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. casshern09
    Nov 6, 2012
    6
    Pretty disappointed really. Was really hoping this would be a return to form after hating Reach and ODST so much. If you liked the others, chances are you will like this, if you didn't, this won't do anything for you.
    The gameplay has not changed one bit. Same familiar looking corridors, same vehicle sections.
    Yeah it looks and sounds great, but it is so frigging dull. MP is fine,    Pretty disappointed really. Was really hoping this would be a return to form after hating Reach and ODST so much. If you liked the others, chances are you will like this, if you didn't, this won't do anything for you.
    The gameplay has not changed one bit. Same familiar looking corridors, same vehicle sections.
    Yeah it looks and sounds great, but it is so frigging dull. MP is fine, nothing special. Like I said, if you liked it before, you will now.    … Expand
  2. GhostyDog
    Nov 11, 2012
    6
    Firstly, I'm a long time Halo fan, having been an early adopter on the first XBox with Halo: Combat Evolved.

    After finishing H4 on Heroic I have found the game to be a mix of good and bad, on one hand it's predictable but on the other hand there are some real eye openers from a story POV despite the enemy in the game being a huge McGuffin. Saying that, the cut scenes and story    Firstly, I'm a long time Halo fan, having been an early adopter on the first XBox with Halo: Combat Evolved.

    After finishing H4 on Heroic I have found the game to be a mix of good and bad, on one hand it's predictable but on the other hand there are some real eye openers from a story POV despite the enemy in the game being a huge McGuffin. Saying that, the cut scenes and story development really seems to take a secondary role to the relentless battles.

    Yes, it's a shoot em up, but previous Halo games managed to temper the grind of progression against wave after wave of alien foes with some genuinely funny humour.

    There is none of this in H4, and I feel it suffers for taking itself too seriously.

    The campaign is too short with at times set pieces of wearing monotony, yes it's beautiful to look at but it seems that beauty is only skin deep.

    At times I found the audio frustrating, conversations over the com from NPCs could not be heard because the in game music and effects were cranked up to 11. I game on a dedicated system with a large plasma and a decent 5.1 system that is well configured. I thought I'd drop into the audio settings to adjust but there is no capability in the settings to adjust the volume of different soundtracks which meant at times I had to guess at what game objectives were and just blindly follow the way points.

    To sum up, 343, C- must do better.    … Expand
  3. HibiscusDonkey
    Feb 1, 2013
    0
    The flaws that exist lie mainly within mission design, plot flow, character development, multiplayer, game balance, map design, playlist implementation, game mechanics implementation, axed features, and lack of watercooler moments that really jive with previous iterations in the halo universe. Visually the game is outstanding but Halo 4 is a HUGE disappointment where it matters.
  4. David_wayne
    Nov 19, 2012
    10
    Halo 4 is the best Halo game in the whole entire series,I
    I wasn't completely sure how 343 studios would make this game,and I must admit I had my doubts.but after finally breaking down and going out to buy the limited edition halo 4 console,I must say it was worth ever penny.Halo 4 is a ground breaking marvel in the fps genre.and 343 studios did an amazing job with halo 4.the graphics are    Halo 4 is the best Halo game in the whole entire series,I
    I wasn't completely sure how 343 studios would make this game,and I must admit I had my doubts.but after finally breaking down and going out to buy the limited edition halo 4 console,I must say it was worth ever penny.Halo 4 is a ground breaking marvel in the fps genre.and 343 studios did an amazing job with halo 4.the graphics are some of the best yet on the xbox 360 (I wasn't sure if I was seeing animated charecters or live real people on cutscenes)everything was sooo realistic and even the sound track and gun fire explosions sound FANTASTIC.343 in my opinion beat Bungie's halo hands down.great job 343 I won't doubt you again in the halo franchise.TAKE THAT CALL OF DUTY, YOU'VE BEEN SERVED.    … Expand
  5. dark357asassin
    Nov 11, 2012
    10
    I have played all of the Halo's and really like them, So going into this one I was pretty nervous cause this was 343 and not Bungie. Campaign: The Campaign in this game is pretty short but at that it is a awesome one. Story was great. Chief having to deal with Cortana's Rampancy and the main enemy is pretty good. Shows Chiefs and Cortana's connection more than in any of the previousI have played all of the Halo's and really like them, So going into this one I was pretty nervous cause this was 343 and not Bungie. Campaign: The Campaign in this game is pretty short but at that it is a awesome one. Story was great. Chief having to deal with Cortana's Rampancy and the main enemy is pretty good. Shows Chiefs and Cortana's connection more than in any of the previous Halo's. Solid Campaign. The Multiplayer while very good has taken too many things from Call Of Duty. Like sprinting, Loadouts, Ordnance Drops (Care Package like things), Currency, Instant Spawn, there is more than that but lets move on. Those are pretty much my only gripes about the Multiplayer and I am hoping that they will remove some of this in Halo 5. Spartan Ops is a pretty good addition to the game, Fun and will keep pulling you back for weeks. This game may be the best graphical looking game on the Xbox 360. Sound is good and they have re done almost all sounds. Soundtrack: While the soundtrack is completely new it fits in with the game perfectly so no problems with that. I will give it a 9.5 if I could.… Expand
  6. RidleayRomero
    Dec 13, 2012
    2
    After about 2 Minutes into the single player game, it was obvious that 343 completely forgot what happened at the end of Halo 3. Why would you still be fighting the same enemies that were in the first game when it moved on in the previous two installments? Not to mention it's starting to look like Call of Duty with the quick time boss cutscene. Anyway the only playable part of it seems toAfter about 2 Minutes into the single player game, it was obvious that 343 completely forgot what happened at the end of Halo 3. Why would you still be fighting the same enemies that were in the first game when it moved on in the previous two installments? Not to mention it's starting to look like Call of Duty with the quick time boss cutscene. Anyway the only playable part of it seems to be Multiplayer and Spartan Ops. There isn't much hope for a sequel.… Expand
  7. J_Khan
    Nov 6, 2012
    9
    I already wrote a review for this game but i feel like the other reviewers are giving extremely harsh scores for small details.. if u have already read my other review i've said that the game is different from halos past.. its gone for the more sci-fi route. ive seen people write about clunky vehicles? im sorry i don't know what game you're playing but its not halo 4 cause i had no troubleI already wrote a review for this game but i feel like the other reviewers are giving extremely harsh scores for small details.. if u have already read my other review i've said that the game is different from halos past.. its gone for the more sci-fi route. ive seen people write about clunky vehicles? im sorry i don't know what game you're playing but its not halo 4 cause i had no trouble driving the vehicles.… Expand
  8. TheProCritic
    Nov 27, 2012
    10
    At first i was unsure about purchasing this game because of the many negative and few positive User reviews i've seen, but after watching gameplay i decided that Halo 4 was for me. After playing almost entirely through the campaign and over 5 hours of online multiplayer, i can certainly say that 343 Studios has succeeded in the creation of such a memorable and time consuming game. TheAt first i was unsure about purchasing this game because of the many negative and few positive User reviews i've seen, but after watching gameplay i decided that Halo 4 was for me. After playing almost entirely through the campaign and over 5 hours of online multiplayer, i can certainly say that 343 Studios has succeeded in the creation of such a memorable and time consuming game. The campaign brought back the master chief in the the most epic fashion possible. The campaign is very fun and quite a challenge at times as well, it creates a perfect balance of challenge, gameplay, and story to generate what seems to be the most memorable of all the Halo campaigns. The multiplayer is fantastic, unlocking weapons, armor, and emblems is only half the game, but working towards unlocking these things gives a great sense of achievement, the multiplayer makes me feel like i'm playing the Halo we all love and remember, it makes me forget about how much i disliked Halo: Reach, and gives me that fantastic feeling that previous Halo titles have always given me. I have complete respect for 343 studios for being able to replicate and improve the Halo universe, and for that i give them props. If you have yet to find a great FPS, look no further, Halo 4 is here.… Expand
  9. soulassssns
    Nov 6, 2012
    10
    Gorgeous looking game from start to finish. Absolutely love the the level layout, musical score (-1 for no Halo theme) and sound effects and most importantly the story. Thank you 343i for including the much deeper storyline from the books. This game oozes Halo and has cemented 343i as the holder of the Mantle for the Halo franchise in my eyes. I give it a thumbs up! A must buy for any Halo fan.
  10. Defectionate
    Nov 10, 2012
    8
    When Bungie left, I was very hesitant on Halo 4, but to my surprise, the story and feel was still Halo at its core. The campaign was coherent and had started where it was left off. It was great paced, and the visuals were borderline stunning. The campaign was its strong suit, and it showed. The Multiplayer is a toss up, when you get in a good connected game, and everyone isnt sitting on aWhen Bungie left, I was very hesitant on Halo 4, but to my surprise, the story and feel was still Halo at its core. The campaign was coherent and had started where it was left off. It was great paced, and the visuals were borderline stunning. The campaign was its strong suit, and it showed. The Multiplayer is a toss up, when you get in a good connected game, and everyone isnt sitting on a vantage point with the DMR, it is an enriching experience, but those games are few and far between. The host drops constantly and as stated, the DMR is overpowered. It looks like Halo, it feels like Halo, the MP doesnt play like Halo. Its no longer a methodical tug of war where the most accurate shot wins, but rather who becomes full of lead first, no matter placement. In Halo 3 a well placed BR burst could take out shields, that is absent here, the DMR was balanced in Reach because there wasnt many options from it, now there is, and it is proven dominant. If this was a stand alone IP then it should have had a better score, but with the Halo brand comes expectations that were met in areas, but the total package was lacking.… Expand
  11. JBoAftermath
    Nov 12, 2012
    8
    Everything that makes Halo 4, Halo is still there and is epic! It still has the genuine ingenuity as the previous ones. I actually like the Infinity "Spartan Ops" concept too. That is definitely new to Halo, but I can't help but notice that there is a lot of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" traits involved in the game. That's doesn't really bother me because in the end, it makes a HaloEverything that makes Halo 4, Halo is still there and is epic! It still has the genuine ingenuity as the previous ones. I actually like the Infinity "Spartan Ops" concept too. That is definitely new to Halo, but I can't help but notice that there is a lot of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" traits involved in the game. That's doesn't really bother me because in the end, it makes a Halo 4 a more of faster pace game than it already was, and let's face it, everyone likes those "said COD traits", but I forsee myself playing more Call of Duty multiplayer in the future if 343 doesn't become a tad bit more innovative in it. Hopefully the game add-ons that come out in the future will bring out that innovation people are looking for. Like I said, still a fantastic game for everyone of to play with an Xbox, but I can't give a perfect score to 343 for "maintaining" a legacy not "enhancing" a legacy...… Expand
  12. SouthrnCherokee
    Nov 6, 2012
    10
    Campaign only: I was worried it was going to go too far away from the others but I was pleasantly surprised. The cut scenes are amazing graphic wise. The first few minutes blew me away with the detailing in the facial expressions. The weapons were great, several old ones coming back. There were new weapons as well. Some of the game play is repetitive from earlier games, but I personallyCampaign only: I was worried it was going to go too far away from the others but I was pleasantly surprised. The cut scenes are amazing graphic wise. The first few minutes blew me away with the detailing in the facial expressions. The weapons were great, several old ones coming back. There were new weapons as well. Some of the game play is repetitive from earlier games, but I personally enjoyed the few familiar feeling parts. It made it feel like a part of Halo to me. The storyline was fantastic and emotionally stimulating. The soundtracks were moving and exciting. I loved it. I've played Halo since the beginning of the entire series and I thought they did a wonderful job making it feel new and familiar. Definitely worth my time and money.… Expand
  13. Trindermon
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    The game does nothing "new". But as per most Halo games, everything it does do, it does really well. I have had a blast on multiplayer, - however the lack of "co-op campaign" play lists (IE campaign with randoms) and a lack of firefight mode is a shame. Map size in multiplayer is excellent, especially when you consider the size of some of the levels in the recent COD games. This does notThe game does nothing "new". But as per most Halo games, everything it does do, it does really well. I have had a blast on multiplayer, - however the lack of "co-op campaign" play lists (IE campaign with randoms) and a lack of firefight mode is a shame. Map size in multiplayer is excellent, especially when you consider the size of some of the levels in the recent COD games. This does not feel like shooting fish in a barrel.

    Graphics are lovely (for current generation console level). Sound is very nice and the story seems to be moving allong nicely. (i have not played it all the way yet).    … Expand
  14. tigersean21
    Nov 6, 2012
    10
    All I have to say is that this game is amazing and it is alot better then I thought it would be. The campaign/story, graphics, sound FX, music and multiplayer are all great and well done. At first it took some time to get used to with the new story and all, but once you start playing through and actually focus more on the story instead of just playing through it, it is really deep. It alsoAll I have to say is that this game is amazing and it is alot better then I thought it would be. The campaign/story, graphics, sound FX, music and multiplayer are all great and well done. At first it took some time to get used to with the new story and all, but once you start playing through and actually focus more on the story instead of just playing through it, it is really deep. It also gets even deeper if you unlock the terminals for Halo waypoint. Multiplayer is blast! I loved Halo Reach but I was slightly disappointed in Halo Reaches multiplayer. Though Halo Reaches multiplayer was going the right direction, I just felt that it just didn't nail it. But IMHO, I believe Halo 4 nailed it, at least way closer the Halo Reach did. All I can say is, this game looks and feels like Halo. One last thing. Don't be discouraged about a lot of the negative ratings. Most of them are PS3 and COD fan boys who just want to see this game fail. Also a lot of them are just trolling just to get attention or they think its absolutely funny. How do I know, because I know a several of them lol!… Expand
  15. Alucard7
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    The game is still a masterpiece !!!! Visually maybe the best game for an old gen console like Xbox 360 ( not unlike the new Xbox Next, but..still alive and kicking ) . High quality sounds, excellent A.I, jawdropping lightning effects, a lot of haters to kill , awesome storytelling if compared to kilozone and resiflop. Congrats to "new Bungie" aka 343 Industries !!!!
  16. dgmoney
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    Idk what everyone is complaining and lying about. Best halo by far in the series. Everything from multiplayer to campaign is perfect. Graphics A+ as well as design.
  17. Mixter
    Nov 8, 2012
    10
    Like a few others, I signed up to create this review for such an amazing game.I don't understand the hate against the game, but we all have our opinions. I think that this game is one of the best fps games that has been produced this year. It has good framerate for a game that looks amazing for an Xbox game, it allows old weapons that we haven't seen since Halo 3 AND other weapons, has anLike a few others, I signed up to create this review for such an amazing game.I don't understand the hate against the game, but we all have our opinions. I think that this game is one of the best fps games that has been produced this year. It has good framerate for a game that looks amazing for an Xbox game, it allows old weapons that we haven't seen since Halo 3 AND other weapons, has an episodic co-op experience that 343i will add to weekly like Red Dead Redemption's mission pack, introduces the Prometheans (A new enemy), somehow perfectly brings back the Covenant and the UNSC to tie in with the story, and the multiplayer is just so unique compared to the other ones. Halo hasn't "stolen" anything from other games, it simply innovates from the mistakes of other games by allowing a perk system that isn't too overpowered like CoD. Also, Halo 4 adds a lot more for the huge Halo storyline fans (like myself) who actually like to look at the story behind the entire Halo universe. I don't really know why anyone would give it anything below a 6, but we all have our own ways of looking at things. I hope this review will attract anyone that looks through the game reviews, because this is the truth. Halo 4 is a marvelous game that contends with other games for GoTY.… Expand
  18. drizzti90
    Nov 11, 2012
    10
    I have had a blast with Halo 4 sofar. After beating the campaign and playing multiplayer extensively I can safely say that this is the best Halo since 3. My favorite new additions to the game would be the abundance of weapons (love the binary rifle), the style of the Promethean architecture and weapons, the diversity of the different enemy types, the diversity of the environments whichI have had a blast with Halo 4 sofar. After beating the campaign and playing multiplayer extensively I can safely say that this is the best Halo since 3. My favorite new additions to the game would be the abundance of weapons (love the binary rifle), the style of the Promethean architecture and weapons, the diversity of the different enemy types, the diversity of the environments which both the campaign and multiplayer traverse, the final level of the campaign (can you say 'A New Hope'), the mantis, and then the ordinance drops for multiplayer. My biggest con with the game is the lack of ammo in the muliplayer environments- this is something I think they need to fix pronto, ordinance drops are great but this do sent excuse a total lack of static ammunition in the level... In response to the major criticism that has been leveled against the game (too much like COD), I would point out that the implemented gameplay elements spoken of (ordinance drops/load outs) are all done in a very haloesque manner that fits within the overall themes and feel of the original games game. You will not pick up this game and think it feels like COD, it simply dosent- unless you have preconceived notions that its going to, then it might.....lol. BTW this game gets a 10 from me beacuse this sites user review system is so messed up that trolls can just come in here and spam post a hundred different (0) reviews in ten seconds. In a fair system I would give this game bewteen an 8.5 and a 9- just like its critic score (which is the only score you should consider valid on this site....).… Expand
  19. darksam644
    Nov 11, 2012
    9
    I am a long, long time halo fan, got evey single game, finished legendary on all of them countless times (people who say this is a short game obviously have not bothered to challenge themselves) and read all novels and comic books. IMO Halo CE was brilliant and Halo 2 was and is gaming perfection. All other titles since have been attempted to be close to this level, and they are, but noneI am a long, long time halo fan, got evey single game, finished legendary on all of them countless times (people who say this is a short game obviously have not bothered to challenge themselves) and read all novels and comic books. IMO Halo CE was brilliant and Halo 2 was and is gaming perfection. All other titles since have been attempted to be close to this level, and they are, but none have the depth of story that halo 4 offers. everything is so new and unfamilliar, all the other halos feel kind of kiddy compared to this. The first true halo for adults. Halo 3's forge was novel, Reach, was great, but this is another step up in ease of use and effectiveness. Graphics are amazing. Sound is breathtaking. This is the best Halo in a long long time.… Expand
  20. ToxicDumptaker
    Nov 11, 2012
    9
    I don't honestly understand why this game would be getting such a low user score? More than half of the negative user scores give very few if any reasons why they didn't like the game. But anyway, this game is amazing. Every bit of the game from the campaign down to the multiplayer is amazing. The campaign has an great musical score and a great story. The only issue I had with the story isI don't honestly understand why this game would be getting such a low user score? More than half of the negative user scores give very few if any reasons why they didn't like the game. But anyway, this game is amazing. Every bit of the game from the campaign down to the multiplayer is amazing. The campaign has an great musical score and a great story. The only issue I had with the story is that is was a bit short. Now to the multiplayer, the multiplayer is the best Halo multiplayer since Halo 3 for me. Many people are whining that some of the aspects of the multiplayer are stolen from CoD. Maybe if people would open their eyes and maybe do research for the game they are bashing on they would see that some people from CoD 4 worked on it and brought some of the things that made CoD 4 great into Halo 4. Every playlist in multiplayer is downright fun and there will be weekly updates made to playlists every week based on community feedback. However some of the weapons given to you in loadouts may be slightly overpowered but it's not too much to worry about. The maps in this game are great but not instant classics like maps from previous Halo games. Spartan Ops is an interesting co-op mode that has replaced firefight that follows a story taking place after the main story. I didn't take me too long to beat every mission at launch but this is coupled with the fact they will be releasing 5 more missions every week for 10 weeks. In conclusion, 343 has brought Halo back and it is better than ever.… Expand
  21. Katama
    Nov 11, 2012
    10
    Alright, here I go.

    Halo 4 is incredible. I have absolutely NO idea why the heck its getting these reviews, and honestly, it's making me a little mad, but here's my two cents. The campaign is intense and has opened a new door to the halo storyline. The ending made me cry, and I was amazed by what great storytellers 343 are. 10/10, totally. Sure, I was left hanging a little, but halo    Alright, here I go.

    Halo 4 is incredible. I have absolutely NO idea why the heck its getting these reviews, and honestly, it's making me a little mad, but here's my two cents.

    The campaign is intense and has opened a new door to the halo storyline. The ending made me cry, and I was amazed by what great storytellers 343 are. 10/10, totally. Sure, I was left hanging a little, but halo 5 will fix that right up. The only con is that I was EXPECTING it to be longer, but 8-9 hours is alright.

    The multiplayer is incredibly balanced and has great maps. Haven has all the CQB I love and exile is like blood gulch and sidewinder had a baby. I also cannot tell you how close the matches I have had are. I love that the grenades are nerfed and everything is more like halo 3, and the armor abilities are perfect and none are OP. If people don't like them, just play a different playlist. Problem solved.

    Spartan ops is fun, but lacks replay value, but aside from that, it makes me happy to see it as an extension of the campaign, making the campaign longer. I think I'll stick to multiplayer though.

    I can't wait to make machinimas, laugh with friends and blow people up. Thank you, 343, for showing how amazing you guys are. Cant wait for halo 5.    … Expand
  22. Pepperoni3000
    Nov 12, 2012
    10
    Best Halo campaign I've played in a long time. Greatest graphics in the series and the most emotional story line I've seen since the Gears of War series. The music, while not Marty's, definitely fits the Halo universe. 343i definitely did this franchise some good!! Love the multiplayer too, new and a step up from Reach's unbalanced mess.
  23. jfrankie
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    It's more of the same, but why is that a bad thing?? Halo 4 is large a bowl of ice cream. Absolutely delicious. I want more! I can't wait to see what they'll add for halo 5!
  24. Banned4rever
    Nov 21, 2012
    10
    Halo 4 atinge o ápice da sétima geração de videogames, e ainda da um pequeno spoiler da próxima gen. Os gráficos são de babar, o máximo já alcançado em consoles, com a mesma ia e mapas grandes de sempre. A relação Cortana e Chief está ainda mais forte
  25. Awesome2daMax
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    OK, this is my honest review on the game and I believe it is great! Anyone that believes that they copied Call of Duty outright hasn't played the game. Sure, some features were in CoD first, but some features in CoD were taken from Halo. This is what games do, take ideas from other games and improve on them, which Halo has done. Halo 4 is faster paced than the previous games, with instantOK, this is my honest review on the game and I believe it is great! Anyone that believes that they copied Call of Duty outright hasn't played the game. Sure, some features were in CoD first, but some features in CoD were taken from Halo. This is what games do, take ideas from other games and improve on them, which Halo has done. Halo 4 is faster paced than the previous games, with instant respawns in some features, and contains custom loadouts. These loadouts are not in any way truly affected by rank. First of all, it takes 1 War Games Match to go from SR1 to SR2 (SR is the ranking system). At SR2, you can purchase either the DMR or the BR, the two best loadout weapons. If you want a Carbine or Lightrifle for PERSONAL preference, then you have to wait a bit. I prefer the Lightrifle because of its dual functionality, but it isnt BETTER to say the least. All the weapons have their range. Of course a DMR will beat an Assault rifle from a distance. But Assault Rifles will destroy DMR at close range. YOU need to get into position to get the kills, so stop complaining about OP weapons. And there are no "Prestiges" like someone else said, and Amour Abilities are not OP either. Neither are Tactical or Support upgrades. They make small changes for PERSONAL preference. So all in all, Halo 4 has a balanced multi-player.
    The campaign is short but very good. The levels are fun and exciting. So if you have 60$, buy this game NOW!    … Expand
  26. Augusto1029
    Nov 27, 2012
    10
    First of all I have played all halos, since the original Xbox, and this delivery did not disappoint. 343 did a fantastic job creating a robust experience, campaign and multiplayer wise. The visual experience was also fantastic, the controls remained classic but I love the feedback you receive the shooting and how different this feedback is from gun to gun. Also there is an storyFirst of all I have played all halos, since the original Xbox, and this delivery did not disappoint. 343 did a fantastic job creating a robust experience, campaign and multiplayer wise. The visual experience was also fantastic, the controls remained classic but I love the feedback you receive the shooting and how different this feedback is from gun to gun. Also there is an story telling element from the campaign all the way up to Spartan Ops, a great idea that is keeping the game fresh and relevant. In regards of the story as other have said, the emotion created around the relationship Master Chief / Cortana, was well executed and it did let me, personally, craving for more Halo.

    Halo being an FPS, its a bench mark for games like Mass Effect 3, that are not able to handle the pressure of a high expectations ending. Thanks 343i, I am looking forward for other projects and of course: More Halo!    … Expand
  27. dark_knight_98
    Dec 20, 2012
    10
    Possibly the greatest Halo game yet, not only does the campain provide an amazing gaming experience but the multiplayer is now much improved. Simply, if you are a Halo fan you need to buy this game. If you are not a Halo fan you also need to buy this game.
  28. howhaveyouben
    Jan 23, 2014
    0
    Let me just say I love Halo. I grew up on Halo. It was the first game my parents wouldn't let me play so I went to my friends house to play it. I beat halo 2 on legendary with my friend after school and I got Halo 3 the first day from circuit city (Still have the poster it came with). I passed on Halo 4 at the release because I didn't expect much from 343 and I just got Halo 4 because allLet me just say I love Halo. I grew up on Halo. It was the first game my parents wouldn't let me play so I went to my friends house to play it. I beat halo 2 on legendary with my friend after school and I got Halo 3 the first day from circuit city (Still have the poster it came with). I passed on Halo 4 at the release because I didn't expect much from 343 and I just got Halo 4 because all the critics love it and I feel like I missed out.... This game doesn't deserve to have the halo name. A game that makes no sense without reading books **** books, I play video games). A game that has an artificially difficult single player (for example the knights disappear and can 1 hit you from virtually anywhere), your shield is useless (2-3 shots) you take fall damage if you jump 20ft even though you're in a suit of armor, It is clearly not designed for coop (you can breeze through the game), multiplayer ditches skill and finesse and adds loadouts and random drops. To be honest I thought the opening video was cool (I had no clue what they were talking about, but looked like live action.) and the sounds of the guns are better (the score isn't as epic.) But I don't play halo for graphics or sound. It's the gameplay and the multiplayer. This game is garbage.… Expand
  29. PINGUS
    Aug 31, 2015
    0
    Halo 3 tied all the loose ends in the Halo lore together then halo 4 throws that knot in a blender and gives it the middle finger.Also i found the multilayer to be mediocre and the forge is no where near as good as the forge in other halo games ive played and completed every single halo but im not planning on purchasing 343's next halo game.
  30. f___yocouch
    Nov 10, 2012
    8
    If you are an old Halo player, excluding Halo Reach, the multiplayer will take a while to get used to, but it is fun. Graphics are good, campaign is good, etc. After you get used to the game, it is fun, but after all the changes including the worst, killcams, the changes evolve it from Halo into another game, and I can't really admire Halo following after other FPS games.
  31. DesNukem
    Mar 13, 2014
    5
    Two things up front. Firstly I’m a long-term Halo fan, having played all the games from the beginning -- not some PS3 fanboy. Secondly, both positive and negative User reviews on this site have been grossly over-exaggerated for dubious reasons. Let’s be realistic folks, few games deserve a zero and no game is worthy of a 10 because no game is perfect!

    I had high hopes for Halo 4 after    Two things up front. Firstly I’m a long-term Halo fan, having played all the games from the beginning -- not some PS3 fanboy. Secondly, both positive and negative User reviews on this site have been grossly over-exaggerated for dubious reasons. Let’s be realistic folks, few games deserve a zero and no game is worthy of a 10 because no game is perfect!

    I had high hopes for Halo 4 after the superb job that 343i did in revamping the original Halo. Perhaps they should have stuck to polishing other people’s games for a while because, sadly, they don’t seem to have the finesse (yet) to create an admirable game from scratch. When I first read the Quarter to Three review by Tom Chick in the Critic section, I felt it was a bit harsh but after playing Halo 4 for myself, I now consider it a tactful understatement.

    As far as I’m concerned, the only real improvements in Halo 4 are the more realistic sound effects and cut scenes. Clearly these two elements are a cut above previous Halo games but just about everything else is a backward step and second-rate for a AAA title. For all the hype from 343i about the game being a labor of love, there is a shocking lack of attention to detail not found in Bungie’s instalments. But of course, most fans won’t be prepared to admit that because a successful continuation of the series means so much to them. It’s an emotional investment – sort of like staying with a bad lover for old time’s sake.

    As others have stated, the Halo 4 story is boring and manipulative with unsympathetic characters and repetitive scenarios. Somehow, it also manages to be confusing and cliche-ridden at the same time – just what you don’t want in a game, particularly a FPS. (Unless it’s satire and this isn’t – it’s overblown seriousness).

    The superlatives being lavished on the graphics by many reviewers are way over the top. For me, good graphics are in the details and many in Halo 4 are noticeably absent. Gone, for example, is the superb purple and bronze pattern detail previously found in Covenant hardware. Some of the alien architecture may look impressive but the backgrounds are often foggy and indistinct. A close inspection of outdoor environments and objects reveals nothing but jagged, blocky and/or blurred textures. Those representing the terrain are muddy and ugly while foliage and fire look like they were rendered in a primary school art class! Decals (projectile damage) look nice but are inconsistent, appearing only on certain surfaces and sometimes they look sharper than those surfaces themselves, which is ludicrous. A useful graphics comparison can be found in some of the beautifully detailed weapons and environments of the Serious Sam HD games and they were made by a much smaller company on a fraction of the budget!

    Another aspect where Halo 4 falls short is the AI. For example, at the beginning of the Campaign chapter, Size Matters, I experienced a fellow Spartan continually running into a rock face. Belting him with a melee attack had absolutely no effect on his mindless course of action so I eventually threw a grenade at him and he jet-packed to the adjacent Mammoth. That glaring faults this basic were allowed through to the final build of a multi-million dollar project is an absolute disgrace and demonstrates a distinct lack of respect for the fan base! In addition, the beloved Covenant species have had many of their personality attributes that made them so interesting to fight, reduced or removed altogether. They now share the stage with generic new enemies which are highly reminiscent of those from other games. Anyone else notice a resemblance between the Promethean Watchers and Crawlers of Halo 4, and the Icarus and Parasite creatures from Quake 2? Or the Promethean Knight and the Bloodletter Daemon from Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine? The appearance and behaviour of these pairs is strikingly similar!

    Enough has been said about the multiplayer aspect by others – obviously a blatant blending of COD features to draw in that crowd. Firefight is sorely missed and Spartan Ops is a thinly-veiled attempt to increase Gold account sales on Xbox Live.

    Other major gripes include: the extremely bland game menus (hate the floating debris image), limited brightness control, rigid corpses, clipping, minor objects that can’t be damaged, invisible walls, and VERY weak grenades.

    I give Halo 4 a score of 5 for retaining a semblance of the enjoyable core combat of the series but if there’s genuine pride in the making of this game, it’s hard to detect from the final result. Perhaps it’s a case of "too many cooks spoil the broth" but it smells more like a money tree to me.

    NOTE: This review was initially posted in Nov. 2012 but somehow it was deleted from Metacritic so I've had to resubmit it.    … Expand
  32. 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
  33. niconline
    Nov 9, 2012
    9
    Halo 4 represents a bold step forward for the franchise that feels both fresh and familiar. Boasting Halo's trademark multiplayer, a gripping campaign, an experimental co-op mode and the usual gubbins, Halo 4 like all the other Halos that have come and gone, represents incredible value for money.
  34. roflhanz
    Mar 11, 2014
    0
    disgrace to the franchise. halo 2 anniversary is the only hope. bxr and button combos must return. halo 4 killed our community and destroyed all hope for 343. do not buy halo 5 or support anything, but remakes from bungie games.
  35. Blaze_Viper
    Dec 8, 2012
    2
    This isn't the continuation of Halo that I had anticipated. Having played each Halo, there was a reason Halo was different from all the other FPS games available on the market, not anymore. Upon playing the first campaign level I noticed all the sounds were different and not in a good way, you don't change perfection. The physics also felt as though they were taken back by about aThis isn't the continuation of Halo that I had anticipated. Having played each Halo, there was a reason Halo was different from all the other FPS games available on the market, not anymore. Upon playing the first campaign level I noticed all the sounds were different and not in a good way, you don't change perfection. The physics also felt as though they were taken back by about a generation, not nearly as smooth or fluid as the Reach physics system which ironically, is the backbone of Halo 4's physics engine. How do you manage to make ideal physics.. worse than their previous state and using the same engine? Its more choppy and feels jittery.

    The campaign is short, and is a try hard. You are forced to try and have feelings for Master Chief and Cortana and this can be felt constantly throughout the entire campaign with constant scenes of Cortana resisting "rampancy" and the Chief seeming worried, you just can't feel for something that doesn't truly require it. The previous studio has always stayed very close to original halo lore yet in the beginning you seem to be wearing incorrect armor and aren't even inside the correct pod. Many of the events of Halo 4 also tend to require you to have read "Glasslands" the bridge seemingly between halo 3 and 4 in order to truly understand what and why the events are happening. There are parts in the campaign where on legendary you cannot do anything but constantly re-try as skill will not have any impact on whether you pass or fail. Enemies seem seem to use decent tactics but it can be repetitive constantly facing enemies in similar scenarios. Overall the campaign was decent through the use of some decent driving, flying and cinematic cut-scenes. They tried to keep the spirit of previous games but it doesn't seem to have gone over too well.

    Microsoft Studios claims this is their most expensive project yet, I suppose if you throw enough money at something you can make something mediocre without even trying to be clever innovative. Granted they are picking up a series that is already several games in, but Reach was a testament that you can mix up the old. Then we have the multiplayer. Oh yes, the feature this is most important of all, or wasn't it the campaign? Anyways it seems as though there have been several elements taken from other popular FPS out there something I'm sure we all love and are very original features like a "killcam" or instant re-spawning (remember when you had to wait 5 seconds before you could flail about again?) and when you get many points you get "ordinance" to help the winning team win faster, personal loadouts, pathetic armor abilities and sprinting whenever you please though I understand that they had to generalize the abilities in order to balance loadouts and game modes. They also removed TrueSkill which seems to have made stacked matches even worse, given it happened in previous titles but not as bad as it seems to be at present. Weapon balance seems to be absent as you can lose to a DMR nearly every time, yet at close range you can easily get wrecked via assault rifle resulting in a majority of players all using a DMR. In previous titles you couldn't gun down an opponent on the other side of a map, you can now with the hyper accuracy of the new weapons. In a way it's like Title Updated only worse and all the time.

    Visuals. The interface can seem very overbearing for newcomers and seems littered with unnecessary things making hard to navigate and unintuitive. The game looks great granted, but it sometimes can strain your eyes as there is just TOO much going on at the same time. The end result? Forget about your older Xbox playing this smoothly, 4-player splitscreen runs at 15 frames 22 on the slim. Overall experience can feel choppy.

    One last thing to note is customization and ranking. There used to be shiny cool looking badges for your rank, but we seem to have devolved into numbers, how exciting reaching SR20 isn't it? About 20% of the armory is locked due to per-order incentives, console bundles and limited edition exclusives along with Map Pass extras meaning if you want to have it all, better get out your wallet. nearly all of the new armor also seems to be hideous and makes to sense in terms of 'how do you even see in that' ? You can't tell armor apart except for helmets as it all seems so identical and many helmets seem to lack visors in lieu of lights on your face or just not bothering with openings. At the very least can I change my lights from white to something else? It's a similar story with emblems, locked away exclusives or requiring you to be a higher rank. Aren't emblems supposed to represent ourselves? I can't help but feel as though it's wrong. A massive lack of campaign and Spartans Ops theater doesn't help.

    Remember when you used to argue about Halo vs another FPS? How it was different? Now we talk about what features it has from other titles and how similar it can be. Fan since Halo 1.    … Expand
  36. Maxson
    Nov 8, 2012
    10
    Don't listen to the people that are giving this amazing game a bad score, this game is easily 10/10, outstanding story, visually the best looking game on the Xbox 360, and fun addicting online multiplayer. To the people that are giving this game 0-4, their just CoD fanboys that are thrashing this game. Buy this game!!!
  37. AOlson
    Nov 10, 2012
    5
    This is beyond a shadow of a doubt my least favorite Halo, not because it's bad, but because it fails to capture the intellectual simplicity of Bungie's games. The story no longer has the believability and grounded quality as the previous ones, which was backed up by the books so well, the art design looks unwelcoming and sterile. The villains, both the motive-lacking Covenant and theThis is beyond a shadow of a doubt my least favorite Halo, not because it's bad, but because it fails to capture the intellectual simplicity of Bungie's games. The story no longer has the believability and grounded quality as the previous ones, which was backed up by the books so well, the art design looks unwelcoming and sterile. The villains, both the motive-lacking Covenant and the hokey Didact, a Forerunner who seems to have survived simply because he didn't die with the rest on them because they didn't like him, lack emotional grounding or satisfying explanations. Multiplayer now has an arbitrary new scoring system and is designed to no longer require level memorization. Similarly Campaign now provides you with so many options for attack that you no longer need to think hard about any one with it's sandbox style. There is no reward for hard thinking. Firefight is gone. Some of the content must be accessed on line, which is a short-sighted decision. Again, it's not bad, and 343 obviously loves the Halo games they're sequelling, but really I don't think they understand what made the franchise work so well, which is to say a simple, believable story that was more complex if you devoted the time and multiplayer that was completely ballanced (again, no longer the case, many guns are way too overpowered, CE's pistol problem but not as novel essentially). Many will love it simply because it says Halo on the box, but for me the final Halo was Reach, and Chief and Cortanna remain adrift in space, which was a great ending and the only one I need until the franchise gets back on track.… Expand
  38. ThanatosXR
    Nov 7, 2012
    2
    Well Halo 4 is finally upon us, with a new studio in charged but does it live up to being called a Halo.
    Halo know for its addicted favor of multiplayer and it's open ended campgain and awesome soundtrack but to get right to the point Halo 4 doesnt live up to any of this. 343 musta been broke when hiring writers and the story is written like a hobo high on meth wrote it in 10 mins, every    Well Halo 4 is finally upon us, with a new studio in charged but does it live up to being called a Halo.
    Halo know for its addicted favor of multiplayer and it's open ended campgain and awesome soundtrack but to get right to the point Halo 4 doesnt live up to any of this. 343 musta been broke when hiring writers and the story is written like a hobo high on meth wrote it in 10 mins, every line is the a random rush to get to the next scene, the main characters come off on unlikable, the script seems to be written by the cheeziest writter in Hollywood with random "drama" in them. The plot makes zero sence at all! Cortana randomly feels forced thoughout the entire game, Why would an A.I. die after 7 years? lolwtf shes a computer data never dies as long as you copy and paste the files, it make not logically sence at all. Another question is why do the covent starr attacking humans again? The story never says why everything in it is "just because". The compaign is riddled with "walk down a hallway get to the main room then fight some guys push 3 buttons move on" repeat for the next 4 hours. Every area feels and looks the same with a lens flare thrown all over it for no reason other then to hide the low textures, if you look everywhere the games graphics are alll simple bright colors with blocky designs everywhere, Why u ask? Because they can spit a game out every year with simple graphics and weith the blue lens flair nobody can see underneth a terrible cheap why of hidding the poor work the art designers did. Nobody in the game has any personally at all not even the good ol' MC. Every scene feels repackaged from CoD. Press "X" to prie the door open, Press "X" to win the final boss. The games writing makes porn seem culturalful. Well now that I finished campaign I want to go play some good ol' firefight to lets of some steam from paying $60 for a CoD compaign in a HALO game.....NOOOOOPE there is no firefight, theres the **** CoD spec ops clone well I'm thinking I'll get it a try before multiplayer....WRONG Play on LIVE on Legendary and all the mission are 10-20min pointless stories that are just a chore BORRRING you can finish them all in 40mins, they have no replay value. Alright so now I'm abit angry now and am thinking well it's Halo so multiplayer is where is usually at and then go to "WAR GAMES".......even the damn menus have generic names so I start it up first thing I noticed theres only 7 playlists? WTF no social no arena no invasion hell not even compaign multiplayer. So I go to Team slayer thinking hell yeah no bloom Halo 3 is back.....THINK again besides the menus being almost disfuncinal the playlist are right to left WTF spread out all over the screen for no reason ok so while waiting to start up my first game I'm thinking am gonna pimp up my armor like in reach......LOL NOPE all the few sets of armor all look the same but the helmets, ok so another downgrade from Reach so after awhile I noticed the games about to star 4...3....2.......1.... AND THEN I LAUGH OUT LOUD at 2am,the matches loading screen is copied right out of CoD with "UNSC Logo spinning around in a gobal digital sphere" ya you can't make this sh++ up. So the game loads up and a 100% inovative to FPS feature comes up.......a damn create class ohh yeah its innovative never done before. Ok so now its time to play first game I see a sniper rifle and get up to the highest point I can and start sniping, now I'm a average player I never have a K/D greater then 1.05 but.......I star off with a killing frinzy thats right its even easier then CoD, it makes CoD look hardcore. Everything is basically spam able all the weapons are mostly the same just reskinned. after 3 hrs of MP I make SR20, yawn all the maps are forgetable they are a decent design but "WarGames" are just a bore, its not Halo just another CoD in Halo skin, everyone takes lil skill to kill and die in a hit or 2. War Games feels like nothing I never felt like it had pushed my skill or made me learn new ones winning or losing in wargames feels the same. Hell we all hate a Cod puts out a new game every year but sadly CoD looks like a real game compared to this , I don't know how 343 pulled of an even easier CoD in space. AND that is it today at noon I sold Halo 4 back to Gamestop for $32 within less then 48 hrs first time ever. Hell despite all of Reachs problems I still it to this day and after complaining on the B.net about its flaws I have to say the worse was yet to come. Hell all the CoD's ever year even look like a million dollars compared to H4. 343 tried to make a CoD clone in Halo skin and failed epically. Well back to Reach and black ops.    … Expand
  39. unscshredder
    Dec 28, 2012
    3
    When i got this game, i thought i was going to have a blast... Bad idea. The story would have been good, but they twisted the story, dumb downed the gameplay, and made the multiplayer like Call of Duty.

    Massive Disappointment.
  40. darkcerb
    Nov 8, 2012
    8
    Terrific graphics, sound - standard AAA game fair there, story was compelling a rare case of a games story that made me want to keep playing to see it unfold. The problems are many here but they're par for the course for AAA fps games these days, linear level design, tiny multiplayer maps (thank you consoles, your pathetic hardware continues to hamstring us) and while compelling at the endTerrific graphics, sound - standard AAA game fair there, story was compelling a rare case of a games story that made me want to keep playing to see it unfold. The problems are many here but they're par for the course for AAA fps games these days, linear level design, tiny multiplayer maps (thank you consoles, your pathetic hardware continues to hamstring us) and while compelling at the end I came away realizing that it was the characters I cared about and to try to avoid spoiling specifics here that's going to be a huge problem going forward. The ending left me dissapointed and a bit confused as all the build up around Master chief and whether he is in fact "broken" (emotionally/socially) and if so whether that's why he's so effective is left un-resolved. the plot is paper thin your enemies also lack any real motivation but that's par for the course for the series let alone the genre...so to wrap up why have I given this a higher score then it sounds like it deserves? Because it's better then it's predecessors in every way, but it's still the same old AAA fps. And I'm feeling sympathetic reading people complaining about the games ease while admitting to playing on normal or easy and all the jaded crap about paid reviewers. It's worth the box price for what it is, but also for what it might become there's a chance for a real story in an awesome world here, admittedly not with master chief after the events of the game...… Expand
  41. Tommy758
    Nov 6, 2012
    7
    Halo 4 is a pretty big disappointment. It is not a bad game by any means. The production values are high, the graphics are fantastic and the score is amazing. Where Halo 4 falls short on is gameplay that's too familiar and multiplayer that's too different. The campaign while it has an interesting story, the gameplay is far too keen to older Halo's. While some might think that's not aHalo 4 is a pretty big disappointment. It is not a bad game by any means. The production values are high, the graphics are fantastic and the score is amazing. Where Halo 4 falls short on is gameplay that's too familiar and multiplayer that's too different. The campaign while it has an interesting story, the gameplay is far too keen to older Halo's. While some might think that's not a bad thing because this is a Halo game. That is true, but you would think 343 would've taken more risks. The multiplayer fairs worse. While I admit it is fully playable and it's quite the bit of fun. It takes way too many queues from a certain other FPS franchise. Create a class, perks and kill streaks. While they have their own Halo style to them, it's just something 343 didn't need to implement just to appeal to the mass. Spartan Ops is 343's Firefight. Which is something I wished they'd put in instead because it would've kept me playing even longer. Halo 4 is a good FPS and is worth a purchase. However, they're is just disappointment after disappointment. I think my favourite FPS franchise is finally ending.… Expand
  42. L0rdStyx
    Feb 12, 2013
    10
    All the people who have given Halo 4 less than an extremely positive review need to stop talking right now. Go home, relax, because honestly, no one cares what you have to say. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in this case, I ask you, did you even play the fricking game? "Easy to beat on Legendary?" Yeah right. The campaign is set and paced perfectly, with systematic eventsAll the people who have given Halo 4 less than an extremely positive review need to stop talking right now. Go home, relax, because honestly, no one cares what you have to say. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in this case, I ask you, did you even play the fricking game? "Easy to beat on Legendary?" Yeah right. The campaign is set and paced perfectly, with systematic events popping up at times you'd least expect. It gets a little frustrating on Legendary, so I'd highly recommend starting on Normal for all newbies to see everything Halo 4 has to offer. Halo 4 is officially the first time a game's sound has ever made me step back and say "Whoa." Every bullet fired sounds like it means something, and exemplary tracks provide the perfect backdrop to one of the most anticipated games of all time. Visually, Halo 4 has no equal. You may need to get your eyes checked if you can't see very wrinkle, every scar, every pore on every single character's face. Occasionally, little details like crumbs on the chin or a very minor bloodstain has me reeling, but it looks the most realistic I have ever seen. For most, Halo 4's stunning campaign arc will be second only to 4's multiplayer. A host of new gametypes and beautiful maps provide the perfect atmosphere for the hectic Spartan IV battles you are about to jump in to. I would like to commend 4 because of the fact that blood is spilled increasingly sparingly. Voice chat, game chat and players can all be blocked, turned off, or booted, if you'd just like a (relatively) silent alone gaming time. In FPS game of the year, Halo 4 definitely outranks its rival Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 in every way, so if you happen to be looking for a perfect futuristic FPS, I can say to look no further. Halo 4 was a hell of a game, and easily jumps to my top 10 games of all time. Peace.… Expand
  43. AOLfloppydisk
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    Let me start by saying I had EXTREMELY high hopes going into this game. I was not dissapointed, in fact it was better than I thought it could be. My hopes were surpassed, I beat the campaign and played about 8 hours of online.

    CAMPAIGN: This is by far the most engaging campaign of the series, the story feels like an epic Sci-Fi story and really pulls you in. The graphics are stunning I    Let me start by saying I had EXTREMELY high hopes going into this game. I was not dissapointed, in fact it was better than I thought it could be. My hopes were surpassed, I beat the campaign and played about 8 hours of online.

    CAMPAIGN: This is by far the most engaging campaign of the series, the story feels like an epic Sci-Fi story and really pulls you in. The graphics are stunning I didn't know the tired old Xbox 360 could produce graphics like this. The weapons sound better than ever, the gameplay has been improved feels smoother than ever. There is a realistic sense of weight to the often floaty Master Chief. I don't feel at all that this is a Reach game, I liked Reach and ODST but they grew old on me simply because nothing compares to being Master Chief. I don't understand all the haters, I never felt like this was going in a CoD kind of direction. The Power-Ups are fun and the Mantis is fun, the gameplay seems mixed and well paced. Overall I feel that this is a good step for the franchise and keeps me wanting more. The other Halo games had the gameplay but the story never pulled me in like this one, it's nice seeing more of the MC and understanding the back story. Even the QTE's don't bother me and add a little variety to the game. MULTIPLAYER: I was a big player of Halo 3 online and played it constantly, this one is a big improvement and not a CoD clone in my opinion. They just added more flavor to it, theres now a fun variety of different modes to play which kept me interested for a while. I can't get over how nice the graphics look in an online competitive environment, it's a real nice touch. OVERALL: I feel Halo is in good hands and look forward to the next one on the next generation Xbox.    … Expand
  44. kieronham1
    Aug 5, 2013
    0
    Halo 4 is really bad game and dose not live up to Halo 123 because if you are like my then has be playing Halo games for last 10 years you will know that Halo 4 is really big fail and 343 could ever have wish that they could do a better job then Bungie am sorry but 343 failed at halo 4.
  45. im_jvinny
    Nov 9, 2012
    7
    I have been playing Halo since the original, but this is no longer Halo. The campaign is incredible, I will give it that. However, the multiplayer is somewhat disappointing. Instead of Halo staying true to its roots, it copies Call of Duty elements that completely ruin the game. It copies the killstreaks, custom classes, etc. Instead of creating a unique and original experience, it simplyI have been playing Halo since the original, but this is no longer Halo. The campaign is incredible, I will give it that. However, the multiplayer is somewhat disappointing. Instead of Halo staying true to its roots, it copies Call of Duty elements that completely ruin the game. It copies the killstreaks, custom classes, etc. Instead of creating a unique and original experience, it simply feels like a confusing mixture of gameplay ideas that does not belong with the series. Not only that, but also it is unbalanced with armor abilities such as Promethean vision(allows player to see through walls) that hinder the experience. However, the multiplayer isn't bad, but it may disappoint long Halo fans who enjoyed the balance of the game. So if you're looking for a great campaign and are willing to take a risk on the multiplayer, you should definitely buy the game.… Expand
  46. Kerwin
    Nov 11, 2012
    10
    This is the best halo game to date great story, graphics, charters, weapons, sound, and enemies I don't care what any body says. people who give this game a bad rate is a ps3 fanboy or a cod fanboy
  47. FizzlePanda
    Nov 11, 2012
    10
    Halo 4 is a masterpiece, even if it's quite a tear-jerker, by quite I mean a massively emotional sea of unending sadness and tears... Halo 4 brought the "magic" of Halo back to life. Good job 343!
  48. derekrosenberg
    Nov 11, 2012
    10
    The game is absolutely outstanding!!!! Visually maybe the best game in consoles. High quality sounds, it feels like you are in the real battlefield, excellent gameplay, jawdropping lightning effects, unbelievable music, awesome story. The campaign was amazing. The emotional connection between Chief and Cortana was a central highlight of the plot. The villain was something Halo needed, andThe game is absolutely outstanding!!!! Visually maybe the best game in consoles. High quality sounds, it feels like you are in the real battlefield, excellent gameplay, jawdropping lightning effects, unbelievable music, awesome story. The campaign was amazing. The emotional connection between Chief and Cortana was a central highlight of the plot. The villain was something Halo needed, and he is a worthy adversary for John. Everything from sound design, graphics, gameplay, map design, was amazing! There were so many details, and the lighting was fantastic, I was blown away! The multiplayer is addicting as everWhat else do you need?… Expand
  49. Adub34
    Nov 17, 2012
    3
    worst halo game ever the online is way to easy no competition they have made it to much like call of duty unlocking guns and emblems i dont ever remember that on halo i got halos 1-4 and Reach is my favorite one and im a big halo fan im just mot feeling halo 4 the campaign was great but just got to repeative Bungie should have stayed with microsoft studios and made a great game 343 isworst halo game ever the online is way to easy no competition they have made it to much like call of duty unlocking guns and emblems i dont ever remember that on halo i got halos 1-4 and Reach is my favorite one and im a big halo fan im just mot feeling halo 4 the campaign was great but just got to repeative Bungie should have stayed with microsoft studios and made a great game 343 is trash to me.… Expand
  50. Sparsh
    Nov 19, 2012
    10
    all the PS3 fans come here and put **** comments here that i am a halo fan but still this game is not good and blah blah grow up man please
    and if u do not like halo and u r not a fan of halo then please do not write in ur reiews that u are a halo fan because almost all halo love this game
  51. TheReal_UnreaL
    Feb 24, 2013
    0
    huylo 4 is fakin shet mazefaka vatafack? Sak mai bols fack! Kelzon 3 iz way beter than zis no kideng. grafiks in zis is soooooooo fakin ugly and huyagli camon gays geim saks
  52. emcoffey3
    Nov 14, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So how did 343i do with Bungie's baby? Here are my thoughts... GENERAL GAMEPLAY: - The core gameplay (95% of the game) is the Halo you know and love. - There is a cool "getaway" sequence similar to the end of Halo:CE and Halo 3, but in a Ghost. - There are a few quicktime sequences that are rather underwhelming. They should have either been more polished (and fun) or turned into cutscenes.
    - The flying sequences are a major letdown (more below). ENEMIES: - Grunts and Jackals remain unchanged. - Elites don't seem as tough as Reach, but they're basically the same. - Hunters seem the same, but there are very few of them. I complained about this in Reach, and it hasn't improved in Halo 4. - Sadly, there are no Brutes, Drones, or Skirmishers. Also no Flood, but I'm actually okay with that.
    - The new enemies (Prometheans) are fun to fight and offer some nice, new variety.
    - No Scarabs or boss battles.... boo. WEAPONS: - There are a LOT of guns. Most of the old classics are back, along with some great additions. - No dual-wielding, but most of those guns have been replaced, so you don't really miss it. - Grenades feel a bit underpowered, but not to the point of being useless. ARMOR ABILITIES: - Good mix of old and new. The much-hated Armor Lock is, of course, gone. - Running is no longer an Armor Ability and is always available, which makes sense. VEHICLES: - The Ghost, Warthog, and Scorpion all feel familiar and control smoothly. - The Banshee doesn't feel as polished as previous games, but it's passable. - MAJOR LETDOWN #1: You finally get to fly the Pelican, and she feels great, for all of 2 minutes. It goes: fly straight towards marker, take out Phantoms with extreme ease, enter building, repeat. 343i made flying the Pelican about as fun as my morning commute to work. Lamest flying sequence in a Halo game until... - MAJOR LETDOWN #2: Remember the mission in Reach that put you in a dogfight in space? Imagine the polar opposite of how awesome that was, and you have the Broadsword sequence in the final mission. The first part of this mess is basically an obstacle course where you die repeatedly until you figure it out and get the timing right. The second part involves flying around in a circle and shooting at stationary markers that you can't tell if you're doing any damage to. Eventually you figure out which angle to hit them from and this miserable sequence ends. This is officially my least favorite thing ever put in a Halo game. - The Mantis is a cool addition. The animation makes it seem rickety, but it ends up being pretty powerful. I knew they'd put a mech in Halo sooner or later... - No Falcon or Hornet... boo. VISUALS: - Amazing. This is the best Halo has ever looked. - MINOR GRIPE: The HUD is a bit difficult to read. It's a very light shade of blue, and can clash against some of the bright glowing environments (which there are a lot of). AUDIO
    - The music is very good, but doesn't surpass the classic O'Donnell score. It excels during the dark, emotional moments, but lacks the grand-sounding pieces that made for "big moments" in the original trilogy. - The sound effects are terrific. Guns sound amazing (even the Beam Rifle finally!). - The voice-acting is top-notch. STORY:
    - It goes in a new, interesting direction. - Dialogue is great. However, there are a few scenes between the Chief and Cortana that do feel a bit... uncomfortable. - I liked the ending, but it didn't really feel like the beginning of a new trilogy... CONCLUSION: Overall, Halo 4 is a great shooter. I liked it, but I'm not sure I loved it. It gets almost all of the big things right. The core gameplay is solid. Visuals, audio, and story are all top-notch. But the little things are what keep Halo 4 from perfection. Some suggestions for improvement next time: 1. The HUD should be crisp and easy to read. 2. Quicktime sequences should be polished, changed into cutscenes, or removed entirely. 3. Give me bigger stuff to kill. More Hunters, and maybe a Scarab or something similar. A boss battle or two wouldn't hurt. Also consider bringing back older enemy classes. 4. Bring back the Pelican, but give me a full-fledged mission! 5. If you're going to put me in space, give me a dogfight and leave out the obstacle courses.    … Expand
  53. frugal_frogger
    Nov 27, 2012
    9
    OK, to be honest I've never been a Halo fan. These titles are the most generic FPS you can play. However, for the MP value alone, they are worth it. Like COD, you can ALWAYS find a good MP scene online. You will ALWAYS find an arsenal of weapons and maps that will keep you addicted to your online gaming fix like nothing else. Outstanding online gameplay.
  54. yolandivisser
    Dec 11, 2012
    10
    I hate halo! but this one is a lot of fun for online play. I normally can't stand generic FPS shooters but let's be honest: where are you going to find the best online play? Halo pretty much...
  55. Flowone
    Dec 13, 2012
    5
    Halo 4, one of the biggest disappointments of this year. Don't let that box fool you, you're not buy a Halo game. You're buying a game that not only does it rid itself of all content and quality that made Halo what it is they adopt elements from every other generic FPS on the market. Neither do they even attempt to make sure these elements work in the preexisting game play. Horrible mapsHalo 4, one of the biggest disappointments of this year. Don't let that box fool you, you're not buy a Halo game. You're buying a game that not only does it rid itself of all content and quality that made Halo what it is they adopt elements from every other generic FPS on the market. Neither do they even attempt to make sure these elements work in the preexisting game play. Horrible maps from Certain Affinity, an asinine weapons sandbox that is littered with 1 hit kill weapons, no competitive ranking system to make sure a beginner doesn't fight against someone of same skill but someone who is light years ahead of them. Custom games setting basically got nurtured, almost 6 weeks after it's release and they still don't have file browsing up. It's a box of broken gameplay elements, false promises, poor execution. The only thing this game has been is one continuous promotion of Mountain Dew and Doritos.… Expand
  56. Necrotaur
    Dec 25, 2012
    7
    Single player wise, Halo 4 fails to deliver. I always appreciated the backstory for the Halo universe, and the concept of humanity being on the edge of extinction due to war with the technologically superior Covenant. Now, you're not only fighting Covenant for some reason but also Forerunner dudes (all 3 types) because of... a prophecy? I guess? I don't know. Apparently if I had readSingle player wise, Halo 4 fails to deliver. I always appreciated the backstory for the Halo universe, and the concept of humanity being on the edge of extinction due to war with the technologically superior Covenant. Now, you're not only fighting Covenant for some reason but also Forerunner dudes (all 3 types) because of... a prophecy? I guess? I don't know. Apparently if I had read Glasslands it would have made more sense, but I'm not going to buy a book just to get the backstory for an FPS. The campaign is at times pretty, until you set foot into a Forerunner level and your eyes are burned from their sockets by the overwhelming blue/orange contrast. Fortunately single player ends fairly quickly, but not before you see Cortana become Master Chief's crazy emo girlfriend. The multiplayer manages to make up for the single player, and ironically seems to be where 343 focused most of the story. You've got the standard Halo MP fare, with a few modes that have been more fleshed out. The biggest addition is Spartan Ops, which replaces Firefight from previous titles. It's pretty decent on it's own, and plays a bit like the standalone co-op missions found in other titles like BF3, though the loss of Firefight does kind of suck. Maybe it'll be re-introduced? We can always hope. Anyway Halo 4 is a solid game if you're looking for just MP stuff, but I'm a bit worried about the direction 343 is taking the storyline.… Expand
  57. 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
  58. j06
    Nov 17, 2012
    10
    This game does it all! real voice acting and actors check it's just fun the campaign is pretty long (9-10 hours max) and it has a great story plus multiplayer PLUS i have an excuse to drink moutain dew and eat doritos while playing a kick a== game heck YEAH!!
  59. Meridius
    Nov 19, 2012
    6
    Campaign: Good story and great graphics, but lacking in storytelling - no sense of emergency from the gameplay and quick-telling of the story, and the score wasn't up to the task. Essentially, a huge weakness was its quick-windedness. Multiplayer: Great weapon and ability diversity, but loadouts and ordinance drops make this game harshly unbalanced (and very difficult to balance from aCampaign: Good story and great graphics, but lacking in storytelling - no sense of emergency from the gameplay and quick-telling of the story, and the score wasn't up to the task. Essentially, a huge weakness was its quick-windedness. Multiplayer: Great weapon and ability diversity, but loadouts and ordinance drops make this game harshly unbalanced (and very difficult to balance from a developer's perspective). Character customization is awesome, as are the challenges and experience leveling up, but the small rotations of maps for each gametype via matchmaking make playing redundant quick. And the lack of individual gametype leveling makes for some unbalanced opponent and ally skills. Overall: I don't see the "343 making Halo their own" here. They took the basics of Halo, and threw in everything that people have liked in the CoD (and copycats) games. We've seen one of the more original shooters become one of the copycats. Now we're left with Team Fortress 2, Mass Effect, and Gears of War as the only viable unique 'shooter' experiences.… Expand
  60. Kevinuts
    Nov 7, 2012
    8
    The game has definitely taken a turn, but that doesn't mean that it's been driven into the ground. The improvements in sound and visuals are incredible and alone should be recognized for greatness. Everything is as fresh as can be. But, what I think bothers most people is the change in mechanics and more importantly, the change in developers. True, many elements have been taken from toThe game has definitely taken a turn, but that doesn't mean that it's been driven into the ground. The improvements in sound and visuals are incredible and alone should be recognized for greatness. Everything is as fresh as can be. But, what I think bothers most people is the change in mechanics and more importantly, the change in developers. True, many elements have been taken from to Call of Duty. However, the core of the game is still Halo and these guys aren't stupid. They know Halo. An incorporated sprint and perks won't destroy the game. It's just something new and different. I'll be honest and say that it'd be nice to see some Halo 2 type of gameplay, again. Guns, vehicles, melee and that's it. But Halo 4 is not Halo 2. And the easiest way to understand that it's not Halo 2 is to observe the cover of the game case. It reads Halo 4. These advancements in gameplay are meant to broaden the horizon of possibilities. The elements set forth into this title may seem clunky and unoriginal, but please do us all a favor; be optimistic.Don't be like many of the butt-hurt die-hard players who will go on to say that 343 killed the series and that their childhood has been utterly devastated. The game that we all love is still there, but the Halo Hipsters refuse to recognize it. It's a fun playthrough with a compelling story and a solid multiplayer. Buy it.… Expand
  61. MrTostados
    Nov 14, 2012
    6
    Within 12 hours of buying my copy of Halo 4, I was already rather bored and quite disappointed. The campaign begins with the Master Chief and Cortana aboard the surprisingly intact UNSC cruiser, Forward Unto Dawn. The player's first battles are against Covenant forces, and are rather simple. From there, you are teleported to a forerunner world infested with "Prometheans". The PrometheansWithin 12 hours of buying my copy of Halo 4, I was already rather bored and quite disappointed. The campaign begins with the Master Chief and Cortana aboard the surprisingly intact UNSC cruiser, Forward Unto Dawn. The player's first battles are against Covenant forces, and are rather simple. From there, you are teleported to a forerunner world infested with "Prometheans". The Prometheans glow orange and like to teleport. Otherwise, they're the covenant. The campaign is extremely repetitive and is simply the same two objectives one after another. It's either "Go hold X on this orange thingy" or "kill all the enemies in the vicinity. After a little while, the player learns that Cortana's AI is deteriorating. Despite the obvious scientific inaccuracy, the player is expected to believe this. Cortana's body looks far less clothed, and far more... Developed than it has in her other appearances in the series. On the other hand, her face looks more like that of a six year old. The health system included in the past two games has been completely dropped, as 343 opted for the tried and true system that utilizes only the shield, and doesn't display your health. After about two hours of the campaign, the gameplay becomes extremely tedious, even when playing co-op. Now, on to the multiplayer. The multiplayer system now includes "Spartan-Ops," 343's answer to Infinity Ward's "Spec-Ops" game mode. The first "chapter" of Spartan-Ops is easily completed within 30 minutes. The mode is simple and boring. It is simply the campaign, but with slightly more variation and constant updates. There is currently only one extemely boring "chapter" of Spartan-Ops available, and the mode doesn't really deserve a second look. Multiplayer follows the same general rule as all of the other games in the series, except for the addition of an official "Griffball" game mode (anyone smell money?) and progressive loadout unlocks. The loadout unlocks are somewhat interesting, but considering the amount of weapons that you can pick up, and the amount of game types that have preset loadouts, the progressive weapon/armor ability unlocks are almost a total waste of time. As for Forge Mode, Forge has been stripped of many of its key components and items. For instance, all of the new vehicles added to the series from Halo 3, Halo: ODST, and Halo: Reach have been removed, all except for the Mongoose and the Rocket Warthog. The only new vehicle is the "Mantis" a "James Cameron's Avatar"-style mech-suit. The Mantis has a machine gun and fires rockets. It's pretty much just a Hornet that's stuck to the ground and moves extremely slowly. It also has a completely useless "stomp" capability. A recap of all of the vehicles dropped: The Hornet, Falcon, Revenant, as well as a few other vehicles. There are many new weapons added to the game, including: The SAW, light rifle, binary rifle, scattershot, and boltshot, just to name a few. The new grenade introduced in the game, the "pulse grenade" is totally useless. I attempted to use the grenade multiple times to absolutely no avail. Forge mode is extremely lacking, and the vast majority of the available maps are bland and small. Last but not least, Firefight. Oh, wait... THERE IS NO FIREFIGHT. 343 decided to take one of the more recent games' biggest selling points and simply **** DROP THE WHOLE MODE. Firefight is gone altogether. It seems as though 343 hasn't learned from any of the previous Halo games' mistakes and successes, and simply attempted to make a Call of Duty game that somewhat follows the storyline of the Halo Series. This is just a repetitive on-rails shooter hiding behind the facade of the Halo storyline.… Expand
  62. AnEpicMan
    Nov 14, 2012
    10
    Let me start by saying ignore the user score, it is mostly from butthurt CoD/PS3 fanboys. Now, onto the game, when 343i took over the Halo franchise I expected more of the same but what I got was something much better, see unlike Bungie before them 343 actually developed the Master Chief and Cortana something that was missing from the original trilogy and delivered one hell of a story withLet me start by saying ignore the user score, it is mostly from butthurt CoD/PS3 fanboys. Now, onto the game, when 343i took over the Halo franchise I expected more of the same but what I got was something much better, see unlike Bungie before them 343 actually developed the Master Chief and Cortana something that was missing from the original trilogy and delivered one hell of a story with an awesome villain who kind of reminded me of Darth Vader unmasked. Now for the visuals, the character and gun models may not look as great as something like Crysis 2 but the backgrounds are truly unmatched by any game out there and will have you staring in wonderment with each new outdoor level. The sound is much improved from Reach making guns specifically from the UNSC sound more powerful and Forerunner/Covenant sound very unusual as alien weaponry should. Fortunately, Firefight was replaced for something more meaningful which is Spartan Ops that actually give more to the story and you even get a great CGI episode which each entry. Lastly, the multiplayer, there are a few unbalances specifically with the DMR but overall it's a fair game and the maps are fantastic unlike Reach where it looks like a Hobo got a hold of forge and sold maps to Bungie, now with Halo 4 the maps actually feel like time went into them, like something you would of expected from Halo 2 or 3. Overall best shooter I've played in a long time and I think you would love it.… Expand
  63. Thatuserguy
    Nov 24, 2012
    6
    It's decent; not particularly amazing, but not bad either. Campaign is an alright length, but the story isn't particularly amazing. It leaves more questions than it gives answers, and more often than not, it feels like they came up with cool moments and just tried to string them together with an average-at-best story. It's somewhat annoying as well, as even on normal difficulty, mostIt's decent; not particularly amazing, but not bad either. Campaign is an alright length, but the story isn't particularly amazing. It leaves more questions than it gives answers, and more often than not, it feels like they came up with cool moments and just tried to string them together with an average-at-best story. It's somewhat annoying as well, as even on normal difficulty, most enemies act like bullet sponges, often with promethean knights taking a whole clip of ammo or more to take down. Because of this, ammo runs out quickly, more often than not leaving you with weapons unsuited for the particular occasion you're thrown into. The music, while somewhat interesting to listen to, is much different than past halo games, and none of them left a lasting effect on me. I only liked one song from the entire soundtrack a significant amount, and I don't even know the name of it. The graphics were pretty good, but there were times in both gameplay and cutscenes that it seemed 343 just gave up trying to make it look all pretty. For example, take a look at chief's armor at the end of the first mission: it looks extremely low res despite him being the main focus of attention. And as for the final boss fight that we were all waiting for throughout the entire game that we all expected to happen with the evil of the didact throughout the whole game? A quicktime event. A quicktime event leading to a cutscene that ends the game. Talk about a freakin' tease. On the subject of teases, a halo ring is shown in the game, but we never go on it. It's like they put it there so they could justify the halo in the title and nothing more. Overall, the experience is kind of disappointing despite cool moments, and the story isn't too particularly involving or interesting. It's lacking the magic of previous halo campaigns.

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

    Overall, the UI is cluttered and annoying to navigate. The new weapon sounds, while some have enjoyed them, don't seem to fit the experience too well. Everything just sounds...off. For example, the rocket launcher no longer has some meaty launching sound, but instead sounds like a unintimidating "woosh" noise when being launched, and the DMR sounds much more deadly than it is. Most of the armor in general also looks rather silly, and no longer is easily identifiable, as lots of the armor looks similar to one another.    … Expand
  64. Lord_Zorin
    Nov 20, 2012
    5
    I've spent hours, days, months, and much time of the last 8-9 years in the Halo universe. Halo 4, in my own eyes, had something special for the player, something that would amaze, and something that would tear apart our old beliefs, and fill it with something new. Like a new muscle, I expected the mass of the community, along with me, to feel some pain before it was built and accepted byI've spent hours, days, months, and much time of the last 8-9 years in the Halo universe. Halo 4, in my own eyes, had something special for the player, something that would amaze, and something that would tear apart our old beliefs, and fill it with something new. Like a new muscle, I expected the mass of the community, along with me, to feel some pain before it was built and accepted by us. "I Love Halo!" and that will not change, but I felt, that something was missing, that the Campaign was left with something missing, it felt short to me. But yet in another way, it felt long, but that was only because there were less missions, but each were dragged out longer.

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

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

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

    I didn't hype myself up like others, and I was left wanting more, desiring more, from everything.    … Expand
  65. Unreal_300
    Feb 24, 2013
    4
    Halo 4 soap hallway Kinto. In terms of multiplayer game plays very KIllzone 3, and then there is the second best part. Graphically, the game finally reached for Resistance: Fall of Man (even brought 720p) and thus the potential of Xbox 360 over. Gameplay Haltsa-Myltsa sucks the most innovative generation shooter Killzone 2.
    So the drain on all fronts.
    Billiboi comrades, I advise you to    Halo 4 soap hallway Kinto. In terms of multiplayer game plays very KIllzone 3, and then there is the second best part. Graphically, the game finally reached for Resistance: Fall of Man (even brought 720p) and thus the potential of Xbox 360 over. Gameplay Haltsa-Myltsa sucks the most innovative generation shooter Killzone 2.
    So the drain on all fronts.
    Billiboi comrades, I advise you to buy a PS3 and play it in best games.    … Expand
  66. Undernage
    Mar 17, 2013
    8
    THE GAME IS GREAT AND ALL! The multiplayer is splendid! Campaign is the best! But too bad bungie was busy on other projects. So i will give this game a 8/10!
  67. SuperFloorMat
    Apr 28, 2013
    8
    I expected a lot more. You can't just shine a person that was so hyped with new guns and fancy armor and expect them to smile. The story of Halo 4 was a disappointment with the ending experience, I would of just skipped the campaign and wen't straight to multiplayer where the real fun begins. For a person who has played the other Halos, Halo 4s multiplayer doesn't feel like Halo anymore.I expected a lot more. You can't just shine a person that was so hyped with new guns and fancy armor and expect them to smile. The story of Halo 4 was a disappointment with the ending experience, I would of just skipped the campaign and wen't straight to multiplayer where the real fun begins. For a person who has played the other Halos, Halo 4s multiplayer doesn't feel like Halo anymore. It's not based on skill often, It's based on who gets the bigger weapon the fastest and kills the most people with it. Though some times multiplayer could be a blast in war games with exciting explosions and rapid fire fights, Mostly if you die, It's your fault. Spartan Ops feels like a filler and the moment I tried it it didn't receive to be much fun, I deleted it afterwards because you have to download it when it should be in the CD. I'm not sure about this one, i'm better off playing Halo 3 because FORGE was 10 times better. I can barely get any fun custom games with Halo 4 because the ability to make maps in FORGE can be more stressful than playing Dark Souls. Even though the chief is back. Is Halo Back?… Expand
  68. BentheSmith
    Jun 21, 2013
    9
    I can tell that most people who gave it a low score either haven't played or are PS3 fanboys. Halo 4 is a great game, probably my second favorite Halo. The story is really good this time around, as it is ending. Combat: Brilliant. Challenge: Sorta. Story: Amazing. Visuals: The best looking exclusive yet for any console yet. Multiplayer: Refined and polished down to every pixel. 9/10 forI can tell that most people who gave it a low score either haven't played or are PS3 fanboys. Halo 4 is a great game, probably my second favorite Halo. The story is really good this time around, as it is ending. Combat: Brilliant. Challenge: Sorta. Story: Amazing. Visuals: The best looking exclusive yet for any console yet. Multiplayer: Refined and polished down to every pixel. 9/10 for the challenge factor.… Expand
  69. GameInterpreter
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    Halo 4 is living proof that the Halo series made so famous by Bungie is in good hands with 343. 343 also went on to prove that it's possible to change a game series for the better as opposed to Call of Duty and the Ezio story of Assassin's Creed.

    10 out of 10
  70. Jappe
    Jul 9, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love the multiplayer, but i want more game modes to the multiplayer and custom game. The campaign is okay but it would be better if it were 1 more difficulty, like super-legendary so it could be harder to play the campaign, but all the other halos only have those other like halo 4 too. The maps is awesome, and the weapons are awesome... It's a nine from me! Awesome Game … Expand
  71. ManiacGamer
    Jul 9, 2013
    3
    I played halo since halo 2 and so yes, i was greatly looking forward to a new halo game. Campaign had fun gameplay but boring and almost cheesy/corny storytelling. Like some 7 year old was making it up. The graphics were amazing. The multiplayer didnt come close to previous halo's skill and past time. It was like they added perks and ordnance drops to make it noob friendly for cod players.I played halo since halo 2 and so yes, i was greatly looking forward to a new halo game. Campaign had fun gameplay but boring and almost cheesy/corny storytelling. Like some 7 year old was making it up. The graphics were amazing. The multiplayer didnt come close to previous halo's skill and past time. It was like they added perks and ordnance drops to make it noob friendly for cod players. Forge had no maps worthy of playing on. Overall, this game did not at any way shape or form, live up to its predecessors. This was not halo, but a cheap mix of cod and halo. I am sure hardcore halo fans like myself will agree to my thoughts.… Expand
  72. neleman
    Sep 11, 2013
    7
    The campaign was pretty disappointing, but the multiplayer somewhat makes up for it, although it is the worst of the series. But the problem with the entire game is that they messed with the existing formula too much. Basically, the game feels more like a clone than something distinct.
  73. DatReviewGuy
    May 8, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Halo 4 was a beautiful game. But I was really hanged to dry seeing that the boss battle is a quick time event montage but multiplayer is fun so then thumbs up 343 you do have big shoes to fill in so i didn't really think it would do that good also damn firefight mode!… Expand
  74. Thewarrior43
    May 9, 2014
    9
    A really good game but lacked one thing the story chief and finished the fight and why was the covenant attacking us again i knew they were a cult but what started it? that is what we should need 2 know also mulitplayer is really awesome and spartan ops its just like the halo reach campaign (what i mean is you can use your spartan in a campaign) that is what i liked the most so anyway itA really good game but lacked one thing the story chief and finished the fight and why was the covenant attacking us again i knew they were a cult but what started it? that is what we should need 2 know also mulitplayer is really awesome and spartan ops its just like the halo reach campaign (what i mean is you can use your spartan in a campaign) that is what i liked the most so anyway it is a really fun no not fun AMAZING GAME YOU COULD SPEND 60$ ON! and I've read all the reviews its trying to be like COD but don't let that fool you cause its not. so what are you waiting for if your a big fan of halo and you got 60$ go get it!… Expand
  75. RShackleford
    Nov 12, 2015
    5
    If you thought Halo: Reach was a bad game with bad maps, bad vehicles, horrible guns, unbalanced, and doesn't even feel like a halo game, then not to worry, Halo 4 is even worse!

    Yet another designed by committee uncompetitive FPS with seemingly endless unlockable dressup doll parts to deck out your Spartan with to keep the MMO types hooked for a year... Halo is a failed series    If you thought Halo: Reach was a bad game with bad maps, bad vehicles, horrible guns, unbalanced, and doesn't even feel like a halo game, then not to worry, Halo 4 is even worse!

    Yet another designed by committee uncompetitive FPS with seemingly endless unlockable dressup doll parts to deck out your Spartan with to keep the MMO types hooked for a year...

    Halo is a failed series because the developers abandoned everything about the series that made it unique, instead choosing to copy the inferior series Call of Duty, which is exactly why they're unable to compete with the real deal.

    343 Retconned the entire single player story, it is laughably convoluted and silly to the point of being campy.

    If you wanted a game that was a parody of Halo 1-3, here it is!    … Expand
  76. Jacob9999
    Jun 25, 2020
    3
    halo no longer has a story. It became repetitive and really boring to play. Unfortunately, it is a brand that is slowly dying. old fans will always be interested in the title but in the last chapters only disappointments.
  77. Chromium
    Nov 7, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Halo 4 is a sad, sorry sequel to a good series. From start to finish, the game underperforms dramatically; the level design is insipid and repetitive, the enemy design ridiculous, the gamefeel vague or even absent. Major plot points and characters pass by without comment from the Chief or Cortana, critical events go unnoticed, there is no air of mystery or wonder. Halo has always been about being pitted against incredible odds in a high-stakes gamble for the fate of the galaxy; this time it feels like a hissy fight between Cortana and a monkey in a ball.

    Overall, the game is forgettable and bland, lacking any flair or polish. I regret paying $60 for this game; hell, I'd regret paying $30.    … Expand
  78. Avalon
    Nov 7, 2012
    6
    I got my hands on the game and to start with everything impressed me, the controls felt really tight and the gameplay was fun and the element that I was up against the unknown really got my heart going, it was intense, then about half an hour into the game I noticed things not really building up to the same levels as the start, it all felt a bit bland and boring but not to say it's not funI got my hands on the game and to start with everything impressed me, the controls felt really tight and the gameplay was fun and the element that I was up against the unknown really got my heart going, it was intense, then about half an hour into the game I noticed things not really building up to the same levels as the start, it all felt a bit bland and boring but not to say it's not fun because it is. I think the hype got the better of me and I expected a 10/10 game and got a 6/10 game which is still considered "good" but not exactly great.

    The graphics well... look at them, it's stunning and very vibrant. I knew they had put in lots of effort into the graphics because the animations were smooth apart from a few bits and pieces where the screen tears but other than that the visuals and graphics are top notch.

    The game play well that's the thing that let me down the most, I do like the tight controls but the story and just how the story is handled is not that good. I really felt a bit let down after the first hour of playing. Hope it gets better but initial impressions are not good.

    Multiplayer, not played it yet but fully intend on getting the most out of it, watched a friend playing it and it looks fun but won't judge it before I play it.    … Expand
  79. cobra872
    Nov 9, 2012
    0
    I never thought I'd review this game here. But man I am so angry with it... I had to.

    Is it a bad game in general? Not exactly. But what makes me angry about this game is the fact that they implemented so many things from Call of Duty. It's unreal. Instant respawn times, the COD kill cam, everyone has sprint (makes the game seriously fast along with the respawn time), ordinance drops    I never thought I'd review this game here. But man I am so angry with it... I had to.

    Is it a bad game in general? Not exactly. But what makes me angry about this game is the fact that they implemented so many things from Call of Duty. It's unreal. Instant respawn times, the COD kill cam, everyone has sprint (makes the game seriously fast along with the respawn time), ordinance drops (like the care package from COD, in Infinity Slayer), the scoring system and even perks! It's crazy. They did absolutely nothing innovative, and rather added features from a successful game just because they were scared that COD would be at the top on xbox live over Halo. What made Halo was that it was different from Call of Duty. It was balanced and it was competitive. Now it is not balanced. You will have to play a bit before you get all your loadouts stacked. The loadouts include your weapon setup, amor abilities and perks (tactical packages and support upgrades). I was talking about multiplayer of course. I haven't finished the single player, but from what I heard it is only a few hours. I can see that, because the missions I had to do were short. But why in the world could it be that short? It's been years since a Master Chief campaign, and they give you something that isn't lasting? This is the Master Chief! He is the face of the Xbox. There is absolutely no reason for it to be short.

    The only positives are the sound and the artistic design. Coming from someone who studied sound design, the sound is really amazing (excluding music, it's nothing spectacular compared to the Halos of the past). Just fantastic. Also the artistic design is beautiful. There's great scenery and there are some pretty gorgeous cinematics.

    Other than that, I am extremely disappointed. 343 Industries says they didn't copy Call of Duty. They absolutely did. I would think Bungie would be pretty sad at the outcome of this game. Their whole objective was to not copy things like Call of Duty. They were innovators, not copiers. I am going to give this a 0. I am not a professional reviewer and the scores shouldn't mean much to anyone anyways. But that's honestly how I felt with the game. I'm getting rid of it.    … Expand
  80. Demikly
    Nov 6, 2012
    10
    Epic new story arc started... and wow to Cortana & MC's banter in this Halo.. the best yet.

    Campaign was awesome, and haven't played much multiplayer yet, but from what I can tell, it's pretty bleeding good. My only complaint would be the matchmaking (no 'Best Connection' filter) but I like how there's more emphasis on skill matching anyway, all good!
  81. oboehobo
    Nov 11, 2012
    10
    This is the best game I've ever played on the XBox 360. It has an incredible story that all Halo veterans should experience from start to finish. It's dark, emotional, and beautiful. A true masterpiece in gaming. On top of this, Halo 4 is as complete a package as you can buy. Whether you are fighting through the forerunner planet in the campaign, working with friends through the co-opThis is the best game I've ever played on the XBox 360. It has an incredible story that all Halo veterans should experience from start to finish. It's dark, emotional, and beautiful. A true masterpiece in gaming. On top of this, Halo 4 is as complete a package as you can buy. Whether you are fighting through the forerunner planet in the campaign, working with friends through the co-op missions in Spartan Ops, or proving your worth in War Games (the halo Multiplayer suite), there is always something for you to do. Not to mention this easily has some of the best visuals I've seen on a console game. From incredible lighting to a completely re-vamped sound design, this game doesn't know the word "ugly". Go buy this game. If you don't have an Xbox, save up, and then buy it and this game. Now! That's an order soldier!… Expand
  82. jbelote
    Jan 25, 2013
    0
    Same game, slightly better graphics. The multi-player is almost not even worth playing anymore. Please just stop, it's about as bad as a new COD every year.
  83. scorched595
    Jan 7, 2013
    0
    Just terrible. There is nothing wrong with adopting elements from other games, especially competitors, but this game is just a reskinned call of duty clone. Dont see how? Let me explain. First of all, the munitions drops are very similar to care packages, or things along that line, but again, it's not just this, it's because of this and alot of things. Secondly, the spartan points, OH GOD,Just terrible. There is nothing wrong with adopting elements from other games, especially competitors, but this game is just a reskinned call of duty clone. Dont see how? Let me explain. First of all, the munitions drops are very similar to care packages, or things along that line, but again, it's not just this, it's because of this and alot of things. Secondly, the spartan points, OH GOD, the spartan points. Spartan points are just the renamed credit system from halo reach. The problem with the credit system was that it killed custom games, the funnest part of the halo series. You may be asking "How did it kill custom games?", well, it's because it put a huge focus on grinding out your character in match making, leaving people who just wanted to have fun in the dust, like me. Heck, I don't ever see a single one of my friends play Halo 4 for this reason, because no one plays anything besides matchmaking, and matchmaking gets boring because it's the same ol stuff over and over. Not to mention you not only unlock armor, you also have to unlock your weapons, armor perks, and weapon drops, meaning that alot of people will absolutely spank you because you haven't unlocked the weapon your good with yet or because the guy owning you grinded out so much and has a rocket launcher from one of his sure to be many munitions drops. The single player has alot of problems, mainly that it's outright boring. The problem is that it's mainly nothing but jungles and forerunner structures, atleast the other halo games, mainly 2 and 3, had some variety, and while you may say "Your complaining about there being nothing but jungle and forerunner structures on a forerunner planet" Yeah, true, but we didn't know ANYTHING about this planet until the first trailer, so they could've done much better than this. Not to mention the story itself is convoluted and boring. The characters are boring as all hell, to the point that you can tell who's gonna eat a bullet and who isn't, and you can see the ending a mile away. The series as far as I'm concerned ended with Halo 3, where custom games were very common, and almost always fun, the singleplayer stories may have been a little lacking, but there was plenty of variety in the environment, and you didn't have to grind out for armor after you hit your second officer rank, lieutenant, after that, it was just to show off. Halo 3 will always be a masterpiece, as will every halo game before it, but stay away from every halo game after halo 3, because they suck.… Expand
  84. FPSSucks
    Dec 17, 2013
    0
    THIS IS OVERRATED. 6.9? This deserves at highest a 2.
    Campaign=Underwhelming, boring, terrible
    Muti-Player= Broken, crap, under developed and lazy
    Forge=Striped of features, maps to small
    And to sum Spartan-ops? Well ,Firefight is 100 times better.
  85. chemicalreaper
    Nov 7, 2012
    5
    343 Industries have shown us that they're quite capable of making a game that plays like Call of Duty. Now if only they could show us that they were capable of making a Halo game that plays like *Halo*.
  86. T3ddyR0seKidd
    Nov 8, 2012
    4
    The game we all anticipated and had mixed feelings for excitement is finally here. Is amazing, terrible, or just ok. Well lets look at every aspect of this game before we answer that.(ps, dont own the game, pre orderd it for my fiance and played through the campaign with her and then did hours of online) Campaign, This games campaign was unsatisfyingly short. And most of the levels, areThe game we all anticipated and had mixed feelings for excitement is finally here. Is amazing, terrible, or just ok. Well lets look at every aspect of this game before we answer that.(ps, dont own the game, pre orderd it for my fiance and played through the campaign with her and then did hours of online) Campaign, This games campaign was unsatisfyingly short. And most of the levels, are composed of doing the same thing. Hit a switch, kill waves of enemies, progress. The story was dull and had no depth and left lots of plot holes. All in all, this game is not a game that u will jump into and play for the campaign.

    Graphics- the graphics in this game were awesome, it kinda had a metroid prime look to it, i really loved the graphics for this game, it was outstanding and very nice to look it.

    Forge, I was annoyed but liked the forge in halo 3, loved the forge in reach, but what about the forge in halo 4. Its nearly the same as reaches, yet they add a bunch of cool new features, my favs being the lock the object so u cant move it or delete it on accident(happened so many times in 3 and reach) But everytime u switch from creator ball to a character, this irritating loading bar shows up and makes u wait, besides that, forge is good.

    Guns-Im probably gonna get flamed for this, but alot of the guns in this game were cool but way unbalanced. Some guns r just way too much, for instance, the alien shotgun, that thing kills in one hit from so much distance. Alot of the weapons ripped off the conduit. It just felt like they were tryin to make some type arsenal of epic weapons but they just couldnt find the balance.

    Multiplayer(offline) This game basically just said if u dont have online, screw u. Because sad to say, this games main focus was online. With this game, i had no fun with offline multiplayer, it lacked in every thing, i hate that about every halo game that there is no ai in multiplayer offline. Oh well a man can only dream.

    Multiplayer(online) Online in this game was fun. It takes reaches loadout style and makes it customizable, giving u your own choice of a load out. They also added perks and a reward system where if u rank up enough kills, you get to call in a drop that gives u a powerfull weapon or an ability. It was nice to see them expirement with these new ideas. It all felt kinda cool. But it wasnt halo. Its as if they just took the halo name and some of the style and posted it on a call of duty. Players die so fast due to a small health bar. Alot of the kills in this game now are based off of who has the stronger weapon or who sees who first. It doesnt really take skill to kill in this game. And instead of matches being based off of kills, its based off of the call of duty style score. It feels like halo is losing its identity. But it didnt make the game bad, but it didnt make it amazing either. Thats where bungie out did 343 was originality. Bungie did everything in their own innovative way and did it amazingly(especially with reach). 343 just looks at the popular titles and makes it like that so that people play it.

    In the end, i did have fun with this game, but all in all, it dissapointed me. 343 did do well on some aspects but missed 100 percent on the core halo. Plus the main games focus is all based on the online and not really on campaign or offline multiplayer.    … Expand
  87. VonSeux
    Dec 28, 2012
    3
    Not for a single moment I had any idea what my objectives meant or where I was. The story makes no sense at all, or at least the presentation is very broken. The game is VERY repetitive and level designs can't hold a candle for games like Metroid Prime. Graphics are good but overrated, since the levels have nothing to see. Controls work fine but the jump mechanics are still ridiculous.
  88. Keengerm
    Nov 6, 2012
    2
    So disappointed. I've gotten used to higher quality, INNOVATIVE shooters. This might as well be Halo: run around; shoot; scavenge; do it again. Zero innovation. The AI is appaling. I can't count the number of times I've shot an enemy in the back without sneaking. Yes, the production values are high: great visuals and audio (possibly bar-setting). But, it fails on every other level.
  89. Stuu
    Nov 25, 2012
    4
    343 industries clearly wanted to distance themselves from Bungie by redesigning how the Halo universe looks and how it sounds. Unfortunately for 343 compared to Reach the game feels far less impressive with less appealing aesthetics and the completely redesigned sounds seemed to miss the mark too.

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

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

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

    Overall a massive missed opportunity with the poorly written and heavily retconned plot where Microsoft might have been better off just creating a completely new universe from scratch rather than attaching onto the existing halo one.    … Expand
  90. GaaraDDragon
    Nov 6, 2012
    2
    The only real exciting quality of the game is that graphics evolved from Reach but they still don't surpass GoW 3's technical excellence. Other than that it's a typical by the numbers Halo game, conservative, all too familiar, boring, repetitive. 343 have managed to go from being synonymous with gaming evolution to a safe mainstream approach. Everything from the cinematics to the levelThe only real exciting quality of the game is that graphics evolved from Reach but they still don't surpass GoW 3's technical excellence. Other than that it's a typical by the numbers Halo game, conservative, all too familiar, boring, repetitive. 343 have managed to go from being synonymous with gaming evolution to a safe mainstream approach. Everything from the cinematics to the level design is highly polished, overly hyped mediocrity. Halo has taken the COD path.… Expand
  91. Ghoster
    Dec 28, 2012
    0
    What a waste of time and money! This game is nothing else than walking from room to room and killing something. Everything except good gfx for a console is just terrible!
  92. killiana1a
    Dec 24, 2012
    4
    Single player consists of a great story interspersed with more hallway levels than you would ever expect to or want to see in a Halo game. A new developer created this game and it shows with the way Cortana is treated. Needless to say, the most memorable part of Halo 4 was Cortana and her story. The new developer through their treatment of Cortana essentially told players that Halo isSingle player consists of a great story interspersed with more hallway levels than you would ever expect to or want to see in a Halo game. A new developer created this game and it shows with the way Cortana is treated. Needless to say, the most memorable part of Halo 4 was Cortana and her story. The new developer through their treatment of Cortana essentially told players that Halo is going in a different direction.

    More importantly, the single player gameplay went from Halo where the road splits at 4 forks whilst you are driving a warthog to Halo 4 where it is one big Gears of War duck and cover level interconnected to each other with hallway battles. If that ain't bad enough, the multiplayer from the moment you buy and turn on the game is discouraging from the get go. Halo 4 has a "season pass" ala Call of Duty. What the publisher says is a discount on DLC is in reality, a Halo club card where if you don't buy into it, then you are potentially left out of matches because you don't want to pay $10 for 3 recycled multiplayer maps. Overall, Halo is the space FPS while Call of Duty is the terrestrial FPS. Both have terrible single player campaigns, while the multiplayer is becoming more and more exclusive with each new iteration in the series.    … Expand
  93. p360assassin
    Feb 27, 2013
    4
    Master chief has returned and now the game has switched devs. The game is an astounding drop in quality from its predecessors and 343 should be ashamed. Story: The campaign is much shorter then its predeccesors (aside from ODST, which had the bonus of being quality over quanitity) and puts Master Chief against a new enemy. But because they couldn't be creative, the elites and co. are backMaster chief has returned and now the game has switched devs. The game is an astounding drop in quality from its predecessors and 343 should be ashamed. Story: The campaign is much shorter then its predeccesors (aside from ODST, which had the bonus of being quality over quanitity) and puts Master Chief against a new enemy. But because they couldn't be creative, the elites and co. are back with a barely explained sentence explaining why the previously turned allies are trying to kill him again. The writing has dropped off and feels like a mediocre fan fiction. It ends with a HIGHELY predictable scene that exactly 0 people were shocked by who don't have mental difficulties and was about as sad as Dom dying in Gears of War 3 (as in everyone who enjoyed the terrible sequel found it crushingly sad, but everyone who likes quality gaming found predictable and not sad at all). Story gets a 3/10 Gameplay: Sprinting has now been introduced, making the game feel less unique compared to other shooters and adding something that was never introduced (except as a armour ability in reach, but it prevented you getting another ability just so you could sprint, so it was balanced) for a reason. Elites now no longer have the absurd shields they had in Halo Reach, which I find a positive thing, as it just was not fun to spend 2 assault rifle clips on 1 enemy just to take down shields in Normal difficulty (not even an exaggeration). The multiplayer has added in killstreaks, which negativly impact the game, but not massively since they are not as OP as in CoD and are can get you killed while you drop it as it likes to ignore where you target and place it more into the open (which I assume is intended, to make it more risky, which is ALWAYS a good thing). The loadout system I was going to insult, but a recent update fixed my one gripe with the adition which allowed guests to use host players unlocked weapons to make temp loadouts (which obviously disapear once they log off). Weapons are unlocked extremely easily due ot the much faster leveling system of the multiplayer, and all the decent weapons you literally will get within 90 minutes of gameplay. Item unlock points are also quickly gained. The armour abilities are all much much worse then the perfectly balanced ones in Halo Reach. All of them are either OP or useless, especially the CLEAR Blacklight Retribution rip off Prothean Vision. Perks seem kind of OP, but as send before, you get the good ones within like 20 minutes of gameplay, so not a huge loss. Gameplay gets a 6/10. Graphics: Graphics ARE an improvement over previous games, which you would assume would be a good thing, but alas, it means heavily frame rate drops if you want to play co-op (even on just two players) and clearly shows the aging consoles wrinkles. They should of returned Halo to the PC but sadly Microsoft are the same they always have been. Graphics even then don't look that good and honestly should not lag the console as badly as they do. There is plenty of games with superior graphics on console that don't lag and this seems to be a pathetic failure in the optimization department. I would rather a steady framerate then better graphics. The art design has also been changed at some points, but nothing to radical (except grunts and jackels now look way stupider, but they were already pretty stupid). So art design isn't worse or better. 4/10 on graphics. Sound: COLLOSAL drop in quality compared to preceeding games. Name ONE halo game with a worse soundtrack then Halo 4, you simply can't do it. The guns now sound different and more realistic, but Halo had a feel to it which was part of the old gun sounds, they gave the game less realism, but had their own charm which is now completely gone in exchange for mediocre realistic sounds. 3/10 for sound. Overall, I give the game a 4/10. Seeing as I love the Halo series, I love the lore and storyline of all the predecesing games and have read multiple of the books, this game is a huge disapointment. It feels to me what others felt ODST was (which I honestly found to be a fantastic adition to the game, although it still should of had a multiplayer mode aside from firefight). A sad drop in quality and completely turns me off Halo 5 and 6.

    Oh and on a side note, multiplayer is way to noob friendly. You may be thinking "Oh, he is a just noob who thinks he is good and is he is dying too much" its actually the opposite. I am AWFUL at shooters, especially on console. If I am able to get the amount of kills I do, mainly due to the badly concieved loadout system, the skill cap has lowered massively. I simply should not be doing this well, that is not stroking my ego. This is mainly due to giving sticky grenades in loadouts, which means I can just spam them at warthogs with no danger.    … Expand
  94. Speed4Runs
    Dec 24, 2012
    1
    Always the same game. There are only 2 weapons, slow gameplay, same graphics level, boring game and overall bad done. Not recommended.
  95. BadGuyJack
    Jan 1, 2013
    2
    Story-wise, Campaign was acceptable, but gameplay flopped. It felt more like work than fun, and it was incredibly repetitive with no real "WOW!" moments like the previous Halo games.

    Multiplayer has changed. Old Halo fans such as myself would find it to play like Call of Duty. Custom classes? Perks? Kill streaks? Not the classic multiplayer that made Halo a big game in the first place.    Story-wise, Campaign was acceptable, but gameplay flopped. It felt more like work than fun, and it was incredibly repetitive with no real "WOW!" moments like the previous Halo games.

    Multiplayer has changed. Old Halo fans such as myself would find it to play like Call of Duty. Custom classes? Perks? Kill streaks? Not the classic multiplayer that made Halo a big game in the first place. 343i said that they would include a classic playlist. There is no such playlist. They said the classes would be balanced. They lied. Spartan Ops is terrible. All of the maps are multiplayer rip offs. Bad animations, pointless story, and just plain boring.

    If you liked Halo for Custom Games and Forge, you will hate Halo 4. 343i took out many custom games options. You can barely edit the Flood gametype. You can't even change the Flood's weapons. This prevents probably 60% of the custom games that were made in Reach and Halo 3 from being made in Halo 4. If you want more info on the Halo 4 custom games situation, Check the following link: https://forums.halowaypoint.com//yaf_postst127421_This-is-completely-unacceptable--343.aspx

    In closing, Halo 4 is a joke. 343i did not listen to the community. They gave their fans no room for input. Instead, they had their mind set on money, and made a Call of Duty clone. 343i does not deserve the Halo franchise. They do not deserve to make more Halo games.    … Expand
  96. TheOnlineGamer
    May 27, 2013
    10
    I was fully satisfied when I finally played this Game. I'm not gonna lie, I was completely 'Halo-ed' out after Halo 3 and Reach and I was just losing interest in Halo, with plans to get a PS4!

    Halo 4 is the game that not only regained my faith in the series, but also made choose to buy an XBOX One instead of a PS4. That's an accomplishment that 343 Industries should pat themselves on    I was fully satisfied when I finally played this Game. I'm not gonna lie, I was completely 'Halo-ed' out after Halo 3 and Reach and I was just losing interest in Halo, with plans to get a PS4!

    Halo 4 is the game that not only regained my faith in the series, but also made choose to buy an XBOX One instead of a PS4. That's an accomplishment that 343 Industries should pat themselves on the back for. Looking forward to Halo 5!    … Expand
  97. TheChaser1985
    May 5, 2014
    9
    I love this game! This is by far the best Halo in the series!!! Multiplayer is well balanced and plays incredibly. I love the Halo story and this was a great part of it. The graphics were AMAZING for the 360!!!! and Spartan Ops is pretty cool too!
  98. Gups
    Nov 8, 2012
    10
    The game is incredible in every way, has an impeccable soundtrack, spectacular graphics and an extremely addictive multiplayer.

    Halo 4 can overcome even the supreme REACH HALF LIFE 2, for fans of HALO, is a must for game lovers of FPS, and still gets the crown along with the classics QUAKE, HALF LIFE 2 and DOOM.
  99. mjthadw
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    HALO 4 has a great emotionally charged new campaign with one of the most popular heroes in gaming. I couldn't play the multiplayer mode because of the lack of hard drive space but the campaign is very solid, challenging, and never frustrating unlike black ops 2. Halo 4 gets a 10 just for the campaign alone. I just wish I could have played multiplayer. Halo 4 is my third favorite game thisHALO 4 has a great emotionally charged new campaign with one of the most popular heroes in gaming. I couldn't play the multiplayer mode because of the lack of hard drive space but the campaign is very solid, challenging, and never frustrating unlike black ops 2. Halo 4 gets a 10 just for the campaign alone. I just wish I could have played multiplayer. Halo 4 is my third favorite game this year behind Mass Effect 3 and Borderlands 2.… Expand
  100. GeneralKumar
    Nov 11, 2012
    5
    The campaign is great and the story is finally back on track from that debacle that was "Reach". Spartan Ops is interesting and it's cool to see the story of the universe expand past campaign.......

    The reason why the score is so low is because the Multi-Player is "Turrible"... It is the worst bastardization of a solid franchise i have ever seen. The game copies so many other games that    The campaign is great and the story is finally back on track from that debacle that was "Reach". Spartan Ops is interesting and it's cool to see the story of the universe expand past campaign.......

    The reason why the score is so low is because the Multi-Player is "Turrible"... It is the worst bastardization of a solid franchise i have ever seen. The game copies so many other games that it no longer feels like Halo. The maps are poorly laid out with poor spacial referencing for callouts. The small number of maps is appalling. The whole multiplayer experience is inconsistent with all the random weapon spawns, ordinance drops, and all the random variables and "perks" that the games are loaded with. The entire game could be great if they would just make classic playlists.... Personally it feels like a Beta, with 4 maps to choose from in any playlist and weapons that are polished but need some work on balance. The game feels noobie and too much like COD....    … 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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