Halo 4

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3901 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,403 out of 3901
  2. Mixed: 725 out of 3901
  3. Negative: 773 out of 3901
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  1. Thatoneguy
    Dec 6, 2012
    8
    Im not an extreme die-hard halo fanboy, though I have played all the games, and I don't like CoD, so please try not to expect an overly biased review. The graphics here are undeniably beautiful, some of the best on the xbox, especially the lighting, absolutely gorgeous. The Campaign is long and engaging, my first play through on normal took me roughly 8-11 hours, which is pretty damn longIm not an extreme die-hard halo fanboy, though I have played all the games, and I don't like CoD, so please try not to expect an overly biased review. The graphics here are undeniably beautiful, some of the best on the xbox, especially the lighting, absolutely gorgeous. The Campaign is long and engaging, my first play through on normal took me roughly 8-11 hours, which is pretty damn long for a campaign in a modern FPS. Its nice to see a company putting proper thought into a good quality campaign these days, **** multiplayer is turning into a virus for FPS games. Though one major gripe I do have is the ending, I won't spoil it but it makes little sense, though it still is extremely sad. The multiplayer is definitely my biggest complaint, there are plenty of balancing issues, especially with those double XP mother **** who are all probably level 190s by now. The next problem is the loadouts, and the commendations, the loadouts is way too CoD like for me, and it ruins what I wanted this game to be, a traditional halo game similar to halo 3 or 2. If loadouts were completely irradicated, my major complaint would be wiped away. Next is commendations, its too much just to get one piece of armor, **** trillion splatters to get a green visor!? No thanks. I love the new specializations, the armor looks unique, the concept gives gameplay more depth, and its a much more awesome reward than being reverted back to level 1 and just getting the title of "Prestige." The sound design is marvelous, beautifully orchestrated music and amazing weapon sound effects, as in that's exactly what you expect that gun to sound like. If that wasn't enough we have spartan ops, weekly episodes of 5 missions, along with amazingly well done cinematics and superb voice acting, FOR FREE. And if THAT wasn't enough, they are constantly adding new modes to online multiplayer, and updating the game all the time, truly a devoted company. Overall I suggest anyone reading this review to go out and buy this game NOW.… Expand
  2. Xarnis
    Dec 5, 2012
    9
    Score- 10.0 (Having trouble with Metacritic's Score system)

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

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

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

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

    I Love halo, and also enjoy cod on many occasions. These games should be kept separate; converging their features don't make you gain both audiences. 343 said when asked about implemented COD features "Yea we want more of the market share of players, that's the major reason for the change." This game should probably receive around an 8-9, but for a halo game, it deserves a 6, plain and simple. I am a huge fan/player of halo 2, 3 and reach online. Halo 4 fails in my opinion to retain its uniqueness of the halo series. I actually enjoyed the fact that sprint was not inherent in previous halo's, IMO this is a core game mechanic that should have been retained. While the Cod mechanics don't technically make for a bad game, they do drastically change the way the game plays. I am surprised to see so many 9's and 10's from halo fans, I would have thought the changes toward COD would yield 7's and 8's at most. I didn't want ANOTHER Cod, I wanted another Halo.    … Expand
  30. Chron1cNinja69
    Nov 28, 2012
    10
    I easily give this game a 10/10 due to the fact that the game offers great graphics, has a slight mix of CoD, and Halo. And they've added the "Sticky Detonator" as well as some Forerunner technology with a great balance of teams and weapons. It is still rather easy to hack or mod in the game, considering I've seen a couple hackers myself and it makes me angry. The game is new though, andI easily give this game a 10/10 due to the fact that the game offers great graphics, has a slight mix of CoD, and Halo. And they've added the "Sticky Detonator" as well as some Forerunner technology with a great balance of teams and weapons. It is still rather easy to hack or mod in the game, considering I've seen a couple hackers myself and it makes me angry. The game is new though, and all new games have glitches and kinks that need to be worked out. The 343 Industries that created and developed it did an overall great job and I would play this my whole life if I could.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

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