Halo 4 Xbox 360
User Score
6.9 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2263 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,546 out of 2263
  2. Mixed: 146 out of 2263
  3. Negative: 571 out of 2263

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  1. ncstatemike
    Feb 5, 2013
    5
    I will start of by saying I am a long-time Halo fan, and I do not wish to write a negative review, just a critical review.

    Halo 4 was the biggest disappointment of the Halo franchise, mainly due to the new developer's lack of experience. Before its release, 343 Industries gradually convinced me that they were worthy of continuing the Halo series, by making promises that appealed to long    -time Halo fans, as well as newer players, which they would ultimately not be able to keep. For the first few weeks after release, Halo 4 entertained players with a basic, but enjoyable multiplayer, an adequate campaign, and Spartan Ops, what seemed to be a fun, unique experience. After about three weeks, I was able to complete the campaign (with little effort, on the highest difficulty), milk the mutiplayer experience for more than it was worth, and suffered through the horribly repetitive Spartan Ops episodes. Although Halo 4 was not a bad game, its lifespan was extremely short. I haven't played it but maybe once in the last month, and I still play previous Halo titles quite frequently. Major problems:
    Halo 4's main problems mostly concern Spartan Ops and multiplayer.
    Spartan Ops: It's quite clear why this part of the game receives so little recognition. Although is has a premise that has many possibilities, 343 fails to take advantage of what could have been the highlight of the game. Spartan Ops is fun for about two or three chapters, and then you realize that you have been doing the same thing, often on the same maps, repeatedly. Multiplayer: By far Halo's weakest multiplayer experience, Halo 4's multiplayer is generic and forgettable. Leading up to the release of Halo 4, 343 employees said they wanted to add features to the multiplayer that would attract new fans, which they did very successfully. They completely forget what is most important in Halo games, and what Bungie always did best; satisfying long-time fans. Halo 4 multiplayer gameplay is completely dominated by the ordinance system, that changes the focus of the game from skill-based gameplay, to a frenetic, unbalanced war of power weapons. It also removes excitement of competition over weapon placements on maps. Possibly the worst aspect of the multiplayer is the ranking system. After all matches, you will receive a predetermined sum of experience points, regardless of how well you performed in the match. This means that experienced players can expect to level just as fast as those who are playing the game for the first time. I have not completely lost faith in the future of the franchise. 343 has acknowledged the mistakes they made, and have promised to work on them. As a long time Halo fan, I am happy to see the franchise continue, but so far it hasn't quite compared to what Bungie left behind. Altogether, Halo 4 didn't meet expectations, but I believe that the remaining games still have great potential.    … Expand
  2. Caged_Sephiroth
    Feb 17, 2013
    5
    A good game but the multiplayer and a lot of the campaign feels too dejavu. Fantastic, there's a new enemy, an awesome soundtrack, and little tweaks that are much appreciated, but the overall feel is too familiar. Halo 3.5, not Halo 4.
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. ghola
    Nov 7, 2012
    3
    Same old Halo. Just a teaser for Halo 5 on Xbox720.
    PROS:
    -It´s an OK Halo.
    CONS:
    -You have to read the (great) Halo books (kilo-five and forerunner trilogies) to grasp the plot of this game.
    -Multiplayer has been "CODified".
  6. JDK04281980
    Nov 10, 2012
    2
    This game was.....ok. Not as good as the other ones. The quality of the series keeps going down and down. As great as HALO2 was, 3 then 4 continue the downward spiral of the once great series. I suggest if you wanna play a great shooter, try Black Ops 2.
  7. jthiel09
    Nov 7, 2012
    9
    Visually it is honestly up there with the best FPS games of this console generation. Game play is a big step up from previous entries with the variety of load out options you can have and also the combat itself is impressive. The sound of the game is probably the best of any Halo game. The guns sound and feel more realistic, the vehicles too. And whoever did the soundtrack for this game (pretty sure it wasn't old Marty McDonnell) did a great job.

    For those users giving it anything below a 6 or 7 take the game for what it is. This is Halo, this isn't Call of Duty or Battlefield like so many of you have been posting so rate it for being a halo game not a COD or Battlefield clone.

    For anyone complaining it's not Dishonored or Assassin's Creed III .... this isn't that type of game so they aren't comparable. This is an FPS so enough of those comparisons that's childish and pathetic that you would try to compare the two. Be a bit smarter about it. Also if you complain about the length ..... what FPS has ever had a lengthy campaign like Mass Effect or Assassin's Creed? None.

    If you want an FPS and enjoy Halo you should love this, and if you want a different type of stealthy / third person game go buy Assassin's Creed III it really is an amazing game in and of itself. I'm tired of people trashing this game and giving it 0's. There 's a reason HALO is a giant franchise that almost any developer would chomp at the bit to work with, because they are solid games and this one is no exception. Halo 4 is the best entry to date and take the story for what it is ... a sci-fi story that you either like or hate and personally I find the continual story (minus the cluster of Halo 2) quite entertaining. A solid game overall and well worth the money.    … Expand
  8. CameoCream
    Nov 8, 2012
    0
    I've been playing Halo for ten years and I don't see this as Halo anymore. if you enjoyed Reach then you'll enjoy this crap, mainly because this game aims to compete with CoD by becoming CoD...... again like Reach. Which is of course a horrible decision. Every single second of the multiplayer is filled with crap, like perks, unbalanced AA's again, weapon drops, over powered vehicles, and dumbing down the game so some silly 3 year old could play it and kill a seasoned player with ease. The multiplayer is an abomination of horrible, unfair, and un-fun gameplay. I would not recommend buying this if you intend to play multiplayer.

    If you however want to play campaign, I enjoyed this funnily enough. The campaign had story, and has playability to it unlike Reach's boring linear campaign. I give the rating of the campaign roughly a 95, but because the ,multiplayer is just so horrible I can't give it anything more than a 0 overall. Do not buy this game or future Halo's until the developers come to their senses and make a 'Halo' game, not CoD on steroids.    … Expand
  9. GeneralKumar
    Nov 11, 2012
    5
    The campaign is great and the story is finally back on track from that debacle that was "Reach". Spartan Ops is interesting and it's cool to see the story of the universe expand past campaign.......

    The reason why the score is so low is because the Multi-Player is "Turrible"... It is the worst bastardization of a solid franchise i have ever seen. The game copies so many other games that     it no longer feels like Halo. The maps are poorly laid out with poor spacial referencing for callouts. The small number of maps is appalling. The whole multiplayer experience is inconsistent with all the random weapon spawns, ordinance drops, and all the random variables and "perks" that the games are loaded with. The entire game could be great if they would just make classic playlists.... Personally it feels like a Beta, with 4 maps to choose from in any playlist and weapons that are polished but need some work on balance. The game feels noobie and too much like COD....… Expand
  10. Mastabrad85
    Nov 9, 2012
    5
    If you loved Halo Combat evolved, then loved Halo 2, then loved Halo 3, though Halo Reach was hot garbage....I am so sorry you will not like Halo 4. As far as the campaign goes it is standard halo with a little more backtracking than I would like however the multiplayer is just a mess. want to mute that annoying kid screaming into your headphone, no longer is it easy like halo 3, you have to do finger yoga to mute someone and play at the same time. Tired of getting beat by the guys who are 5 levels above you...sorry there is no unranked playlist and your rank only goes up not down so eventually you will be playing at a level that is just no fun. I had the same emblem for YEARS and YEARS in halo now....well maybe I will unlock it someday. Like zombie rule #32 enjoy the little things. Well 343 forgot all the little things and tried to steal as much as they could from COD. :( I gave a 5 because the audio and video is very polished and high quality. Halo 3 would be a 9/10.… Expand
  11. takepantsoff
    Nov 6, 2012
    10
    Ok so. I have loved halo for the longest time because it is one of only a handful of video games with such an expansive universe full of story and lore that most games can't manage, yet it is a first person shooter with perfect gameplay, Halo invented regenerating health, auto aiming, and started online multiplayer gaming on consoles. Now back to Halo 4, halo 4 is the first step into a new trilogy of halo games, and I really am bugged by how many anti-halo people there are out there now adays whether they hate halo because they suck at it, or because they have been brainwashed by call of duty, or if they just don't have an xbox. The game really does NOTHING wrong. The multiplayer leveling system that this game introduces is a perfect combination of call of duty's leveling system and what halo has always done so well. The story is excellent and so rich of detail that it has books written about it. The biggest thing is, Halo is the only first person shooter out there that manages or even tries to tell a story.… Expand
  12. HonoredBacon
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    It is nice that 343i picked up Halo 3's HUD (so it really looks like we're wearing a helmet in-game) display and use it here, in Halo 4 and many other features too. To be honest, the campaign is quite short. 343i's design on this Halo is really artistic and it's sound effects for guns are incredible. CoD fans might not appreciate how the game's MP features are but it is enjoyable and still have balance in the games.

    The only flaw I have is it's short campaign and the somewhat unpleasant Promethean Knights and their flying companions. (They like to teleport away which makes it a little frustrating)
    *Actual score is 9.7    … Expand
  13. SKELETOR420
    Nov 7, 2012
    9
    This is a wake n' bake review.

    If you've forgotten or don't know about how much Halo has actually contributed to the genre, game design or multiplayer/co-op gaming, shame on you. You don't know 'bout video games.

    Campaign: I played the campaign straight through in Heroic yesterday and can safely say that this is not only a stellar Halo game, it's the best campaign since Halo 2. Just     keep in mind it's very much the story from the chief's perspective. Spartan Ops will continue to expand and grow the events, so don't feel short changed story-wise when the credits roll. The only con is there's a limited amount of new enemies (and old for that matter). The ones that are there feel familiar but unpredictable. This is something that will be heavily criticised, but then CoD is just the same 5 guys for years now. Halo 5 needs a heavy class like the brutes. Just no **** flood.

    The Rest: 343i have taken Halo and made it feel new. They took millions of fan requests and made it all work. It plays fast. The weapons have purpose. The graphics are crisp. As an amateur dev I can see every last technique in the book at work to make it eat the 360's resources. For the discerning eye it's a masterpiece in engineering for a current console.

    I'm going back to play multiplayer now, but after 1 match last night i'm hooked.

    I had largely quit Halo after dabbling in Reach, and have been playing CoD mostly for the last 2 years. I think CoD is better than Reach, but Halo 4 is way better than CoD.I'm not a crazy Halo fanboy, but as a lover of AAA games, I've always found it engaging and original.    … Expand
  14. TristanV1
    Nov 7, 2012
    0
    If you're new to the Halo multiplayer franchise i advise you to pick up Halo 3 its cheaper and totally the same.its just the typical walk shoot game nothing new story ehhh nobody cares about the story multiplayer is worse then ever.
  15. Maxson
    Nov 8, 2012
    10
    Don't listen to the people that are giving this amazing game a bad score, this game is easily 10/10, outstanding story, visually the best looking game on the Xbox 360, and fun addicting online multiplayer. To the people that are giving this game 0-4, their just CoD fanboys that are thrashing this game. Buy this game!!!
  16. Viperspider
    Nov 25, 2012
    1
    This is my second review. Unlike my first this will be quick and to the point. ||||| Halo 4 is a horrible pathetic disappointment. I have had this game for maybe 3 weeks and I've already shelved it for good. It is my brothers game so i cant return it, but i wish i could. Keep in mind that i only played the multiplayer on the weekends and i played the campaign through while i had a week off from college with a little MP here and there. So i havent even been playing this game extensively, and it still bored me to tears in just 3 weeks. |||| The campaign is horribly written, boring and theres nothing compelling you to keep playing, The ending is the worst i've ever seen, instead of a nice cut scene we get a horrible "Press LT to ***" which was the most pathetic excuse for a climax i've ever seen. The multiplayer is stale, unbalanced, laggy and the maps and playlists are horribly designed. The only good map is a Halo 3 remake. |||| The latest Halo title is just another addition to the stagnant pool of FPS genre titles that have come out in the last 3 years or so. Dont buy this game people, save your money for toilet paper because you'll only end up wiping your ass with this game anyway.… Expand
  17. saucyninja007
    Nov 14, 2012
    2
    Halo used to distance itself from other shooters like COD and Battlefield. It wasn't necessarily better, just different. However, Halo 4 ruins that tradition. Halo 4 borrows too many mechanics from COD and Battlefield and loses sight of what made the previous Halo games so great. Halo 4 has a campaign that looks great but is simple, predictable, tedious, and ultimately too short. The campaign tries to create a story that the player can get emotionally invested in, but it just doesn't work. That being said, most people play Halo for the multiplayer. Is the multiplayer fun? No, not really. It no longer means anything to have a BR because now everyone can spawn with a BR if they so choose. That is not Halo. Players can customize their starting loadout for matches, which seems like a good idea at first.... then you realize that this makes the game inherently unfair; people will start the game with advantages that others do not have. That is not Halo. If you are doing better in a game, you get rewarded with weapon drops. This may make sense to those who are familiar with COD, but, once again, this is not Halo. But what about the graphics in Halo 4? Aren't they amazing? No, not really. I don't understand why people are gushing about them. First of all, graphics take the back seat behind story and gameplay. Second of all, what game isn't good looking nowadays? Third of all, the new look to Halo 4 is... well... annoying. Everything is all bright and reflective, just for the sake of showcasing the graphics, but I think most people will agree with me when I say I want to be able to SEE my radar and the people I am shooting. Finally, the controls for Halo 4 are very annoying. Did you use the "recon" configuration in Halo Reach like I did? Well, have fun using X to sprint instead of left bumper. In conclusion, I was very disapointed with Halo 4. I wouldn't buy it. Maybe rent it.… Expand
  18. BelgianTofu
    Nov 16, 2012
    8
    The story is quite good, it has stellar sound and looks, character development has increased tenfold over it's predecessors, and can be challenging due to decently smart AI. A little on the short side though.

    The multiplayer is somewhat derivative and hectic by Halo standards, but stellar by any other measure. (No pun intended)

    Verdict: Much better than Halo Reach, but this title doe    sn't quite match the glory days of Halo 3.… Expand
  19. TannerIsGod
    Nov 20, 2012
    9
    Halo is just awesome ... and Halo 4 really sets the bar for where this genre should go next. Amazing stuff. There are certainly things it could do better ... but, yeah, it's really, really good.
  20. Lilbutter
    Nov 25, 2012
    8
    Fantastic game! Best graphics on Xbox 360 by a mile. Gameplay is great in single player, but not hooked on multiplayer, just is'nt doing anything for me. have'nt been hooked on a halo game since 3, but this is still a great game.
  21. TonyArnold2
    Dec 18, 2012
    10
    Absolutely brilliant game. Couldn't ask for more, except maybe a bigger Forge map and a helicopter in multiplayer. But to break it down...
    - The campaign is incredible and has possibly the best story I've ever played. You really feel like Master Chief.
    - The graphics are the best I've ever seen and are the best on the Xbox 360, hands down.
    - The multiplayer is incredibly fun, deep, and     extraordinarily balanced. Best multiplayer since Halo 2. - Spartan Ops is fantastic, and the cinematic pieces before each episode make the missions have meaning.
    This game is incredible. Games like Call of Duty are laughable in comparison. If you like games, pick this up. Now.    … Expand
  22. TragicShow
    Mar 1, 2013
    6
    First off, the graphics in this game are amazing, the visuals, explosions, and sound are all spectacular. But that isn't what makes a game great. The campaign is only about 4-5 hours long on normal with all of the cool stuff like space battles removed. I loved the space battle in Halo: Reach and I was really disappointed that there wasn't one here. While it does offer new guns and enemies, they're pretty much just the same guns but they look different. For example, the scattershot and bionary rifle are exactly the same as the shotgun and sniper rifle except they look different. The levels look very similar and much less diverse then in the last game. The multiplayer is the best part of the game, even though they've pretty much turned it into "Call of Halo". The multiplayer is very similar to Call of Duty with small mas where you can't roam around much. They added a pretty cool vehicle addition which is an awesome mech, but it is only in one of the multiplayer maps, so don't expect to use it much. The game is pretty fun, but disappointing if you've played Halo: Reach. Minus the disappointing aspect, I would rate it a 7.… Expand
  23. 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
  24. supermonkey
    Nov 17, 2012
    6
    First off, I'm almost entirely a single player guy, so this review will be heavily biased in that regards. If you want to know about multiplayer, this review is not for you. Saying that, previous Halo games have always provided me with more than enough single player value for my dollar. Halo 4 is the first time I have not felt this way. As short as part 4 was, this was the first time I ever had to force myself to finish a Halo game. I began to wonder if after so many Halo games, if perhaps I had finally gotten tired of them. So I loaded up Halo Reach, and it was quickly reestablished why I love Halo so much after all. No, this wasn't a Halo thing. It was a Halo 4 thing. No joke, I had more fun in a single 30 minute single player round of Reach firefight then I did in the entire Halo 4 campaign. Thinking more on the whole Bungie's past visions of Halo vs. 343's new vision of Halo, I found something that summoned up my thoughts perfectly. A comparison of the former Firefight vs the new Spartan Ops. Firefight (Bungie) gives 1-4 people a hugh number of options, weapons, vehicles, levels and enemies, then lets you decide how you want to play the game to make your own fun. Spartan Ops (343) wants to tell you what to do, when to do it, and how you should do it. And it also wants to sell you a Gold membership at the same time. No thanks. Bungies Halos were nothing short of brilliant. 343's Halo was a good first attempt, yes. But its lacking it so many areas I just can't recommend it as a single player only game for those expecting more of the same. The campaign on display is a shell of it's former self. The new enemies, new weapons, empty battlefields, rail like progression (reviews that say the sandbox feel is better than ever are lying to you), horribly lifeless areas with little diversity (if I never see another silver level filled with orange neon lights and orange enemies with orange weapons it will be too soon), and enemy AI, can't hold a candle to what's already been established in the previous Halo games. And the worst new offender would be the reduced grenade damage in single player. My biggest guilty pleasure in Halo has always been making sure to save at least one grenade for when the enemy congregated in large numbers so I could reign down firey death. In halo 4 I would just as soon throw my grenades off a cliff for all the good they did. Another thing Bungie's Halos did great was introducing new enemy types with a bang, and making me fear and respect certain types of enemies. I have many fond memories of enemy encounters in past Halo games. What do I remember about Halo 4's enemies? Not fear, but dread. Dread of tedium (how many bullets does this thing take before warping and reshielding?) and cheap tactics over genuine challenge when a new Promethan knight appeared. That and about half way through the game I began wondering how long had I already been killing these resident evil dogs for. 343 / Microsoft have two directions to go in at this point. Bring back the single player value, or continue with the multiplayer only focus. Since we've already seen it's possible to do both, I'm hoping they choose the former over the latter.… Expand
  25. TheProCritic
    Nov 27, 2012
    10
    At first i was unsure about purchasing this game because of the many negative and few positive User reviews i've seen, but after watching gameplay i decided that Halo 4 was for me. After playing almost entirely through the campaign and over 5 hours of online multiplayer, i can certainly say that 343 Studios has succeeded in the creation of such a memorable and time consuming game. The campaign brought back the master chief in the the most epic fashion possible. The campaign is very fun and quite a challenge at times as well, it creates a perfect balance of challenge, gameplay, and story to generate what seems to be the most memorable of all the Halo campaigns. The multiplayer is fantastic, unlocking weapons, armor, and emblems is only half the game, but working towards unlocking these things gives a great sense of achievement, the multiplayer makes me feel like i'm playing the Halo we all love and remember, it makes me forget about how much i disliked Halo: Reach, and gives me that fantastic feeling that previous Halo titles have always given me. I have complete respect for 343 studios for being able to replicate and improve the Halo universe, and for that i give them props. If you have yet to find a great FPS, look no further, Halo 4 is here.… Expand
  26. Chief
    Nov 10, 2012
    8
    I have to admit that I expected much more from this game. It's still a lot of fun, the important gameplay mechanics have been preserved, yet it feels a little dull. The AI isn't as good as it was in CE: Anniversary or Reach, new enemies don't seem that original (Gears of War 3, anyone?) and the overall experience doesn't deliver that "WOW" feeling. The older Halo titles seemed kind of heartfelt, this feels just like a huge budget game made for earning billions of dollars. Ït could've been so much better...… Expand
  27. MrArmageddon17
    Nov 20, 2012
    8
    I have really enjoyed my time on this game so far. The campaign is pretty good. I would have preferred more shorter missions rather than the few long ones. At times it gets to the point where you just want the mission to be over. However there are some pretty epic scenes and the game looks fantastic. It must be pushing the 360 to its limits. The multiplayer is also a good time. I like the random map drops. Takes away the importance of knowing the power weapon locations and the fastest way to get there. The personal ordinance drops are a blessing and a curse. It's nice to rewarded for playing well but it is unnecessary. I would prefer to have the map drops happen more often and get rid of the ordinance drops. The custom loadouts are ok. I'd prefer if you just picked a gun and the grenades though. I find everything else unnecessary. The guns you can pick from however are incredibly balanced. Anyone who says otherwise is just complaining to complain. I would also like to see them get rid of map voting or improve the system. There are about 10 maps and in the 30 or so games I've played I think I have played 4. Often I have played the same map 3 times in a row. Also after games if the majority of the party leaves it would be nice to have the remaining group search for more players. I have had games that started 3 vs. 1 which is pretty lame. Over all a good game. Any complaints I have are really just nitpicking and personal preference.… Expand
  28. butternut86
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. TROLLS ARE BRINGING THE AVERAGE OF THIS GAME DOWN.

    They need to cut that out, because this is an amazing game. In fact, I think its the best Halo since Halo 2. 343 went all out for this game and it should not be overlooked because a bunch of haters are trying to bring something popular down.

    Graphics. 10/10 -- Lightyears ahead of any other Halo game and some of the best I've seen on the 360. The only games on a console I would put above Halo 4 in terms of graphics would be Uncharted 3 and Gear of War 3

    Gameplay -- 10/10 -- A solid as it gets. Very smooth never had any trouble. The weapons, the aim, everything just feels right and natural. I do miss the grenade swap from Halo 3 though. I prefer switching grenades with the LB button rather then the d-pad. But that's a small gripe

    Sound - Epic soundtrack, amazing score and the sound effects are top notch. I love the gun sounds, they sound a lot better than previous halos. 9/10

    Campaign - 9/10 In terms of action, the campaign was great. However I preferred the first half of the game more. I felt the second half was too focused on indoor environments. I really loved the natural environments in the beginning. I think it made the graphics shine and it had a cool feel to it. Story -- 7/10 The story is nothing special. I played the earlier Halos a long time ago and I was a little confused at times. The Cortona/Master Chief relationship missed the mark as well. But, Halo was never a game I played for its story. Multiplayer - 10/10 -- Amazing multiplayer. My favorite of any Halo. Truly a masterpiece

    Overall - 10/10 ( its not an average.. but that my lasting appeal)


    Multiplayer -    … Expand
  29. Reviewer2401
    Nov 6, 2012
    10
    Quick Review:

    Graphics: 10/10
    Absolutely gorgeous. Cut scenes are better than Wars.
    Story: 9.5
    Greg Bear definitely had a large part in this.
    Gameplay: 9.5
    Slightly repetitive but it kept me interested throughout.
    Multiplayer: 9.5
    Very, very fun, much better than Reach.
    Dialogue: 10
    Brilliant Writing.
    Soundtrack: 9.5
    Average is above 9.5, so it rounds up to 10.
  30. tackle70
    Nov 10, 2012
    10
    If you like Halo games, this one is amazing! I'll be brief Pros: - The most fun campaign of the series, easily. From a gameplay perspective, ditching the Flood for the Prometheans makes for a night and day improvement in terms of fun. The campaign is well paced and is of a consistently high quality throughout. -The story is similarly told to the story in Halo 1-3, meaning that its an interesting sci-fi space opera that won't make complete sense unless you're willing to read a wikipedia article or two. The game doesn't hold your hand through the narrative and explain every minute detail. It assumes you're smart enough to put the pieces together yourself, which is a breath of fresh air among modern games.

    -Some of the best graphics on a console

    -The best sound design I've ever heard in a game. It's an orgasm in your ears.

    -The multiplayer is leagues better than the clunky snoozefest that was Reach. Too early to tell if it's as good as Halo 2/Halo 3, but it's so much better than Reach it's ridiculous. The maps are all at least decent, with a few standouts (Haven/Ragnarok). The gameplay pacing and balance is fixed from Reach and this is the fastest paced, most intense Halo game yet.

    Cons
    - Makes little sense that join-in-progress was implemented for all playlists.
    - Too early to tell if the multiplayer will have longevity for competitive players, and it's really too early to tell if the move to include ordinances was a good one or not. I like it so far, though.
    - Desperately needs more maps

    This isn't a con for me (it's actually a big pro), but it's still a Halo game. Obviously there's tons of Halo haters out there. If you didn't like any of the previous Halo games, you probably won't like this one. If you're looking for Call of Halo, this isn't it (thank goodness). Some Halo fans are upset about Halo "stealing" some things from CoD (loadouts, unlocks), but they're superficial "stolen" elements. I agree that they didn't need to be there, but it doesn't really matter. This game is still very much Halo and plays nothing like CoD.    … Expand
  31. Kohven
    Nov 6, 2012
    10
    This game is better than Reach, Halo 3, and Halo 2 ...to a certain extent with 2 cause it was the game i first played online and i think thats what makes it unique...given Halo 4 would I switch back to Halo 2?...no. Its like windows xp and window 7, xp was good and windows 7 was good too...but would i go back to xp? no. new is always better. I think its safe to say that the negative ratings are jealous ps3 fanboys. Guess what my PS3 will be doing...collecting a whole bunch of dust.… Expand
  32. cadeus
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    look amazing, the gameplay is so amazing all of this game is amazinf if you think "this game see soo boring " you don't know what are you saying just play and enjoy
  33. ReSultZ
    Nov 6, 2012
    5
    You already played this. After over ten years of halo games Halo 4 is exactly the same formula :-/ Pretty graphics, decent sounds,cool new enemies (finally). But I am very disapointed that the series hasn't envolved. Come on 343 what modern shooter doesn't zoom with all guns to aim! It needs to be faster! Also the slomo jumping got to go! Average game thanks to its dated nature smh...
    Will be trading her in tomorrow.    … Expand
  34. CM8691
    Nov 6, 2012
    7
    I don't have live and this game, like so many FPS' these days was made more for the online player. The campaign was brutally short and not all that replayable. However, it was fun while it lasted. It was also quite polished, but that isn't enough to carry it on its own. Most people will give it horrible reviews just because they want to feel like they're keeping the Halo franchise back, as they felt it should have ended with Halo 3. Although I agree the series should have stayed finished, 343 did a good enough job.… Expand
  35. Kuse
    Nov 6, 2012
    10
    I don't understand the negative reviews here, seems to be a lot of fanboys from the Call of Duty franchise trying to make this game look bad. From my experience the game is very polished and very fluid from the days of yesteryear, in fact I think it looks better than when Bungie had it. If you are on the fence about this game don't be, it answers the questions you were looking for and more.
  36. 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.
  37. SuperJoystick
    Nov 7, 2012
    4
    343 have done a great job. The audio and gameplay are fantastic. Best Halo yet. Also the multiplayer is better than ever. Minus 6 points as there is no local search or ping indicator in multiplayer. WTF, 343?!?!? FIX IT! I don't want to lag.
  38. a2toedmonkey
    Nov 6, 2012
    7
    I don't know, I feel like a lot of the negative reviews of this game are from the "hardcore" or "true" gamer crowd. I consider myself hardcore, and I like this game for the multiplayer, the singleplayer is alright. My gripes are that the multiplayer does feel a little strange compared to old games and, as a few have said, grenades don't seem to matter as much. The combat felt slightly slower than previous entries in the series, but its not bad by any means. I think you should take all reviews as someone else's opinion for this reason, alot of the negative reviews probably went in expecting the game to suck and they only remembered it sucking. They want to seem popular and talk about how games have sold out without realizing that these companies do in fact want your money. This isn't some family fun time and realistically they don't owe you anything, so if you wanna be popular with the gaming hipsters who pretend to be hardcore, bad talk the game before you try it, and then remember the time you jumped off the cliff in game, not the gorgeous visuals.… Expand
  39. Zucheto
    Nov 12, 2012
    10
    This review is a multiplayer only review.. I could care less about the campaign. I only play Halo games for the multiplayer and this is one of the best multiplayers I have played... I'm still trying to decide whether this game or Halo 3 is my favorite Halo multiplayer.. It's a tough decision.. but I'm definitely giving a 10 to make up for the COD trolls on here. This game is a great game.... get it if you like any Halo game ever.. and ignore the negative reviews from people wanting to one shot everybody in COD because they don't have enough skill to play Halo.… Expand
  40. fluxmulder
    Nov 11, 2012
    7
    PROS: - Good graphics in general. Old armor and weapon designs have been revamped, some nice environment set pieces. - The Halo gameplay we know and love is back, with a few tweaks here and there. - Multiplayer is fun, with some nice updates to familiar modes. - Good sound effects. - Some very impressive cutscenes. CONS: -The gameplay is Halo by the numbers. Not much in the way of innovation or brand new features, just the same old package wrapped in a shinier skin.
    - Bland missions, mostly consisting of Chief running back and forth doing various menial tasks. Not much in the way of pacing.
    - Art direction is typical sci-fi flair, nothing we haven't seen before. The forerunner planet didn't strike any awe or sense of exploration in me, which was disappointing.
    - There is alot of unexplained backstory. The game throws you right into it. Which is fine for Halo diehards, but completely unforgiving to newcomers.
    - There's an admirable attempt to humanize Master Chief and make him a more serious character. Nice try, but the character is little more than a walking tank that shoots aliens. Always has been, always will be. They pretty much wrote him into a corner by throwing a helmet over his face. - The character of Cortana annoys me to no end. The generic "sexy" voice that grated on me in the previous games is now front and center. She simply won't shut up. If you're going to use her so prominently, ditch this voice actress and hire someone whose voice has a little more character and imperfection.
    - Forgettable musical score. It's amazing how much O'Donnell's work added to the old games, and his presence is sorely missed here.

    SUMMARY:
    A by the books Halo wrapped in a shinier package. This series is in dire need of evolution or it will become another Call of Duty.    … Expand
  41. Rumboom
    Jan 4, 2013
    8
    Graphics was a huge improvement campaign wise and I really like the direction they took with the legacy of Master Chief in campaign mode. I am huge fan of Halo Multiplayer and I thought the changes were pretty good improvements for the most part,but one thing kept nagging me, I felt like a lot of the new ideas were COD ripoffs (E.g. Drop packages, the prestige which not really prestige, ranking to unlock item system). COD is amazing title but if I wanted to play COD multiplayer, I would go buy it. I think some ideas were needed to improve the competitive play (Ability to enter and exit games without handicapping teammates) but they lack originality. I personally thought the ranking system in Halo 3 was more impressive when a person's skill level was more important rather than his/her ability to not have a life and live on the game, just my opinion.… Expand
  42. Killision
    Nov 6, 2012
    8
    343 Studios delivered a fantastic Halo game. The first thing that stood out for me was the graphics. I was truly surprised at how beautiful this game is considering the aging console. Next was how tight the controls felt, this was most definitely Halo. As I played I was very impressed by the sounds. The guns sound amazing. Not only do they sound powerful but IMO it felt like 343 bumped up the power on them. The music however is not the most impressive of the series and is a let down. At times I didn't even realize it was playing in the background. I don't know why the original composer was not kept but I guess I'll have to fix that with custom soundtracks. The story on the single player part is absolutely awesome. It is one of the few times I found myself caring about the characters in a Halo game, especially Cortana. Don't worry, no spoilers. As far a multiplayer goes, I felt the that some maps where awesome but others a little lack luster and feel like they where thrown together over a weekend. So is this game worth it? Absolutely. 343 has got my attention and I can't wait to see what their next two titles in this trilogy are going to offer. I had a lot of fun with the campaign, I'm loving Spartan ops, and the multiplayer is pretty much what I've come to expect from Halo.… Expand
  43. MegaCritic3000
    Nov 12, 2012
    10
    My first Halo game was Halo 3: ODST. I first played I when a friend came over and showed it to me. I was astounded. I had heard Halo was good, but not this good. Since then I've played Wars, Reach, and the Anniversary Edition. I have to say the best out of those three was Reach. With its stellar campaign and it's chaotic multiplayer, I thought Halo 4 would have a hard time beating it. I was wrong, very, very wrong. Halo 4 exceeds all expectations and shatters my idea of a good game. It combines the most emotional story of the Halo series, the best graphics that have been seen to this very day, and exciting new changes to multiplayer, to create the best Halo game that I have ever played, heck the best game I've played to date, which Borderlands 2 had the honor of being before. You hear this a lot, but Halo 4 is really Cortana's story. You see, after 7 years an AI becomes rampant. It's been 8. When an AI becomes Rampant, it literally thinks itself to death. So you can imagine how Cortana feels. Your main mission, throughout the story is to get Cortana to Dr. Halsey so she can be fixed. This goes hand-in-hand with defeating the Didact and getting Infinity off of Requeim. The Promethean enemies are so much fun to fight. I wonder how I stood fighting these Covenant after fighting the Prometheans. The new enemies are tactically smart, and aren't anything like the Covenant. For spoiler related reasons, I will move onto the robust, new multiplayer. Multiplayer is less vehicle based, and more gun based since the guns are now so much more badass. Each gun has brand new sounds, and some of them look different, too. I love the new sound of the Assault Rifle. Now with all these new Promethean weapons, that are extremely powerful and fun to use, I never use vehicles, and this is coming from a person who loved to drive vehicles. Instead of choosing large, expansive maps, like I would in Reach, I choose small, close up maps. I hated the guns and loved the vehicles, Halo 4 flipped that around, and it's a very good thing. Now there are Loadouts, which include Primary, and Secondary Weapons, Grenades, and Abilities. Their are plenty new weapons, both Promethean and UNSC to make the formula feel newer. Now there are more Abilities than ever before. The Run ability has been disabled, instead you can run by simply pressing on the joystick. The Armor Lock is gone, too. In fact, the only ones that they still have is Jetpack, invisibility, and the ability in which you make a duplicate. The new multiplayer is a refreshing new turn for the franchise. This game looks stunning. It feels stunning. Everything about this game is stunning. From its emotional story, to it's groundbreaking multiplayer, Halo 4 is what I dreamt what Halo should be. Looking back at ODST again, I feel like, what was great, is now archaic. 343i has accomplished something no other company could, even Bungie.… Expand
  44. BeardtobeFeared
    Nov 12, 2012
    1
    Got it as a gift and it's garbage. It's Halo: Reach COD-ified. Plenty of bugs (Certain maps aren't appearing in cycle, for one), short story, boring missions abound. I would return it if I could. It stings even worse knowing how far one of my favorite game series has fallen.

    Why not instead of trying to grab fanbases of CoD and Halo, you just make an original and intuitive f*cking game?
  45. Pete97K
    Nov 6, 2012
    8
    So much fun, the campaign is amazing and many new features are incorperated. Multiplayer is also very fun although there are many cod like elements that many wont like. I myself hated them as i started but once you play you realize they are balanced. One thing i personally don't like is the multiplayer interface eg: lobbies, commendation menus, armor menus ect. I also believe the armor doesnt look as cool as in previous games. Yet these things hardly deteriorate the playing experience. This game is a must buy for all Halo fans and is definitely worth buying for new comers to the series.… Expand
  46. TheBartlez
    Jan 11, 2013
    8
    I have played every single Halo game, including Halo: AE and Halo Wars, so I have a good spectrum of the Halo universe and the good and bad Halo games. PROS: 1) Beautiful graphics and sound. This game just looks good! Lush jungles, cool Forerunner areas, etc. 2) Matchmaking system is great as always... easy to find a game and stay with a group. 3) Multiplayer is good fun. Good maps, and an old favorite. Vehicles all perform well. Most weapons feel good to shoot.
    4) Loadout system adds something new to match your playstyle, but doesn't make the game unbalanced.
    5) Campaign was solid, new enemies are always welcome after the Covenant was done for multiple games.

    CONS:
    1) Spartan Ops is pretty shallow and offers little to the game or story.
    2) Campaign was short and the plot was all over the place. IE - Who is this guy, who is that guy and why are they important?
    3) Ordinance drops don;t really work with Halo. I would rather have good weapons on the map that respawn quicker. Many ordinance drops make you choose between 3 equally bad weapons or bonuses. Feels too COD.
    4) 343 Studios went overboard on the weapons. I don't need 3 long range weapons, 3 medium and 3 short range weapons. Just a bit too much.
    5) Armor is unlocked through finishing challenges which forces you to use crummy weapons etc if you want the armor. The credit system from Halo: Reach was great and one of the better ideas from that game.

    A pretty good, almost great game with a few issues. Halo 4 doesn't need to copy COD... everyone has had their fill of that anyway. Also, the campaign was fun, but pretty forgettable. Beyond that though, this game has a robust MP that will make most fans and newcomers happy.    … Expand
  47. Al3xzandar
    Nov 16, 2012
    10
    Best Halo since Combat Evolved. I am not a Halo fan, ever since Combat Evolved you could say I've been a Halo Hater. Till now. I felt that Bungie squandered and incredible Universe by forcing us to play through campaigns with confusing and lackluster stories, that were set in a great universe with characters that had all the potential to be memorable. Also I felt that Bungie never took any chances with updating Multiplayer. I can say with no doubt I trust in 343, they made em care about the characters, I actually enjoyed the story and the visuals and sound are second to none and did a great job of engrossing you. I also feel the Multiplayer with Spartan Ops is a great change and addition to Multiplayer and has had me fighting my way to 50 to get my first specialization… Expand
  48. Defectionate
    Nov 10, 2012
    8
    When Bungie left, I was very hesitant on Halo 4, but to my surprise, the story and feel was still Halo at its core. The campaign was coherent and had started where it was left off. It was great paced, and the visuals were borderline stunning. The campaign was its strong suit, and it showed. The Multiplayer is a toss up, when you get in a good connected game, and everyone isnt sitting on a vantage point with the DMR, it is an enriching experience, but those games are few and far between. The host drops constantly and as stated, the DMR is overpowered. It looks like Halo, it feels like Halo, the MP doesnt play like Halo. Its no longer a methodical tug of war where the most accurate shot wins, but rather who becomes full of lead first, no matter placement. In Halo 3 a well placed BR burst could take out shields, that is absent here, the DMR was balanced in Reach because there wasnt many options from it, now there is, and it is proven dominant. If this was a stand alone IP then it should have had a better score, but with the Halo brand comes expectations that were met in areas, but the total package was lacking.… Expand
  49. horoxix
    Nov 6, 2012
    10
    Exactly what I have been waiting for in a game. Story is great, action is great. Multiplayer is refreshing and the maps are beautiful. Definitely a must buy.
  50. AngainorG7
    Nov 6, 2012
    10
    The game is absolutely outstanding!!!! Visually maybe the best game in consoles. High quality sounds, it feels like you are in the real battlefield, excellent gameplay, jawdropping lightning effects, unbelievable music, awesome story. What else do you need? Congrats to 343!!!!
  51. Tacobadgers
    Nov 7, 2012
    9
    Halo 4 Multiplayer mixes the best elements of Call of Duty Modern Warfare with the best elements of Halo. These elements like loadout customization joinable online matches, and kill cams are just plain great. I got home from work popped the game in installed the multiplayer and then was able to hop right into a game with my brothers who were already playing a match. Granted someone had to leave before i could join, but they did and I replaced them without having to sit there waiting for their match to be over because the teams were uneven. Weapons are generally more powerful allowing for more frequent deaths but that takes little away from the "Halo" experience it still takes a fair amount of skill to shoot someone in the face several times. Once I got used to the slightly modified (for sprinting) controls I was back in my element and the Halo universe has never looked or sounded better. Since all the weapons are more powerful even my Assault rifle loving friends were having a great time. Like all other halo games we had zero problems connecting and little lag in any of our numerous matches.… Expand
  52. Death0fLove
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    Quite possibly one of the best FPS I have played on 360 for a while now. It honestly disgusts me how many people complain about this game because they're COD or PS3 fanboys or they just want Halo to be as repetitive as COD, but I am glad that Halo is evolving. Also, at least 343 tried new things with Halo 4 instead of just trying to recreate a traditional Bungie Halo experience. With Halo: CE, 343 merely had to revamp the graphics. From the moment they announced Halo 4 at E3 2011, it was abundantly clear that it was going to be a brand new take on an epic series; therefore, anybody who got Halo 4 expecting it to be almost exactly like Halo: CE, 2 & 3 should have known that they'd be disappointed. I am extremely satisfied with Halo 4 and cannot wait to see what 343 will deliver with Halo 5 & 6. Long live Master Chief!… Expand
  53. adrenilinmatt
    Nov 15, 2012
    10
    Well what can I say. Halo 4 has come along and absolutely blown me away. It's truly amazing. Graphically the best game I've seen on any console and emotionally gorgeous.. Touching
    . Sure people are trying to bring it,down all over the internet, but there are just as many if not more telling you how amazing it is. I've played every halo game since ce. and played halo 3 almost every day sin    ce ltd release in 2007. In my opinion halo reach was the worst. and halo 4 brings it back to the classic halo feel. Sound effects are beautiful. 20k games of halo 3 and I loved every one. Halo 4 is gonna be the same. Ignore the trolling critics on here as well! Halo 4 has best black ops 2. Sorry trolls. Even your trolling can't bring this game down. Haha cyan… Expand
  54. Smashsoul
    Nov 29, 2012
    10
    Halo may not be the king it once was nearly a decade ago. But I think it is safe to say that under the excellent supervision of 343, it
  55. Gummies
    Nov 20, 2012
    6
    This game was okay and it would have gotten a higher score from me if it was released like 3 years ago. Sorry but this is getting old and Bungie made better Halo games, even Reach IMO. I even liked Halo 3 so much that i sticked my ding dong into the disc and out several times, it was fabulous if i may say so myself.
  56. Wright98
    Dec 2, 2012
    9
    I love this game. The graphics are immense and the campaign is also brilliant. Multiplayer has brilliant maps and guns. Ordnance is a feature I love and forge is great for building anything you like, the magnets really help.
  57. TOBYSMG
    Dec 18, 2012
    9
    Ah, Halo, how I love you.
    Master Chief has returned in the new installment of the explosive blockbuster franchise, and I (like so many) am as happy as Larry to see that this game is so fantastic.
    Graphically, this is one of the best looking games on the Xbox 360, and in the first cutscene, I did mistake the CGI for reality. Honestly, it's that good-looking. Although textures are sometime    s a little on the dodgy side, and explosion effects are rarely just not exciting enough, this is undoubtedly a graphical triumph.
    The sound design is almost flat-out the best you will ever experience. Buy a good pair of headphones and you will drool at the sound of the DMR punching holes in enemies' faces. I actually start shouting "Pew, pew, pew!" in some sections of the campaign, in which voice acting (for most characters) is brilliant. 343 Industries took a leap of faith with an entirely new musical score, and let me tell you that on the way down, they grew a pair of wings and flew up high into the sky! The music sometimes doesn't complement the situation perfectly, but for the most part it was great.
    Let's think about the campaign for a second. This time around, I really began to care for Cortana and John 117 in a way that I never originally had before. Their bond grew so much stronger in the game, and it brought out who Master Chief really was, and what he thought of himself and others. Story-wise, this game is very memorable, with a good (if slightly under-explained) villain. Some of the secondary characters get lost in the thick of it, and the commander of the ship Infinity has some completely unjustified orders, which make you question his competence as the captain of the biggest human spaceship ever. These minor gripes do not affect the overall product, which is a beautiful culmination of everything Halo. A saddening (but definitely satisfying) ending ties things up perfectly, making this one of the best stories ever told in a Halo game. Gameplay-wise, the campaign retains the sandbox mechanics of previous Halos, but only widens the possibilities with the new enemies: Prometheans. These are fun new enemies to fight, as they employ new tactics to keep you on you toes: Crawlers climb around, pounding the player with light arms fire, Knights bring the heavy weapons and blast though Covenant and UNSC personnel alike, and Watchers (spawned by Knights) float about, spawning more Knights and Crawlers, and giving your forcefield something to think about. After a while, the campaign begins to get a tad repetitive, but the objectives can differ enough for it to stay almost perfect throughout, with the last mission putting a wonderful spin on the classic Halo Warthog run. The campaign is, in every sense of the word, incredible.
    A welcome change in Halo 4 is to the multiplayer, which allows players to create their own custom classes, with various weapons, armour abilities and armour mods. This creates the fear of unfairness in multiplayer, but that fear is crushed by how balanced the game seems. Gameplay is now faster-paced, with sprinting now a default for all players, letting the maps get bigger and bigger- some too big. Most maps in this game are enjoyable to play on, but the good-old medium-sized maps have almost completely disappeared, spare two or three that you could class as such. New gametypes arrive, however, such as Dominion, Regicide and Infinity Slayer, which bring the best kind of change to multiplayer, whilst catering to the sizes of maps and mixing things up perfectly. Altogether, multiplayer is wonderful.
    And now, the newcomer: Spartan Ops, an episodic series of missions, updated weekly for insane cooperative play, but replacing the much-loved Firefight. It's great, but there are several flaws. The maps are recycled several times (but are used for different objectives), the story is very basic and hardly exists outside of the eye-popping CGI cutscenes, and some of the characters are completely unlikeable, though to counter that, there are some that you'll like a lot. This was a very bold statement for such an anticipated game, and, overall, it is a blast to play with people online as well as friends.
    Forge remains relatively untouched, but with new (if smaller) Forge environments, making the possibilities for map design even more exciting.
    That just about wraps the review up. This game is an absolute must-buy for all Xbox 360 owners, as it pushes the system to its limits, delivering one of the best games on consoles!    … Expand
  58. TheBeast666
    Mar 9, 2013
    0
    numaiios es retrasado mental
  59. DEATH0NWH33LZ
    Jan 1, 2013
    8
    Halo 4 is an awesome game, it continues the story of Master chief precisely 4 years 7 months and 10 days after entering cryo sleep at the end of Halo 3. Chief awakes to find the Forward unto Dawn spiraling towards a mysterious forerunner planet. The story is great, and does a great job at provoking nostalgia. However the story revolves around Cortana more so than Chief, it raises some interesting themes, and those familiar with the novels will no doubt be excited about Halo 5 & 6 as it delves deeper into the wider narrative. Overall the story is great, and the level design helps keep each mission fresh. Spartan ops is a weekly episodic based series, it is great fun with friends and comes with excellent cinematic cut scenes that is slowly weaving a story of its own. However after the first 5 episodes, many areas have been reused, which has made this mode go stale, repetitive and at times tedious. Thankfully for the next 5 episodes 343 have created all new battlegrounds, so lets hope the 2nd half avoides the first halves shortcomings. Multiplayer has undergone some extensive changes, such as custom loadouts, kill cams and ordnance drops. Custom loadouts have been balanced quite well, with all primary weapons being ideal for certain situations, but no so much that one is necessarily better than another, same with armour abilities, tactical packages and support upgrades. some tweaks to make them more balanced would certainly be welcome, as i have found the DMR might just be a tad to powerful, and the boltshot pistol should take longer to charge. Overall the maps are great, spawning is not a problem in this game. The only map i dislike is exile, even then it is still not an evil map to play on. Kill cams are just that kill cams, while ordnance drops give you a power weapon, an upgrade or grenades after reaching a certain amount of points. these are a welcome addition as weapons such as the rocket launcher and binary rifle only showing up rarely. The upgrades consist of speed boost, overshield and damage boost, each offering only a slight edge, but can often be the difference in a firefight. Overall the multiplayer is fresh and interesting, and is quite balanced, but does cater for noobs a little to much, the maps are great, and it discourages camping. However i found that the multiplayer lacks the wow factor, i have not found myself addicted to this multiplayer as i did in Halo 2 & 3. The sound design in this game is top notch to say the least, each gun sounds badass, and yet sounds like it should. The clunking of your armour as you walk helps build immersion. The graphics are no different, pushing the limits of the xbox 360 to the max. It is the best looking game on xbox. Overall Halo 4 is a great game, with a fantastic single player, a muliplayer that successfully changes so much, Spartan ops being the only let down, but that looks like it could change, so i give this game an 8/10. This a great game and anyone who is on the fence i recommend you get this, it is the Halo you know and love, but with enough new content to keep it fresh. 343 have done a great job with this game and i can't wait to see what they do for Halo 5 & 6.… Expand
  60. Ap0CALyPs3
    Jan 15, 2013
    10
    Brilliant graphics . Solid shooting and amazing new guns. Multiplayer is the best . Campaign story is so gooood and intresting cant wait to find out what happens in this amazing trilogy . 343 industries made the best halo game to date.
  61. Bobacritic
    Jan 21, 2013
    5
    Halo 4 is visually extraordinary, but it lacks the emotional depth and exceptional storytelling of it's predecessors. I can't help but call it a disappointment.
  62. Aleluis
    Jan 28, 2013
    10
    10/10 is the minimum i would have give a 11/10
    This is the game of the years the best game in the world
    Fun and not violent like the others fps this game is the best game i know the reason I sold my ps3 and buy a xbox360
    You will love it as I do
    Enjoy ;)
  63. 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!
  64. 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.
  65. BabuYagu
    Nov 8, 2012
    2
    The single player campaign is entertaining up to a point but then you reach a level where you are stuck using the lame Promethean weapons, which look cool at first but feel just like hi-tech versions of the human weapons. 343 are really lazy with level design and there aren't many classic Halo moments of jaw dropping scenery. Lots of the later levels look similar and the final third of the game is just a slog. I could forgive most of this if it wasn't for the Call of Duty style multiplayer mode. 3 games online and my friends and I went straight back to playing Halo Reach. Massive disappointment.… Expand
  66. NCCrank
    Nov 9, 2012
    8
    I have played every single Halo game - except for Halo Wars. And, I was quite worried about Halo 4, not being sure what to expect from 343 vs. Bungie. Overall, this is very solid game. I should note that this is a review for the single-player campaign as I'm not much of multiplayer gamer. As far as the campaign goes, I have some mixed feelings. As far as story goes, the story for this outing is second only to the original halo as far as I'm concerned. I wasn't in love with some of the Cortana voicework, but I greatly enjoyed the story, the direction of the plot, and the focus on the relationship between MC and Cortana. To me the story was the highlight of this release. The graphics in some areas are also pretty incredible. In other areas - especially when inside the forerunner structures they were very meh. Kind of a Tron:Legacy feeling - but it was hard to distinguish see some barriers in the final flying section. Gameplay was solid - but somewhat of a let down. The gameplay is very solid - no complaints with regard to controls or how the guns handle, etc. But, I was really hoping for more innovation - especially in the forerunner weapons. But, basically, they fell into the standard tropes - I.e. Sniper Riffle, Assault Rifle, Shotgun. There were a couple of weapons that I didn't try - but pretty much we've seen and used them all before. While there were some interesting and new set pieces in this game - I'm hoping they will bring more innovation to the next two games. Yes, the Knights require a slightly different strategy - but overall you are doing the same thing from previous games. Fight grunts, fight elites, fight hunters, rinse/repeat. Changing out the flood for the forerunner units doesn't add that much for. Finally, I do wish the campaign was longer. I know I'm in the minority - but I want more for my $60 than 7-10 hours. I've little interest in multi-player and don't think its unreasonable to expect a 15-20 hour single-player campaign for a AAA title. That being said - I do not regret paying full price for this game. While I had hoped for more innovation - this is definitely the second best game in the series. Not as mind-blowing as the original Halo - but I'm not sure if that is possible. This game was a very strong effort - and will definitely bring me back for the next chapter. I wished for a stronger sense of "new & different" from this release, but otherwise I would recommend this game. Its a very worthy addition to the Halo franchise - and 343 really deserves to be successful. They put a lot of love and hard work, and it shows in the story that will keep you playing until the end.… Expand
  67. RidleayRomero
    Dec 13, 2012
    2
    After about 2 Minutes into the single player game, it was obvious that 343 completely forgot what happened at the end of Halo 3. Why would you still be fighting the same enemies that were in the first game when it moved on in the previous two installments? Not to mention it's starting to look like Call of Duty with the quick time boss cutscene. Anyway the only playable part of it seems to be Multiplayer and Spartan Ops. There isn't much hope for a sequel.… Expand
  68. ImRatherStartld
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    First things first. the game is amazing, id give it a 9 but i have bumped it to ten just to try and counter the morons giving it 0 and 1. In reality, this is one of the best halo games so far, with respect to bungie of course. Having followed on from reach and CE the multiplayer really is top notch stuff, and don't even get me started on the campaign - absolutely wonderful, probably my new favorite in the series over reach's campaign. 343 have had a lot to live up to and they've not only lived up to it, but they have done so in their own way. Pros: great campaign, great multiplayer overall, very well polished. cons: not too sure about specializations yet, but i guess we'll see… Expand
  69. HairyLipSquid
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    Currently the average user ratings stand at 5.3 due to all the haters giving the game a 0 rating which is quite honestly criminal, yes the campaign is short and the new multiplayer direction may not suit all previous hlo players but with out a doubt this is still a great game and should at least score a 7 for players that dont like the changes. Graphical the game is one of the best looking console games to date, the story is strong and although i'm still not 100% sold on the COD/Halo game mechanics its still well above par and hats off to 343 for trying something diffrent. I was going to rate the game as a 8.5 to 9 but considering all the crappy reviews that some users are giving it, it deserves the extra 1 to 1.5 rating to make up for your reviewing skills. To all of you who haven't played the game yet don't believe the crappy scores if you are in doubt rent the game as i'm sure your love it and will end up buying it anyway, and for the wonderful reviews that have said I would have given this a 10 but because crap crap and more crap ..... so i'll give it a zero and for you that have said its a good game and given it a 0 you really should play the game first before reviewing it and if you have played it at least give it a score it deserves! rant over thanks for listening… Expand
  70. Misasouza
    Nov 14, 2012
    10
    What is happening?Why would someone in perfect mental health, give a note below 8 for Halo 4? HOW? As a site is able to give a 2 for it? I do not know what's happening ... But I know that I give a 10 because that's what he deserves, if it were possible, i would give a 11 for Halo 4, because was way beyond my expectations, the best graphics I've ever seen are in it, this it the best story i've ever seen in a game, a competitive multiplayer and addictive are in it, finally, there are no perfect games, but this one borders on perfection.… Expand
  71. LDVictor
    Nov 11, 2012
    10
    Halo 4 is probably the best game of 2012. With a totally enhanced gameplay and beautiful graphics, Master Chief returns to the world of gaming at its best.

      - Visual: 10.0
      - Gameplay: 9.8
      - History: 10.0
      - Audio: 9.8
      - Fun: 10.0

      - Final Rating: 10.0
  72. jack23
    Nov 6, 2012
    10
    By far the best looking console game , light and sound are perfect , hears people complain that it still feels too much like halo ...... Well it is halo ? Its going to feel like halo not MOH .
    Campaign is deep and well thought out , combat is skill based and not glorified wack a mole like most fps out there .
    Online , well online is one of the best ive played with the new features giving     you plenty to work towards , can not fault the game at all apart from it taking 5 years from halo 3 to being released .… Expand
  73. ToppleFlopper
    Nov 9, 2012
    9
    Halo 4 is without a doubt one of the best looking console games to date. It somehow manages to at certain points look like it's running on a next-gen console. Another very impressive part of the game is the sound. Not enough reviews mention this but the sound is just incredible. (it probably sounds even better on a sound system, I currently don't have one but was still able to notice the vast improvement) Great story, solid voice acting and something about the new weapons is so freakin' cool! I've really enjoyed multiplayer so far. The only drawback is not much else has changed. It's the same basic Halo-style levels we've all come to expect. It's not really a bad thing but some people may complain there's nothing new. I was really impressed with the job 343 Studios did with Halo Anniversary and Halo 4 proves they have what it takes to make their own amazing Halo game. I hope Halo 5 & 6 maintain the same calibur when they eventually make their way out.… Expand
  74. Henrycsi
    Nov 21, 2012
    10
    Halo is back on its feet again. After a few mediocre entries into the series, namely, halo reach, Halo 4 delivers a surprising and rejuvenating jolt of wonder, fun, and solid gameplay that the series definitely needed.
  75. 2MucH1991
    Nov 7, 2012
    6
    Halo 3 multiplayer was the reason i had to buy an Xbox 360, and when i eventually did i couldn't put the controller down, years later and Halo 4 is finally here, but i'm slightly disappointed to say the least.
  76. Jerjef
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    After playing some multiplayer and campaign, I can honestly say that this is a great game. Sure it's different, but so was Halo 2 compared to CE, and Halo 3 compared to Halo 2, and so on. I haven't finished the campaign so I cannot comment on the storyline itself, but to complain about a boring unoriginal storyline in a video game is expecting a bit much. Do you really think you're getting a Martin Scorsese level plot in a video game? A lot of people have praised the storyline in Skyrim, but I have to admit it is the same basic "Chosen one to save the world" kind of plot. Frankly from what I've seen so far, this is head and shoulders above the previous campaign storylines. It really has some heart and shows a fragile side to the Chief and the spartans in general. It shows that they are NOT perfect, invulnerable, mindless machines. They are still people who have flaws and emotions. As for the multiplayer, it is better than Reach hands down. I like the speed and pacing and even though I'm not a COD fan, I like the elements they took from it. Really ramps up the action and excitement. I do miss Firefight and the changes in custom options is annoying, so the game is not a 10, but since everyone else on this site can justify giving a 0 to balance things I can do the same the other way. My real review is a 9/10.… Expand
  77. 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
  78. brad3ngunn
    Dec 26, 2012
    3
    I enjoyed all the other Halo games (except for Halo Wars. I'm just not a fan of strategy games.) but found myself extremely disappointed with Halo 4, First of all the campaign needed to be much longer because me and my friend managed to play through this in just under 4 hours. That's the amount of time it should take to finish a DLC not a big budget triple A game.

    My second problem with     the game is the actual gameplay, when the first Halo released in 2001 it redefined the FPS genre, eleven years later and next to nothings changed. The gameplay is incredibly simple: Shoot enemies, walk/ drive to next area, shoot more enemies. Rinse and repeat. I think it's time for Combat to take another evolutionary step forward.

    My final major problem with Halo 4 is this is the first ever game I have ever played where I felt bored while playing. I'm sorry 343 but I was incredibly bored during Halo 4. It just did nothing to excite me.

    To be fair to the game though not everything about Halo 4 is bad though, I have to admit that the graphics are gorgeous to look at, the voice acting from Steve Downs and Mackenzie Mason is some of the best this year and the game actually has a decent story unlike most modern first person shooters (Cough COD Cough)

    Remember though this is just my opinion, maybe you'll agree with me , or maybe you will love it. If you are a fan of Halo, then I would recommend giving it a try hopefully your opinion differs from mine, otherwise give it a miss unless you see it cheap.    … Expand
  79. 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
  80. mattnotley2004
    Nov 23, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 343 Industries did an amazing job with Halo 4. I was quite intrigued by the campaign story line, which I felt was just as good as the original Halo, if not better. It's graphics and cinematics are stunning! Although, I'm a little divided on the multiplayer design, especially when playing online. It doesn't quite fit in compared with other Halo releases. I don't like the new ranking system, and the need to purchase abilities such as Jetpack and Hologram. I was also very disappointed they killed off Cortana in the campaign, although I somewhat feel this is part of a twist, moving the story into Halo 5. Overall, such an awesome game.… Expand
  81. LazyGamerATN
    Nov 7, 2012
    9
    A great game, don't let anyone tell you differently. Sound design and visuals are astounding by Xbox standards(and in general), and the voice acting is top notch as well. The story is intuitive, however the ending left me wondering where they go from here, and some things are not cleared up, simply stated and never returned to. Gameplay is your standard halo fare; use a variety of guns and tactics to defeat varied enemies each employing different tactics (the new Prometheans are especially note worthy). One of the things I did not like was the fact that the game just felt...easy. Maybe this was because I am a Halo vet, but most of my deaths on solo Heroic (and co-op Legendary, I'll get to Solo Legendary in the future) were due to 1 hit kill weapons (launchers, swords). As well, by the end the variety in the enemies died down too much for my liking, and i think the game would have benefited from the addition of a new faction of foes on top of the Covenant and the Prometheans, since that's all you fight. Also, a few nit picks: more Hunter fights where you are not given hordes of explosives to make them the least bit challenging, improved death animations for Phantoms and Liches (the explosion is so small you can see the pieces dissapear into thin air, something that IMO looks ugly and unpolished), and more missions with more enemies since by the end it devolves into simple firefights from place to place, whereas early sections showed really fun levels. As for Multiplayer, it is fantastic, all that any Halo fan would want from a new developer: a fresh take on the game we know and love. I do wish the game library were more populated, considering that games like Halo 3 and Halo 2 had so many game variants, this one feels a bit lacking. As well, the new Spartan Ops missions are great if a little too short. The quantity is great, but the quality suffers as a result. Hoping for better missions in the future. All in all, it is a great game that shows something promising for the genre: people who care about a campaign, although there is still some work for the Halo series to re-achieve the greatness of the Halo CE and Halo 2 days when campaign was the biggest reason for getting a game. I expect great things from 343i.… Expand
  82. Jackthehedgy
    Nov 7, 2012
    4
    I want to love this game I really do it's just ... just. Where do I begin?

    The story isn't bad don't get me wrong and playing campaign is pretty fun as well. But it feels off, it doesn't feel like a halo game yet a game that was in mid development and kinda just threw in characters from halo in there at the last second.
    So campaign: Pretty decent.
    And where my main problem is the mult    i-player. Why is it trying to be so complex? It's just multiplayer doesn't need a story. That's not even the problem though. The problem is how it feels closer to call of duty then anything. I mean instant respawns, kill streaks, and classes. I just miss the old halo feeling.
    Multiplayer: Awful.
    As a person that loved all the halo games I hate to say this but I doubt I'll be getting another halo game in the future. Never before in all of the halos I've played did the multiplayer turn me off so badly.    … Expand
  83. Thatoneguy
    Dec 6, 2012
    8
    Im not an extreme die-hard halo fanboy, though I have played all the games, and I don't like CoD, so please try not to expect an overly biased review. The graphics here are undeniably beautiful, some of the best on the xbox, especially the lighting, absolutely gorgeous. The Campaign is long and engaging, my first play through on normal took me roughly 8-11 hours, which is pretty damn long for a campaign in a modern FPS. Its nice to see a company putting proper thought into a good quality campaign these days, **** multiplayer is turning into a virus for FPS games. Though one major gripe I do have is the ending, I won't spoil it but it makes little sense, though it still is extremely sad. The multiplayer is definitely my biggest complaint, there are plenty of balancing issues, especially with those double XP mother **** who are all probably level 190s by now. The next problem is the loadouts, and the commendations, the loadouts is way too CoD like for me, and it ruins what I wanted this game to be, a traditional halo game similar to halo 3 or 2. If loadouts were completely irradicated, my major complaint would be wiped away. Next is commendations, its too much just to get one piece of armor, **** trillion splatters to get a green visor!? No thanks. I love the new specializations, the armor looks unique, the concept gives gameplay more depth, and its a much more awesome reward than being reverted back to level 1 and just getting the title of "Prestige." The sound design is marvelous, beautifully orchestrated music and amazing weapon sound effects, as in that's exactly what you expect that gun to sound like. If that wasn't enough we have spartan ops, weekly episodes of 5 missions, along with amazingly well done cinematics and superb voice acting, FOR FREE. And if THAT wasn't enough, they are constantly adding new modes to online multiplayer, and updating the game all the time, truly a devoted company. Overall I suggest anyone reading this review to go out and buy this game NOW.… Expand
  84. urchincorps
    Nov 7, 2012
    8
    Haters gonna hate I guess. The game is good so far. I am playing on legendary and compared to the older games legendary is a bit of a joke. I'm looking at about 1.5 hours on the campaign and I have completed the first chapter/mission. Very rarely do I need more than 2 or 3 tries at an encounter to pass it (as opposed to the 20 or 30 that I needed for the older Halo legendary difficulties). Maybe I am just a better FPS player, hard to say::::::::::: Graphically speaking this game desperately needs better hardware to run on. I think that 343i would have had an absolute field day if they were able to produce this on a next-gen console. As it stands, probably the best looking console game, though the Uncharted series always looks outstanding for the hardware. Cortana's buck teeth really bother me though::::::::::::: Sound is classic Halo for the most part. However, there are a few things that have been greatly improved. Guns in particular. Cortana's voice acting is going South. Just awful. Chief sounds good during the cinematics, but pretty bad during gameplay. Maybe that is just a personal perception, but I don't much care for chief's ingame voice::::::::::: Replay-ability is hard to say at this point. I feel that any campaign based game has no replay-ability unless it has some sort of RPG aspect, which of course Halo has none::::::::::::: Multiplayer - no comment. I have not even touched it and I may never touch it. The load out option seems to be fine to me, so long as the guns are balanced. Of course having never played I cannot say one way or the other::::::::::::: In short, what the heck is with all of these scores in the red? I could almost understand a 6, lots of let down to be had for many people, but a freakin' 0? Absolute garbage. Also, no where near a 10. I can already tell this game will be pretty short. I feel that on the hardest difficulty the campaign should take at least 24 hours; somehow I seriously doubt there are 24 missions averaging 1 hour each. So, 8. Worth a buy for certain.… Expand
  85. ToM-tOm
    Dec 6, 2012
    10
    I will put it simply, Go with the vast majority of professional critics, There's a reason the users on here aren't professional critics, they haven't got a clue, it's a fantastic game and is very much worth your time, in the list of things not worth your time are haters on metacritic.
  86. GaaraDDragon
    Nov 6, 2012
    2
    The only real exciting quality of the game is that graphics evolved from Reach but they still don't surpass GoW 3's technical excellence. Other than that it's a typical by the numbers Halo game, conservative, all too familiar, boring, repetitive. 343 have managed to go from being synonymous with gaming evolution to a safe mainstream approach. Everything from the cinematics to the level design is highly polished, overly hyped mediocrity. Halo has taken the COD path.… Expand
  87. 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
  88. adn12
    Nov 6, 2012
    10
    This game is amazing. Seriously don't listen to anyone giving this game lower than a 8/10. To the people giving it a '0' really ? That's not even possible..games like "Happy Wars" don't even get zeros. No way you can honestly play any Halo game and give it that score without being an absolute troll. Game is more than worth the $60 especially if you were a fan of Halo, 2 and 3.
  89. 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
  90. xNullxF
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Overall it's a REALLY NICE GAME; however, it's not without its flaws. One being a lack of a classical mode (as I personally hate how everyone and their mothers can grab a heavy weapon), and the other the over-powered binary rifle (something they've believed to be fine if you can see the laser light from the weapon). Yet I'm surprised by the hatred being spewed by some saying it's based off of "Modern Warfare". Do you actually believe each game is original? That they all start with new and innovative ideas? Games follow ideas from other successful games and no real game is original, so honestly, people need to calm down. The graphics are good, the gun audio is amazing, and the vehicles have a nice sound to them, Spartan ops adds more to a fairly short Campaign. Get this game, you will not be dissapointed… Expand
  91. XxpyrosmilexX
    Nov 30, 2012
    10
    All I can say about Halo 4 is that it is probably the best game I have ever played. The story is amazing, multiplayer is SEXY as hell and the Spartan Ops mode is juicy. I can never get enough of this game. If you are not a fan of Halo or have never played a Halo game, I don't care. Get this game. It's worth every penny. Hell its worth more than its retail price! 343i, thank you for this wonderful game and I can't wait for the next installment!… Expand
  92. picks
    Nov 6, 2012
    5
    It's put together well i.e. nice visuals and audio but has not lived up to its hype or legacy. The multiplayer has not stayed true to what it was and has taken way too many game mechanics from other franchises which takes away from it's own identity. Any innovations have been done already a million times so in turn really isn't innovation at all ,rather integration. The campaign is confusing at times much like the previous titles and the plot is hard to follow. Buy this game if you are a die-hard halo fan.
    This is not a bad game. It's just not a great game.    … Expand
  93. 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.
  94. julioanai
    Nov 9, 2012
    10
    Why people giving this game a 0 or 1???? GTFO cod or ps3 fanboys, this game is the best. 343 industries has made a good job and expanded that great Halo universe.
  95. insanityplee666
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    I wanna say I am abit disgusted with a few revies I have read. If you all admit this game has amazing graphics, good sound and a short, decent story, than how are you giving 1 or 0 reviews. this is a one to ten scale. for that reason, even though i really belive this game dererves a 8 or nine, I am giving it a ten to help counteract ur whiny fan boy bull **** 343 put alot of effort into this game. It looks, sounds and in general is awsome. Yes, I agree the campaign is way to short and I wish they didnt make the mutiplayer alot like cod. But otherwise this is a stellar first ame by 343 and I commend their efforts to bring me what I have dreamed of since I was a kid. The chance to fight the forerunners to see who truly rocks the galaxy. So thanks 343. I hoe that you continue to improve for sure, but I still loved this game.… Expand
  96. swedishbaker
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    This game is great. 343 have brought back halo in an exciting fashion. There is just hours and hours to play in this game with a great campaign. Definitely worth the buy for halo fans.
  97. Fabtech23
    Nov 12, 2012
    9
    Halo 4. Apparently we didnt finish the fight afterall. But you know what, I'm ok with that. Ignore the negative scores on this site. These are the same trolls that complained about Diablo and Mass Effect. These are the same trolls that complain about how things changed too much, but would also complain if nothing changed. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery they say. There is no denying the multi-player comparisons to Call of Duty. Hell, some of the changes are clearly blatant ripoffs. But this is still Halo. Its still the fast paced, twitch firing, map memorizing game weve been playing since the LAN parties of 2001. Multiplayer is fine, and when BLOPS2 comes out, all the COD fan boys will leave and Halo's MP experience can only strengthen. However, MP is only part of the game. Spartan Ops add a fresh co-op experience, and 343 is pumping it full of maps every week...for free. The single player is more lore driven than previous entries, and personally i learned more about the Halo universe from H4, than any game before. I play single player in one of two ways, "Easy" - i like to play for the story, i want that to progress smoothly and fluidly with no frustrations. However, "legendary" with a friend is a must, i still want a challenge. But i need to get that story out of the way first, this is a lore centric series now (something i feel Bungie missed out on) and you owe it to yourself to see the single player game through. I gave this game a 9 because it isnt perfect. The mission objectives in SP are repetitive, their only saving grace is the level variety. But really, other than that, this game is amazing. Matchmaking in MP is fluid, smooth, quick, and i rarely get dumped into a random losing game. The guns are amazingly balanced for an initial release (really guys, the DMR kills at long range, but doesnt stand a chance vs a BR at mid, learn to aim) As someone who has routinely sucked at past Halo MP offerings, i can say that i am having an absolute blast with H4, the changes have allowed me to become a "better" player, thus making the game more enjoyable. 343 took a huge risk with a beloved franchise, and came out on top. Halo can only go up from here!… Expand
  98. manofdust
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    Im going to make this short and sweet .Im a 28 year old gamer,I've had every system, I have a life outside of games. I'm a singer for a alternative band,I get plenty women and I've got an 10 year old who idolizes me. This is the best halo yet.From graphics to gameplay, from story to multi player. I had doubts about 343 but from the moment I started campaign, my faith was renewed. I finished it on legendary last night. And I'm currently a level 13 on live.. I finish in the top 2 every match.go buy this game. Peace… Expand
  99. guildleader117
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    This game is truly astonishing! The visuals are like nothing I've ever seen before in any game on the market. 343 Industries did the halo universe a solid by keeping the legend alive. The campaign is extremely immersive and level design keeps you coming back for more. Its filled with hero moments that will make your heart race and emotional moments that will leave you with a tear in your eye. Overall this heroic story is a must for any console gamer.… Expand
  100. Abr0ham
    Nov 14, 2012
    8
    Some say it is wise to end on a high note. 343 Industries says otherwise. This game is not Halo 3, but it is another opportunity to once again step into the shoes of Master Chief. If that's what you're looking for, you've found it. If you're looking for the epic space opera you remember, I've got bad news. When Master Chief's last words in Halo 3 were "Wake me when you need me", he wasn't talking to Microsoft's marketing department. The image of Master Chief, at peace floating somewhere out there in space had found its place in our minds for the last 5 years. It was a beautiful image. Unfortunately, Microsoft is willing to disturb that to make a quick but very large buck. Halo 4 is not a bad game, but it can't escape the air that it is a product more than a work of art as its predecessors were. I want to call it uninspired, but that is too narrow a definition of inspiration. A cattle prod can be inspiring if you happen to be cattle and so can a multi-billion dollar company breathing down your neck when you are a video game developer. "This game needs drama" says Microsoft; 343 adds a commander who's only character trait is getting pissed off. "This game needs conflict"; so fabricates an entirely new villain with motives no more complicated than "destroy all humans". Most elements of the story seem to have been thought up in this manner, right down to the whole "Cortana is dying" subplot, I assume the though process to this was "This story needs to engage the player emotionally" "Alright, lets threaten to kill off a character established by much more skilled writers". This is the only aspect of the story that really connects with you and it only works because they glom off character development done by Bungie for the better part of a decade. As for the multiplayer; it's still Halo, but they seem to have spilled some "Call of Duty" on it. If you like either of those games you'll have fun. This may be were you find your entertainment if the story falls short. This is Halo 4's redeeming quality; it's an all you can eat buffet. You don't like the story? Try war games. Bad at war games? Play spartan ops. Still not entertained? Build something in forge. Have no imagination? Join 343 Industries.… Expand
Page:

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
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.
    Read full review
  3. DailyGame
    Dec 3, 2012
    75
    The narrative is outstanding, even in spite of a few plot-point missteps, and the character evolution of Master Chief and Cortana deserves to be further explored with these wonderful storytellers (well, maybe one of them can't happen, but I'll avoid spoilers). However, the gameplay feels jilted, awkward and unrefined, three unforgivable sins in a landscape populated with other quite-capable FPS franchises. As a result, I'm going to average everything out: great story plus bad gameplay equals an average experience. And in this overcrowded FPS genre, "average" is isn't something I'd recommend buying.
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