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- Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
- Release Date: Nov 6, 2012
User Score
Mixed or average reviews- based on 2868 Ratings
User score distribution:
Positive: 1,962 out of 2868
Mixed: 218 out of 2868
Negative: 688 out of 2868
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Nov 9, 2012This is a phenomenal game. I write this review on behalf of me, as an adult and others I know. the graphics are smooth and gorgeous, great art and landscapes. Clever AI, multiplayer dynamic is good, well rounded. supporting media is amazing and really enhances the whole experience. a must buy. don't play campaign on normal or a setting that is too easy - it detracts from the struggle of the story.
Nov 9, 2012If you enjoyed using the DMR in Reach you'll absolutely love the multiplayer gameplay in this. Also, I love the new magnum, and with custom loadouts you get to spawn with all your favourite weapons.
Nov 9, 2012This game is amazing. I dont get why most the reviews here are negative. But if you are a true halo fan you will love this game. The story line is short but good. The muiltiplayer is as fun as ever. And spartan ops is a good disrtraction.
Nov 9, 2012This is great Halo game for those truly willing to enjoy the experience! Great graphics, great typical halo gameplay and a great storyline combine into this fantastic Halo game. The game is quite mysterious and gave me the same feeling from time to time as when I had when I first landed on a Halo ring, back in the days of Halo: CE. And it leaves enough mystery to make me eager for Halo 5 already without ending in a real cliffhanger. Some people true to the Halo Lore might be disappointed because Halo 4 is not fully true to it. But I don't really care as I've always seen the Halo games as the main (and true) storyline and all the rest as spin offs. And yes, I'm saying this while being a Halo fan for more than 10 years. I don't care if you agree or not.
There will always be haters but for me this is the best Halo game after the original Halo: Combat Evolved. What a blast! I enjoyed the campaign from the beginning to the (intense) end. I gotta admit I didn't play online that much yet but from what I've seen it will be enough to keep me busy for months, perhaps even years. I'm assured now... 343 industries takes care of my favorite franchise ever with much care and love. And I'm glad I'll be able to play new great Halo games in the years to come. The Chief is back in town!… Expand
Nov 9, 2012I just don't buy half of the user ratings being negative. Especially after playing the game. Metacritic is an absolute joke for letting trolls affect the scores of everything on this site. Amazing graphics, tight gameplay, non-stop action, good Halo universe story, and a great job done by 343. Don't listen to the negative folks I guarantee you most of them don't even own the game they just have nothing better to do in this life but tear down what they never purchase. They are idiots.… Expand
Nov 9, 2012The king of Xbox Live FPS's is back, and the best since Halo 2. Halo 4 keeps the same formula, and something fresh. Sweet graphics, with great sound design. Great job 343, well deserved.
Nov 9, 2012Halo 4 is incredible and allows great gamers to be great again in the highly competitive multiplayer. You can once again exploit the maps nooks and crannies and gain full advantage with skill alone against droves of people. The guns hit hard, multiplayer is incredibly fun, and the campaign delivers a whole new set of enemies. Why switch up game play and dynamics that are already leaps and bounds above all other 1st person shooter's? Excluding Gears of War, all 1st person shooters have been trying to catch up to Halo 1 and no one has come close even 10 years later.… Expand
Nov 9, 2012Great game that gets way to many biased reviews here, I'v played all of the games in the series and was genuinely impressed with 343's continuation of the series. Fun gameplay, exciting campaign, and all around good and enjoyable game.
Nov 10, 2012343i performed much better than I had expected, the campaign was stunning. There is a lot of jumping around in the campaign, true, but if you take the time to follow it you'll find it is much more immersive than previous halo campaigns, while still retaining the feel of Bungie's original. I do not know what people are complaining about. 11/10, would have been 10 if the story hadn't been worlds ahead of where it was before.… Expand
Nov 10, 2012Before playing Halo 4, I took a few moments and thought back to what made the original Halo: Combat Evolved such a great, lasting experience for me. The truth of the matter, for me, is that it always came down to the campaign, over the multiplayer. I've continually played halo with friends and online for years and years, but it's the fictional universe itself that kept me most interested, and so that is what I've always held as my main standard for the quality of the game. So what was Halo CE to me? Without really doing it justice, in a few words: The grand scale of things, shown in so many ways: the wonderful background art, the ability to explore the map terrains and approach combat in an open way. The slightly cartoonish, but beautiful color pallette. The gorgeous soundtrack that knew exactly when to be intense, when to be meandering, when to be passionate and when to be dark. The memborable, extremely fun set of enemies to fight. The awesome vehicle combat. The mystery and eventual horror behind the Halo ring. And the interesting dynamic between one badass space marine and his quirky, sassy AI. I've since finished the campaign and played numerous gametypes on Live (which I thorougly enjoyed). I've talked about it with friends. And I've read many reviews. Despite all of the negativity I'm seeing online, I'm proud to say that Halo 4 has been the best game experience I've had since the original Halo, as it somehow manages to recapture all of those qualities that I mentioned above, adjusted for the modern console. The game is not entirely perfect, mostly imo because the soundtrack is slightly off at different points, and the cutscenes get slightly melodramatic (although for the most part, they are entirely appropriate), but overall by far it is the Halo game I've been waiting for years to play. One thing that I am particularly happy with, and have been waiting since the original game for, is the inclusion of elements from the extended universe. They manage to seamessly intregrate characters and facts from both the written and live action universe throughout the game. I'm happy to say that I'll probably be playing online and replaying the campaign right up to the release of Halo 5. Good job 343! :)… Expand
Nov 10, 2012This is a GREAT game. It has everything that makes halo so good and honestly, who doesn't want that? From the music, to the story, to the great action. With everything improved, it somehow becomes even better. With multiple options like the spectacular and surprising campaign, spartan-ops, forge, and the new and improved multilayer. Better than I thought it would be. It's good to have you back Master Chief.… Expand
Nov 11, 2012One word truly awesome game. I mean a clear refresh from the old good Halo days. games need to innovate not stay like it was five years back. thats what 343 did and they did it superbly. those who are scoring low I think didnt even bother to judge the whole package. come on its Halo and it needs to innovative. this game has all what was missing in a games like this. yes there are few lackings but as a whole package its superb.… Expand
Nov 13, 2012Let me start off by saying that This is the best halo sense halo 2. Not only was i blown away by the direction 343 took halo but was very impressed by the campaign. Let me start off by saying that the graphics in this game are beautiful. The campaign felt so alive, Master cheif feels like more than a faceless hero, The games La nourish facial movement and the once again mind blowing graphics make this my favorite halo campaign yet. In fact if a halo movie is to be released in the next couple of years i would rather prefer it be animated with these graphics than live action. So big plus on campaign. Now to multiplayer/ spartan ops. The multiplayer is brilliant. Its better than ever introducing new armor abilities and a lot of options to add to your load out such as quick re-load, extra ammo, unlimited sprint, exct. Now i know this sounds a lot like COD but it feels nothing of the sort. This game is still very much halo even with all of its new features (note there is no weapon customization). The spartan ops in this game is very fun, with each week introducing a new episode you will always be introduced to something new and fresh. Now lets talk about the sound. The game sounds amazing!!! 343 has remastered all of the sounds. from the sound of your armor moving as you move to the sound of the vehicles/ weapons, and i gotta say the new sounds are amazing. it makes everything feel more powerful. if you cant tell already i loved this game from the campaign to the multiplayer there is plenty in this game to keep you buisy for months if not years. i Am angry at all the negative reviews on this game. Many have said they liked it but still gave it zeros. If this is you stop reviewing games on here your not a good reviewer. If you like a game but think it could be improved or if you simply just didn't like a part about the game then give it an actually score. Don't give a game a zero just because of one flaw (which i found none). So if any one reads my review understand that the bad reviews are from people who dont know how to give a review. Every other website with people ratings say that they loved the game. It seems like all the idiots come here. Oh and lastly custom games along with forge are still here but ten times better. Forging things together has gotten a lot easier. eve people who usually don't forge will easily beadle to make a decent map now.… Expand
Nov 14, 2012The graphics are amazing, I'm surprised they could have such beautiful graphics on a 7 year-old console.The campaign wasn't too long, it was a decent length, but it was truly beautiful with an amazing story. Spartan ops is neat but suffers from major lag when played online. The multiplayer adds in some ways additions to make it like COD, but it is kind of a good thing. They've made changes to keep Halo fresh and the game is Extremely fun.… Expand
Nov 9, 2012Halo 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.
Nov 7, 2012This is exactly what the series needed, huge improvements in all areas especially online.
This is a breath of fresh life for the series that I hope continues.
Nov 9, 2012Outstanding campaign and its story. Art design, music, character development... all top notch. Multiplayer is a blast as well. 343 really took the torch and expanded the universe impressively.
Nov 6, 2012Epic 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!
Nov 7, 2012Currently the average user ratings stand at 5.3 due to all the haters giving the game a 0 rating which is quite honestly criminal, yes the campaign is short and the new multiplayer direction may not suit all previous hlo players but with out a doubt this is still a great game and should at least score a 7 for players that dont like the changes. Graphical the game is one of the best looking console games to date, the story is strong and although i'm still not 100% sold on the COD/Halo game mechanics its still well above par and hats off to 343 for trying something diffrent. I was going to rate the game as a 8.5 to 9 but considering all the crappy reviews that some users are giving it, it deserves the extra 1 to 1.5 rating to make up for your reviewing skills. To all of you who haven't played the game yet don't believe the crappy scores if you are in doubt rent the game as i'm sure your love it and will end up buying it anyway, and for the wonderful reviews that have said I would have given this a 10 but because crap crap and more crap ..... so i'll give it a zero and for you that have said its a good game and given it a 0 you really should play the game first before reviewing it and if you have played it at least give it a score it deserves! rant over thanks for listening… Expand
Nov 18, 20121st off i want to say to all the Halo haters out there,u suck ball bags!! Anyone scoring this game under a 6 is a tool. I like COD but Halo takes back the crown it left vacant for many years as the king of FPS & damn it feels good to be king again baby [or Chief?] Halo 4 rocks!! I purposely waited til i finished the campaign & had a good jam with multiplayer to write this review cos i didnt want the nostalgia or excitement to affect my score. Now i can say with no bias intended that Halo 4 is in my opinion the best Halo since Halo 1,if not the best. Hell very probably the best FPS out there & that's sayin something. The campaign is excellent & 343 have earned my respect. I was worried with no Bungie [like most Halo fans] where Halo was heading & how it would play, but seeing what they have done,I'm anticipating to see where they are going. The weapons & sounds & gameplay remain top notch,also the fight sequences in the campaign certify Halo's strength,whether your trying to come up with new ways to beat the ever favorite Covenant,or tackle the new formidable foes in the Promethean's [& a cool enemy they are} Halo 4 always keeps u on your toes & more importantly wanting to go back to beat that prick of a Knight or Elite that just slayed u. The cutscenes are the best i have ever seen in a Halo game & also take top marks for best graphics seen in any game. Multiplayer has a few new additions & u will never tire of finding a different game mode to play as there is plenty on offer here,its up to its ears with customizations & armor & abilities to unlock to keep u going back for more & the fast paced feel of it only adds to what was already a great multiplayer & makes it exceptional,along with the new kill cam i will never have to go through 1 more tea bagging ever again,thanks again 343. The new spartan ops mode is cool although i do miss firefight & wish it was included,only time will tell whether 343 decision to remove it & replace it with spartan ops & episodic content every week will pay off,im still a bit skeptical on this but we will see what happens. Everyone out there thinking its just same old Halo nothings changed,well hang on,thats what makes Halo. You wouldnt expect Mario to stop jumping or smashing blocks to save princess or Solid Snake not to thwart some maniacal team of assassins hell bent on causing some catastrophe or Ezio to stop assassinating poor folk,it just wouldn't be humane,so why expect Halo not to be Halo? That's what makes these games unique to us all. Lets face it this is a Halo game so if you don't like Halo chances are you wont conform,but to the rest of us...this is Halo & with that comes all the gorgeous visuals & stunning locations & brilliant weapons & sounds expected of a Halo title & this delivers. Most importantly its great to play Halo 4 & to be the Master Chief & experience his fight again. From the brilliant settings & frantic firefights,on ground or in the air,to the engaging storyline,to running around with a mate in co-op tackling Covenant or Prometheans,or just beating that darn red team in good ole fashion slayer,or creating your own map in forge mode,or theatre where u can earn bragging rights & show off that lucky stick u got with a plasma or that impossible shot with sniper. Halo 4 has it all & once again sits pretty atop its throne & sets the benchmark for FPS. Here's looking at u 343!… Expand
Nov 10, 2012I cant believe why people don't like this game. Most of the time i read reviews about how its crap because of load-outs and kill-cam. these people are just stupid. COD is now halos biggest rival so it was a smart move by 343 to add the load-outs and kill-cam. It was to combat COD. Anyway back to Halo. The graphics are fantastic and the campaign is short and sweet. One of the main reasons why i love this game is the multiplayer. As i said before about the load-outs and kill cam, yes it does take that form call of duty but it still keeps its halo roots. Honestly this game for me feels more like a halo game than reach did. Don't get me wrong, i thought reach was awesome but it just didn't have that true halo feel that halo 3 did. Halo 4 recaptured that raw gaming and halo experience for me. this game is absolutely amazing and 343 has pulled it off. A great Halo game.… Expand
Nov 11, 2012Simply put, it's outstanding. The campaign is an emotional roller-coaster ride that firmly embraces the deep and rich lore of the Halo universe, Multiplayer makes the right adjustments to keep up with the Joneses but more than maintains that classic halo feel, Forge is better than ever, and the new addition, Spartan Ops, is an absolute blast to play with friends! Tons of game and content here, and it is all firmly planted in classic Halo style. Sound design is absolutely fantastic, with a stirring score (although no where near Marty's mastery at Bungie) incredible gun sounds, and bar to none the best virtual performances I have ever witnessed in a shooter. The graphics are stellar, and the mechanics feel perfect. There are a couple moments during the campaign where the AI has a brain fart, or some weird graphical issue pops up, but aside from that this is an incredibly well polished presentation and package. Please don't listen to the trolls, Halo 4 is fantastic and the series is in good hands.… Expand
Nov 9, 2012Halo 4 is without a doubt one of the best looking console games to date. It somehow manages to at certain points look like it's running on a next-gen console. Another very impressive part of the game is the sound. Not enough reviews mention this but the sound is just incredible. (it probably sounds even better on a sound system, I currently don't have one but was still able to notice the vast improvement) Great story, solid voice acting and something about the new weapons is so freakin' cool! I've really enjoyed multiplayer so far. The only drawback is not much else has changed. It's the same basic Halo-style levels we've all come to expect. It's not really a bad thing but some people may complain there's nothing new. I was really impressed with the job 343 Studios did with Halo Anniversary and Halo 4 proves they have what it takes to make their own amazing Halo game. I hope Halo 5 & 6 maintain the same calibur when they eventually make their way out.… Expand
Nov 11, 2012Best, Game, Ever! 343 really nailed it! Amazing graphics and sound, the single player is solid and engaging on legendary, and the multiplayer is the best in the halo series. I'll be playing it for years.
Nov 7, 2012Visually it is honestly up there with the best FPS games of this console generation. Game play is a big step up from previous entries with the variety of load out options you can have and also the combat itself is impressive. The sound of the game is probably the best of any Halo game. The guns sound and feel more realistic, the vehicles too. And whoever did the soundtrack for this game (pretty sure it wasn't old Marty McDonnell) did a great job.
For those users giving it anything below a 6 or 7 take the game for what it is. This is Halo, this isn't Call of Duty or Battlefield like so many of you have been posting so rate it for being a halo game not a COD or Battlefield clone.
For anyone complaining it's not Dishonored or Assassin's Creed III .... this isn't that type of game so they aren't comparable. This is an FPS so enough of those comparisons that's childish and pathetic that you would try to compare the two. Be a bit smarter about it. Also if you complain about the length ..... what FPS has ever had a lengthy campaign like Mass Effect or Assassin's Creed? None.
If you want an FPS and enjoy Halo you should love this, and if you want a different type of stealthy / third person game go buy Assassin's Creed III it really is an amazing game in and of itself. I'm tired of people trashing this game and giving it 0's. There 's a reason HALO is a giant franchise that almost any developer would chomp at the bit to work with, because they are solid games and this one is no exception. Halo 4 is the best entry to date and take the story for what it is ... a sci-fi story that you either like or hate and personally I find the continual story (minus the cluster of Halo 2) quite entertaining. A solid game overall and well worth the money.… Expand
Nov 11, 2012Great game improves on every aspect of previous game the graphics, dialogue, mechanics etc. New enemies are fun to fight. However, I am not the fondest of the new flood mode with the overpowered zombies but there is so much more overall 9.5
Nov 6, 2012I'm not sure what game some people are playing but it doesn't seem like it's Halo 4. Somebody said they can aim with the left bumper, I still have to click the right stick. And comparing this with MW3 is like comparing Cristiano Ronaldo with Bob McDonald from our Sunday league team. The single player is classic Halo with a few extras thrown in and much better graphics. The MP is excellent and 343 have added loadouts and weapon drops but they fit the Halo profile perfectly and add a bit extra to the game. I love the 6 or so hours I've played so far and I think it's going to sit in my drive for a few months to come.… Expand
Nov 11, 2012Everyone who wrote a bad review **** them) clearly got reach instead of halo 4 or is a butthurt sony fanboy. First off this game is ****ing amazing, The campaign was awesome and the graphics are stunning, the multiplayer was flawless. This is the future of Halo and the future of Halo is great.
Nov 7, 2012A great game, don't let anyone tell you differently. Sound design and visuals are astounding by Xbox standards(and in general), and the voice acting is top notch as well. The story is intuitive, however the ending left me wondering where they go from here, and some things are not cleared up, simply stated and never returned to. Gameplay is your standard halo fare; use a variety of guns and tactics to defeat varied enemies each employing different tactics (the new Prometheans are especially note worthy). One of the things I did not like was the fact that the game just felt...easy. Maybe this was because I am a Halo vet, but most of my deaths on solo Heroic (and co-op Legendary, I'll get to Solo Legendary in the future) were due to 1 hit kill weapons (launchers, swords). As well, by the end the variety in the enemies died down too much for my liking, and i think the game would have benefited from the addition of a new faction of foes on top of the Covenant and the Prometheans, since that's all you fight. Also, a few nit picks: more Hunter fights where you are not given hordes of explosives to make them the least bit challenging, improved death animations for Phantoms and Liches (the explosion is so small you can see the pieces dissapear into thin air, something that IMO looks ugly and unpolished), and more missions with more enemies since by the end it devolves into simple firefights from place to place, whereas early sections showed really fun levels. As for Multiplayer, it is fantastic, all that any Halo fan would want from a new developer: a fresh take on the game we know and love. I do wish the game library were more populated, considering that games like Halo 3 and Halo 2 had so many game variants, this one feels a bit lacking. As well, the new Spartan Ops missions are great if a little too short. The quantity is great, but the quality suffers as a result. Hoping for better missions in the future. All in all, it is a great game that shows something promising for the genre: people who care about a campaign, although there is still some work for the Halo series to re-achieve the greatness of the Halo CE and Halo 2 days when campaign was the biggest reason for getting a game. I expect great things from 343i.… Expand
Nov 28, 2012This game is just amazing ! Both Campaign and Multiplayer are better than ever before:) The story is more interesting and suprising while the storytelling is much better,too. It is more emotional than any halo game before! A lot of people complained that the campaign was short, but it's 7 hours long which is okay. Considering Spartan Ops (a new mode) is a co-op camaign with a different Story, there is still enough Content for solo/splitscreen co-op fans. The good thing about Spartan Ops is, that the levels are designed for co-op, but the story and presentation is rather flat compared to the campaign mode. It should be mentioned that the game is a lot faster than previous Halo games, not only because of the ability to sprint without picking it as an armor ability. The Spartans are faster, jump higher and feel more like supersoldiers. There is no fall damage , which is great and the health bar is nearly gone, you can take a few hits after the shields are down and that's it. There are a lot more armor abilities like the ability to see threw walls (for a limited time only) and all of them feel balanced. In Multiplayer, you can unlock and choose different armor abilities in addition to the new perks and the new "kill streaks" (It's different than killstreaks thought, you get rewarded after earing a certain amount of points in a match) let you choose between weapons and things like a supershield or a speed boost. These additions are fun and rewarding, but are not as unbalanced as in cod. They are powerful, but not too powerful ;) Oh and there are some multiplayer modes missing, but those who are there are more fun than ever before. Infection has been replaced with the genious flood mode, CTF has been improved there are a few other new modes... I liked all modes and that is a huge achievement ! Oh I forgot to mention it, there are a bunch of new weapons that are great ! However, there are a few flaws... There could have been more multiplayer modes, I personally miss the Headhunter mode and the firefight mode from Reach and the second flaw is that splitcreen doesn't feauter widescreen. Dual-Wielding is missing,too (except for CTF). It is a masterpiece and all in all it is the best Halo game yet, but there are a few things, that other Halo games did better.… Expand
Nov 7, 2012Amazing they made it look this good on the xbox 360, where a lot of games are starting to look somewhat dated. Halo 4 looks really really good. Even see the trolls rating this 0 are stating that the game looks really good. I thought they game would introduce a new gun or two, but they brought in a whole new group of guns that all differentiate pretty well. When you start getting them from the forerunners you get a variety of weapons so you kind of have to figure em out. I haven't really been impressed with a Halo game since Halo 2, but this game really does the genre justice. It's almost like they rescued the franchise from Bungie who was turning into George Lucas with Star Wars. i'm not biggest stickler on graphics but after all is said and done, you walk away amazed at how they made a console game look so good.… Expand
Nov 6, 2012Ok so. I have loved halo for the longest time because it is one of only a handful of video games with such an expansive universe full of story and lore that most games can't manage, yet it is a first person shooter with perfect gameplay, Halo invented regenerating health, auto aiming, and started online multiplayer gaming on consoles. Now back to Halo 4, halo 4 is the first step into a new trilogy of halo games, and I really am bugged by how many anti-halo people there are out there now adays whether they hate halo because they suck at it, or because they have been brainwashed by call of duty, or if they just don't have an xbox. The game really does NOTHING wrong. The multiplayer leveling system that this game introduces is a perfect combination of call of duty's leveling system and what halo has always done so well. The story is excellent and so rich of detail that it has books written about it. The biggest thing is, Halo is the only first person shooter out there that manages or even tries to tell a story.… Expand
Nov 9, 2012now I do not want to go into to much detail (wanna get back to playing) but what I will say is that Halo 4 is a great new step in the franchise, it has crisp clean graphics, amazing game play, a host of different weapons, and so much multiplayer content that you will be busy for the next year. If you are on the edge of buying this, if you like a great singleplayer with a new time destroying multiplayer go buy it you will not regret it.… Expand
Nov 20, 2012It is nice that 343i picked up Halo 3's HUD (so it really looks like we're wearing a helmet in-game) display and use it here, in Halo 4 and many other features too. To be honest, the campaign is quite short. 343i's design on this Halo is really artistic and it's sound effects for guns are incredible. CoD fans might not appreciate how the game's MP features are but it is enjoyable and still have balance in the games.
The only flaw I have is it's short campaign and the somewhat unpleasant Promethean Knights and their flying companions. (They like to teleport away which makes it a little frustrating)
*Actual score is 9.7… Expand
Jan 16, 2013As always, Halo never fails to impress me. The hype was well-deserved. Visually, its hands-down the best on consoles for 2012. Its audio is superb, with fitting elements to fit the campaign and its original score may not be the old Halo OST, but in the direction it is going, its safe to say that its a great direction. The scores are utterly epic. As for the campaign, the storyline and voice acting is the best so far in the Halo series. The campaign may be short, but the storyline and gameplay makes up for this shortcoming. The relationship between Master Chief and Cortana shown in the campaign has never been moving in a video game. The sounds, are incredible. Whenever you fire a weapon, it sounds like it has more power than in the previous games, it has more "oomph!". Honestly, Metacritic should have given this epic game at least a 90, and the user ratings are utterly blasphemous. Overall, this game, should be your #1 game to get if you are into FPS, and for 2012. However, you may be confused as to what is going on if you do not refresh your knowledge of Halo lore, like the events that lead up to the events of Halo 4. As for multiplayer however, improvements could be made, but otherwise its fun as hell. Spartan Ops is an episodic story with multiplayer in mind. I have to say that the first 5 episodes did not meet my expectation, as the episodes we play has a lack of connection with the stories told in the CG scenes, but from what i hear, episode 6-10 have been improved, and I expect a good show from 343. To everybody reading this review, Halo 4 is a must get. If it does not land on your shelf, then you have just missed out on the legacy of gaming. You will regret it. 343, I salute you. Improve upon whatever you have done, and you shall come out with a proper AAA title once more. Congratulations, 343!… Expand
Nov 7, 2012wow this game is amazing all the cod lovers are giving it negative reviews which is'nt right because this game is by far the best halo game to be released don'r read the bad reviews there all lies i can tell you from experience that this is the best halo game to date go by it trust me you wont regret it
Nov 6, 2012Halo 4 comes to definitely be the GOTY 2012, great graphics, great gameplay and lots of fun and a multiplayer mode that borders on perfection, not to mention the campaign mode is excellent and featuring the return of Master Chief.
Nov 6, 2012Halo 4 far surpassed my expectations, and can safety be considered the most advanced story line of any first person shooter. The depth and emotion put into Halo 4 is remarkable. It is a great evolution on an old console, and contains some of the best 360 graphics I have seen. I would recommend that the player reads the Halo Novels to bring the full beauty of the plot out in the open, but it is still a great story without. The mechanics are different, but still hold true to their roots. The running is very rugged at times, bring a real feel. All in all I would assume this to be the game of the year. 343 delivered an excellent story, and soundtrack.… Expand
Nov 6, 2012I'm completely stunned that this game is getting suck poor user reviews. I just finished the campaign, and I looked back on my entire Halo experience, thinking about how lucky I have been to play this series. Halo 4 is amazing. The multiplayer is fun. you've got tons of Spartan Ops to look forward to, the graphics are stunning, the music is passionate, and the overall story is a heartbreaking tale of a man and his AI. 343, well done.… Expand
Nov 6, 2012FIRST off, you can obviously tell that jealous trolls who dont own an xbox have given intentional low scores to bring down the overall meta score. But for anyone truly interested in checking this game out,take it from me, ive been playing halo since it first came out (mainly a campaign player) and am glad to say this rocks. It is STILL a fps,so inspite of what the naysayers may complain about (not enough ironsights, same gameplay, etc) this is halo for the new generation. Yes, the campaign may be a tad on the short side, but not cod short if u know what i mean. If you are sick and tired off shooters then this game may not not change you, but to write this game off with 0's etc, maybe you guys are not enjoying games anymore and its time to find a new hobby.… Expand
Nov 7, 2012This game is amazing. Simply amazing. A fantastic piece of art and something 343 should be proud of. We'll start with graphics. They are simply amazing. The most beautiful graphics on Xbox, maybe even on console. The single player has a very nice story. The story is detailed and complex. It is emotional at times especially for old fans. One common complaint is "the single player is too short....". Well, it does only have eight missions, but they are relatively long. And remember Spartan Ops. That links with the main story and gives the campaign 5+ more hours. So when you include that, it's actually a long single player experience. Longer than a lot of other games. So what are the haters solidly complaining about? Nothing. The soundtrack. Marty is gone, Neil is in. I won't compare them out of respect, but don't worry, Neil does a great job. It feels like Halo music, yet it has a new something to it. It's wonderful and gets you into the game really well. Then there's the whole multiplayer aspect. I love to play Flood (Living Dead in Reach), and 343 have intensified that very well. It's creepy, and you get really into it. It's an amazing game mode. The other ones are great to b2b is still amazing and the maps are brilliant. The mantis works well, if not a little overpowered and the vehicles have been refurbished. Forge mode has a tonne of new features and it's now very easy to build structures. But then comes the most important question. Does it feel like Halo? The answer? An astounding yes. It goes right back to Halo 1 and in my books it's the best Halo yet. The mystery of it all is very similar to Halo's. The feel when you land on Requiem is very similar to the feel you got when you first landed on the first ring. Lot's of curiosity. Why are so many people hating? Call Of Duty. A lot of the negative reviews you'll see here are from COD fanboys who constantly harass Halo anything on the internet. It's amazing how drawn they are to Halo vids on youtube. I can guarantee that lot's of the people with voted negative have never played Halo 4 and never will. A lot of the rest have never played a Halo until this, meaning they have no emotional link with Chief and Cortana, which ruins the campaign for them. Bottom line is, get it if your a Halo fan. Just get it. It's worth it. If you haven't played Halo yet then I advise you play the others first to get the most out of it. Halo 1, 2 and 3 are all fantastic games. Buy them and buy Halo 4. You won't regret it. And for you saying there is not enough change - new guns, new class of guns, new vehicles, new characters, new enemies, new world, new graphics, new sprint button, new completely redone multiplayer, new armour abilities, new soundtrack, new Spartan customization options, new Spartan armour options, new game mode, new multiplayer playlists, new forge options, new ui, new HUD and goodness knows how many other new features I'm yet to discover. To say this is the same as Halo Reach is to say a chair is the same as a tree. Sure, the chair came from the tree and is made from the same material, but they are completely redone and remade into something better and more useful. COD hasn't changed in the slightest sense since MW1. This makes drastic changes. For the better.… Expand
Nov 6, 2012The game is amazing! The best in the series. 343 Industries made all the right changes. There are a lot of COD players her that don't even have the game and are just bashing it.
Nov 6, 2012If you played Halo Reach, you knew how the changes in the game hurt the overall prestige of the game. Bungie went out of the Halo 2/Halo 3 comfort zone and produced a game many people did not like including myself. Halo 4 has gone a direction that I like with the multiplayer not being like Reach, but feeling on par with Halo 2 to Halo 3 again. The AA are not overpowered and balance each other. The game is beautiful visually. The campaign is good, better than Reach's and I like the emotional story involved, though we all wish it was longer, Spartan Ops is the add-on extending the campaign experience. Seriously, people giving this game a 1 or a 2 are truly not playing Halo like they should. This game is a must buy for Halo fans and people who like Halo 2 and Halo 3.… Expand
Nov 9, 2012Why people giving this game a 0 or 1???? GTFO cod or ps3 fanboys, this game is the best. 343 industries has made a good job and expanded that great Halo universe.
Nov 6, 2012This game plays and looks fantastic. Im also suprised how well this game runs on the xbox 360 while still maintaining stunning visuals. The gameplay is great and story is also great. Cheif and cortana really have a more emotional connection in this game which really sucks you into the emotion and makes you care what happens
Halo never gets old. Never gets boring. Halo is the only FPS I still enjoy.… Expand
Nov 7, 2012Taking the story of Halo in a bold and new direction, 343 Industries finally emerges from Bungie's shadow with its first true creation - a love letter addressed to both the most steadfest of Halo fans and casual gamers alike
It is easy to see that when Microsoft were on the lookout for a new team to take the helm for the Halo franchise, they were looking for not only the most talented developers, but Halo fans themselves, who were determined to take the series under their wing and make it their own.
The campaign is a less of a giant action packed space opera, and more of a personalised story about the relationship between our main heroes - The Master Chief, and Cortana. 343 takes a more emotional route this campaign around, while its taking you on a rollercoaster ride through a huge range of locales, whilst following the traditional Halo campaign level structure. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I will say that the ending is incredibly ballsy of 343 to pull off, and I guarantee its going to be a bittersweet moment for anyone who played and enjoyed the original trilogy.
Hardcore Halo fans will rejoice at the new multiplayer, which has returned the gunplay to its roots, while simultaneously introducing many new features in order to change the game up a little bit, and keeping it modernised and up-to-date with its competitors. I haven't had this much fun playing multiplayer since Halo 2, and after the somewhat disappointing Halo 3, and the terrible Halo: Reach, playing this game gives me hope that Halo can once again dominate the Xbox Live leaderboards.
If you are any sort of Halo fan, this game is an instant must-buy.
YOU SHALL NOT BE DISAPPOINT… Expand
Nov 7, 2012i smiled from ear to ear when i first saw master chief appear on screen,its been a long time since any of us have taken control of our armor clad hero, in a new game of course and by our hero i mean halo fans.that being said this game delivers in the visual,sound and story department.the game has been criticized for the gameplay not changeing much,maybe quick time events is something that doesnt belong in a halo game.i can somewhat agree with that but the game is still fast paced as ever.343 has done a valiant effort and judgeing by what i have played so far they have poured a lot of hard work in to this game.if you have played this game in a small screen with tiny speakers your doing yourself and the game an injustice.the visuals are stunning and unlike anything ever seen on the 360.the guns have never sounded this good NEVER.this game is no doubt going to be geting title updates with added features,thus improveing the replayability.you want gigantic boss battles,well youll just have to wait for the next installment on nextgen xbox.make no mistake this is a worthy entry in the halo saga.… Expand
Nov 7, 2012Halo is back! I have been a Hardcore Halo fan since the original title in 2001. I have to say that Halo 4 is the best title in the series, it's campaign story is very engaging and mature. The AI is better than ever, intelligent and fun. The multi-player side of Halo 4 take a little bit of every Halo and combine it to perfection. It is addictive and crisp. For all of you who were waiting for a Halo game to be a graphic power house, Halo 4 is what you've been waiting for, the game is gorgeous, one of the best looking games this generation. This is a genuine 10/10 and a game I'll be playing for a long time.… Expand
Nov 7, 2012This is a wake n' bake review.
If you've forgotten or don't know about how much Halo has actually contributed to the genre, game design or multiplayer/co-op gaming, shame on you. You don't know 'bout video games.
Campaign: I played the campaign straight through in Heroic yesterday and can safely say that this is not only a stellar Halo game, it's the best campaign since Halo 2. Just keep in mind it's very much the story from the chief's perspective. Spartan Ops will continue to expand and grow the events, so don't feel short changed story-wise when the credits roll. The only con is there's a limited amount of new enemies (and old for that matter). The ones that are there feel familiar but unpredictable. This is something that will be heavily criticised, but then CoD is just the same 5 guys for years now. Halo 5 needs a heavy class like the brutes. Just no **** flood.
The Rest: 343i have taken Halo and made it feel new. They took millions of fan requests and made it all work. It plays fast. The weapons have purpose. The graphics are crisp. As an amateur dev I can see every last technique in the book at work to make it eat the 360's resources. For the discerning eye it's a masterpiece in engineering for a current console.
I'm going back to play multiplayer now, but after 1 match last night i'm hooked.
I had largely quit Halo after dabbling in Reach, and have been playing CoD mostly for the last 2 years. I think CoD is better than Reach, but Halo 4 is way better than CoD.I'm not a crazy Halo fanboy, but as a lover of AAA games, I've always found it engaging and original.… Expand
Nov 7, 2012Just got this game today, I have to say it is amazing ! I haven't even started the campaign yet, I definitely will when I get the right time to play it. I have played Spartan Ops, which is awesome, just like an extension of the game. Now to the multiplayer, the maps are great! The multiplayer is very fast-paced and I think this game even tops halo 2 and halo 3's multiplayer! Those games were my favorite halo games!
This game is a must have! A 10!… Expand
Nov 7, 2012This is the my favorite fps of all time. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Nov 7, 2012The games stunning visuals and amazing sound effects along with the compelling story really does bring back that amazing feeling that playing as the Chief in Halo 3 had. The game continues the story wonderfully and creates a stronger bond between Cortana and Chief than ever before. Halo is back, and it's better than ever!
Nov 7, 2012Halo 4 is a game changer, and every games developer in the world should fear it for having raised the bar so very, very high.
The campaign was a little short with just 8 missions, but they're all hard to fault. My only gripe otherwise is that the objectives did get a bit samey, but this didn't matter because the fights certainly didn't. The AI is fantastic and the art direction is immersive, Halo 4 has ridiculous replay value. To add to that of course there's Spartan Ops, which taken on its own from what 343i have promised makes the game easily worth the price tag. In fact overall the storyline will be incredibly long.
The graphics as everyone (credible) has said are in a league of their own for console gaming; especially compared to other 360 titles. This is great simply because you can appreciate the backdrops and environments of Requiem in even more glory - and some other probably-even-more-cool places too. The other technical aspect to the game, the sound, is equally brilliant. The sound effects are second to none and the music score as you might expect is great.
Being a Halo game you can't ignore the multiplayer. As a serious Halo player since CE, and XBL user since H2 days, I know the games well and can give a reasonably informed comparison. In short, I love it. One could gripe that a couple of things feel taken from CoD, such as loadouts and instant respawn, and of course the death cam, but this still feels like Halo. It's pretty much the multiplayer Bungie would have tried to go for as a sequel to H3 if they'd been bothered, but of course by that point they weren't and us fans were left with the festering heap of garbage that was Reach multiplayer - until it was slightly redeemed by a title update done by 343i, no less. Anyway the multiplayer is great and accounts for every type of player - those who like to have fun and those who like to compete. The matchmaking system itself is crazily intuitive and beautifully polished, it just feels...finished.
I don't really have a bad thing to say about this game yet. It well and truly deserves to go down as the best FPS on the Xbox 360, if not 'new generation' consoles. What I don't like to see is a bunch of people bashing it cos they don't like sci-fi, or bought a PS3 instead of an Xbox. That's not right and it's putting the review system off. Ignore the user score, as you can see everyone who actually owns this game has said how amazing it is and rated highly. Somehow there's almost 400 negative reviews, but every single one of them appears to be from someone who doesn't own Halo 4 - boy will they eat their words when they play it.… Expand
Nov 8, 2012This game is an enthralling story with Grade-A multiplayer, besting even the likes of Call of Duty. While short, the 8 mission campaign offers diverse locations and enemies to fight, with the story of Cortana and Master Chief's relationship taking center stage. The story is better due to the Chief being forced to be the emotional rock that Cortana clings to, rather than Chief being an emotionless killing machine. The wide cast of characters all help play off of one another, and each has their own distinct personality. Lasky is an old friend of the Chief's, Palmer is one of the new Spartan-IVs, and Captain Del Rio is a battle-hardened commander with no respect for the Chief. The Didact makes a convincing antagonist, with clear cut motives and a wonderful voice actor. Every word a character says feels convincing, and 343 went all out with the sound effects and animations. The graphics are the best on the Xbox 360, and some vistas will leave you staring in awe at the scenery. The Promethean weapons look fantastic as they assemble in your hands, giving you a feeling of power.
Spartan Ops is the replacement to Firefight, and it's about just as much fun. Every week 343 will add 5 new missions for players to do either cooperatively, or solo, with each mission lasting around 10-15 minutes. They're a fun diversion to the campaign, which also supports 4-player coop, and while the continued DLC support will add a lasting value to it, the main appeal is in the competitive multiplayer.
343 helped Halo join the new generation of shooters by adding sprint in by default, Ordinance Drops for earning points in a game, and customizable load-outs. Armor customization makes a return, with more options than ever, allowing every Spartan to look unique. The gameplay is fast and fluid, with instant respawns in Slayer modes allowing the action to keep a steady pace of intensity. No weapon feels completely useless, Even the Assault Rifle that was weak in previous games can now allow you to go head to head in close quarters.
While Halo 4 is a fantastic game, it is not without its flaws. The brevity of the campaign is a slight drawback, along with the occasional issues with pacing in the campaign. You will constantly be asked to press buttons before you can move along, and while the gameplay is as solid as ever, the repeated objectives take a hit out of the score. Overall, Halo 4 is a great game with a ton of content and replayability. The return of Forge and Theater allow you to make custom maps, refine existing ones, and save any moments from your games that you want, campaign or otherwise. 343 has made a compelling game, and returned Halo to its rightful place as the flagship shooter of the Xbox 360. Halo 4 earns a 9/10.… Expand
Nov 9, 2012Love the game, as a halo fan its hard not to love anything with the master chief. The game is great graphics are outstanding and story line is good. 343 industries have created a good game and definitely stayed true to the halo universe. The only reason i couldnt give this 10/10 is i feel the weapons arnt perfectly balanced but beside that all the new content is great!
Nov 9, 2012Halo 4 has the best graphics imaginable on the 360 (which is a terrible system itself, so you get the idea Halo 4 has amazing graphics). The AR, DMR, warthog, etc audio has been updated and they sound beast. It has a open-world feel to, incredibly fun gameplay, good story, much improved multiplayer and much improved forge.
Nov 9, 2012So I've just completed the campaign solo (about half way through with my mates on co-op), completed the Spartan Ops missions with my mates and invested a couple of hours into the multiplayer. I've loved every second of all of it. I have yet to find a major fault with any part of it. The graphics are simply astounding. It's amazing how good the game looks running on old hardware! The cinematics are some of the best I've seen, the faces look almost real. For the opening one both myself and my mate had trouble figuring out if the people were CGI or actors. The story was good. It seemed a bit barren in places and also left a couple of plot holes, however It was exciting and allot of fun going through it. The sound is also very good. The weapons, vehicles and ever voices seemed to have been tuned up a notch (Firing the assault rifle for the first time wont disappoint. As I said before multiplayer is allot of fun, especially with a couple of friends! It still plays like a halo game but also has changes to keep things fresh. I wouldnt say the game is perfect because it does has a couple of flaws, such as an over dependency on unlocks which is becoming all to popular in modern games, particullarly FPS', however its definitely up there. It seems like the people voting under 5 have been playing a different game to me. Each to there own I suppose. All in all this game has to be one of the best in the series, and I'm looking forward to what 343 will conjure up next! It's going to be one hell of a ride.… Expand
Nov 10, 2012Deep emerging campaign, gorgeous looking. Brilliantly continues the Halo story.
Multiplayer is great too. Won't get this out the disc tray for a while.
Nov 10, 2012From the beginning of Halo 4 you are treated to outstanding visuals and some great FPS action, but as you play the game and move deeper into the story you are taken on a emotional journey through the course of the game. There are moments in this game that will make you pause and do a double take on what just happened. On top of all of this the brilliant soundtrack adds and enriches the game complimenting what is happening at the time perfectly, I found my self at times just stopping and listening to the soundtrack itself. The Campaigns story has been well though our and is highly intuitive evolving with the plot while still feeling like Halo. Overall the campaign has been evolved and changed but only for the better. The multiplayer for this game adds a new level of competition in the adversary modes with dynamic maps and new features that have been introduced that always make it enjoyable to come back to. On the other side of the multiplayer the spartan ops feature that has replaced the firefight mode brings a new co-operatice story mode that will be featuring multiple chapters to be released over the coming weeks that have there own story that takes place after the main campmain, from what we have been able to play at the moment, it adds another level of enjoyment that can be enjoyed with friends and online with other players. Overall this game has shown that first person shooters are capable of having a story line and plot comparable to that of an RPG game, as well as having outstanding visuals and a musical score fitting of a movie as well as having the capability to have a challenging multiplayer aspect. This game has done the Halo series proud breathing new life to the series and ensuring fans that 343 industries will do the series proud.… Expand
Nov 10, 2012I'm very impressed by this game. I had high expectations, and this game exceeded them. I loved the new and more personal take on the storytelling. I was extremely impressed by it technically. The graphics and the audio design are fantastic. For a non-Bungie studio to arrive and deliver such a polished experience is so very surprising and I whole heartedly welcome it. After the campaign ends, 343 leaves us Halo fans a little thank you note. Classy! :-) I'm in for Halo 5 & 6 for sure. It was clear that some Bungie Alumni were on board. Spartan Ops is inventive and will keep me coming back. The multiplayer is balanced and "feels" like Halo. The new touches (perks, customization, loadouts, etc..) are welcomed! Adds fun and keeps the series up to date. I can't recommend this enough! Buy Halo 4, have a blast! :-)… Expand
Nov 11, 2012Halo was the game where you could just look around, and be blown away by the scenery. . . or where you could sit in the game's ambiance and be taken away by the game's amazing soundtrack. . . or where you could have fun in vehicles or in a combat system that flowed naturally. Halo: CE was art. I must say that Halo 2, Halo 3, and even Halo: Reach never lived up to that. I played them all, of course, had a steady 2.5-1.5 KDR through all Halo games, and my friends used to host LANs for Halo 1 and 2. I've also played many hours of CoD and that doesn't keep me from loving this scifi masterpiece. Halo CE was campy, but as Master Chief got more absurd (The profits and the elites were the campiest), the story became campier, and the "wonderful" things became dull and overused. The music, that once had been smoothly mysterious and alien, became over-familiar and bombastic. It was always "Here comes chief to save the day". It lost that gritty, desperate feel that you had in CE. When I played Halo 4, I was ready for disappointment. But I was so wrong. Halo 4 has recaptured the spirit of Halo CE. The music has gone in a completely new direction, away from the tired themes and into a new more mysterious and strange score that will keep your senses tingling the whole way through. The enemies of Halo 4 aren't cute teddy bears who speak frumpy English anymore. They're scary and mysterious again. Thank GOD. I'm glad to have an enemy that I want to fight. 343, through face-capture and AMAZING cut-scenes put an emotional, human element into Halo, that never really made it over from Nylund's books. The cut scenes that accompany the new Spartan Ops (5-10 minute extremely well-animated short movies) are excellent. There are problems and changes, however. Loves
-Musical Change
-Game designed to put you in awe, just like in CE. -Enemy redesigned to be more threatening, and less cute/cuddly. -Cut scene graphics and face-capture
-Spartan Ops is a superior replacement to firefight. -Levels are paced PERFECTLY. Cut scenes, vehicle levels, and enemy dynamics change the moment the last formula starts to get old. -Tons of well-designed, beautiful, multiplayer maps. -Emotional Depth. Emotionally charged story. There are a few moments that really struck a deep chord and made me forget I was just playing a game. -Sense of desperation and urgency put purpose back into the game. Hates
-Some Sound effects are less than ideal. The warthog sounds like a chainsaw. It sucks. -Multiplayer loadouts have made the game a rifle game. Gone are the days of bouncing around with SMGs or the Assualt rifle, jumping among your enemies, tossing grenades, and throwing melees. Now, if you leave cover for 5 seconds, you'll get your head blown off. Have fun shooting from behind pillars, guys. -Poor enemy AI. -Certain moments are a little overdrawn. "Don't make a girl a promise"? I winced. -Boss battle is a bit too much like a CoD boss battle. True Halo and Scifi fans. . . buy Halo 4, and enjoy.… Expand
Nov 11, 2012Don't listen to the little crybabies. This game is absolutely AMAZING. 343 has done what Bungie never managed to do! Awesome graphics mixed with perfect audio and FINALLY the BEST acting ever seen in a Halo game. Just WOW. For the first time I found myself emotionally invested in a Halo title. To be frank though, I am not done with the title. I am on mission 6 on Legendary difficulty. It has proven challenging and fun to overcome hard fights so far. Every encounter has a way to be dealt with and level design is flawless.
The online revamp is a welcomed change. And I don't see how it was made easier for noobs to be good as I read in some other reviews. If you have skills, then you will win and no noob is going to come close to you. Just some sore loser's excuse. YES It took me a few games to adapt to the changes they made to the game since it plays a bit differently from other Halo titles BUT it was all worth it and I think ANYONE who likes shooters/sci-fi/action/Drama/online play/competitive play/Halo should get this game and come join us online!!! Amazing accomplishment.… Expand
Nov 11, 2012This is a amazing game, I've been playing it practically non-stop since I got it on the 6th of November. It saddens me that there are so many trolls that probably haven't even played the game reviewing it. A 0/10 is for unplayable, broken games. Halo 4 is definitely not unplayable and it is a truly fun experience. 343i have done a fantastic job on this game and I am already looking forward to Halo 5/6 in the reclaimer trilogy. I highly recommend you get this game if you are thinking about it. The campaign was a little bit short but it was fun nevertheless (I did play it through on normal difficulty so if you were trying on heroic or legendary it would be a lot longer, also if you searched for the easter eggs and terminals) lasting about 6 hours in total. The multiplayer is brilliant, the teams are matched and the scores are always close, I've yet to be in a game in which one side dominates the other. Overall a great game.… Expand
Nov 12, 2012Halo 4. Apparently we didnt finish the fight afterall. But you know what, I'm ok with that. Ignore the negative scores on this site. These are the same trolls that complained about Diablo and Mass Effect. These are the same trolls that complain about how things changed too much, but would also complain if nothing changed. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery they say. There is no denying the multi-player comparisons to Call of Duty. Hell, some of the changes are clearly blatant ripoffs. But this is still Halo. Its still the fast paced, twitch firing, map memorizing game weve been playing since the LAN parties of 2001. Multiplayer is fine, and when BLOPS2 comes out, all the COD fan boys will leave and Halo's MP experience can only strengthen. However, MP is only part of the game. Spartan Ops add a fresh co-op experience, and 343 is pumping it full of maps every week...for free. The single player is more lore driven than previous entries, and personally i learned more about the Halo universe from H4, than any game before. I play single player in one of two ways, "Easy" - i like to play for the story, i want that to progress smoothly and fluidly with no frustrations. However, "legendary" with a friend is a must, i still want a challenge. But i need to get that story out of the way first, this is a lore centric series now (something i feel Bungie missed out on) and you owe it to yourself to see the single player game through. I gave this game a 9 because it isnt perfect. The mission objectives in SP are repetitive, their only saving grace is the level variety. But really, other than that, this game is amazing. Matchmaking in MP is fluid, smooth, quick, and i rarely get dumped into a random losing game. The guns are amazingly balanced for an initial release (really guys, the DMR kills at long range, but doesnt stand a chance vs a BR at mid, learn to aim) As someone who has routinely sucked at past Halo MP offerings, i can say that i am having an absolute blast with H4, the changes have allowed me to become a "better" player, thus making the game more enjoyable. 343 took a huge risk with a beloved franchise, and came out on top. Halo can only go up from here!… Expand
Nov 13, 2012343 out Bungie'd Bungie!
Let's make this short and sweet. If you like Halo you are gonna get it anyway either because you love the series or wanna see if it was butchered. Yeah that did not happen. Instead you got production values through the roof, new enemy types in the Promethians that are worthy of the series, a large selection of weapons that are a blast to use, the best multiplayer maps since Halo 2, changes to the multiplayer that was needed but did not take from what Halo is about, more varriety than any shooter to date, unlimited replay with Spartan Ops, A.I. that is at the top of the class, and last but not least, my GOTY so far.
343 knocked it out of the park. And those graphics and the music and gun sounds........This may just be the new production values king on any console. It looks and sounds that good.
If I have any complaints the lighting is a little overdone, and there is not much in the way of big team battles in multiplayer. Also only a few maps are used for each type of game mode's unless you create it yourself. But those are small complaints to be honest.
I do not give 10's out often. But this game is amazing.… Expand
Nov 13, 2012Wow. I'm surprised. I was not expecting it to be this good. When 343 took over I can't lie I was little curious on if they were the right people to take it over, and if it is even worth continuing the Halo series without Bungie. But after Halo 4 I'm sold and completely convinced. For starters the story was amazing. Going more personal with Master Chief and Cortana was very clever, since it's not something I thought about before about them two having this relationship. Plus the voice acting was very, very good. The most shocking I think though is the sound and graphics. I mean wow. They blew me away. Those departments really nailed it. I truly thought the first cut scene was live action for a good minute. And the guns now sound powerful as if you are really firing that gun. Now the multiplayer. Still fun as always. I'm glad they added some of the nowaday modern shooter features that have been popular like loadouts, and sprinting as not just an armor ability. I think 343 used the features to the perfect extent. They made it so it did not feel too much like other shooters and still as the Halo we love. Obviously there is a lot of hate for the loadouts and sprint comparing it to COD, but I don't think 343 had much of choice. It's what people has come to except nowadays in shooters, and it's the first time Halo is really changing their multiplayer format and hey, I welcome the change. And if I were to compare it to anything, I would compare it to the Battlefield series more, especially when playing big team battle. Overall the games amazing, and it's a must play. Of course it's not perfect, but with 2 more games left, they are sure to hit that mark.… Expand
Nov 13, 2012Halo 4 is a great game. It's my favorite Halo campaign and its multiplayer is much than Reach's online. The graphics and sound are spectacular and very innovative. This game pushes the Xbox 360 to its graphical limit and it show very well. This game is most certainly worth your money especially if you're a fan of the other halo games. And for all you reach haters like myself, no armor lock :)
Nov 13, 2012Beast of a game! Multiplier is hard. But im a beast so it's fun. If you suck then you will hate the multiplier for it just like battlefield 3. I haven't passed the story yet but so far it's beast also. Spartan Ops is an awesome add. The way to earn Weapons, armors etc is awesome! Best Halo since Halo 3. Worth every penny!
Dec 1, 2012The Best Halo Period...Great Graphics which are the best the Series Have ever seen...... Great Multiplayer, Very Competitive Online Community Check it out
Dec 7, 2012I'm only giving this a 9 to pull this game out of an injust 6.8 user rating... While I felt it was more along the lines of a high 7 to 8. Halo is by far my favorite franchise, it tells the best story I've ever heard, with the smoothest gameplay, most stunning visuals and ground-breaking musical scores... The scores. That's where MY score comes in. I hold Halo to such a high standard that once Marty left the party I was legitimately scared. Turns out I was right... Neil Davidge does not show this game justice, and while his musical score was quite good it can't touch Marty's legacy with a 40 metre pole.
During the entire campaign, as soon as I started to feel the thrill of past Halo's rush through me, I would cut myself short and wonder where the amazing music was. Then I would realize that Marty is gone, and slump back into my couch, apathetically racing a ghost through a wonderfully designed level.
That is my great critique as a Halo fan; however the rest of the campaign was not perfect, not even on par with Reach in my opinion. I disliked the poor character development of the captain of the UNSC Infinity, I disliked the feeling that 343 rushed to tell a story (where can they even go with Halo 5?) and above all I disliked the Diadact. He was most certainly the most poorly developed villain in the Halo universe.
Multiplayer wise, however, I was blown away. The fact that they could revolutionize the good old Halo experience by adding weapon drops, new (BALANCED!!!) armour abilities, and custom classes which aren't overpowered; by this I'm referring to something along the lines of COD, where if you want to play with the best you need a silenced UMP, or a Type 95. The way they allowed players to customize their classes was FAIR; not better, not worse, just different, to respond to different situations.
My only critiques I have of the multiplayer aspect of the game are spawn times, the Mantis, and starting grenades. All of these can easily be modified later, which is why I don't feel they are fundamental gameplay errors. I feel that instant spawns is taking the Halo out of Halo, as we now have problems of "reverse spawn camping" (killing the player whom killed you, as you can go after him instantly). The Mantis needs to be nerfed a little, since (as any banshee pilot can attest to) a single fly-by is fatal, and there is no chance in hell you are able to take down a mantis from the sky. Lastly, spawning grenades. This is the only problem I have with customizable loadouts, as it can turn simple infantry into anti-vehicle nightmares; right from the spawn. There's few things more frustrating than loading up a warthog at the beginning of a match, knowing (falsely) that the only plausible oppositions are enemy vehicles, only to be stuck by a few stragglers instantly.
This is my review, which doubles as a rant. Hope it was helpful and that you enjoyed it. Cheers :)… Expand
May 11, 2013Possibly one of the best games i have ever played!
Should be much higher than 6.9
Enjoyable and rewarding combat
great story
Great Multiplayer and modes
What is not to love!
Nov 11, 2012This 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
Nov 19, 2012Halo 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
Jun 21, 2013This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 343 Industries taking over the Halo scenario, and you get this brilliance that signifies the start of a new Halo trilogy. Halo 4's weapon variety has proved well, the new Suppressor rifle, the awesome Binary Rifle, and my favorite quick-piercing weapon, the SAW! Great lighting, brilliant resolution, aesthetically brilliant battlefields, balanced game play, great adventurous music! A few problems however, were the dumb ally AI's as they don't bother moving at times which meant more Promethean and Covenant stress for me, the Promethean Lancers were just too repetitive, I was getting enraged after they managed to scare the crap out of me so many times when they teleported in front of my damn face, I lost my sniper scope focus while screaming at the Infinity level battlefield!! For me, they are more frightening than the Flood foe and the grotesque Elites that kept going melee on your arse! The skeletal faces of the Prometheans still frightens me after I had finished the campaign..but what Halo 4 also brought was the emotional attachment between John-117 and Cortana, truly touching. I'd love to see Halo 5 being much darker than its predecessor in terms of storyline! Well done 343!… Expand
Nov 12, 2012Excellent addition to the halo series, Halo 4 boasts great graphics, awesome looking cut scenes, voice acting, and classic Halo gameplay. If your a fan on halo you will not be let down. The Prometheans are fairly cool and their wepons are pretty sweet too. As far as the story goes it was pretty good, but not once did i feel like i had a grip on what was going on, its never super clear on what is happening or why your in a specific location and so on. Multiplayer is what youd expect from halo, great. Overall Halo 4 is an awesome game that any fan should go out and buy.… Expand
Nov 26, 2012This game was fantastic I honestly don't know what a lot of people are complaining about. 343 industries have done a great job, and yes there may be some stuff in there that COD has but gaming evolves and if you don't evolve with it you'll end up with the dinosaurs.
Nov 11, 2012I 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
Nov 13, 2012Ok I know what your thinking oh look a fake review from a halo fan just so halo looks better. I personally hate those people so id never want to form someones opinion over my own. Anyway to the game, you are master chief as the forward onto dawn is crashing into the forerunner planet requiem. As soon as you take your first step you have to take note of beauty of the games its the best looking halo to date. Some light is a little flashy but nothing so annoying where you can't handle it. The story is a great story where you your reminded how bad mater chief is and how he could destroy an entire army with one gun. Onto the forge, ok i have to say I was pretty disappointed with the forge its really annoying with the generating light thing after you get out of the ball every time. It was so annoying I lost my old love i had for the forge but that was one thing i was unhappy with other then that the magnet thing is really good the duplicate is an amazing addition to the forge world. What saves the forge and amplifies the overall experience in my opinion is the multiplayer, it feels like halo 3 again. The game matches you with people around your level so you won't be getting shot at by like level 30s and their light rifles. The load outs actually played a nice roll in the online i personally thought it would play out like COD but halo had its own twist that justified the fact that this is halo. The gameplay of online is so fast paced it just like the old days with new maps and guns. Infinity slayer is easily one of the best game modes along with regicide and big team. nothing feels rushed or over prepared or under repaired. I give halo a 9/10 i loved everything about it except for the new forges light setting but other then that a near perfect game. Halo is back.… Expand
Nov 6, 2012I 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
Nov 7, 2012First things first. the game is amazing, id give it a 9 but i have bumped it to ten just to try and counter the morons giving it 0 and 1. In reality, this is one of the best halo games so far, with respect to bungie of course. Having followed on from reach and CE the multiplayer really is top notch stuff, and don't even get me started on the campaign - absolutely wonderful, probably my new favorite in the series over reach's campaign. 343 have had a lot to live up to and they've not only lived up to it, but they have done so in their own way. Pros: great campaign, great multiplayer overall, very well polished. cons: not too sure about specializations yet, but i guess we'll see… Expand
Nov 27, 2012At 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
Nov 11, 2012Halo 4 is probably the best game of 2012. With a totally enhanced gameplay and beautiful graphics, Master Chief returns to the world of gaming at its best.
- Visual: 10.0
- Gameplay: 9.8
- History: 10.0
- Audio: 9.8
- Fun: 10.0
- Final Rating: 10.0
Nov 14, 2012As a 10 year Halo veteran, I must say that I am very impressed with what 343i has accomplished here. Halo 4 is an excellent game! The campaign, while NOT perfect, was put together very well. The multiplayer experience feels fresh and new, and everything is balanced very well (Including the Armor Abilities). The Forge mode has taken a huge step up from Reach with all the new additions and dynamic lighting. However, the custom games has actually taken a step down from from past games due to less customization. Spartan Ops has got to be the worst part of Halo 4, it just isn't a worthy successor to Firefight. Overall, Halo 4 is a solid game that everyone ought to play. Well done 343i :D… Expand
Nov 7, 2012Brilliant new step in the Halo series. I was skeptical being a Bungie fan and enjoying Halo since the first title. But 343i has defiantly done superbly in propelling Halo forward in a NEW direction. HALO 4 IS NEW as halo 2 was from combat evolved and 3 was from 2, and again Reach from 3. Halo 4 for steps forward and in my brothers and my opinion stays true to how halo should be.
PROS: Brilliant campaign story and gameplay (I have played every campaign with much appreciation. RIP Sgt. Johnson)
Faster paced Multiplayer still retains core halo feel (plenty of room for team work)
Player customisation does not unbalance gameplay
Great sound detail
Improved map editing
Theatre remains
Careful effective multiplayer (but people will always complain) CONS:
No FireFight (I really liked it)
Dislike the sound of warthog and scorpion tank
It's not Halo "again" it's a "NEW" Halo and its FUN which is what games are for.
REMEMBER IT IS A GAME and just chill out if it fails to meet your reason for existence.… Expand
Nov 7, 2012Halo 4 seems to be a sour note for so many people: thinking that the story of the Chief should not continue. This game finally gives in to all the wonder and curiosity of the original trilogy, lets you fight next to badass Spartans, and gives you levels with scope and massive beautiful environments. I play on a 42" television and the graphics still stood up and looked phenomenal. As a PC gamer on the side, the Xbox's limitations are sorely pronounced, but Halo 4 pushes them to deliver a fulfilling experience. The cutscenes are incredibly done, and I can't wait for more. They beefed up the sounds as well. Weapons of destruction now sound like ultimate death and can be TERRIFYING. The story is different, and honestly if I hadn't read all the books (aside from Silentium) it would've been harder to keep up. After finishing the campaign I felt odd. The game had an ending that was strange for a Halo game. The Chief was on solid ground and in no mortal peril. It felt wrong. Then I played Spartan Ops and realized the true scope of the story. It's going to be big. Really big. Spartan Ops takes place 6 months after the end of the campaign, and it really will add to your perspective of the game. Remember how the original trilogy felt like it took place over the course of a week? Halo 4 sets you up to for fighting a big lengthy war, and I'm excited to see its development. I keep seeing that Halo 4 is "just the same old song and dance" from those who say Reach was a failure. Halo 4 feels more like the Halo that I started with and loved but it also feels new. So what if they have loadouts and perks? Every shooter game available has the same things: perks, weapons, and abilities. Who the hell cares how you get them? Borderlands, Battlefield, CoD, Team Fortress, Super MNC, Mass Effect, Uncharted and even (a non-shooter) Skyrim all have different abilities, perks, and weapons. The only difference? They're unlocked in different ways, and no one complains about it in these games. Every game these days HAS to borrow from other games for certain mechanics, the big kicker is how it plays and Halo 4 plays like a champ. You feel like a Spartan again. You feel strong, fast, accurate, and resilient.
The customization options are great! The Armors look fantastic, the weapon selection is balanced, the perks are limited but useful (and don't feel broken) and the Armor Abilities are well thought out (no more f^%@ing Armor-Lock!). 343i really did their homework. The multiplayer has felt extremely balanced thus far, even WITH everyone's custom loadout. That's because even if when you start there are built in loadouts for you to use until you can make your own. The game also features random weapon placement so that the old pros can't just take over the map when facing new players. The "killstreaks" comparison lost merit as soon as I started playing.The Ordnance Drop is awarded via points gained by being a team player. You can get a few points from kills, but the points received for defending your flag, assisting your teammates, and staying with your objectives earn you far more. The ordnance selection is always random and has never been overpowering. Things that I've seen so far: Overshield, grenades, Sniper Rifle, Spartan Laser, Damage Boost, Needler, Incineration Cannon, and SAW. Vehicles are back and feel good again. I don't feel like I'm driving cardboard vehicles anymore, I feel like I'm driving heavy armored war vehicles just like it should.
My whole point? These people complain about the game being old when it's anything but old. It's got the same core gameplay and innovating ideas that made Halo a success, but the surrounding mechanics are a bit different. That's a good thing. I've been a hardcore fan since 2001 when I first picked up Halo CE, I've had my share of disappointments with the series (Reach) but Halo is back where it belongs, and 343i are beyond capable of keeping it there. As a long standing fan (who originally extremely doubtful of Halo 4) I am pleased. Reach was a big disappointment. It's evident that 343i saw this and put the work needed to turn it around, the looked at the specific issues in Reach and addressed each one, making the game solid and even more enjoyable.
Reading some of the reviews with a "0" I realized that the majority hadn't tried all the features of the game. The game is designed to be a whole. Single player and Infinity. 343i even worked to put a (good) story behind the entire multiplayer component that feels natural and kind of exciting. Having said that, it's not forced onto the non-story crowd. In conclusion, as with everything on this earth, this game isn't going to be for everyone, but with a little open-mindedness and less misguided hate, Halo 4 will dazzle you with deft and subtle prowess of gameplay, music, story, and graphics. I give them a 10 out of 10 for daring to pick up a game with such history then molding it into their own game, and far exceeding expectation on the way.… Expand
Nov 10, 2012If you like Halo games, this one is amazing! I'll be brief Pros: - The most fun campaign of the series, easily. From a gameplay perspective, ditching the Flood for the Prometheans makes for a night and day improvement in terms of fun. The campaign is well paced and is of a consistently high quality throughout. -The story is similarly told to the story in Halo 1-3, meaning that its an interesting sci-fi space opera that won't make complete sense unless you're willing to read a wikipedia article or two. The game doesn't hold your hand through the narrative and explain every minute detail. It assumes you're smart enough to put the pieces together yourself, which is a breath of fresh air among modern games.
-Some of the best graphics on a console
-The best sound design I've ever heard in a game. It's an orgasm in your ears.
-The multiplayer is leagues better than the clunky snoozefest that was Reach. Too early to tell if it's as good as Halo 2/Halo 3, but it's so much better than Reach it's ridiculous. The maps are all at least decent, with a few standouts (Haven/Ragnarok). The gameplay pacing and balance is fixed from Reach and this is the fastest paced, most intense Halo game yet.
- Makes little sense that join-in-progress was implemented for all playlists.
- Too early to tell if the multiplayer will have longevity for competitive players, and it's really too early to tell if the move to include ordinances was a good one or not. I like it so far, though.
- Desperately needs more maps
This isn't a con for me (it's actually a big pro), but it's still a Halo game. Obviously there's tons of Halo haters out there. If you didn't like any of the previous Halo games, you probably won't like this one. If you're looking for Call of Halo, this isn't it (thank goodness). Some Halo fans are upset about Halo "stealing" some things from CoD (loadouts, unlocks), but they're superficial "stolen" elements. I agree that they didn't need to be there, but it doesn't really matter. This game is still very much Halo and plays nothing like CoD.… Expand
Nov 6, 2012Gorgeous 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.
Nov 7, 2012look amazing, the gameplay is so amazing all of this game is amazinf if you think "this game see soo boring " you don't know what are you saying just play and enjoy
Nov 7, 2012After playing some multiplayer and campaign, I can honestly say that this is a great game. Sure it's different, but so was Halo 2 compared to CE, and Halo 3 compared to Halo 2, and so on. I haven't finished the campaign so I cannot comment on the storyline itself, but to complain about a boring unoriginal storyline in a video game is expecting a bit much. Do you really think you're getting a Martin Scorsese level plot in a video game? A lot of people have praised the storyline in Skyrim, but I have to admit it is the same basic "Chosen one to save the world" kind of plot. Frankly from what I've seen so far, this is head and shoulders above the previous campaign storylines. It really has some heart and shows a fragile side to the Chief and the spartans in general. It shows that they are NOT perfect, invulnerable, mindless machines. They are still people who have flaws and emotions. As for the multiplayer, it is better than Reach hands down. I like the speed and pacing and even though I'm not a COD fan, I like the elements they took from it. Really ramps up the action and excitement. I do miss Firefight and the changes in custom options is annoying, so the game is not a 10, but since everyone else on this site can justify giving a 0 to balance things I can do the same the other way. My real review is a 9/10.… Expand
Nov 6, 2012Just finished the campaign and have to say I'm very pleased. Easily the best story since Halo 1. Weapons feel good, sound is great, controls are best they have ever been. 343 outdid Bungie hands down, no doubt. This was amazing.
Nov 7, 2012Halo 4 is the best halo yet. Everything is upgraded from the graphics, the sound and the multiplayer is the most fun it has ever been. The campaign is very emotional and has one of the best stories in a halo game. I first doubted 343 after bungie left but Halo 4 is one of the best halo games ever made and far better then reach.
Nov 7, 2012I'm not sure where all the hate is coming from on this one. This is obviously a love letter to the franchise and a promise to the fans that the future of this series is a bright one. I haven't felt the same sense of wonderment about Halo since Halo 2 came out. I couldn't be more pleased with the changes and additions to multiplayer. I was a fan of COD Modern Warfare, but I didn't care for the follow-ups. This game is the best of both worlds: a faster paced more balanced Halo experience coupled with a solid feeling of progression. The story is by far the most personal this series has ever seen, and the graphics are fantastic considering the aged platform they were produced for. Do yourself a favor, try the game for yourself before you trust those who're giving it a low score. I find it hard to believe you could come away disappointed from this game.… Expand
Feb 12, 2013All 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
Nov 13, 2012Absolutely amazing game with amazing graphics. With two hours of multi-player and one of campaign this game is amazing. I have not witnessed, or heard of, any lag while online. While the story is fairly hard to follow, the vistas in the game are very much 343, white, floating and imposing. Back grounds remind me very much of Halo Wars. 343 have really really dodged extinction with this game, I myself falling prone to the "343, its gonna suck" feel. Halo wars was fairly good, but not up to the Halo pedigree. Every model and texture is new, and some weapons and armour look very different compared to traditional halo armours. The unlocking system is much better than Reach, having to spend credits earned from leveling up on weapons and bonuses rather the wasting them on aesthetic. The leveled armour unlock system works much better than Reach's armour system.… Expand
Nov 7, 2012Simply the best of its kind! If you don't have an 360 yet now its the time to get one. Amazing story. Amazing graphics. Multiplayer like no other game does!
Nov 7, 2012Just an Awesome game! Graphics are beyond what I expected for an Xbox title. Single-player has a gripping storyline and co-op play is expanded. Love it!
Nov 7, 2012Halo 4 is by all accounts an exceptional game. 343 Industries first internally developed Halo game impresses on pretty much every front. From high quality production values, to a buttery smooth framerate 99.999% of the time, to the best graphics the series has ever seen, to a more interesting story between Chief and Cortana, etc. Halo 4 is Halo at its best.
Firstly, Halo 4 plays like a dream. Similar to previous Halo's, gun combat is very satisfying, but now it's more visceral and impactful than ever before. If anyone says this is Call of Duty, that's hogwash. Other than the inclusion of sprinting, this very much feels like Halo, just improved and more polished than ever. The action is much more buttery smooth than Reach was, which makes playing a complete pleasure.
Secondly, the graphics are a massive upgrade from previous Halo's. Previous Halo's lacked quite a bit when it came to character models and animations, but Halo 4 has some of the best looking character models and animations in all of gaming. It's shocking just how much of a leap these two things are from the Halo's that came before it. Going from Halo 3 to Halo 4 shows almost a full generational leap in things like lighting, character models, and animations. In addition, Halo 4 runs in native 720p resolution, which is a first for the Halo franchise, as Halo 3, ODST, and Reach all ran at upscaled 720p. To get that full native 720p resolution, Halo 4 is locked at 30 frames-per-second, and it's a wise choice. Unlike Reach, which had a framerate that varied wildly at times, Halo 4 is pretty much consistent and performs beautifully, even when under pressure from a lot of on-screen action. 343 Industries should be commended for such a technological feat as their first project. It's very impressive.
Thirdly, the story's actually incredibly compelling. While some things aren't always crystal clear, it's mostly smooth and cohesive the majority of the time. The relationship between Master Chief and Cortana will hook you from the beginning of the game and until you reach the credits at the finale. Halo 4 is a tightly knit production that offers excellence in story, visual quality, and sound quality. It's truly a masterful game from a first time studio.
As someone who has enjoyed the other Halo games this generation, I didn't fall in love with them, so it's shocking to me that Halo 4 has hit the nail on the head in pretty much everything it set out to do. Halo 4 is the best Halo since Halo: Combat Evolved. 343 Industries has made their mark on the industry, so I truly can't wait to see what they do next.… Expand
Nov 7, 2012Let 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
Nov 6, 2012Campaign 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
Nov 13, 2012Amazing, just flat out Amazing. Halo has become a series every gamer should take apart of. The visuals are down right spectacular. The campaign is amazing, and very well rounded. 343 has taken a large step in a good direction.
Nov 7, 2012Halo 4 presents the most polished and engaging Halo to date. 343 took Halo's core and added vulnerability. Master Chief has never been so humanized, and it makes for fantastic cut scenes. Not only is the story the best of the series, but the boring Covenant aren't the main enemy anymore. The new Promethean Knight is every bit as vicious as the Elite, but varies in its combat methods. Many times I was surprised by how I was wailed on by these very formidable opponents. I can go on and on about how great this game is. But to sum it all up, I've been playing Halo since the beginning. Every game has been fun and worthwhile, but none of the games invoked the emotion and investment Halo 4 has out of me. Add a splendidly varied campaign in terms of encounters and vehicle play to the mix, more than even Reach. I loved the story, and it's only getting better with the promised 5th & 6th games. Composer Neil Davidge also brought the score of Halo to a new high. The sounds and music of Halo 4 are phenomenal. Best game of the series. 343 have set their own bar, and to surpass it would be to make perhaps the greatest game ever.… Collapse
Dec 17, 2012Halo 4 eschews esoteric delivery for a sledgehammer story with a blockbuster aesthetic. Epic, engaging and sensorially awesome. [Jan 2013, p.60]
Dec 5, 2012In the end, this game is still a fairly conservative and faithful to the original spirit, even with some significant changes.
Dec 3, 2012The 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.