beginning, either 343 Industries was unwilling to change the blueprints, or they simply didn't have the courage to put their own distinctive mark on it. The result is a series that now feels a little stagnant and dated in a world where countless developers are trying new things. Halo needs a creative burst to grow, and the inspiration Bungie left behind is clearly not, judging from Halo 4, a limitless well to draw upon. For die hard fans of the series and newcomers this may well be a worthwhile purchase. However, for the gamer who has played the series before and enjoyed but never quite loved it, this new entry is unlikely to change anything. Expand
  21. Nov 7, 2012
    0
    It seems that Halo 4 was made so that fans of the series happy and satisfied with what Halo was always, feel at home. It's a game that does not take risks, perhaps for fear of not pleasing - that's what he tries to do more with its beautiful scenery, high production value and cinematic sequences. It's a game of unquestionable artistic and technical competence, but that, at least in theIt seems that Halo 4 was made so that fans of the series happy and satisfied with what Halo was always, feel at home. It's a game that does not take risks, perhaps for fear of not pleasing - that's what he tries to do more with its beautiful scenery, high production value and cinematic sequences. It's a game of unquestionable artistic and technical competence, but that, at least in the first few hours, seems to be missing something. Or perhaps it is a sign that his formula for over 10 years, virtually unchanged here, since you no longer have the same breadth of before in a single campaign. Expand
  22. Aug 5, 2013
    0
    Halo 4 is really bad game and dose not live up to Halo 123 because if you are like my then has be playing Halo games for last 10 years you will know that Halo 4 is really big fail and 343 could ever have wish that they could do a better job then Bungie am sorry but 343 failed at halo 4.
  23. Nov 8, 2012
    0
    This was my most expected game of the year. i got the prequel book, the action figure, i went to the midnight launch, the works.

    However, i was extremely disapointed when i finally got a chance to play the game. I live in a spanish speaking country, and was dismayed to find out that the version being sold only comes with spanish dubbed audio. The dub has several problems, including the
    This was my most expected game of the year. i got the prequel book, the action figure, i went to the midnight launch, the works.

    However, i was extremely disapointed when i finally got a chance to play the game. I live in a spanish speaking country, and was dismayed to find out that the version being sold only comes with spanish dubbed audio. The dub has several problems, including the fact that the lip syncing is horrible, but overall the most disapointing thing is the lack of choice, which, for me, renders the game unplayable, as i have played all other Halos in the original language, and refuse to submit to an inferior product.

    I'm sure the game is great, but i am forced to give it a poor score due to this decision by 343 and Microsoft.
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  24. Nov 8, 2012
    0
    Well, I bought my brazilian copy of the game (i live in Brazil) and the thing that RUINED my experience was playing the game with the Portuguese audio and NOT HAVING THE OPTION TO HAVE ENGLISH DUBS. Changing the settings in my Xbox didn't give me access to the English voice actors and the multiplayer announcer, wich made me really DISAPPOINTED with the most expected game of 2012. The gameWell, I bought my brazilian copy of the game (i live in Brazil) and the thing that RUINED my experience was playing the game with the Portuguese audio and NOT HAVING THE OPTION TO HAVE ENGLISH DUBS. Changing the settings in my Xbox didn't give me access to the English voice actors and the multiplayer announcer, wich made me really DISAPPOINTED with the most expected game of 2012. The game had to have the sound in English. Im giving it a 0, because of the time and money WASTED and the lack of thought from the Microsoft and 343i about non-speaking english countries. THIS GAME IS TERRIBLE WITHOUT ORIGINAL ENGLISH VOICES!!! DO NOT BUY HALO 4! Expand
  25. Nov 8, 2012
    0
    So disappointed it isnt multi language (audio) like previous games of halo, not even the multiplayer annoncer is in english but horrible translated to spanish and i cant change it, changing system language & location doesnt work
  26. Nov 13, 2012
    0
    The game is completely boring. The singleplayer is simply not fun at all, the multiplayer is dull and the mechanics can be seen in pretty much any other shooter out there.
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. Dec 21, 2012
    0
    Terrible. 343 killed Halo. Buy Halo 3 instead.
    If you are a long time Halo fan, you will hate this. It is just a casual noob fest that has been made too much like call of duty. They have removed all competitive elements and ruined the classic halo gameplay.
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 87
  2. 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. 90
    In the end, this game is still a fairly conservative and faithful to the original spirit, even with some significant changes.
  3. 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.