Halo 4 Xbox 360
User Score
6.9 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2311 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,571 out of 2311
  2. Mixed: 156 out of 2311
  3. Negative: 584 out of 2311

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  1. Shortstack_519
    Jun 19, 2013
    9
    I enjoyed my time with Halo 4. The campaign was good but way too short, and i really enjoyed spartan ops with my coop partner. I would recommend it to people but me personally I am a bit tired of FPS games. It's a lot of better than Cod.
  2. PrometheanSigma
    Jun 19, 2013
    6
    Halo has always been one of my favorite series. I played Halo 2 when I was 4 years old, and as a 14-year old I'm completely emerged into the lore and action of the games, books, and soon to be show. Halo 3 was my all time favorite as I would spend whole days just enjoying custom games or multiplayer. Then Halo: Reach came along. While not as good as its predecessor, it provided a compelling forge experience and brought along my favorite Halo game mode, Invasion. Then came Halo 4. Halo 4 provides a decent game experience, but does not rock the charts like 3 and Reach.

    The campaign was weak, definetly the weakest part of the game. It lacked level design, a soundtrack, and story at that. I would give the campaign a solid 4.

    Multiplayer was decent. The maps were OK. The weapons and ordnance ideas were actually pretty cool, but the lack of playlists is saddening. Overall, I ended up going back to Reach after a while (it had more players, what about that?) Multiplayer 6.

    The graphics were outstanding and made a beautiful, rich, and enhanced game. 10

    Lastly, Spartan Ops took up most of my time. I frankly enjoyed these small levels way more than the campaign. They were fun and had the whole "just kill things" mist with a side of objective. However, the lack of maps made for repetitive gameplay. Misc. 8

    OVERALL (not based on averages), Halo 4 is good with a 6, but 3 or Reach is better.    … Expand
  3. GameInterpreter
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    Halo 4 is living proof that the Halo series made so famous by Bungie is in good hands with 343. 343 also went on to prove that it's possible to change a game series for the better as opposed to Call of Duty and the Ezio story of Assassin's Creed.

    10 out of 10
  4. socketwrench14
    Jun 18, 2013
    8
    343i did well on Halo, they really did, but several things really held it back as an avid fan of the franchise. pros: solid controls solid weapons felt good to use great multiplayer(something we haven't seen since halo 3) amazing visuals gorgeous cutscenes cons: disappointing story. As a reader of the books, the end just absolutely made no sense and was the height of anti-climax.

    poor level design at times. It felt like the library all over again, just repetition with no clear next location

    uninspired spaces didn't always feel like Halo I knew, while others were amazing, there seemed to be a gap in cohesive design.

    Overall its a game that works out well. But if you don't care for multiplayer it would be a tough game to suggest to someone.    … Expand
  5. Blondz
    Jun 17, 2013
    10
    I don't get the big whoopdy do about how this game is the same as the others, so is every CoD and Assassins creed game. This game takes what the old one does and recreates it with better graphics and a new story. Whilst the story isnt as good as the rest of the series, the multiplayer is fun and spartan ops is awesome. I just wish playstation fan boys would stop giving this game 0 out of 10 or 1 out of 10… Expand
  6. zyryx
    Jun 16, 2013
    6
    I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed this game, the single player campaign that is. After the two previous titles, Reach and ODST, I didn't have any hope. But the game was amazing, great story, beautiful music. Multiplayer was a complete joke. Gigantic, ill conceived levels. The same boring mechanics, with played hoping about like idiots, over powered weapons. Halo multiplayer has been a complete waste of time for the casual gamer since Halo 3, favoring the preteen with nothing to do but spend hours a day playing the game. Only SWAT mode is any fun. But if you are going to play SWAT mode, then why bother with Halo in the first place as there are much better FPS you can play. Definitely pick this up used for the Single player.… Expand
  7. aryh98
    Jun 14, 2013
    4
    just bad this aint cod
  8. Brenden120
    Jun 14, 2013
    3
    It's not that bad if you don't think of it as a Halo sequel as the story itself was a bit cheesy and unoriginal, and has several repetitive tasks. As for the multiplayer they took all originality away trying to make it more of a CoD style multiplayer. (eg: load outs /w unlock-able guns and equipment, and kill streaks) Not much replay value for me as I didn't like the campaign in the first place.
  9. Dastrados
    Jun 14, 2013
    8
    Like Call of duty and halo 3 had a baby. Not as retarded as Halo Reach. Halo 4 is a decent enough game. Campaign is interesting but no where up to par of the first three halos. Bottom line if u disliked halo reach you'll have similar feelings to this game. MP is too much like cod now. I just wanted a halo game, not a hybrid of cod.
  10. SniperFish
    Jun 13, 2013
    3
    NOTE: this is just my opinion and you don't have to agree with me. Single player: fantastic story, very good for John, fantastic direction, new enemy and the perfect start, but Halo 4 is embarrassingly short, I don't understand why 3 years of development and they did not put much into it, the story and the whole trilogy is wrecked if Halo 5's campaign isn't big and it probably won't be, I wonder about Halo 5 and I think it would be a big story that should have aleast 20 big levels, you do have to bear in mind that 343 were focusing on Halo Anniversary and that this is their first game. Interrogation scene: do the ONI suddenly despise SPARTANS now? Dr. Halsey kidnapped children and turned them into SPARTANS, which were originally used to crush rebels or something, so? why does it matter now? they would've died anyway since what ever their home planet was, got burned to ash by an alien invasion and that happened to billions of other people, this doesn't make sense, who cares cares that kids were taken away? they became heroes later on, other kids died during the process of becoming SPARTANS though. I don't understand this. Spartan Ops is good, but there is no Firefight, again, 3 years of production and even that's missing. There are 3 Forge World maps, unfortunately they are small and have very limited boundaries even a space map with stupidly limited boundaries. I've looked at the game again, they introduced Forge Island, but with the other 3 maps, there are structures in a section, which is named what the map is, which is budget of around 10 each, but not on Forge Island, and like with Reach, the budget limit is still stupidly high, it's for reasons like the console freezing or lagging, but it doesn't need to be that limited, it's totally unnecessary. You can buy weapons and perk sort of things which is good, and good that it's assault/precision guns only, but loads of missing game modes no Stockpile no Head Hunter no Assault no Race. What makes the multiplayer far worse is that weapons now don't respawn and 343 only seem to care about human weapons; at a base, instead of a Beam Rifle it would have a Sniper Rifle, predictable. There is no Beam Rifle playlist, no Carbine or Light Rifle in SWAT and with that "Shotty Snipers," you get shotgun, but no Scattershot. This is a science fiction game, 343 made it, they designed the weapons and then they don't put the alien and Forerunner counterparts to the human weapons. I also hate the way you earn armour now, by hard commendation challenges (the community probably wanted that) especially that they are too hard to keep track of. I don't know for sure why they've taken out weapon respawn. Do you think it was bad? apparently it was! I've never seen any complaints about weapon respawn, it makes Halo more unique, it's very important, part of Halo. It's stupid and boring, playing with just assault rifles and precision guns now, I'm surprised the communities not complaining, some weapons are placed across the maps at start, but they don't respawn. "Ordnance ready!" it'll be a weapon or temporary power-up, but it gets harder to get and is not enough to keep you playing a game without just using carbine weapons. As a good player, you will earn average 4-5 drops in a game. I don't know how many fans like this change or whether they do or not, but you don't earn enough ordnance to justify it and you should have selection of 2 weapons, completely ruined the game for me, annoys me just thinking about it. With that Flood Mode, it's stupid that you can use Promethean Vision. There are no Elites in multiplayer. Reach has lots of problems and a terrible campaign, they screwed up Halo CE Anniversary by making the multiplayer a map-pack for Halo Reach and now Halo 4 is a bad game... I enjoyed the campaign but I was very annoyed at the end for it's short length. Halo means a lot to me and had a big influence on me getting the Xbox 360 3 years ago. Again, I wait 18 months desperately for a game and it's bad. 3 years of development and +awesome new Promethean enemies, +better graphics and sound effects, +Spartan Ops, -VERY short campaign. -Multiplayer falls apart; weapons don't respawn for whatever stupid reasons, missing game modes, small Forge map boundaries, and not enough maps, no big maps and a stupid setup, -no Firefight, -unlock armor by commendations. -Why not let us play vs our friends in matchmaking? it makes the game more fun. -And why not let us carry more weapons? oh I get it, because in reality, people can't? Halo should NOT be taken seriously. Would that make the game less competitive in multiplayer? would it cause bad balancing? I don't think so, I totally agree it would make Halo better, more unique and more away from typical shooters.Simple: keep 2 weapon limit for the multiplayer then, for matchmaking. Halo 4 took 3 years of development, this review took me 3 hours. To me, I think Halo 4 is just a wreckage, not a package. To me, Halo 4 is the biggest letdown of 2012.… Expand
  11. WarlordDanyon
    Jun 12, 2013
    8
    Halo 4 was a great game I really enjoyed it but it wasn't what I thought it was going to be but I had a really good time playing this game solo or with friends but preferably with friends on the campaign on legendary. But some parts I didn't really enjoy like the DLC which was really awful, in my mind the default maps were a lot better but I still had a great time.
  12. Caanite
    Jun 11, 2013
    9
    Halo 4 is an awesome game. 343's first original attempt at creating a Halo game has succeeded. However the downsides are that they made flood too diluted compared to Halo: Reach and that Forge Maps don't have enough space.
    Concept: 8/10
    Graphics: 9/10
    Sound: 7/10
    Playability: 9/10
    Entertainment: 10/10
    Total Score: 9/10
  13. kretell
    Jun 11, 2013
    5
    lets be honest with each other franchises at the moment are really milking it. This is one of them there is nothing in this game that stood out as a major innovation. Its just Halo that's it, remember when you played halo 3 well don't get halo 4 because you already played it I love halo i was a great franchise and it had a few spin offs that i also enjoyed. But there's nothing here i haven't seen before in other Halo games. What happened in the campaign besides cortarna getting p**sed off at people and i know people will say well bungie didn't make it no and that's probably why it wasn't anywhere near as good as past Halo games. Technically there's nothing wrong with the game. you get the odd glitch here and there but nothing new to the Halo series. The only draw here is multiplayer but it not even changed enough from the last game to make it OK to spend £40 on it. All i see with this game is a way for franchises that developers know people will buy becoming a way to make a quick buck.… Expand
  14. tehMoerz
    Jun 8, 2013
    4
    This game is nearly complete garbage. This game makes me wonder where 343 is going with the franchise. They replaced Firefight with Spartan Ops which was awful. When they gave us more forge features they provided us with no forge maps. They took away a lot of Custom Game options, removed even more Theater features, and to top it all off, Multiplayer is unplayable. It is not Halo. The only good feature of this game was the Campaign.… Expand
  15. Dreamshaker
    Jun 5, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have every single Halo game, and this is the most polished as far as graphics and multiplayer inclusions go (except for the maps). The campaign continues to add a new story path but the gameplay is very very similar to all the other Halo games which is starting to mount now. The online Spartan Ops replaces firefight with similar type point to point mission sets needing to kill approximately around 100 various enemy combinations between point activations through each mission. These 50 mission sets (spanning 10 chapters) can be measured up with firefight as an alternative where time taken with death count, difficulty setting andoverall enemy kill score can be stacked/scored, but to me it felt more repetetive than challenging. The last 2 chapters were a grind (10 missions) but perhaps it would be more challenging if I went through them in heroic or legendary, as I did it in normal difficulty. I recently returned to the campaign on above normal, and the challenge is coming out now which will make the game last well and strong until Halo 5 on the new XBox One! Going through the campaign the second time now on the higher difficulty (legendary), I am picking up on the story better where Spartan Ops and even the TV series Forward unto Dawn has some very good linkages. Lastly, the upgrade system has improved from Reach with achievement inclusions with Halo Waypoint which points the way to Halo 5 on the new XBox One being even better with a TV series inclusion. Overall, Halo 4 is a good continuance, improvement and add on, though the gameplay is starting to wear thinner over time. Gameplay inclusions are better with capture the flag, weapon strengths, ordinance drops even though the maps are not as good. I want to give the game a 9, but give it an 8 because I liked the fact that firefight on previous Halo games allowed for 2 player split screen action without needing a second xbox live subscription, so it is missing that with Spartan Ops as a replacement. Had to pull my score down to 8 because this is a concerning detractor.… Expand
  16. unluckydice
    Jun 5, 2013
    9
    might not be as good as it's predecessor but it doesn't fall to far from the tree, although wish it had off been a few hours longer, the games soundtrack gameplay graphics are all spectacular, I did find the story a bit dry but I was just glad to revisit the halo universe again and play as the chief
  17. Ravens1294
    Jun 4, 2013
    10
    The game was really fun and it was a good game.
  18. Tokokojin
    Jun 4, 2013
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game one a steaming pile of Not only did they take what was good with the halo series and absolutely destroy it, they also decided that call of duty was a good game style to jack. Literally call of halo. Call of duty is the poster child for over-used garbage, and 343 decided to the out of it. The story is beyond trash, plot holes everywhere, and the ending is a joke! Since when can an AI produce a shield to block a nuclear explosion? If so, WHY THE DO YOU EVER DIE IN THE CAMPAIGN? Why did cortana hold that back during the entire game. 343, do me a favor, go bankrupt, then kill yourselves.… Expand
  19. electriclight41
    Jun 3, 2013
    6
    Count me in the minority on this one. I don't know if it's because I was used to the greatness of the Bungie Halo games or what, but I was severely disappointed in Halo 4. It didn't have firefight. The multiplayer is full of glitches. The story is pathetically mundane. And the spec ops missions were the most boring, repetitive things ever. This list of annoyances goes on and on.

    I will     say the cutscenes had probably the best graphics I've ever seen. And the game overall is a slightly entertaining diversion. But the fact I traded it back in way earlier than all the other Halo games I've owned speaks for itself.… Expand
  20. Jake_
    May 28, 2013
    5
    I remember playing Reach with my friends all the time on the XBox, it was like i was glued to the screen. I must have put at least 100 hours into that game and it never got boring. Halo 4 on the other hand, whilst not a bad game per say, had me turning off my console after only a few hours of gameplay and not coming back to it for weeks. Disappointing.
  21. HATEPOLICY
    May 28, 2013
    5
    I come from Gears Of War, Epic games, UT etc. Halo 4 is my 1st Halo, I dont play campaigns except for Gears, so my rating only goes for MP, Multiplayer bored me already and I just started playing it, People spamming weapons with no skill what so ever, COD is better and thats a joke also. Gears of War Judgement is the biggest joke though, hence me trying out Halo. We are all in the same boat, originality is a thing of the past now days in gaming,
    They all just rehash off each other.    … Expand
  22. TheOnlineGamer
    May 27, 2013
    10
    I was fully satisfied when I finally played this Game. I'm not gonna lie, I was completely 'Halo-ed' out after Halo 3 and Reach and I was just losing interest in Halo, with plans to get a PS4!

    Halo 4 is the game that not only regained my faith in the series, but also made choose to buy an XBOX One instead of a PS4. That's an accomplishment that 343 Industries should pat themselves on th    e back for. Looking forward to Halo 5!… Expand
  23. diggs16
    May 26, 2013
    4
    I thought long and hard about giving this game a lower score because of 343's blatant destruction of my absolute favorite game series, but I was objective. By category, here is how I review this game:

    Graphics/Sound: Excellent. I was skeptical about O'Donnell not doing the score, but Davidge did it justice. The graphics update was a nice touch, and this Halo is easily the best looking.


    Campaign: Decent. I would not go so far as to say it was good, but it was serviceable. It continued the story of the most beloved franchise character, and added a touch of humanity to MC as well. Didact was very forgettable as a villain, and he hardly seemed present throughout the game. The storyline with Cortana was so-so, decent but predictable.

    Multiplayer: Bad. This is what the Halo franchise is known for, and 343 REALLY dropped the ball. First of all, they had no beta, which is a huge mistake. This predictably led to balancing issues with weapons and load outs, bad hopper composition, and a very poor selection of maps to accompany the hoppers. Second, the game launched with no competitive ranking system. This was highly criticized with Reach, and yet they repeated the same mistake. When they finally did institute it, they mad it only visible on Waypoint, did not take into account any previously accumulated stats, and used a very bad and watered down rating system that is NOT Truskill (previously used in H3). Third, the map selection at launch was terrible. I know I glazed over this in the beta bit, but 8 maps at launch is not good. To compound the problem, the maps did not compliment the launched hoppers. There were very few small sized, arena type maps for Team Slayer, and the composition forced people to play Big Team. The need to launch a DLC just 1-2 months after launch shows that the needed content did not ship with the game. Fourth, the game hoppers at launch were lacking. There was no Team Snipers, no Griffball, Slayer Pro was taken down after a few weeks, and King Of The Hill was removed shortly thereafter. The choices were basically Team Slayer, or Big Team. Fifth, 343 allowed the king of competitive shooters to be dropped by the MLG. This was a serious mistake, and showed their intentions of moving away from a part of their fan base, which happened to be the most loyal and enduring of their followers.

    In summary, this game is in fact COD: Master Chief Edition. By alienating their core audience, 343 has all but eliminated multiplayer. At launch, the game boasted around 450,000 players in multiplayer during peak hours. At current time, the highest population for a current day is around 40,000. Currently, H4 ranks 5th in XBL player activity behind BO2, Minecraft, FIFA, and MW3. This game is less popular than a COD game that was released 1.5 years ago, and is widely considered to be the worst COD entry. I feel that a small bit of emotion is warranted, and I can only describe it as betrayal. I would pick this game up used in the bargain bin, but cannot justify anyone paying full price for it. I will certainly think long and hard before grabbing another 343 game, but by the time Destiny comes out, I doubt I will even think about Halo any longer.    … Expand
  24. Yummyzombie
    May 26, 2013
    7
    My score is 7 because I just never liked the shooting in Halo games... They have really low recoil and the enemy spawning is just stupid! Seriously spawn hordes of enemies when you go to an objective and spawn even more of them when you press a button?! The new Prometheans are cool and probably the best enemies in Halo. AND THE GRAPHICS ARE FIRETRUCKING AWESOME!
  25. Beetleofbartlby
    May 25, 2013
    8
    With Halo 4, sound design and graphics really shine. Combat controls are still extremely good, tight, and feel that they're controlled by you. Fans of single player and multiplayer will be very pleased with this installment, but should Halo have just been left to die? The story is fast paced with its combat, dramatic with the story itself, beautiful in its presentation, and well paced. Levels don't get stale or repetitive, and the classic Halo enemies are a joy to fight, and the new Prometheans are absolutely terrifying (impossible on Legendary). On the multiplayer side, it is both equally intense and rewarding. You still have the same old-same old FPS leveling up system and the basics of each match, even with an objective, is just shoot people until the match is over. Armor customization options like helmets and chest plates look cool, but are generally pointless other then identity purposes. However, the combat and game modes are addicting and offer a couple of new things to be seen. Forge, the number one draw for me, was lackluster and extravagant at the same time. Forge specific maps are tiny and seem rushed, and the objects are just reskined versions of Halo: Reach and Halo 3. Overall, Halo 4 was exciting, beautiful, and somewhat disappointing.… Expand
  26. savagejoe444
    May 25, 2013
    8
    This is definitely the Halo game I was waiting for! I was disappointed with Halo 3, but found some enjoyment in the prequels: Halo Reach, Halo Wars, and Halo 3 ODST. However, Halo 4 will never be better than Halo 2!
  27. LadyJ
    May 23, 2013
    5
    Firstly, I want to say I LOVE the Halo universe. My brother and I spent many hours playing the first one and it holds a special place in my heart and on my shelf.... That being said, WHAT THE EFF DID THEY DO TO CORTANA?!?!!? OMG! I can't get over it! She went from being a serious side kick with a touch of sexy to just plain dumb, in all sense of the word. I didn't care about her at all in this game. Give me back H3's Cortana!
    They gave her bigger, droopier boobs, more curves and to top it all off, a giant gap toothed grin that just refuses to stay behind her botoxed lips that constantly hang open. ok rant over. Back to the real stuff.
    I am very torn with this game. I want to love it because it's more Halo, more John FORERUNNERS!!; but at the same time, it's bad. You have a busted AI, hopping around this giant "installation" you just found and she's acting like she's the one who built it. I really felt like this was just a game of running around jamming a rampant AI into random holes and just going along for the ride. Turn this off! Go here! Blow that up! Oh, that's the Diadact!... wtf? And did I miss something? Because I thought that the Covenant were no longer against us...Or even a cohesive group since the Prophet's were overthrown.

    Now the Multiplayer. I could be wrong on some counts, I didn't play online since H2 but I much preferred being joined with people roughly my lvl. Not a party of 3 high levels all on the same team, meanwhile me and my last picked losers get utterly obliterated when they finally make full teams and decide to give the good guys, even better ones. Only other complaint is the Theatre. CoD Bo2 keeps several if not all of your games for you to watch and rewatch. It even gives a neat little option where you can see through walls and watch the enemy come to you from afar. I get stuck with only my most recent game and there are not many options for me to choose from to take screens. Which also means I have to back out of que if I had a particularly kick ass game I want to screen before playing again. Frustrating.
    Of course, it's got great sound and graphics, the extras are nice (Spartan Ops), and... it's more Halo, but not really in the direction I was hoping for.    … Expand
  28. VinDeagle
    May 23, 2013
    3
    343 butchered the hell out of a great franchise. This game is basically Call of Duty with the Halo atmosphere. You can call in ordinance from kill streaks(Call of Duty), custom classes with perks to choose from(Call of Duty), get put into games that have already started(Call of Duty). The community is just as bad as the game mechanics. You will find many people who abuse perks like active camo and promethean vision and truly ruin the entire match. The ghost is severely overpowered, you can't join a single game that doesn't have kids spamming the ghost plasma shot(which does way to much damage). The maps are horrendous. You will end up playing Exile over and over again and watch as your teammates race to the Gaus-Hog and destroy it when they don't get it every damn match. Terrible game, terrible community, don't buy this and wait for Bungie's new game.… Expand
  29. MaxGayLord
    May 16, 2013
    5
    Lets be honest, although the campaign was fun up until the last few levels, the narrative was absolutely bollocks. The story was as vanilla as it could get. Thankfully multiplayer makes up for that. The combat isn't traditionally what you would find in a Halo game, but it is a fun experience none the less. It is a pity that only a third of the maps are utilized in multiplayer and even then some playlists a plagued with garbage community forge maps.… Expand
  30. H360
    May 15, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Halo 4 is a masterstroke everyone can and should celebrate, and its two guaranteed sequels instantly make the next-generation Xbox a must-own system, with Halo 5 its most anticipated title. Halo has been rebuilt. It has been redefined. And it has been reinvigorated. The Xbox's original king has returned to his rightful place on the throne.… Expand
  31. mrgeebaby
    May 12, 2013
    1
    343 are armatures they have never made a AAA game yet, and it is something that still needs ticking off their 'To Do' list. Matchmaking (ignoring all the gimmicks and broken mechanics) is a laggy mess! It is broken simple as that. They sold me a game that does not work. Campaign Pathetic Patronising button push sequences stolen from CoD Why? Whole levels based around pushing a button at the end of a map and then going back to the start.
    A Boss you don't fight.
    Stupid enemy AI new Prometheans have no tactical manoeuvres like the covenant.

    Online population has seen a massive drop which makes finding a MM game even more difficult!

    Avoid this game!

    Destiny Awaits!    … Expand
  32. BremBird
    May 11, 2013
    10
    Possibly 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!
  33. Benti86
    May 8, 2013
    6
    I was so let down by this game. I watched all the trailer and listened to 343 say it would take Halo back to its roots and how it would be like Halo 3. the final product ends up being a Halo, CoD mashup which just dilutes the traditional Halo experience to near worthlessness and doesn't have the addictive arcade/CoD gameplay. Yes graphically it's beautiful, but the story is ehh, forge and customs were gutted, and matchmaking is a shell of what Halo once was. Halo 4 would not have been too bad as its own IP, but it is a dreadful Halo game. On the bright side, 343 seems to be listening and are implementing some changes and hopefully will fix Halo 4's issues for Halo 5.… Expand
  34. Funksatron
    May 5, 2013
    4
    I was excited to play this game. I had watched the Forward Until Dawn series and several of the other CG webisodes that had to do with special ops. It looked like they really wanted to take Halo to the next level and advance the plot. All of the marketing for this game was top notch, however the game was not. I was amazed at how little the game felt like it had evolved from the very first incarnation of Halo. The in game plot did not live up to the standard set by all the marketing. As far as I could tell there were only 3 cutscenes that were rendered at cinema quality, the rest seemed to be rendered with the in-game engine. I played the campaign co-op, and repeatedly had to deal with being respawned over empty space or in front of walls on vehicle levels. The AI was unimpressive for the current generation of FPS games. This is the Halo game that will make me stop playing Halo.… Expand
  35. Cdn1234
    May 2, 2013
    8
    "Halo 4: the epic start of the reclaimer saga" I'm thinking they have lost their zest throughout the games. its a good game, don't get me wrong, but the campaign is a little to repetitive, and (for once) Master Cheif seems a little under powered. That, or the enemies are over powered. I recall having to do the same thing over and over again, multiple times. Kind of defeated the purpose of a FPS game: to kill the enemies and then move! however, multiplayer is great! They often add new game types and the suit customization is great! the specializations aren't anything special, and you need to be something around lvl. 60 (i think) to unlock them. Spartan ops are fun, but, like the campaign, get boring after a little while.

    I would also recommend CoD games (even though you probably already have them)    … Expand
  36. WhovianFantatic
    May 2, 2013
    9
    This is a fantastic story.. Co op is amazing and the game makes way more sense then the last few.. It is defiantly the best story yet and I enjoyed the crap out of this game.. every cutscene looks beautiful! Masterchief had a really good presense in this story. The story is very serious and Cortana is the main point of this game.. its hearbreaking what happens and it takes us on an emotional journey with masterchief..… Expand
  37. Fatspud
    May 1, 2013
    5
    The main problem with this game is the convoluted story, and the repetitive game play; so little change since Reach. The graphics are dated, and the new dialogue between the Chief and Cortana is cringey. The new enemies are also poorly designed and boring to fight- the flood was way more fun. Multiplayer is fun though, best yet in the series.
  38. SirMauz
    Apr 30, 2013
    4
    Do YOU love Call of Duty? Do YOU paly Halo? Well, then 343 has news for YOU! Call of Duty: Master Chief! Congratulations 343, you successfully took the best of two worlds, and FAILED to combine them. Wow. The story is mediocre, very much a Deus Ex Machina. The Spartan Ops are fun, but hey, we're only giving you 10, wait till Halo 5 comes out. Ok. The Multiplayer is seriously unbalanced, even with the "new" CSR. Which is BS. The group I play with CONSISTENTLY STILL gets put with players who are either pushovers or MLG bosses. WTF. Balance means EVEN 343, not screw with it till folks give up. Personal Ordnance has a lot to do with this, as you may get rockets in a map and the enemy just sees 'nades. Great plan. OR you get on games like Valhalla and all and the other team ALL pulls Snipes/Beams whilst YOUR team gets Needlers/Shotties. Ok. Smart. If you're going to COPY CoD, at least let US choose our ordnance! Personal loadouts are another big BS thing. Hey new kid, you get any points to level up? No? Ok, enjoy your Assault Rifle while I Stealth Active Camo Plas Nade and DMR you. Really 343? If you continue this crap into Halo 5, expect me to NOT buy it, or any other product you make.… Expand
  39. greg6781
    Apr 28, 2013
    10
    343 has definitly taken care of microsofts baby.They followed bungies system and expanded on it to make it there own. The story is the best part of the game though by making smaller and more personal, this is cortonas story just as much as it is chiefs, and lets face it shes just as important as chief with out her chief wouldn't survive
  40. SuperFloorMat
    Apr 28, 2013
    8
    I expected a lot more. You can't just shine a person that was so hyped with new guns and fancy armor and expect them to smile. The story of Halo 4 was a disappointment with the ending experience, I would of just skipped the campaign and wen't straight to multiplayer where the real fun begins. For a person who has played the other Halos, Halo 4s multiplayer doesn't feel like Halo anymore. It's not based on skill often, It's based on who gets the bigger weapon the fastest and kills the most people with it. Though some times multiplayer could be a blast in war games with exciting explosions and rapid fire fights, Mostly if you die, It's your fault. Spartan Ops feels like a filler and the moment I tried it it didn't receive to be much fun, I deleted it afterwards because you have to download it when it should be in the CD. I'm not sure about this one, i'm better off playing Halo 3 because FORGE was 10 times better. I can barely get any fun custom games with Halo 4 because the ability to make maps in FORGE can be more stressful than playing Dark Souls. Even though the chief is back. Is Halo Back?… Expand
  41. AndJustice4U
    Apr 28, 2013
    10
    theres nothing i can say that hasn't been said already been said. the multi-player works flawlessly, you never have bull moments, ever. if you die its you're fault, not the games, as in for example gears of war.
  42. matroycem
    Apr 26, 2013
    7
    I have never really felt the love for Halo that has been going around since its inception on the original Xbox. Yes it was modern but it never really gripped me. The Halo games of Bungie never really seem to have much of a plot of me and it bored me going from point A on a map, into a building to point B and then going back to point A again. It seemed lazy level design.
    Halo 4 however see    ms to be a big step forward. 343 have made a few changes and brought in some decent new weapons and enemies and it did grip me more than other games. Gone has the annoying drop out of scope when you are shot and SOME of the jumps to checkpoints when a team mate passes into a new area. There is also very little back tracking in the main campaign.
    The story of the game is still very similar and doesn't really go anywhere for me but its not completely missing like it was in Halo 3 ODST. I still think that Halo need to remove the respawn trick on COOP when you can have one person hang back and if the other dies they respawn next to their fellow. Mean that some of the difficulty is sapped from the game.
    I am not much of an Online Multiplayer so I cannot give much of a review of this area but the little I did play was enjoyable enough. I think there are modes for all different abilities and the learning curve is not completely stupid like i found in the COD games.
    Its worth a purchase in my opinion.    … Expand
  43. Rhapsody
    Apr 25, 2013
    8
    I am not a really big fan of the halo series, but I feel that 343 industries has taken the game to a new level, since I really believe the series needed to take a step forward. I feel that the single player could have been put more effort into, but other than that, the multiplayer is great, and it is the one aspect that kept me from giving it a mixed score.

    I suggest that people should     wait a little bit until the prices decrease a little bit, so lots of people can have the same amount of fun for a low cost.… Expand
  44. FelixGuzman117
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    I am a very big halo fan and let me tell you this game has passed all my expectation the graphics for this game are beautiful The story is about 8 hours for the average player Some people are giving this game negative reviews maybe its because of the new intro of amour ability Don't allow other players thought about this game change your thought about this I gave this gamer a ten of ten for the soul reason the story blows my mind People can say no game is perfect but this game is worth every penny Its a must buy for me… Expand
  45. defanual
    Apr 25, 2013
    5
    I won't go into a heavy review here because it's pretty much done and dusted by my overall experience of the game is if your a hardcore Halo fan your probably gonna absolutely love this game. The Good: -Amazing cinematics and visual facial animation -Solid overall polish, performance and story campaign-wise -Varied and reasonable length campaign especially when you include Spartan ops.

    The Bad:
    (For me, all the below stems from the multiplayer, which is the meat these days of these kinda games)

    -Semi sniper orientated game in that most of your battles well involve everyone using the same gun (DMR which scopes in like a sniper rifle and can kill with 4 quick headshots) shooting at range
    -Lack of maps out the box and an unhealthy level (bordering on pathological) selection the same map(s) namely a certain 'Exile', sometimes being voted 7, 8+ times in a row
    -Map playlist voting system is hideous and promotes the behavioural problems the community seems to have regarding a will for a distinct lack for variety repetition
    -Poor overall map design for me, most encounters involve people hiding in caves sniping or being shot from above or underneath you since many maps contain multi-level
    -Weapon drops mix random ordinances make the game a bit of a lottery as a team landing 2-3 real sniper rifles heavy weapons at once can be hugely unbalanced
    -Points system is just odd, you often get the worst score in a typical multiplayer game when you think you've done your best work, very frustrating
    -Customizations system is mostly pointless outside of colours and the menu system character cards.
    -Friendly fire, huuuge problem in this game, you'll hear countless stories of people killing destroying team-mates for vehicles or just to grief, no thanks!
    -Levelling up at the base play level is slow
    -Gameplay becomes very repetitive very quickly as you'll have a very limited arsenal of guns you can actually use successfully, have little control of the ordinances and often be playing the same map for the 15th time in one session

    In closing, it seems that a lot of the problems this game has many of it's most beloved fans community as a whole actually enjoy?! So bear this in mind when you take this review into account.    … Expand
  46. chubbydudu
    Apr 24, 2013
    10
    Game is amazing, was very skeptical. Campaign was consistent brilliance, and multiplayer is fantastic! I just wish the maps were more memorable. I give this a 10/10. A little bias but its because I love Halo
  47. HALFY236
    Apr 24, 2013
    10
    Es un gran juego 343 INDUSTRIES hiso este epico juego de la epica saga de HALO al principio no me gusto para nada pero luego de unas semanas jugandolo me di cuenta de lo genial que era el mejor juego del 2012 de seguro
  48. gorelequint
    Apr 24, 2013
    7
    While Halo 4 (Xbox 360) is a fantastic, enjoyable game with amazing graphics, it could have been so much more. I have loved the halo franchise from the original Combat Evolved to Halo Reach, but Halo 4 just didn't have the full package I was hoping for. The campaign was short, repetitive and linear. When I say linear, I mean canyons and corridors. You will know exactly what I mean if you have played the previous games. There is simply not enough open, widespread areas that make you gasp in awe at the size of them.

    There was one particular sequence that I loved, which involved riding on a giant tank (very similar to the sequence in Gears of War 2) while defending it but it didn't last long enough, and guess what?...The tank was driving through yet another linear canyon The sequence could have had so much more added to it to make it worthy of the Halo franchise. An example of a worthy Halo chapter was the epic final battle in Halo 3, where you are battling infantry, scarabs, ghosts, wraiths etc. That battle just made me jump for joy while I was playing it. Sadly there is no, i repeat, NO epic battles in this game at all.

    I got the feeling that the new makers, 343 Industries were too busy trying to put everything from the old halo games in that they forgot that the fans also want something new. The new enemies (rogue covenant and the prometheans) are boring and have absolutely zero personality compared to the Covenant in Halo 3, who I began to have respect for towards the end of the game. The new weapons aren't new they are just the same old weapons turned orange, with different sound effects
    The storyline was very vague in explaining what the enemies actually want which is, in my opinion a very important factor to take into account. Why are they doing what they are doing? The most disappointing part of the campaign is the boss battle. I was hoping for a showdown that would take me loads of attemps to beat but......no.....It lasted 3 seconds and most of it was a cutscene.

    The multiplayer is pretty much the same. The maps are uninspiring and I can't pick out anything new or innovative apart from changing the NAMES of some of the game types. Not very exciting....i mean...come on...game NAMES??? Who cares?? However, there is one new game type that I love: Dominion. It involves capturing bases, fortifying them with shields and turrets, and then defending them from the enemy. This involves tactic and teamwork, which is something that I think the previous halo game types didn't have enough of. But...This does not make up for the disappointment of the rest of the game.

    The fact is, halo has so much potential. The halo universe is a brilliant creation and there is so much that can be added to it. It's practically limitless...... so why didn't they add anything?? Beats me??!    … Expand
  49. Newman
    Apr 23, 2013
    9
    The ending. Enough said. Halo 4 was saved by the incredibly emotional ending. MP is usual Halo so no real problems there. The game is overall probably the weakest Halo game in terms of varied gameplay, however the ending is so strong that it makes it quite memorable.
  50. dbzwarrior117
    Apr 22, 2013
    8
    When I first played Halo 4 I was star struck! However this feeling only stuck with me until I heard the music. Don't get me wrong the soundtrack sounded good, it's just that the music wasn't Halo, no matter how hard I tried to get used to this amazing game the music would just shut me down. When I hear the music from the previous Halo games, my memories playing those Halo games automatically just pop up in my head because that style of music symbolized Halo for me and defined the game. However when I hear Halo 4's music being played I can't help but feel like 343i is force feeding me food I have no taste for. At some points in space in the game it felt like I was playing star wars because the music was so similar to the music from star wars. Also at very few points the music was too loud I couldn't properly hear the dialogue.
    The graphics of this game were outstanding, especially during the cutscenes where the characters almost looked real, however there were few times in the game where the graphics wern't all that great like the first time you see requiem where it looks dodgy and unfinished compared to the ship you were standing on but to most gamers that doesn't matter anyway, but 343i need to remember that there are gamers out there that do care about those things.
    Gameplay wise could of been so much better if the right music was properly fitted to the game, but other than that fact the gameplay was amzaing and felt like you were actually in the game because of how smooth it runs and how well it works, the games ai's were very intelligent and work well with all the beautiful maps on this game.
    The dialogue in this game was supurb and was in synchronisation with the mouths of the characters. At times master chiefs dialogue felt odd but was slowly introducing an entire new aspect of how we see him which isn't necessarily such a bad thing.
    The story of Halo 4 was a bit hard for some new players to interprete but if it was interpreted correctly by the player, they would be thrilled by how amazing it works and would feel all sorts of emotions when playing playing the game and watching the cutscenes.
    The multiplayer of Halo 4 is fun and the maps are well suited to fit the gametype's. Ordnance drops are also fun to use as they are a new feature to the multiplayer of this game. The vehicles and weapons were also placed correctly around the maps and helped make the maps function more smoothly.
    Forge is a heep load of fun but could be further improved by letting the players move more freely across the maps by lessening the boundaries. It could also be improved by giving the players more items to use because the less items there are, the less things players are going to be able to do with those items. But on the bright side forge has gained new features such as locking and duplicating items, not to forget being able to delete by pallete or simply being able delete all objects which is extremly helpful.
    Spartan Ops is also a new feature added to Halo 4 however it does replace firefight. Spartan Ops offers players (with gold membership the ability to play threw another story as a spartan 4 on fireteam Crimson. Usually a new episode comes out every week (unless the season is finsihed or a break occurs) which allows players to watch a 5 minute cutscene and play 5 missions with their friends or solo. There are 10 episodes per season and usually a break in the middle which seperates the first 5 episodes from the last 5 episodes and in my opinion this is great practice for 343i to improve on their skills and i think the last 5 episodes of spartan ops prove that they have improved a great deal.
    As much as I didn't want to write about some of negative things about this game I really want to help 343i improve on what they are doing for future Halo titles.

    Soundtrack: 3.5/10
    graphics: 9.5/10
    gameplay: 8/10
    dialogue: 9/10
    story: 9/10
    multiplayer: 8.5/10
    forge: 8/10
    spartan ops: 8.5/10
    overall: 8/10

    conclussion: It is evident that 343i have done a great job with Halo 4 but it could be imroved in some areas like the soundtrack for example, but other than that cheers to you 343i, and thank you for producing an incredible game.     … Expand
  51. Arizeen
    Apr 22, 2013
    10
    Halo 4 is definately the best exclusive game on the xbox 360 and thats no easy feat. the single player campaign is pretty good, i dont hink as good as halo 2 or 3 but a good start to a new trillogy staring the one and only master chief. the graphics in the game are quite amazing with lighting that is the true showcase for the game. halo has finnaly come out on top with the graphics are concerned compaired to cod of battlefield. the controls have been tweeked yet again from halo reach where u can now run by default which is very nice and overall i think the contols are quite tight. they did replace the firefight game mode with a new mode called spartan ops which is a nice addition as it has a story in it that goes beyond the campaign as well as letting you use your own spartan. but what really shines is the multiplayer which as been the case for as long as halo has been around. the new perk and armor abilities really spice it up and make the game stand on its own as far as fps games go. the maps both on the cd and dlc are amazing as well with some sure classics in the group such as haven and complex. if you are a halo fan, fps fan, multiplayer fan, or just want a good game this is where it is at. i have over 5 days put into the multiplayer alone. dont think about it just buy it. nuff said.… Expand
  52. kylesar
    Apr 21, 2013
    8
    Excellent gameplay and nice guns make me love this game. The graphics are the best in the Halo series. The thing that keeps this from the 10 is the loss of Firefight. It was Firefight that made Halo Reach and ODST as addicting as they were
  53. Sesse
    Apr 19, 2013
    9
    I have all the halo games and this one is a bit different but still attach to the original game play, it has a lot CoD but i don't see that like a bad thing, for me this game is a 1 year online game to play.
  54. omgodslayer
    Apr 19, 2013
    4
    It is better than Reach but, what isn't better than Reach? The gameplay dynamics feel more refined than Halo Reach. The hit-scan weapons reduce multiplayer lag online. The load-outs still make the game feel like a watered down CoD rather than Halo. The lack of an in-game true skill ranking system really irks me as well. Over all I would give this a 4 out of 10 because it was a visible improvement over Reach but still nothing close to Halo 2 or Halo 3.… Expand
  55. VibroKnife
    Apr 16, 2013
    10
    10/10. Amazing game. One of the best I've played. Introduces new and fresh ideas to it's franchise and stays true to it's skill based gameplay. people who claim it's bad because of it's new features in the multiplayer. Those people are stupid and every thing could be explained in 1 sentence. For example people really hate the ordnance drops. Claiming that they are kill streak rewards. They're f*cking idiots. It is a not a killstreak reward you can get these ordnance drops only in one game mode and you don't even have to go on a streak you just get them over time by accumulating points. Not kills. And even at that the ordnance drops are seriously just a way to drop power weapons that you can already find on the map to your position. Heck, often time's their only grenades and stuff. Everything else is top notch.… Expand
  56. Enforcer122
    Apr 16, 2013
    6
    What can I say about this game? I have mixed feelings... Playing halo from day one, I was already in love with the series no matter what. But when this 4th Halo came out, I was a little disappointed. This game is so massively multiplayer it's almost impossible to get any achievements or progress in the game without someone playing with you! Multiplayer is a great as ever and the campaign is good, although a little short.… Expand
  57. DarkKnightG4
    Apr 16, 2013
    9
    I was never a die-hard Halo fan. I came onto the Halo scene a year or two after it was originally released and respected how technically sound it was. As the later installments came out I never bought into the story or characters and I never thought they were the best looking games at the times of their release (due to art style). I would go to LAN parties with friends and have a great time playing with them, but outside of that, I rarely would touch those old Halos. That is until Halo 4. Halo 4 was a "changing of the guard" from the other installments, and in my opinion, for the better. More effort was put into giving the characters more depth through cinematic sequences and dialogue. I found this to be a great improvement over previous installments. The graphic level of Halo 4 actually met my standards for being one of the best looking games released at its time. The sound is also top notch, and the guns feel more powerful than ever thanks to the amped up sounds. The AI is smart and provides a challenge and the level designs provide decent variety in play-style. Multi-player runs smooth and the nasty "host powers" that plague these P2P games is marginalized well. I also enjoyed the new control schemes ,as I always preferred the COD style scheme with my play-style, and the customization/load-out options. There is a good balance between feeling that you have a unique character and having any load-out be viable. The new game mode, Spartan-ops is a decent addition however, like the game itself, the story is still pretty ho-hum. Now I haven't read any of the books for the added lore, but I don't believe I should have to in order to enjoy the stories of the games. This is an area that still could use some improvement. Overall, this is an excellent, high-production value game, and one of the best games on the Xbox 360. VERDICT: Must buy! You'll get you're bang for your buck quite easily with this game.… Expand
  58. BillzHere
    Apr 16, 2013
    3
    In my honest opinion, this game has to be one of the worst FPS's I have ever played. In more simpler terms, this game is a colossal disaster. The story itself wasn't my main concern, it was the multiplayer. I really did not care much for the story in this game because, it really got boring and just plain stupid after playing the first hour or two. Granted, the campaign has some very beautiful scenery at points, the soundtrack is okay, and the guns sounds decent. But the story itself is nothing to get completely hyped up about.
    Now fore the real meat and bone, the multiplayer A.K.A. what made the game terrible I can see what 343 Industries were trying to do by incorporating all these new mechanics like default sprint, armor abilities, and loadouts. Basic terms, they were simply attempting to mimic Call of Duty to gather a bigger audience from that fan base. But the end result ended in a complete disaster. First off, my major pet peeve was the customization in this game. Instead of building off of Halo: Reach's amazing armor Customization, 343 Industries decides to rip off Halo 3's customization. That's right. HALO 3, a game made 5 YEARS AGO. My next concern is the feel of the game. This game has 0% Halo feel to it. In previous Halo multiplayers, teamwork was vital, you had to work with your team. But in this game, everyone is a lone wolf, fighting for themselves and not working co-operatively. The weapons in this game are terrible, some weapons I feel need to be stronger, like the assault rifle, and some weapons feel way too over powered to the point it's ridiculous. And some weapons that shouldn't be there in the first place. The game modes, are practically the same as Reach's Excluding the few new modes This game was not improved. It was turned into Call of Halo: Future Warfare 4. As a side note, if you leave too many games, you get banned for an hour. No warning what so ever. Just straight up banned. At least in Reach you got a warning and you only got banned for 15 minutes. I bet in that hour of being banned, you could get in a car bus, bike or walk to your nearest Gamestop, get a full refund, and Buy Halo: Reach.
    My overall score for the garbage game is a three out of ten. Those perfect scores are incorrect and dishonest, they are only reviewed by people who don't see the real errors that are right in their faces. 343 Industries won't be seeing another dime from me any time soon.    … Expand
  59. Ordish
    Apr 16, 2013
    10
    Let me first start by saying that I have never been a Halo fan having only played Halo 1 on the PC and not being very impressed with it. I also finished Halo 3 ODST on the Xbox and wasn't particularly impressed with that either.. Until now I haven't seen anything from the Halo universe that was particularly impressive. I haven't played the multiplayer yet so this review is on the campaign. The storyline was intriguing and well adapted. Actually one of the best single player storylines I have played in quite a few years. The controls were a bit awkward at first, straying from the typical FPS control scheme but after some play they are manageable. The graphics and dynamic environments were simply beautiful. Overall the game provided an epic story with great game mechanics. I don't know if this studio has produced other titles in the Halo world but they knocked this one out of the park.… Expand
  60. matadorred
    Apr 12, 2013
    1
    bad multiplayer, no weapon balance, they give the user the option to customize their loadouts with the various amounts of guns, but there's only 1 viable loadout and its DMR boltshot. they focused less on core halo multiplayer and more on their stupid spartan ops which gets an update every week while multiplayer has yet to get a balance patch, and they took out core halo playlists like KOTH, Lone wolves FFA, in favor of their own dying playlists like Dominion and Regicide. For most of the start, there was no competitive playlist so most of the old halo fans left. 2 map packs were BTB, while only 1 had 3 small maps. On top of that, they released a puny amount of on-disc maps, with only 4 being small maps and catering only to BTB players. so theyve aliented half their playerbase, most of the old halo fans have left, so good luck with halo 5 and good riddance… Expand
  61. gstiker5
    Apr 9, 2013
    10
    Awesome Game which must be played.
    Good: Graphics are amazing, controls are different but good,great multiplayer modes, split-screen is great, variety of modes, new enemies are interesting, the story can be understood without reading the books, tons of customization, Bad A Steep Learning Curve if you're new to Halo, Campaign is sometimes a bit too chaotic
    10/10 Just Buy It Seriously
  62. insanem0nk
    Apr 9, 2013
    1
    inherited a golden franchise and huge fanbase from bungie, and 343 squandered it by trying to make halo into their own. well guess what, people bought halo 4 for bungie, and stopped playing because of 343. they won't be tricked into buying halo 5, in hopes that 343 will be bringing it back to "halo roots" like they said. the only people that continue playing are the BTB scrubs, who've changed halo into 8v8 into the traditional 4v4 arena shooter it is known for. A lot of false promises backed by nonresponsive PR rankings promised on day 1, comes 6 months after, fileshare promised day 1, comes 3 months after. 343 is a bad studio, and being a new studio doesn't give them some leeway, why did they give a new studio the reins to 360's best exclusive? and its not like those developers are new, theyve all worked on tripleA titles… Expand
  63. SuperSaiyan10
    Apr 8, 2013
    10
    I know this review is really late. I got Halo 4 on launch (Nov 6) but since I am new to Metacritic I am writing the review now because I recently just went through the game again. I have beaten the game on every difficulty level and can honestly say they ramp up the difficulty perfectly. The game is tough but fair. You need to be extremely tactical in Legendary mode. The Master Chief story continues in Halo 4 and I have to say, I think it's the best yet. I have played through every Halo game but I think this one stands above the rest. 343 has done an excellent job taking over from Bungie which isn't an easy thing to do. The story is truly epic, and you get to see a different side to the Chief, his human side. It's nice to see under all that armour that there is a living, thinking person under there. He talks a lot in this game, I would say more than the 3 previous Halo games combined. In terms of multiplayer, again very well done. Combat and maps feel fresh. This is a must own game for any 360 user.… Expand
  64. Geracritic
    Apr 7, 2013
    3
    the graphics are amazing and the sound is very realistic, but it is not the only thing to attract attention; levels are boring, really thought it would be something far grander.
  65. Shadownerd45
    Apr 5, 2013
    10
    This is the Halo you have been waiting for, With plenty of new weapons and a new race of enemies, The Promethean's, This game does not disappoint. The campaign is more interested in Master Chiefs and Cortana's relationship as Cortana is quickly deteriorating due to Rampancy. As Master Chief fights to get back to Earth to save Cortana he must fend off the Didact who wants to destroy Humanity. The Multiplayer has been completely redesigned, Now with new matchmaking, More player customization, And maps made specifically for Multiplayer. The multiplayer is brilliantly balanced, Every gun is different yet the same. Spartan Ops is replacing Firefight though. But is is well worth the trade off, Being able to play as a Spartan-IV in a completely free weekly DLC that expands after the main campaign makes you feel more alive than any other game. You feel like you make a difference in these missions. The game looks astounding and sounds astounding. The graphics are the most outstanding in the series and the musical score fits the tone of the game. If you enjoy Halo then this is the game for you.… Expand
  66. kroople
    Apr 4, 2013
    9
    If you're a Halo fan, this game will make a fine addition to your collection. Fantastic campaign, even better multiplayer, and Spartan Ops is a welcome co-op addition that adds another element to the story. For forge lovers, like myself, there are some things they left out that might disappoint you, but it's still solid, especially with the recent addition of "Forge Islands". Overall, the best arcade FPS game on the Xbox 360 right now. If you're a Halo fan, you will not regret purchasing this.… Expand
  67. CurryLord114045
    Apr 2, 2013
    9
    Halo 4 is a fantastic FPS. It is far better than Halo Reach and outclasses it in every way. The campaign is slightly better with awesome enemies and a good storyline. The online multiplayer is far better than Halo Reach with good maps and some from older games. However, it wasn't as good as the classic Halo 3. I still highly recommend, but I still don't feel it was as classic and simple as Halo 3.
  68. Blueshift
    Apr 2, 2013
    6
    Being the big Halo fan I am, I bought Halo 4 despite my doubts that 343 could make a good Halo game. After 5 months of playing the game, I can say that Halo 4 was a massive disappointment, with the campaign being the only bright spot in my opinion. The multiplayer is an utter insult to the franchise, particularly because Halo's multiplayer was based on the idea that everybody was equal and that is definitely no the case in Halo 4. Power weapons no longer have static spawns and just drop down randomly on the map in almost all of the playlists (who was the moron who thought that was a good idea?) Players could also spawn with the boltshot, a weapon that is essentially a mini shotgun (though they did nerf it a bit). Moving on from multiplayer, custom games and forge both have been incredibly watered down compared to Reach and drives away even more of the fanbase. Unfortunately i don't think 343 will draw back the fans they drove away; maybe they should have tried sticking to Halo's roots instead of ripping off other franchises.… Expand
  69. JonnyLoker
    Mar 31, 2013
    8
    As for Halo campaigns, this game's was the least epic. You don't in the least bit feel like Master Chief, and the pretty lack-lustre soundtrack is part of the reason why. The storyline was making Cortana and the Chief something that they never were previously, and tried to stir emotions in gamers where none can be found. They tried hard and failed hard at making it sad. Why is my score so high? Because after months of gaming I'm still on the multiplayer. That being said, the lags and cutouts are far from good. It is obvious that 343 is not keeping up with their stuff like they should be. 8/10 In no way a bad game.… Expand
  70. mk7khatrj
    Mar 31, 2013
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have been a COD and a battlefield player and i decided to switch to Halo 4 because of all of its hype. But to be very honest it doesnot live up to its hype The graphics are good but the storyline is boring. The objectives are too repetitive. The guns are awesome but not the enemies. Repetitive enemies and poor objectives spoil all the good features such as amazing graphics. Poor expeirience and m now switching back to Bf3.… Expand
  71. Defender_X
    Mar 31, 2013
    6
    Halo's campaign is known for its simplicity,but in Halo 4,the story is just confusing and at points,boring.Even the flashbacks in Halo 3:ODST were easier to follow than Halo 4's storyline. The gameplay is uninteresting as most of the missions either ask you to defend an area or go to 3 areas and push buttons.At least they finally let you fly a Pelican Dropship. Multiplayer is a blast! Although they took a couple things from the COD series,the multiplayer is still engaging and fun.With new maps,new weapons,new abilities and others,this is great for anyone looking for online play.Spartan Ops is,well,pretty "meh". It can be fun at times but playing it with friends is the only way to experience it fully.New items have been added to Forge,making it better than ever. If you want a good single player game,sorry,no such luck here.If you want a good multiplayer and co-op play,this is pretty much it.… Expand
  72. thewastedyouth
    Mar 30, 2013
    6
    (after watching Halo 4 Postmortem on gamespot) This is just a big insult to any long time Halo fan. I don't know why I bought H4. I played for less than 7 hours. It's a disgrace. And what made Halo amazing was not only the campaign, but how accessible the multiplayer is. No one talked about how "difficult" mp was (even though there was no online). Halo mp became a success was because you can play it casually or if you really wanted to play serious, you can get to the meat and bones of the game by learning power weapons timing, grenade tossing techniques, spawns, and all that make an FPS an FPS.

    Same thing applies with 2 and 3.

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


    screw you 343... SCREW YOU.    … Expand
  73. bioadam
    Mar 29, 2013
    8
    Halo 4 sits somewhere between Halo 3 and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. While Halo 4 is clearly a good game, it is not great game. Despite the flourish of new graphics, the series has lost some of its trademark character. The new enemies, the Promotheans, are mute tanks that flitter, scurry, and teleport. They do not, however, flank, retreat, or do anything memorable. The Promothean weapons are even more boring: every Promothean weapon is a futuristic looking version of one of today's weapons. The only new kind of weapons are a rail gun and a sticky detonator, and each shows up sparingly in the campaign. A prime opportunity to add some interesting new ideas to Halo has been squandered. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In terms of progressing the series, I found it odd that "Halo 4" explicitly tells players to scavenge weapons from fallen combatants. In later levels, when combatants are many and dropped weapons are few, the game compensates by giving you crate upon crate of grenades and weapons. Placing the strategic choice of weapons in the hands of the player is a staple of Halo games, but those choices are meaningless if the game gives players an inexhaustible armory of the same kinds of weapons. At least 343 returned the health system pioneered in Halo 2. After your shields fall, you can take a few hits while you duck for cover. This system works and keeps the flow of the game moving. Halo 4 has a constant momentum to the point of providing dialogue and backstory through driving sequences rather than non-playable cut scenes. 343 did not entirely understand Bungie's snippets of fun mojo, and Halo's musical staple, the dun-dun-dun-dun guitar riff, was completely absent. In fact, pulse pounding music of any kind was absent, giving a sense of emptiness to many of the early levels. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The game also abuses the mechanic of go to several places on the same level and press several buttons. I prefer the old challenges of figuring out how to fit a Warthog into a doorway. Nevertheless, Halo 4 provides several opportunities to run, drive, or fly past past enemies to the next check point.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The story of Halo 4 is quite epic. As Master Chief, you relentlessly fight against the Covenant, the Prometheans, your human ally's incompetence, and the story driven failure of your A.I. pal Cortana. When mission failure is required, and it is required quite a bit in this story, the failure is never that of the player. We are never burdened with the awful cutscene of the player character cluelessly and impotently watching the action unfold and not participating. Master Chief is as competent as ever. By the way, the graphics in Halo 4 are the best ever on the Xbox 350 and the cutscenes are photorealistic. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Multiplayer on Halo 4 has been a mixed bag. 343 failed to provide popular game types and decent maps at launch, and exacerbated their launch failures with a lack of support for a good three to four months. In late March of 2013, 343 finally started fixing the multi-player experience, but the popularity of Halo has suffered. One of the positive changes 343 has made is leveraging the players' ability to make their own maps and adding the best of the communiy's maps to the on-line playlists. Few games provide map making tools and this is a stand-out feature for Halo 4 on the Xbox.    … Expand
  74. Gomez
    Mar 28, 2013
    7
    Halo 4 is just another Halo out there, not much has changed from any of the others apart from updated graphics. I’m quite disappointed with 343 industries they need to step up and make it better game play. Not just updating the graphics then throwing it out there into the market, they need to make something original to draw us back into playing Halo. Don’t get me wrong I think that Halo 4 o 4 is okay to play but it is certainly nothing special in the gaming industry. I rember playing the old classic Halo and not alot has changed looking back to it. Halo 4 would be for people in their teenage lives such as people at college and universities. I would like it if 343 industries would make more new content into the game which will bring over the serious gamers from Call of duty and other well known games. So that more people will play it and so that I could have a challenge on there! I would rate the game of around 6.5 out of 10.… Expand
  75. adkenna
    Mar 26, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Halo 4 is a good start for 343 Industries in not just Halo but in gaming. Sure they did a good job with Halo: CEA however that was what I'd class as half a job, they polished an already great game and did a good job to make it look and somewhat feel like a modern game. However Halo 4 is 343's first full blown game.

    343 have already proven they can do a great job writing the story in Halo with its books, cartoons and many other productions they have created and I personally was very excited to see how they would take the Master Chiefs story and progress it further. A safe move to play would have been to just throw in a random reason that the covenant plan to restart the war with Humanity however 343 do a great job making Halo 4 feel bigger than the covenant, sure there is the storm faction (Poorly explained in the game) but they never feel like the main threat throughout the story and only feel like they are there to keep the Halo feeling we've all grown to love fighting them. 343 take the focus away from the Covenant with the Prometheans, a challenging but somewhat irritating new enemy in the campaign. At first the feeling that you are fighting something new and unpredictable gives you a great feeling, however there just always feels like there is something missing from them, that makes them feel fun to fight, that makes you feel like you are playing Halo and if you play the game on Legendary they become far less of a challenging enemy and become a bullet sponging monster that you just wish you could avoid instead of challenge it. However story-wise with the return of the Forerunners in particular the only one you see throughout the game; The Didact, if following the story makes you feel like you are dealing with something completely unknown, the first encounter with this Enhanced forerunner (Explained throughout Terminals in game) he makes our unstoppable Master Chief look like a pushover and throws him to the other side of the room with a simple flick installing the fear of him instantly. Although the end of the game is somewhat satisfying especially the speech from the Didact is still leaves you with not many hints of what could be coming next, sure people don't like cliffhangers but I can't help but feel this game would have befitted from one, when I finished the game although I know it's far from over, I jus felt like well... that's that dealt with. The story is great in this game even with it's underwhelming ending it defiantly leaves Halo with many different paths it could follow in Halo 5. Now the multiplayer of Halo 4 is also a mixture of goof and bad, as a long time Halo fan I'd love to be able to say yeah, it's amazing it's perfect but I can't, I personally have stopped playing it that often only a few months after release, it's not because it's bad but it just seems to bore me a lot more than any other Halo game has. I love the customization in this game with classes and your spartan is gives you many, many different options to customize your spartan in the way you want to, the only downside to this is the only real mode that makes you feel like your spartan is slightly important is Spartan Ops however although this mode is enjoyable and has a good story to it, it feels very respective and you just seem to be completing objevtives that add nothing to the actual story of Spartan Ops. Versus side of multiplayer is a blast to play at first but it doesn't take long for you to feel like something is missing that makes it feel again, less like Halo. The shear amount of playlists in the mutliplayer I personally find makes the game that much more repetitive as you can mostly chose the exact mode you want to play with very few playlists offering different modes within them. The DLC for this game sticks to traditional Halo DLC... Map Packs. Map Packs I can't help but feel are outdated DLC, yeah they can be good here and there but when the only DLC a entire franchise has ever revived is map packs then it kind of does become predicable, with the multiplayer already boring the player fast the map packs bring a few more hours of fun and then the same issues kick in with the game just feeling less and less fun over time, yeah every game eventually may feel like that but this one in particular suffers from it more than other games. I can't help but feel Halo needs some kind of great DLC like a full blown expansion such as what ODST was planned to be.

    Over-all Halo 4 is a good start for 343 and one can hope that they will learn from mistakes made in the game and improve with Halo 5. There are a lot of other things I could go into with the game however most are just small things such as the new gun sounds and the whole new soundtrack. A great story, fun in short bursts gameplay and leaves the Halo franchise with some good options this game earns a 8/10 from me even if I'd love to give the game a 10/10 because I love the Halo Universe I just can't.

    8/10    … Expand
  76. CheekyChief
    Mar 26, 2013
    9
    Wow. That's how you would sum up Halo 4 in one word. Great story, addicting multiplayer,and great ending. Probably the only complaint would be the DMR being over powered. But if playing everything else in the game you won't care. Please if you're a halo fan stop reading this review and buy this game. You won't be disappointed.
  77. Lemelak
    Mar 26, 2013
    3
    Although 343 did all they could to keep up with the outstanding string of games that Bungie has been putting out for over 10 years I felt the fell short on many aspects of the game. The campaign was boring and repetitive not to mention absurdly short. I beat it within 5 hours, for a 60$ game it felt hardly worth it. The multi-player was significantly more interesting. The mechanics where easy to grasp and the game felt more balanced than anything I've ever seen. There were no rushing for the rocket launchers and shotguns. Everyone had the weapons they needed at start and where rewarded for their outstanding gameplay with something other than points and icons with weapons to give them a bit of an edge but not over powered. All in all the game is only good for multi-player and COMPLETELY not worth 60$.… Expand
  78. TheWalrus2000
    Mar 25, 2013
    9
    Halo 4 brings back the ultimate Halo game experience with awesomeness and intensity. Halo fans will be pleased.
  79. Oxcart
    Mar 24, 2013
    7
    So, the sixth Halo game. I've been through Halo 1-3, ODST, and Reach. I've done my tours of duty with the UNSC, from the low-end low-budget beginning through the slick and polished latest. But this is different; Bungie has slipped its reins off the Halo horse, and MGS has taken over. How did they do? Very well, better than I expected. Let's take a look. Graphics are outstanding, with well-built levels that benefit from good artwork. Enemies (and allies) are correspondingly high-res, meaning that even on console, you won't have your immersion in the game wrecked by something on-camera that looks like a digital camera threw up on screen (we've all seen that...are you listening, Jurassic Park?). Weapon design has undergone a major overhaul, and one for the positive. I've previously had an intense dislike for non-human weapons in Halo, but this installment is different; Forerunner weapons are pretty sweet. Gameplay is well above average. Two missteps mar the game, though. First, the campaign is short. As in "we got it done on Legendary in six hours" short. Second, the storytelling, while not bad, is much thinner than previous Halo games. It's clear that Microsoft Game Studios wasn't as interested in telling an epic story as their predecessors. Even so, it's an enjoyable game that really is a must-play for Halo fans. Everybody else, it's a good shooter with challenge and finesse...just not a lot of single-player mileage in the tank. A fair 7 to Halo 4, and a "good job" to the folks at MGS responsible for it.… Expand
  80. Gamezillabrodud
    Mar 23, 2013
    10
    Halo 4 is by far one of the best games of all time. The story is more personal, dark, and rewarding than previous halo entries and ends on an all out high note. The graphics are a revolution in gaming, with detailed environments, superb lighting, ridiculously high res textures, and incredible facial animation and motion capture. The sweeping spectacle and breath taking views of distant forerunner structures reminisce to when people first saw halo combat evolved. Also, the cinematics are so incredible when I first saw them I thought they were live action. They really are that good. As for the gameplay, they keep to the series' main roots, straight up runnin and gunnin like a baller. It is incrediblely satisfying to just run out and desimate enemies. The weapons not only look and sound great but are all unique and perfectly balanced. Speaking of sound, it's epic, from the crack of an assault rifle, to the all new beautiful score by Neil davidge, to the simple hum of a warthog halo 4 stays true to the awesome sound design we've come to expect from halo games. Themu,tip layer has been redone and is incredibly fun and addicting, with the new loadout system, halo 4 adds much more customization that is nice change to halo. Spartan ops is since bit of narrative based arcade style killing feet that can be a real blast to play. While the sequences are over in minutes and aren't that challenging even on legendary and you won't get hold of much of the story during combat,they still feel epic and the weekly cinematics they bring are a treat to watch. As for forge, it's just as awesome as ever but, allowing you to make the map of your dreams, but as been refined to the point that does away with the annoying issues it used to have. So overall, halo 4 is one of the best of the series, an incredible start to the new trilogy, and one of the best looking, best sounding, best playing, straight up BEST game of all time.… Expand
  81. Coletrain128
    Mar 21, 2013
    8
    343 has proved that they can create a product just as good as Bungie's time spent with Halo. However, it's important to address the certain factors that hold this back from being and outstanding title. The campaign is shorter compared to most Halo game's and there are very few moments throughout the experience that can be considered as memorable. I will say that the story and the overall atmosphere of the planet requiem save it from being a forgettable campaign. Spartan Ops could of also been a welcomed addition if it wasn't for the use of repeated environments. When you are trying to tell a story over the use of a competitive multiplayer map (Ragnarok) it doesn't really work. The fmc cutscenes are impressing to watch, but the whole experience suffers due to doing the same trivial objectives such as pressing three buttons to open a door or clear a room of enemies. Multiplayer is a mixed bag. On one hand you get great additions such as Haven and Adrift but majority of the maps suffer from similar design, they are either too massive or are either a giant circle (Longbow, Exile, Meltdown, Wreckage, Complex). The overall product is good, but it certainly isn't game of the year material or deserving of a 10/10.… Expand
  82. GFreeman
    Mar 21, 2013
    4
    Now I had high hopes for Halo 4. But these hopes were shot down when I was playing the Campaign. The enemy's are defiantly not as smart as people say them to be, and the missions are usually very bland and boring. After beating the game on Normal it then attempted to say me into buying Xbox Live so I can keep playing Halo 4. Now I don't play on the Xbox Live so the multiplayer was out of the question. Once I beat the main game, I went to the Infinity lobby to try Spartan Ops only to be shot down and slapped in the face by another wall blocking my way to more Halo 4. That wall was a few sentences that said "Xbox Live Gold membership and permission to play online required for Spartan Ops". I immediately turned off my console after that. I went back into the game however a few months later and played the campaign again. It was fun, but afterwards I check my custom created Spartan. I got nothing for playing the campaign. Absolutely nothing except for a helmet for my Avatar. Heck the game didn't even say what difficulty I completed the game on. In my personal opinion Halo 4 could have been a great game, but was shot down by the Xbox Live requirements. You need Xbox Live to look at over 80% of the games content. I'm sorry to say it, but 343 has really ruined Halo for me.… Expand
  83. Aisforawsome
    Mar 20, 2013
    10
    This game is absolutely beautiful! I have been a long-time fan of the Halo series, and when I heard that Halo 4 was finally coming out, I was extremely excited! Now that I have had the chance to play through all the content available, I must say it is hard to find a problem with this game. For an ageing console, the graphics are simply stunning. Controls are still tight, so that is still not broken. Enemy and friendly AI is more challenging then ever, especially on harder difficulties. The story in the campaign was well-written, and touching at times. Spartan Ops started off slow, but recently has truly turned into a good story. The biggest beef that people keep bringing up is '343 stole from CoD'. I will tell you that the multiplayer in Halo 4 is nothing like Call of Duty's. Nothing at all! The supposed things ripped of the competition were used in countless games before CoD, and are used in ways that still provide balance and keep the game feeling like Halo. This game is worth the buy, 100%!… Expand
  84. diz30
    Mar 20, 2013
    8
    Good game. From a gamers perspective, the game was shipped before it was complete. Understandably though as the game needed to be sold that early in order to get a high amount of sales. The campaign is fun but short. Great graphics for a console. The multiplayer is ok. The randomness of all the power weapons gets annoying after a while and makes it hard to keep playing. Spartan Ops was fun if you had friends to play with. The first 5 episodes all feel the same. Even using a lot of maps multiple times. Other than challenges to increase your SR rank (which means nothing) there is no real reason to go back and play spartan ops after you've done it. 8/10, fun game but gets boring after you've tried everything.… Expand
  85. punkandglamour
    Mar 19, 2013
    10
    I can remember the days when I hated FPS and then I discovered Halo. Loved the new weapons and new race to fight. Loved the graphics. I can say that I had so much fun playing through the campaign with my brother in law and making jokes. If the walking dead hadn't destroyed my heart before I played this, I might have even cried when one of my beloved characters died. I think the beauty here is that they didn't try to teach an old dog any tricks. They just tweaked the same stuff we've been loving for years.… Expand
  86. azgoodaz
    Mar 18, 2013
    10
    Campaign was long and hard, but it was good and awesome how it finished. Legendary mode got 10x harder since Bungie on Halo Reach. Multilayer is fun, and they keep adding new game modes so players wont get bored. File Sharing was a issue but 4 or so months later they fixed and made sure it worked.. and now it does both on the game and website. The Halo way point app hasn't been updated yet to track stats in which it is sad but thats another thing. Overall its a good game, and we can now see that 343 is not just a Microsoft company but the future for Halo Series to come.… Expand
  87. Undernage
    Mar 17, 2013
    8
    THE GAME IS GREAT AND ALL! The multiplayer is splendid! Campaign is the best! But too bad bungie was busy on other projects. So i will give this game a 8/10!
  88. sharksfan98
    Mar 17, 2013
    8
    Amazing. There are a few flaws in the programming, like the heath and stamina being depleted easily. It stands out from the other Halo games easily, almost giving it a unique touch. The campaign has an amazing story line and plot, which follows an odd pursuit never seen before in the Halo series. Multiplayer follows suit with a pimped-out GUI and exceptional game modes. Favorable, minus some flaws that appears that the developers were eager to dish out a sequel too soon.… Expand
  89. WaffleFox
    Mar 14, 2013
    6
    The game is pretty much the same as any other Halo. You go through a short campaign and shoot covenant, flood, and whatever else stands in your way. This game introduces a new enemy faction: the Prometheans. The weapons they use are really cool looking and handle just like any other weapon. For the most part though, I'd rather use the old weapons rather than the new ones. Once you beat the campaign there isn't much of anything else to do. You could play online which takes up 3GB of your hard drive to download the stuff needed to play, but that's an additional feature which requires XBOX LIVE paid membership. Seeing as you have to pay seperately for this, I don't consider it part of the game. The game is what it comes with, not what you have to pay extra for. That's what it is to me anyway. Anyway the game is good and there is a decent amount of new things in it. But doesn't stand out as anything amazing or different from previous Halo shooters.… Expand
  90. TheGamer31
    Mar 12, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I had originally given this game a 10, but then after I played this one, I played back through the original Halo games. After I played them, I said to myself "How is this even a Halo game? The campaign is practically the same just with different level designs, and the ending "boss" is awful! You just press ONE button to kill him... ONE. BUTTON! And the way the grenade explodes in his death isn't even the way the grenade explodes earlier in the game! Now, let;s look at multiplayer. The multiplayer is fun, but only because it's basically a CoD ripoff, and I hate CoD. You have like your 10 points for kills, double kills, triple kills. revenge, headshot and other stuff that was in Reach. But the way it is presented as you get a kill is just like in CoD. I mean, you even have perks for multiplayer. PERKS... Halo is not a game for perks! I mean it is just ridiculous of how much this game wanted to be like CoD. When I went to school, all my friends were telling me it was o,ne of the greatest games of all time, when I finally played it, yes I liked it like I said at the beginning of the review. But if you haven't played the original Halo games, you will like this one, at least until you play the originals. But if you have played the originals, you will hate this game. So, 343, PLEASE don't make another Halo game, you will fail at it like you did in this game. And if you do, please make it more true to the original Halo games! The forerunner robot things are fine to keep, but make it have more of a Halo feel. Add more Covenant to fight please? The thing that saves this game from a negative score is that I am a fan of the original Halo games, not this CoD ripoff garbage. 5/10… Expand
  91. SimonSaysRage
    Mar 11, 2013
    10
    The greatest game ever made? Yes. Hands down the best game I have ever played since I first shot a Nazi in Wolfenstein 3D. The story is epic; even emotional if you're at all attached to the Chief Cortana. If you're not...you will be. Without a doubt the best graphics I've seen on the 360. The gameplay is intense, varied, and enthralling. Thankfully the new multiplayer system doesn't disappoint either. Matches seem to be better balanced and the customization of your Spartan and your loadouts is very well thought out. I've played the game all the way through twice on Heroic Legendary and will play it again it's that good. Not one complaint about this game. It has set the bar for all future first-person shooters.… Expand
  92. Ghosthacker
    Mar 10, 2013
    9
    This game is excellent. The Campaign is outstanding, continuing from the end of Halo 3 while refreshing it with some of the features from Reach. The graphics in Halo 4 look beautiful and the new sounds are much better than past games.

    The Multiplayer is much more fast pace and the whole new Forerunner weapons are very fun to shoot. it is a excellent Halo game and a much better improveme    nt to Halo: Reach.… Expand
  93. BoredEasily
    Mar 10, 2013
    10
    10/10 probably a 9.5 really but this, in my opinion, is the best Halo since the first 2. I completed 3 and bought both Reach ODST but never managed to complete them as i got to bored too quickly...
  94. Silentwalker
    Mar 9, 2013
    2
    Halo 4, the campaign... For me was utterly terrible. I'll start with something that I think plays a major part in Halo and that is the Music. Music within the halo games have been excellent in portraying the feelings between the master cheif and cortana. Marty was excellent at giving feeling and depth to situations within halo.

    Unfortunately within halo 4 it's more like white noise. The     sounds and music are repetitive and god awe full, they give no depth nor feeling to the game or any of the situations you're in.

    The campaign felt like a long walk with button pushes along the way, the writing was terrible along with the level design. They created a game that looks good but only to take your eye away from the poor design. In comparison to Halo 3, there were many memorable moments and quotes that I'll remember forever, such as.

    "You are, all of you, vermin. Cowering in the dirt, thinking…what, I wonder? That you might escape the coming fire? No. Your world will burn until its surface is but glass, and not even your Demon will live to creep, blackened from its hole, to mar the reflection of our passage. The culmination of our Journey, for your destruction is the will of the gods! And I? I am their instrument!"

    The emotion between the cheif and cortana was not there at all where as in Halo 3 you could really feel it. 2 words 343, Body Language. "You know me when I make a promise"

    Multiplayer on the other hand yet still is not as good as the previous games but I can understand why they went in the direction they did with games like cod and needing to keep up with any new fanbase.

    The multilayer for me is a 4/10 yet is still playable and good. The level design is 'OK' with new map packs improving on design slightly. The skill gap has been narrowed by a lot and they have made it so almost anyone can pick up and play if they have played fps's before. Where as the previous Halo's (minus reach) were on a more competitive scale.

    Hopefully with Halo 5 they will do a better job, as for now I think I may be going over to the Dark side next gen.    … Expand
  95. TheBeast666
    Mar 9, 2013
    0
    numaiios es retrasado mental
  96. magician369
    Mar 8, 2013
    9
    Graphics:10///GAMEPLAY:10///Story:7///Soundtracks:10
    ----------9 masterpiece---------------
    a must have game for the Xbox,if you did not play the series before(like me),i highly recommend to watch all the cut scenes on YouTube to be familiar with the universe of Halo.
    the guns are absolotly amazing,vihcels are a little bit buggy,but also cool.best graphics for a seven generation consol     ,especially the faces of the characters are so real.the music is fantastic...
    there is only one big PROBLEM in this game,be sure to read this:NO AUTO SAVE IN CAMPAIGN,not even a save menu,checkpoints are not saved unless you press start and choose save and quit,i lost three missions when i shutdown my Xbox.
    also the story plot is not up to the game,but it is good.    … Expand
  97. drlowdon
    Mar 7, 2013
    8
    Following the highly publicised change of developer the gaming world was rightly curious as to how one of its biggest selling franchises would fare following the departure of its creators Bungie. Despite now being developed by 343 industries however this is still, for better or worse, the same Halo we've all seen before and those that criticise the series for not really evolving since its Xbox debut over a decade ago certainly make a fair point. As a result this fourth 'mainline' title is not really going to be of any interest to those that didn't like previous installments.

    Having said all that Halo 4 is still undeniably a great package and certainly offers better value for money than many modern video games. The main campaign itself will last most players somewhere around the 10 hour mark depending on the difficulty setting and their level of skill and can be played either solo or with up to three other players. As with every previous game it is at its best when offering open areas in which to fight the array of enemies and their vehicles and to this day there are few better experiences in the FPS genre than when Halo gets the balance just right. For me the game forces players to spend a little too long inside long thin corridors and smaller indoor areas as in these instances the freedom to tackle the battle the way you want to is removed and it simply is not as much fun to play, hopefully this is something that can be addressed in the inevitable sequels.

    On top of the campaign Halo 4 also provides a series of 'Spartan Op' missions. Each of these lasts between 15 and 30 minutes and can again be tackled either alone or in multi-player. The idea seems to have been taken from the special ops missions featured in the Call of Duty series and provide the player with various tasks such as clearing an area of enemies or destroying set objectives. Admittedly maps are reused throughout these ops but it is hard to complain when they can all be downloaded for free.

    The final part of this generous package is the competitive multi-player. All the usual modes, as well as a few surprises, are present and correct and the solid gunplay still translates well. Controversially Halo 4 has again taken a page out of the Call of Duty handbook with weapons and perks now being unlocked as the player levels up. I was never a huge fan of the online multi-player in the previous installments anyway but purists will understandable be disappointed and it is certainly a shame to see yet another game attempt to imitate Activisions all conquering behemoth.

    All in all then this is a safe but promising start for 343 industries and the wealth of options and modes will provide most with hour upon hour of gameplay.    … Expand
  98. Bass_Clef
    Mar 6, 2013
    6
    Visually, this game is amazing. In every other aspect, the game is severely lacking. From a frustratingly short campaign with a terrible QTE final boss to a multiplayer, this game just isn't the epic adventure 343 promised. I was so excited for this game and I loved what 343 did with Halo: CEA but this game is effectively raping a dead horse. I hope 343 will improve with 5, but it's better to assume that 5 as well as 6 will simply be half assed games designed to milk every cent out of an already dead series. One positive note I would like to make is that even though the campaign is short (it was about 6 hours for me) it was actually not that bad, but it has so little replay value that after I finished the campaign I just stopped playing it until my friend nagged me to do multiplayer with him. Spartan Ops was also pretty fun, but once again not the epic endeavor that 343 had us believe it would be, and it was mainly only fun because I played with a good friend. I would recommend renting it if you REALLY want to play it.… Expand
  99. NIntendoFan94
    Mar 6, 2013
    10
    Halo 4 is such stellar and the epic chapter of the new Reclaimer trilogy had finally begun! The multiplayer is absolute win. Campaign is still a thrill ride and it gotten soo much better!
  100. LunaRaven7
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    There are too many plot holes and inconsistencies in the campaign, and the game really takes the "Halo" feel out of the combat, and shifts it more towards another generic Call of Duty spinoff. With predetermined loadouts, instant respawn, faster kills, and almost no map weapons, multiplayer aims to become a fast-paced experience, but really just ends up as a frantic mess of disorganized chaos. The few redeeming qualities of this game are brought down by the overall negative experience.… Expand
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87 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critics

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