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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Lap
    Nov 16, 2012
    9
    This game is phenomenal, it has truly pushed the limits for the Xbox 360 and gameplay alike. It's graphics are astounding while the scenery can be jaw dropping. You feel amazingly small and that is a great feel for everything to be of an incredible size. The story is more in depth look at master chief and cortona. It was a nice change of pace to be fighting a new enemy and to see new typesThis game is phenomenal, it has truly pushed the limits for the Xbox 360 and gameplay alike. It's graphics are astounding while the scenery can be jaw dropping. You feel amazingly small and that is a great feel for everything to be of an incredible size. The story is more in depth look at master chief and cortona. It was a nice change of pace to be fighting a new enemy and to see new types of structures. The multiplayer was perfect, the weapons are all balanced in proportion for their use. Some maps feel a little sloppy in areas but for the most part are astounding and play well and leave no room for sitting around, which is fantastic. The change in loadouts, and passive/active skills have added whole new play styles to this already amazing game and will fit to any users liking.… Expand
  2. guildleader117
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    This game is truly astonishing! The visuals are like nothing I've ever seen before in any game on the market. 343 Industries did the halo universe a solid by keeping the legend alive. The campaign is extremely immersive and level design keeps you coming back for more. Its filled with hero moments that will make your heart race and emotional moments that will leave you with a tear inThis game is truly astonishing! The visuals are like nothing I've ever seen before in any game on the market. 343 Industries did the halo universe a solid by keeping the legend alive. The campaign is extremely immersive and level design keeps you coming back for more. Its filled with hero moments that will make your heart race and emotional moments that will leave you with a tear in your eye. Overall this heroic story is a must for any console gamer.… Expand
  3. Truthtealler
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    I won't lie, although I knew it wouldn't suck I didn't expect it to anywhere near as good as bungies games. But they proved me wrong this is probably tied with halo 2 for 1st place to me. This games campaign is insane smooth and very VERY fun. Spartan ops is fun but I think the story was lacking however we still have 4 episodes left. The multiplayers probably the best of the series. AndI won't lie, although I knew it wouldn't suck I didn't expect it to anywhere near as good as bungies games. But they proved me wrong this is probably tied with halo 2 for 1st place to me. This games campaign is insane smooth and very VERY fun. Spartan ops is fun but I think the story was lacking however we still have 4 episodes left. The multiplayers probably the best of the series. And the graphics are stunning, forge is awesome and more creative then before. The reason it's a 9 is because I didn't like the music and miss Marty and the campaign only took around 5 hours which was too short for me. Other then that this games worth the 60 bucks no doubt. This is THE SHOOTER OF 2012 (but not quite game of the year)… Expand
  4. brick623
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    This is the best xbox360 game since Mass Effect 2 and the best Halo since Halo 2.

    9/10 Gameplay Feels like an improved version of previous Halos - exactly what I wanted, with a wider range of weaponry but with the classic balance the series is renowned for. 8/10 Campaign Great way to kick start a new trilogy with a new faction of enemies, my only criticism is that the plot was    This is the best xbox360 game since Mass Effect 2 and the best Halo since Halo 2.

    9/10 Gameplay Feels like an improved version of previous Halos - exactly what I wanted, with a wider range of weaponry but with the classic balance the series is renowned for.

    8/10 Campaign Great way to kick start a new trilogy with a new faction of enemies, my only criticism is that the plot was a bit meandering but still was very entertaining. 10/10 Graphics The best graphics ever displayed by my xbox360 so has to be a perfect score.

    9/10 Soundtrack As always the music appropriate for the scenes in the campaign, theyve also updated the gun sounds and battlefield ambience which is real improvement (just compare sound of assault rifle in Halo 3 to Halo 4 to get what I mean).

    10/10 Multiplayer Perhaps the most important aspect of Halo 4. I can only compare it to other first person shooters out there so here goes: I own MW3, BF3, it is much better than these. Camping is punished and like in all previous Halos you cant just repeatedly run around a corner and auto aim no scope someone with a souped-up AWP for an insta-kill like on some other FPS's out there. Hence if you are smart your life expectancy will be much much longer than the average of 7 seconds you can expect from MW3 or any other CoD for that matter. The maps are great, allow for a good range of combat, if you want you can go for up close melee tactics or use rifles against anyone foolish enough to run across an open battlefield without cover. Also, vehicles arent overpowered and are vulnerable if the pilot/driver makes a mistake like flying a banshee too low or crashing a tank into a rock that has 3 Spartans waiting to pounce from behind, it whereas a skilled player will rack up kills with it before the opposing team has had enough and banzai attacks them or finds a suitable weapon (hello mr railgun) to eliminate the threat. I would say that the multiplayer aspect is on a par with Bad Company 2 for entertainment value so it gets a 10.

    Definitely worth £40 I would highly recommend this game to anyone interested in gaming.    … Expand
  5. 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
  6. thephotobug
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    weak story mode drives the whole package down but spartan ops is a neat side mode and the mutiplayer. is very good the weapons make for intease battles and are more skill based then reaches they feel more like halo 3s gunplay
    the maps are fun and regicde is a great twist on ffa and the fleshed out zombie mode is very cool
    the graphics are some of the best on the. xbox to date also and    weak story mode drives the whole package down but spartan ops is a neat side mode and the mutiplayer. is very good the weapons make for intease battles and are more skill based then reaches they feel more like halo 3s gunplay
    the maps are fun and regicde is a great twist on ffa and the fleshed out zombie mode is very cool
    the graphics are some of the best on the. xbox to date also and the combat feels so much more balanced. the lucky unskilled kills of reach are gone love it so far    … Expand
  7. heatguy
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    The Halo franchise is in good hands. 343 industries did what many thought it could not be done, make a Halo game that surpasses in many areas what Bungie created with Combat Evolved. The art style is amazing, pushing a 7 year old machine to produce incredible vistas that are accompanied by an amazing sound design. As great as it sounds I really think they played it too safe. Some differentThe Halo franchise is in good hands. 343 industries did what many thought it could not be done, make a Halo game that surpasses in many areas what Bungie created with Combat Evolved. The art style is amazing, pushing a 7 year old machine to produce incredible vistas that are accompanied by an amazing sound design. As great as it sounds I really think they played it too safe. Some different gameplay scenarios that did not involve pushing a button or shooting everything in sight would have been welcomed. Still, a great campaign, the addictive as ever multiplayer and the spartan ops cooperative missions make this a must play for anyone.… Expand
  8. Ghosthacker
    Mar 10, 2013
    9
    This game is excellent. The Campaign is outstanding, continuing from the end of Halo 3 while refreshing it with some of the features from Reach. The graphics in Halo 4 look beautiful and the new sounds are much better than past games.

    The Multiplayer is much more fast pace and the whole new Forerunner weapons are very fun to shoot. it is a excellent Halo game and a much better    This game is excellent. The Campaign is outstanding, continuing from the end of Halo 3 while refreshing it with some of the features from Reach. The graphics in Halo 4 look beautiful and the new sounds are much better than past games.

    The Multiplayer is much more fast pace and the whole new Forerunner weapons are very fun to shoot. it is a excellent Halo game and a much better improvement to Halo: Reach.    … Expand
  9. happyorangejuce
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    The graphics are amazing, I'm surprised they could have such beautiful graphics on a 7 year-old console.The campaign wasn't too long, it was a decent length, but it was truly beautiful with an amazing story. Spartan ops is neat but suffers from major lag when played online. The multiplayer adds in some ways additions to make it like COD, but it is kind of a good thing. They've made changesThe graphics are amazing, I'm surprised they could have such beautiful graphics on a 7 year-old console.The campaign wasn't too long, it was a decent length, but it was truly beautiful with an amazing story. Spartan ops is neat but suffers from major lag when played online. The multiplayer adds in some ways additions to make it like COD, but it is kind of a good thing. They've made changes to keep Halo fresh and the game is Extremely fun.… Expand
  10. K4RNES
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    After playing for almost 2 weeks now I can say with confidence that this is the Halo game I've been waiting for.

    The campaign is the best campaign since H1, and really opens the universe even further than before. I though bungie nailed the Forerunner theme, but 343 just brings it to a whole another level. The difficulty seems to be easier compared to past Halo's so i would recommended    After playing for almost 2 weeks now I can say with confidence that this is the Halo game I've been waiting for.

    The campaign is the best campaign since H1, and really opens the universe even further than before. I though bungie nailed the Forerunner theme, but 343 just brings it to a whole another level. The difficulty seems to be easier compared to past Halo's so i would recommended going a difficulty higher than what you would usually play in past halos. After beating this campaign I'm very excited to read the all the book and expand my knowledge of this vast, deep and beautifully crafted universe.

    The multilayer is as good as H1 and H3 multilayer, but not as good as H2 though far better than Reach. There are a few bugs with the technical aspects of the game (networking, unlocks, challenges, stats, ui) but the gameplay itself is polished. There are a few glitches so far, but non that break the game. I feel that they did a great job at implementing the call of duty format of multilayer with the classes, weapons, perks and ordinance. The reason this game did not get 10 is because of the lack for some deep features that all Halo fans would immediately notice. Most of it being the lack of customization compared to the rest of the games, and the uninspired gametypes. These are flaws i can live with, although there is word of patches in the coming future.

    All in all, amazing game    … Expand
  11. mongz79
    Nov 17, 2012
    9
    This is a great game, but it is not perfect. First, the cons. The weakest part of this game is the campaign. Although I liked the fact that they are trying to change things up, the story is confusing. I own, and have beaten, all of the previous FPS Halo games. 343 Industries put terminals in the game that you have to find to understand the story properly. Unfortunately, they areThis is a great game, but it is not perfect. First, the cons. The weakest part of this game is the campaign. Although I liked the fact that they are trying to change things up, the story is confusing. I own, and have beaten, all of the previous FPS Halo games. 343 Industries put terminals in the game that you have to find to understand the story properly. Unfortunately, they are not easy to find, so you end up being a little confused about the story plot. Also, you end up either doing "three things" to beat a certain area, or beat a bunch of enemies down a long corridor, hallway, or trench. The level design could have been fleshed out more. The Spartan Ops, are a nice addition, but consist of "kill bad guys, move forward, beat bad guys, and move forward." Some of them are fun, but not at the cost of replacing Firefight. Now the pros. Graphically, this is the best looking game on the 360. The opening cinematic is jaw-dropping. I was amazed that this was a 360 game. The sound is AMAZING. Generally you expect a game to have good sound design. I've never had a game have such good weapon sounds, that it made me feel like it was real. 343 Industries did a masterful job with the weapon sounds. Also, the music is new and refreshing. Some complain that they didn't use the old music. I don't. It sounds appropriate, and has wonderful tracks. Multiplayer. Multiplayer is refined and, unlike previous Halo iterations, fast-paced. Some, again, complain about the change. Halo needed a shot in the arm, and 343i handled it splendidly. I think the only thing I want is more maps, which will be coming down the pipes in a few months. All in all, this is a great new Halo. I think 343i did a wonderful job, will tweak some of the mechanics, and make Halo 5 perfect.… Expand
  12. Throwmetheus
    Nov 15, 2012
    9
    343 has managed to bring back the huge scale and epic feeling of Halo 2. They have also managed to make some modern multilayer tweaks to pander to gamers who need innovation and change with new games to make them worth buying. Halo 3 didn't have enough new elements, while Reach had too many and was unbalanced. Here they have managed to strike a good balance between old and new, with how343 has managed to bring back the huge scale and epic feeling of Halo 2. They have also managed to make some modern multilayer tweaks to pander to gamers who need innovation and change with new games to make them worth buying. Halo 3 didn't have enough new elements, while Reach had too many and was unbalanced. Here they have managed to strike a good balance between old and new, with how the game feels and the added running, abilities etc. Some would say they are making it like Call of Duty but I would say they are showing a little humility and just taking the best (and most obvious) elements from other popular and successful modern shooters and building on their core gameplay with them. It's still hard to say why I have a 'Halo 2' vibe from this, but I do.

    I'm halfway through the campaign and I'm only level 24 on multi player, but I can already tell I will continue to play for months to come. Fighting the covenant still feels largely the same with the mediocre a.i and same vehicles, but the new Promethean race feels fresh. They are challenging to fight and not mindless like the flood. Multiplayer maps feel instantly better than Reach. They are well designed. They're don't seem to be a lot of them, but Haven among others already feel like instant classics with awesome site lines to explore. This takes cues from all Halo games and builds on them. It's exciting that this is the first game in a new trilogy. When they start doing something really innovative with the match making and have MMO elements included like trading, interplanetary travel etc. I will give it a ten. Nine for now. The real chief is back.    … Expand
  13. 1urch
    Nov 15, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I dont always play xbox 360. But when I do I play Halo 4. **** I didnt realize this had to be at least 150 characters or the first two sentences would have been my review. But seriously Halo 4 does not disappoint at the slightest bit. Both multiplayer and campaign deliver what every (for the most part) Halo fan desires. This game helps one remember why he/she loves video games in the first place: Its ****ing fun, it looks amazing, and it transports you into another world where you stay until turn your console off and leave the room. with all **** talking and dumb comparisons to other games aside this game is a must buy/rent/borrow (just ****ing play it) if you enjoy having fun.… Expand
  14. LAB200
    Jan 18, 2013
    9
    I started to play Halo in this game, so my opinion isn't of a big fan. But I loved it, the graphics are excelent, but most important: The multiplayer is the best FPS I've ever played. Campaign isn't pretty good, but isn't bad.
  15. 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
  16. 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.
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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.
  29. 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
  30. 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.
Page:

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

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