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. Hotaru99
    Nov 14, 2012
    10
    Hands down the game of the year. Phenomenal graphics, fun and easy to grasp gameplay and sharp new visual design, yet it is absolutely Halo.

    Hail to the Chief
  2. Markiee
    Jan 4, 2013
    10
    I've been a fan of HALO since the very first game (Still own every copy of it). HALO was the very first game i played on my old XBOX. And I fell in love with the game. And I've always looked forward to the next HALO game (except REACH, that game was meh)

    I'm a huge fan of everything HALO, and I have to say I am NOT disappointed with HALO 4. It is everything I hoped for and more. The    I've been a fan of HALO since the very first game (Still own every copy of it). HALO was the very first game i played on my old XBOX. And I fell in love with the game. And I've always looked forward to the next HALO game (except REACH, that game was meh)

    I'm a huge fan of everything HALO, and I have to say I am NOT disappointed with HALO 4. It is everything I hoped for and more. The sounds/audio is amazing. And the voice acting is superb. Graphics are great for a Console Game. The plot/story is just how I imagined it would be after hours of speculation after Halo 3. And the forerunners look just great.

    They did change the sound of several weapons and in my honest opinion. A lot of the sound even better now, and more ear-gasm-ing sounding. You know, they sound epic.

    Level design is good, I love the environments and I found myself spending a lot of time looking around at different things. Love the attention to detail.

    343 has done a great job, and I admit I was scared they would butcher the series. But they have not. They have give HALO new life, and I hope they will give me many more hours of fun to come.

    Spartan Ops is a great addition to the game, I found it to be fun to play, especially with friends.

    I did play a little of the Mutliplayer Aspect in HALO 3 and HALO REACH but I never got into it that much. I enjoyed it but it wasn't for me I suppose. But for those worried HALO 4's multiplayer is going to be vastly different. Fear not, it still feels like the good old HALO multiplayer. and it's even more fun now! I love it!

    This is the first time I've really been playing HALO's multiplayer aspect and loving it A LOT. I never hated it, I liked it in the past. But it just didn't click for me that much. It does now. It feels just like I guess HALO 3 and REACH. But better, different. But in a good way. (No, it's not simplified. I still get my ass kicked as always) But I don't know. It feels like there's less BS with connections and such now. It runs more smoothly. I did spend a good couple of 100 hours playing REACH Multiplayer sure, I did enjoy it but it wasn't my thing for a while. I found it hard to get into. I suppose now that I know how it works, it was easier for me to get into HALO 4's multiplayer.

    Either way, if you're a true HALO fan, you are going to love the campaign and the multiplayer.    … Expand
  3. LunaRaven7
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    There are too many plot holes and inconsistencies in the campaign, and the game really takes the "Halo" feel out of the combat, and shifts it more towards another generic Call of Duty spinoff. With predetermined loadouts, instant respawn, faster kills, and almost no map weapons, multiplayer aims to become a fast-paced experience, but really just ends up as a frantic mess of disorganizedThere are too many plot holes and inconsistencies in the campaign, and the game really takes the "Halo" feel out of the combat, and shifts it more towards another generic Call of Duty spinoff. With predetermined loadouts, instant respawn, faster kills, and almost no map weapons, multiplayer aims to become a fast-paced experience, but really just ends up as a frantic mess of disorganized chaos. The few redeeming qualities of this game are brought down by the overall negative experience.… Expand
  4. Love4Mets
    Nov 9, 2013
    0
    I wrote a longer review for this game but it was deleted" I'm writing simply to warn others NOT to buy this game. Its an outrage that this is allowed to be released as a Halo 4 release when it's a sub subpar COD clone.
  5. tehMoerz
    Jul 25, 2013
    4
    I'm a bit late to review the game. But I was hyped for this game from the day it was announced to the day it launched. The multiplayer is unbalanced and disappointing. It's a CoD mirror. The population has died so fast. Spartan Ops is recycled regions of the campaign (for the most part.) It also has very cheesy and bad voice acting. Most of the custom games options were removed. Forge hasI'm a bit late to review the game. But I was hyped for this game from the day it was announced to the day it launched. The multiplayer is unbalanced and disappointing. It's a CoD mirror. The population has died so fast. Spartan Ops is recycled regions of the campaign (for the most part.) It also has very cheesy and bad voice acting. Most of the custom games options were removed. Forge has no good maps. Campaign was the only good element. I don' recommend this game unless you're a campaign guy.… Expand
  6. Caanite
    Jun 11, 2013
    9
    Halo 4 is an awesome game. 343's first original attempt at creating a Halo game has succeeded. However the downsides are that they made flood too diluted compared to Halo: Reach and that Forge Maps don't have enough space.
    Concept: 8/10
    Graphics: 9/10
    Sound: 7/10
    Playability: 9/10
    Entertainment: 10/10
    Total Score: 9/10
  7. ZombieFrogHorde
    Jul 9, 2013
    4
    Good for a generic FPS but bad for a halo title. Campaign was short and boring. Enemies are cheap and boring. Its only kinda fun at best. If you really want it get it cheap.
  8. Poppeloppiluss
    Dec 3, 2014
    0
    It would go faster to just write the positive aspects of this game because that list is very short. Generally good visuals, a lot of weapons to choose from, some new and fresh enemies. That's pretty much all that i can think of as positive.

    This game feels so cheap and just poorly made especially if you have in mind the budget they've had for making this game, they had the chance to    It would go faster to just write the positive aspects of this game because that list is very short. Generally good visuals, a lot of weapons to choose from, some new and fresh enemies. That's pretty much all that i can think of as positive.

    This game feels so cheap and just poorly made especially if you have in mind the budget they've had for making this game, they had the chance to make a splendid sequel which in my opinion is something they failed very very bad at. There are so many aspects which are full of flaws. Items and weapons disappear out of nowhere, once you drop a weapon or if a enemy drop a weapon it disappear if you turn your back away, it even happens while it's on screen. There is no depth in the story and it kind of doesn't feel like halo at all. The game is very repetitive and also very short, sometimes it feels like they've used the same maps but just rearranged some things. In Spartan Ops is the same maps but just playing them in reverse.

    The respawn system in Spartan Ops is also crap, you literally respawn where you die which puts you in a spawn kill loop where you are surrounded with knights that simply kill you once you respawn and i just laughed at how poorly made this game is. You can't hijack banshees which i tried on several missions which also adds up on the negatives.

    When you buy the game, the only thing that is available is the campaign. Spartan Ops and all other things in Halo 4 requires Gold membership which is **** So technically when you buy the game you only get to play the short campaign and if you wanna play more you have to pay monthly to do so. I looked forward to Halo 4 and looked upon 343 industries as a new chapter who had the possibility to fix all the bad stuff with the previous games like the bad AI for instance, but instead they kept all the bad stuff and added some more just for the fun of it.

    I feel awkward on behalf of 343 industries who, with all the resources, people and finances to release such a disaster. I have been a fan of halo series and was really hoping for improvement but this is the end of the line for me. I'm not buying any other Halo games in the future, there are SO many better games to spend your money on which won't make you feel robbed.    … Expand
  9. Alpacalypse
    Dec 17, 2014
    0
    By far and large the worst Halo game I've ever played. It's definitely in the top 5 worst shooters I have ever played. I loved Halo Reach and made sure to pre-order this game. It looked like it had promise.

    Know who else looked like they had promise? Hitler. And look what happened because of him. Halo 4 is a broken, boring pathetic mess that isn't worthy of a 0/10. The story is    By far and large the worst Halo game I've ever played. It's definitely in the top 5 worst shooters I have ever played. I loved Halo Reach and made sure to pre-order this game. It looked like it had promise.

    Know who else looked like they had promise? Hitler. And look what happened because of him.
    Halo 4 is a broken, boring pathetic mess that isn't worthy of a 0/10. The story is predictable, the final boss is.... a single quick time even that gives you 20 seconds to press the button, the controls handle like ass, and the game runs like it was programmed on Windows 95.
    Sure, it has great graphics, but its horrid aesthetic makes it look like the fantasies of a bisexual 13 year old brony. I'm not kidding when I say that it took longer to install the **** game than it did to melt the disk in my microwave.
    Not gonna be buying another 343 game after this pathetic **** mess.
    The campaign is at least acceptable, but dear god.. The multiplayer. Halo has always thrived on being a unique experience. Thus, the "Combat Evolved" part of the first Halo's name. Now, it's more like "Halo: Call of duty RippedOff." Know why? It's a Call of Duty clone with a sci-fi skin, but it has vehicles. Unbalanced vehicles that are easily stronger than 7 assault rifles in one. Need proof? A railgun mounted truck than can instantkill almost any other vehicle from the end of the map with splash damage the size of a tank shell.
    The guns all have no recoil, they are 3-4 hit kills but fire way too fast, sniper rifles are overpowered as **** there is a "killstreak" in the form of ordinance drops containing... more overpowered weapons!
    It's Space CoD but badly executed. The matchmaking is worse than Titanfall's, as you'll have a team of level 1's up against a team of level 130's.
    This isn't mentioning the hackers, either. Over the course of 5 games, I saw 8 hackers. 1 noclipper, 3 godmoders, 2 people spawning in weapons or items and 2 who just nuked the map. That's **** PATHETIC.
    The soundtrack is a generic orchestra track ripped straight from Silence of the Lambs. I have sincerely seen flash games with better music. Spartan Ops, which is essentially just the campaign that removes story in order to make you move from point A to point B and shoot **** I learned more about Halo's backstory from one 3 minute cut scène than I did the entire 10 hour session of Spartan Ops.
    Here's a bit of a TL;DR
    Graphics: 7/10. Great graphics but ****ty aesthetic. I think this was the best part of the game.
    Story: 6/10. Generic and boring BUT innovative and new.
    Gameplay: 3/10. Go here, shoot thing. Nothing beyond this besides the occasional vehicle section with horrible controls. The UNSC vehicles feel like the tires are made out of liquid nitrogen, and the Covenant vehicles feel like there are no longer laws of physics. There are no forerunner vehicles, sadly. 343 was too cheap and just decided to rip all of its vehicles out of Reach, except for the aforementioned overpowered railgun truck of death.
    Multiplayer: 000/10. One zero wasn't enough to describe this **** mess. ****ty matchmaking that has you waiting for 10 minutes to find a game among 3000 other players (it tells you how many people are online in a specific gamemode) repetitive and boring gameplay where the semi-auto and burst guns are overpowered, any explosive is ridiculously overpowered and sniper rifles are gamebreaking, overpowered vehicles, nonexistent objectives besides "Take this flag! It will help the UNSC cause for some reason."
    I think Modern Warfare 3 did multiplayer better. This is inexcusable.
    Dialogue: 6/10. No real complaints. A lot of the lines sounded like they were made by a 2 year old, but halo isn't about dialogue. We're here to kill aliens like the space KKK.
    Soundtrack: 4/10. It works. It fits decently, but it isn't very good.
    That's basically it. I'd take any FPS game over this pitiful excuse of a game made by a company that doesn't give a damn about its customers.
    -Someone whose favorite console is the Xbox 360.
    (If this were ported to PC, it'd get an 8/10. Less hackers, better controls, better frame rate, better community. You name it, PC could do it better.)

    You know, I loved the first two halos to death. I personally think Halo: Combat Evolved is a **** masterpiece. So, I was disappointed to find that ODST was better than this. And ODST was some shiiiiit.
    I'll have to do my research before I buy into another Halo game.
    That, and hope I don't get matched up against a squad of hackers and a squad of people playing Halo 24/7.    … Expand
  10. kingofkoopas
    Apr 20, 2014
    1
    I believed the hype IGN said about the newest Halo game, calling it the best Halo yet! Hype works people, it really does and they know it. The hype got to me so bad that I ignored one of the most obvious things there is to this game, it is not made by Bungie. Hype works even better on people who don't have what it takes to spot all the terrible flaws that certain product can have, in thisI believed the hype IGN said about the newest Halo game, calling it the best Halo yet! Hype works people, it really does and they know it. The hype got to me so bad that I ignored one of the most obvious things there is to this game, it is not made by Bungie. Hype works even better on people who don't have what it takes to spot all the terrible flaws that certain product can have, in this case, Halo 4. Everything that made you a Halo fan is not to be found in this new entry to the franchise. This game is terrible, a true stinker. Bungie must be pretty angry for what they have done to their creation. After only two days, I traded this turd back to Gamestop, kept the case though, it's the only cool thing about this new Halo.… Expand
  11. Karimchii
    Mar 31, 2014
    4
    This game completely shocked me, It was a massive disappointed, going from halo 3 to halo 4, it was like chalk and cheese. The maps had no depth to them and the online game play was very average. I gave it such a low rating because of how good the prequel was.

    Halo 3 10/10 ----> Halo 4 4/10 Hopefully halo 5 will redeem the series otherwise I will not be buying an xbox 1 as that is    This game completely shocked me, It was a massive disappointed, going from halo 3 to halo 4, it was like chalk and cheese. The maps had no depth to them and the online game play was very average. I gave it such a low rating because of how good the prequel was.

    Halo 3 10/10 ----> Halo 4 4/10

    Hopefully halo 5 will redeem the series otherwise I will not be buying an xbox 1 as that is the only exclusive I am interested in    … Expand
  12. Gearhart7302
    Mar 31, 2014
    2
    This game absolutely kills the Halo franchise by not only killing the Halo story but ruining everything else in the story. All of the guns were redone but the UNSC weapons are completely useless, and it gets better, the new Forerunner weapons are a copy paste of the UNSC weapons with little to no good atributes. The story is too emotional for a Halo game and the threat of Cortana dieing isThis game absolutely kills the Halo franchise by not only killing the Halo story but ruining everything else in the story. All of the guns were redone but the UNSC weapons are completely useless, and it gets better, the new Forerunner weapons are a copy paste of the UNSC weapons with little to no good atributes. The story is too emotional for a Halo game and the threat of Cortana dieing is the worst part. The final boss completely kills the game because instead of the Halo 3 boss battle or the newer Halo Reach standoff, guess what all of the fans get? A retarded quick time event that completely kills the Franchises amassing endings. Hey, do you like being able to customize your equipment and change your symbol? Well to bad because the new multiplayer function doesn't allow you to customize it, unless, you level up which if you have no friends to play with or now Xbox live gold, is hard, you better like that armor you're wearing.… Expand
  13. capthavic
    Nov 12, 2012
    8
    Let me just say this up front, Halo 4 is not a perfect 10 but neither is it a bad game either. While the game does have some flaws (AI noticeably dumber, new weapons are pretty meh, doesn't do anything really new) it still hits all the notes you would expect from a Halo game and it does them competently. The visuals are absolutely amazing especially on an aging console, and while not asLet me just say this up front, Halo 4 is not a perfect 10 but neither is it a bad game either. While the game does have some flaws (AI noticeably dumber, new weapons are pretty meh, doesn't do anything really new) it still hits all the notes you would expect from a Halo game and it does them competently. The visuals are absolutely amazing especially on an aging console, and while not as iconic or bombastic as something from Marty O'Donnell the new music here fits well and doesn't distract from the action. Four player co-op for the campaign and new Spartan Ops episodes are still a blast, and getting a party together for some MP action is great way to spend an evening.

    It doesn't do anything to break the mold or take any chances, but there is something to be said for not fixing what isn't broken either. Halo 4 isn't going to change your mind if you weren't a fan already. But for fans or those on the fence then I would certainly recommend at least giving a try. For a new studio trying to fill some pretty big shoes 343 certainly could have done a whole lot worse :3    … Expand
  14. 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
  15. Deathmonger
    Jun 27, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game was pure gold until the end. The graphics, gameplay, sound, pacing, all fantastic. But then the plot got weirder and weirder. It didn't really pass the logic test. Chief not firing the missile into the ship made no sense. Why drive it in? Having to play all all CoD: Modern Warfare style where you have limited crawl controls and have to click one button that you've never had to click before to plant a grenade on the Didact felt cheesey. Cortana magically saving Chief from a NUDET...come on. The gamma rays would be out in microseconds, and how does she magically make a hardlight shield anyways? Reminds me way too much of Mass Effect 3's space magic that we rebelled against and got DLC for. Unlike ME3 though which was the last of the series, I have hope that 343 will explain this stuff and not leave us hanging which is why I still give this a 90%.… Expand
  16. Haon
    Dec 7, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'd give this game an 8.75. There are a few overly cheesy sequences in the campaign (I'm sorry, but Cortana just hasn't been the same since HALO: CE) and I personally don't find all the loadouts useful. The music isn't quite as spectacular as the originals, but hey, blame that on US Trademark law, not 343. NOW, THE GOOD! With the exception of the cheesy speed bumps, the campaign is spectacular. As Reach was the eulogy of a planet and a squad, Halo 4 is the final moments of gaming's oddest love story. The relationship between Chief and Cortana is utterly amazing, as is their debate about the humanity of one another. The multiplayer is just, wow. 343 really did a great job at making the weapons balanced (and sounding awesome!) and the maps unique. But more than anything, the ability to subtlely change the loadouts (no power or weapon is overpowered), the addition of ordinance drops, and creating randomized power weapons on the map keeps the focus on the battle, not on finding the best uber-weapon to blow things sky-high. Having logged over 100 hours into multiplayer, I still find myself going back for more, something I NEVER do with multiplayer. Seriously, try out Big Team Battle; it's like no other BTB in Halo. Spartan Ops is also decent, but where Firefight was slightly better than multiplayer in Reach, War Games is far and above more engaging than SO. Oh, and I love how they have a rotating game mode each week; it's nice way to keep things fresh. So, no game is perfect, and Halo 4 has it's flaws. But as a test of skill and teamwork that stays fresh, it shines like few others.… Expand
  17. lionalio
    Dec 12, 2012
    10
    the first time you play the game, all you can say is: awesome. Not only the addicted shooting and action throughout the game, but also the very memorable story, and plus, the almost-unbeatable outstanding visual. You cannot help but falling in the famous multiplayer of the game. Without a doubt this game is the killer application, a genuine signature game of XBOX 360. If you intend to buythe first time you play the game, all you can say is: awesome. Not only the addicted shooting and action throughout the game, but also the very memorable story, and plus, the almost-unbeatable outstanding visual. You cannot help but falling in the famous multiplayer of the game. Without a doubt this game is the killer application, a genuine signature game of XBOX 360. If you intend to buy a XBOX just for playing Halo 4, it's a good reason… Expand
  18. NCCrank
    Nov 9, 2012
    8
    I have played every single Halo game - except for Halo Wars. And, I was quite worried about Halo 4, not being sure what to expect from 343 vs. Bungie. Overall, this is very solid game. I should note that this is a review for the single-player campaign as I'm not much of multiplayer gamer. As far as the campaign goes, I have some mixed feelings. As far as story goes, the story for thisI have played every single Halo game - except for Halo Wars. And, I was quite worried about Halo 4, not being sure what to expect from 343 vs. Bungie. Overall, this is very solid game. I should note that this is a review for the single-player campaign as I'm not much of multiplayer gamer. As far as the campaign goes, I have some mixed feelings. As far as story goes, the story for this outing is second only to the original halo as far as I'm concerned. I wasn't in love with some of the Cortana voicework, but I greatly enjoyed the story, the direction of the plot, and the focus on the relationship between MC and Cortana. To me the story was the highlight of this release. The graphics in some areas are also pretty incredible. In other areas - especially when inside the forerunner structures they were very meh. Kind of a Tron:Legacy feeling - but it was hard to distinguish see some barriers in the final flying section. Gameplay was solid - but somewhat of a let down. The gameplay is very solid - no complaints with regard to controls or how the guns handle, etc. But, I was really hoping for more innovation - especially in the forerunner weapons. But, basically, they fell into the standard tropes - I.e. Sniper Riffle, Assault Rifle, Shotgun. There were a couple of weapons that I didn't try - but pretty much we've seen and used them all before. While there were some interesting and new set pieces in this game - I'm hoping they will bring more innovation to the next two games. Yes, the Knights require a slightly different strategy - but overall you are doing the same thing from previous games. Fight grunts, fight elites, fight hunters, rinse/repeat. Changing out the flood for the forerunner units doesn't add that much for. Finally, I do wish the campaign was longer. I know I'm in the minority - but I want more for my $60 than 7-10 hours. I've little interest in multi-player and don't think its unreasonable to expect a 15-20 hour single-player campaign for a AAA title. That being said - I do not regret paying full price for this game. While I had hoped for more innovation - this is definitely the second best game in the series. Not as mind-blowing as the original Halo - but I'm not sure if that is possible. This game was a very strong effort - and will definitely bring me back for the next chapter. I wished for a stronger sense of "new & different" from this release, but otherwise I would recommend this game. Its a very worthy addition to the Halo franchise - and 343 really deserves to be successful. They put a lot of love and hard work, and it shows in the story that will keep you playing until the end.… Expand
  19. SpazzBrozz
    Jan 14, 2013
    5
    This is my Halo 3 review. THE BEST Halo game i have played so far. Campaign AWESOME. Multiplayer AMAZING. Forge INCREDIBLE. Theater BRILLIANT. Easy 10 in my mind and a lot of others. HALO FTW!

    This is my Halo 4 review. This game sucks. 343 took out the good and added crap. I have written enough negative stuff about this game on Halo Waypoint so i'm not about to write a whole    This is my Halo 3 review. THE BEST Halo game i have played so far. Campaign AWESOME. Multiplayer AMAZING. Forge INCREDIBLE. Theater BRILLIANT. Easy 10 in my mind and a lot of others. HALO FTW!

    This is my Halo 4 review.

    This game sucks. 343 took out the good and added crap. I have written enough negative stuff about this game on Halo Waypoint so i'm not about to write a whole paragraph on here. 5/10    … Expand
  20. JBo796
    Nov 17, 2012
    9
    Opening:
    )most of my comments are based on the multiplayer, as I have not played the campaign through yet). I could, for some reason, simply never 'get into' the Halo franchise. I wanted too, believe me. It had everything I want in a game; Sci-fi story, sweet armor, awesome guns, but something just didn't stick for me. Now, with Halo 4, I have realized the genius behind this franchise.    Opening:
    )most of my comments are based on the multiplayer, as I have not played the campaign through yet). I could, for some reason, simply never 'get into' the Halo franchise. I wanted too, believe me. It had everything I want in a game; Sci-fi story, sweet armor, awesome guns, but something just didn't stick for me. Now, with Halo 4, I have realized the genius behind this franchise. The controls are so simple, anyone could play it; and if that's the case, then why was I always getting pwn'd in multiplayer so horribly? Halo 4 takes skill, where as other shooters do not. This game is about getting headshots, not just about getting a shot off sooner than someone else (who chances are has a faster connection than you). While this isn't the most fun game I've ever played, it is a wonderful change of pace from what I'm used to.

    Pros:
    - The graphics look better than any other Halo game before it. Textures look and FEEL great.
    - It's simple. There aren't any over complex menus or settings here, but there is enough depth in customization and unlocks to keep you coming back for more.
    - Halo Waypoint is awesome. I can check real time data at halowaypoint.com for my stats (Time played, games won/loss, most used weapon, kill/death ratio, etc.) across not only Halo 4, but the whole franchise...for FREE.
    - Winability: Yes, I just made that word up, but it applies well. If you take your time in matches and play right, rarely will you get worked over so much to the extent that you need to rage quit every match for half your afternoon/evening. This seems to be a much more fair and realistic game than other online shooters. I never find myself asking "How did i just get killed? This is BS!". When I die, I know it wasn't someone "hacking".

    Cons:
    - Having not played previous Halo games, there is a bit of a learning curve to catch up to the rest of the community in terms of skill. This however, could be viewed as a plus however, since it may extend the playability with some hard work and dedication.
    - The weapon variation for multiplayer could be greater. There is a minimal amount of weapons to initially choose from and most of the others are available only as power ups mid-match. This also, could be a positive though, as it most likely keeps the player base fairly neutral in terms of unfair advantages between the n00bs and higher level players.

    Overall, I am enjoying Halo 4 and looking forward to playing it for quite some time. This game is definitely worth purchasing.    … Expand
  21. Magitek
    Dec 15, 2012
    10
    Halo 4 by 343 Studios is an attempt to win a race that began with a little outfit named Bungie. If nothing else, this title stands as the last solid breath of the XBOX 360- a final burst of energy from a console on its last leg. Morbid as that may seem, the result is a milestone for both the 360 and the Halo franchise as a whole. It doesn
  22. 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
  23. Bruce722
    Nov 16, 2012
    7
    This is a tough game to review because there are so many different elements to it so it really depends on perspective and priority. I'll explain. There are essentially three parts of the game, the campaign, the Spartan Ops, and the multiplayer. If I were to great them separately, I would have to give the campaign an 8, the Spartan Ops a 4, and the multiplayer a 5. The Campaign has greatThis is a tough game to review because there are so many different elements to it so it really depends on perspective and priority. I'll explain. There are essentially three parts of the game, the campaign, the Spartan Ops, and the multiplayer. If I were to great them separately, I would have to give the campaign an 8, the Spartan Ops a 4, and the multiplayer a 5. The Campaign has great plot and character development, which I love. The dynamic between Chief and Cortana is fascinating and is what moves the story along. However, it's ridiculously short, the gameplay is very fluid but repetitive and full of busy work, the enemy weaponry is scaled horribly, the AI is pathetic, and the ending is anti-climactic. The Spartan Ops has absolutely no story whatsoever and isn't at all what 343 made it sound like. As for the multiplayer, 343 ruined this experience. They essentially copied CoD in every way they could, which is also something they did with the ending of the campaign. All of that being said, I am more of a single player gamer so I can't judge each element of the game equally. The campaign takes priority.… Expand
  24. milesk182
    Aug 14, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am a huge Halo fan and read all the books, collect everything, etc. As much as I want to give this a score of 10/10 I'm afraid Halo 1 is the only one that lives up to that but this comes close. I don't know why there is a lot of hate on this game as they finally gave me the same feeling i had in 2001 when i first landed on Halo and experienced seeing the ring and the vast ocean of the planet. When you land on the Forunner world it gives you that same feeling and it's breathtaking. The game mechanics felt more in line iwth Halo 2 which is fine because in my opinion that was the best of the Halo series game mechanics. The action is fast and there is such a wide range a variety in weapons and enemies. The new forunner enemies are a lot of fun and the forunner guns are a blast. The scattershot makes the shotgun not as cool compared to it. The multiplayer is fantastic, you still get the armor abilities that reach game but to an imporvement. To be honest i am not a fan of armor abilites and enjoy the weapon control of the previous Halo's but what can you do.... Anyways the multiplayer is the funnest i have experienced since 2, it's fast pace again and not as slow as 3 and Reach.

    What i disliked most about the game was the ending (SPOILERS) boss that was hyped up for several books and even in the Halo waypoint videos just dies in a manner that makes the player feel disengaged on the last mission because you actually don't do anyhting to fight him except a few QTE Really 343...?
    Also the Spartan Ops is weak and Firefight would have been a better choice unless the random missions could actually be made with the same quality of the campaign.    … Expand
  25. GolferGuy
    Aug 30, 2013
    9
    Classic Halo game. Shooting and aiming is well balanced and I really enjoyed the story, but it did get a bit long in the tooth near the end. Maybe I was just getting tired and wanted to finish. LOL
  26. 017
    Jun 14, 2015
    4
    Halo 4 is, on its' own, a decent game. However, as a Halo game, it doesn't match up to its' predecessors. The gameplay is more or less solid, to its' credit, but 343 thoroughly butchers the lore of the universe for Halo 4 as well as in the novels surrounding it. Considering the barely tolerable characters like Sarah Palmer, whom is essentially a misogynistic Sergeant Johnson wannabe, theHalo 4 is, on its' own, a decent game. However, as a Halo game, it doesn't match up to its' predecessors. The gameplay is more or less solid, to its' credit, but 343 thoroughly butchers the lore of the universe for Halo 4 as well as in the novels surrounding it. Considering the barely tolerable characters like Sarah Palmer, whom is essentially a misogynistic Sergeant Johnson wannabe, the plot is incredibly cringeworthy, both for Spartan Ops and campaign, with lore issues as well as the cringeworthy acting for the "romance" or whatever nonsense that Chief and Cortana get into.

    Multiplayer is pretty solid in the basics but gets to be pretty awful when you interact with any of the call of dutyied game systems added in like prestiege armors or whatever the garbage is that they added. Multiplayer armor designs are also some of the worst ever, resembling power rangers more than military hardware. Most of the helmets have retarded visor designs, or look like wannabe copies of Recon helmets. Mix in the bizzare lack of a codplate and loads of greeble-ey design work and you get armor that generally looks awful.

    Overall, better off renting this game if you can, cause it's not worth buying for any long term interest.    … Expand
  27. thewastedyouth
    Mar 30, 2013
    6
    (after watching Halo 4 Postmortem on gamespot)

    This is just a big insult to any long time Halo fan. I don't know why I bought H4. I played for less than 7 hours. It's a disgrace. And what made Halo amazing was not only the campaign, but how accessible the multiplayer is. No one talked about how "difficult" mp was (even though there was no online). Halo mp became a success was    (after watching Halo 4 Postmortem on gamespot)

    This is just a big insult to any long time Halo fan. I don't know why I bought H4. I played for less than 7 hours. It's a disgrace.

    And what made Halo amazing was not only the campaign, but how accessible the multiplayer is. No one talked about how "difficult" mp was (even though there was no online). Halo mp became a success was because you can play it casually or if you really wanted to play serious, you can get to the meat and bones of the game by learning power weapons timing, grenade tossing techniques, spawns, and all that make an FPS an FPS.

    Same thing applies with 2 and 3.

    But now... this whole ordnance drop and default sprint makes the game only accessible for casual play. All that strafing and timing and positioning doesn't matter. Sprint doesn't fit in the Halo games because unlike other games you don't die in 3 bullets to the toe. The kill time doesn't mix with sprint.

    screw you 343... SCREW YOU.    … Expand
  28. robozot
    Dec 11, 2012
    8
    Only playing for the campaign, no time for online...
    It's a beautifully presented game. Guns are awesome. Incredible SFX.
    Gameplay is smooth, involving, flow is flawless. Not much thinking involved, no emotion. Pure reaction, exhilaration. Fine by me. The sci-fi world and story is daft, and incomprehensible next to the sleek and involving sic-fi of Binary Domain. As a videogame fan and    Only playing for the campaign, no time for online...
    It's a beautifully presented game. Guns are awesome. Incredible SFX.
    Gameplay is smooth, involving, flow is flawless. Not much thinking involved, no emotion. Pure reaction, exhilaration. Fine by me.
    The sci-fi world and story is daft, and incomprehensible next to the sleek and involving sic-fi of Binary Domain. As a videogame fan and Halo agnostic, I enjoyed this game a lot though.    … Expand
  29. Plaidman86
    May 8, 2014
    9
    I don't know why this game got an overall average of 87. This game is what Halo: Reach SHOULD HAVE BEEN. But nooooo... Instead, we got another serving of what Bungie thought was good which really gave us another short-changed game. Speaking of, I wonder how Destiny is going to be. If it's made by Bungie I have a feeling it's only going to be focused on online multiplayer with no effort onI don't know why this game got an overall average of 87. This game is what Halo: Reach SHOULD HAVE BEEN. But nooooo... Instead, we got another serving of what Bungie thought was good which really gave us another short-changed game. Speaking of, I wonder how Destiny is going to be. If it's made by Bungie I have a feeling it's only going to be focused on online multiplayer with no effort on story or character. Anyway...

    This is the Halo game I've been wanting to see: a Halo with story. Ever since I read the first Halo book, "Fall of Reach," I was deeply impressed with the vast, detailed history and universe that is Halo and it really upset me how Bungie didn't care to elaborate or tie in any of it during Halo 3 or Reach. I loved the refocus on the Master Chief, the original main character of the series. He actually has a vast dialogue this time (unlike 3)! I was taken away immediately with the fist opening cutscene; very impressive and on par with or better than the cutscenes from Halo Wars. I know, I'm one of those rare gamers who believes in story, plot, and character development.

    For the campaign, I was very pleased. Great variety of level design and elements, much better than Reach's levels. I thought taking control of the Pelican and fighter jet were very welcomed and were a nice change from the typical FPS role. I know I've been going on and on about the story, but 4's story just didn't sit well with me. It was alright, I liked how it was executed, but I didn't get WHAT the story was about. I didn't care for the Didact, he really seemed like a hollow villain since he and the Master Chief had little interaction. I thought it was silly how there were times where the Didact would be rattling off all this mystical jargon and the Master Chief wouldn't even say anything. To me, he might as well have been thinking, "Uh huh..." cause I had no idea what the Didact was talking about. Plus, everything about the Prometheans and the Librarian seemed confusing for me to follow. Shoot, maybe I need to play through the campaign again...

    Online multiplayer is still great; all that frenzied team play or free for all that is Halo. The different armor pieces are still there, even though they don't do anything just like Reach. I loved the "perks" or loadouts that you can customize; way more options versus Reach which allows you to tailor your own loadouts for any given situation or game mode. The search engine seems more refined as well, and it's nice there's a vote for three options.

    Spartan Ops is fun, loved the cutscenes that came with it and the story. Although, I wonder what's to come in the future. To be continued in Halo 5? I would have liked to see Firefight though, but a Firefight more true to Halo 3: ODST (hated Reach's version).

    Overall, I give this game a 9 and not a 10 because: it's still Halo. We know what it is and how it works. But a 9 because of how brilliant the story execution was, the graphics, the gameplay, the options... Need I go on? Again, this is what Reach should have been. This is a great display of what the Halo universe has to offer. Great job 343! Here's to hoping Halo 5 will be just as great if not better. And to hoping it will be available for 360 too, heheh.    … Expand
  30. 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
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 87
  3. Negative: 1 out of 87
  1. Hyper Magazine
    Dec 17, 2012
    90
    Halo 4 eschews esoteric delivery for a sledgehammer story with a blockbuster aesthetic. Epic, engaging and sensorially awesome. [Jan 2013, p.60]
  2. Eurogamer Portugal
    Dec 5, 2012
    90
    In the end, this game is still a fairly conservative and faithful to the original spirit, even with some significant changes.
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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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