Halo 4 Xbox 360 Game Microsoft

I'll admit i never thought they would pull it off but it's a pretty good game. Reviews are great (albeit a little too great). I myself am enjoying the campaign a lot. Graphically it's one of the best looking console games and the best looking halo, which adds to the immersion somewhat. Lensflare is a little too much at times so make sure to wear shades The voice acting, motion detection, and sounds are all great additions. I really and i mean really love the revamped sounds of the game. Overdone or not there were guns in halo 3 that just didn't sound like you were firing a gun, which made them feel not as powerful. I skipped Reach, despite it's story i was in the beta and wasn't impressed; still not much has changed i guess i just missed Master Chief? The new enemies in the campaign are a welcomed addition and a worthy adversary. The narrative is different this time as you'll immediately realize. It's a welcomed introduction to a more intimate and slightly more serious Halo. Anyhow i do have my concerns.

After playing multiplayer yet this integration of CoD is bothers me. It really bothers me that they're introducing perks, kill cam, loadouts, non fluctuating ranking system, killstreak rewards, etc. into Halo. That's not what Halo is and it never was. Wanting to modernize Halo it one thing, but IMO these additions strip Halo of it's core value: skill. Halo's multiplayer experience has always been somewhat directly correlated with skill and skill alone. Everyone for the most part started out with equal footing and as the game played out, it was skill that distinguished the winners from the losers. Sure to some degree that could be said about all games. But in games like modern warfare where one streak grants you the ability to takedown "X" number of people that isn't so. Yes the subtle addition of perks aren't that game changing, but they do detract from the "feel" of Halo's classic MP. In many situations, it can give an advantage in combat against other players, and skill may not play as large as a role as it used to. It makes the game noob-friendly IMO. Some might prefer the variation, but IMO, Halo would have been better off without the armor abilities, perks, etc. On the high point of things though there is "Pro Slayer" which for the most part is 343i's MLG slayer. No radar, no ordnance, No armor abilities, everyone has to start out with the selection of 3 same weapons loadouts, etc. But there is a slight new addition that keeps me from being that excited about "Pro Slayer", the movement speed has been increased. I don't fully understand the need to increase the pace of the game but i'll have to see for myself. Supposedly though i've heard that MLG will indeed make their own "playlist" which i certainly hope they do.

"Flood Mode" is awesome. I know they've had the exact same mode in the last ones, but i like that the infected look like the flood. Really reminds me of counter strike zombies. One person gets infected then they infect the rest. Now if only the 360 could support 32-64 players on flood mode . Also if they would make a firefight mode with the flood that would be awesome.

Spartan Ops is a interesting set of side stories and the CGI scenes are just plain fun to watch. I never fully got into firefight mode with ODST, idk just didn't really appeal to me. Even though i enjoyed GOW's horde mode. I really like Spartan Ops, hopefully the missions will vary more and 343 lives up to their promise to keep them free and continue the story so to speak.

All in all i haven't played Halo in a long freaking time and while it may take me some time to change my ways in regards to the multiplayer; the campaign brings back feelings of nostalgia. It's like seeing a friend i haven't seen in years.

I'm going to make this short and sweet:
-I didn't pre-order Halo 4, right until the day before the launch, as I wasn't convinced about 343, nor the look of Halo 4.
-I have owned all the Halo's in the past, and finished them all on Legendary too.
-I was busy playing BF3 and Borderlands 2, and didn't really need a game

Result, after playing for around 2 weeks:
-Haven't even touched borderlands or BF3
-Finished the campaign on Legendary, and found it to be the most compelling storyline in the Halo industry
-Multiplayer is so damn fun, that it makes Reach look bad. Furthermore, the games are balanced, the maps are great, and they all work seamlessly.
-Matchmaking is fast
-Credit structure works, but isn't a deal breaker at all - as you'll soon familiraise yourself with what you need or don't need (ie I haven't bought or used pulse grenades as I don't like them)

Anyway, if you are a halo fan, you definitely have to get this game.
If you are a BF3/COD person, Halo is a nice change, and actually is very pleasant to play - unlike COD and BF which feel quite stressful playing (even though I have over 750SPM in BF3, I just don't find it FUN)

Top marks to 343 for nailing this one.
Can't wait to buy the next one.

So... Bungie are out and 343 Studios are in, but the most important thing to most people is what this means for the Halo franchise? I think I can safely say that 343 are taking Halo in the right direction. Sure it may be missing some features veterans of Halo are accustomed to, and that may be reinserted within a later update anyway, but it's more the manner of which 343 have handled bringing Halo 4 together that matters most.

 

Presentation is strong, with many CGI cutscenes instead of rendered cutscenes from the game engine, showing that more time has been put into bringing the series to life. Throw the heavily improved graphics engine on top and you're in for a rather visual treat considering what this game is actually running on. Being the first Halo game to run at a native HD resolution without being upscaled, and with good use of Bloom and FXAA, Halo 4 is the best looking Halo title to date. Not only does it look pretty, but it runs very well also. I have not experienced any framerate problems with this title as of yet, even in multiplayer, or Spartan Ops, which can get pretty hectic. Audio sounds great. The score is more electronic than usual, but I think this is a good deviant from what preceded as this is a new trilogy and a new chapter in the series. It isn't quite Halo though. Weapons sound powerful and much improved. The audio from Needlers gets thrown around surround systems pretty well.

 

 

The Campaign is very good. The story is well presented, well handled, and well paced. This is, however, a story for those who are really into the lore of Halo. A game for the die hard fans of the series. Someone new to the franchise will likely wonder what on earth all the fuss is all about with some of the back story being filled in by FOrward Unto Dawn (a 5 part mini series released before the game launched). There are quite a few new enemies which fit in quite well with the game and setting and are well designed along with their weaponary, which is pretty fun to use mostly. Some weapons feel a little useless (like the Suppressor) though there is the odd occassion it comes in handy. Cortana pretty much steals the show though I did kind of expect her to be a little more intense. I really don't want to go into why without spoiling the story, but I think those who have played it through will understand where I'm getting at here. Jen Taylor does a fantastic job of her voice acting however, I don't think anyone will disagree here.

 

Spartan Ops continues the story after the events of Halo 4, and does so with style. The cinematic introductions to each Episode are worth watching and the general atmosphere of each mission gives you an entire game mode worthwhile paying for alone. With Episodic content delivered over Xbox Live (and for free so far) this looks to be one of the games most promising modes if 343 Studios can deliver. So far the missions on offer are pretty fun and can be challenging if played on higher difficulties (Legendary is a must if you have a party of four). It is compensation for the loss of Firefight, but I think most would agree that Spartan Ops is a worthy successor as long as 343 keep delivering content. I do however dislike that Spartan Ops cannot be played offline.

 

 

Multiplayer continues to set the standard for the ultimate multiplayer experience. 343 have looked at what was good about Halo: Reach multiplayer and what was bad about it, and delivered. Loadouts feel much better balanced than before, and the weaponary feels much more dominating without feeling overpowered. Ordanance Drops are really well worked into the Multiplayer, allowing you to get a Power Weapon dropped onto the map for yourself or your allies. Maps are pretty well balanced out for the most part though some maps can start to feel unfair due to weapon and vehicle placement dependant on game type (Big Team Slayer is a good example here). It does need a few options implementing to allow for custom game modes of old that community members miss and have made 343 aware of their love for, but overall it's safe to say there is a wealth of multiplayer options to choose from and alot of game types to play currently.

 

Forge is still available aswell as Theatre Mode, though lacks some of the options that players enjoyed about them in the past. Currently File Share is disabled via Waypoint but should be implemented later in December once it is finalised. If 343 can keep going the type of support Bungie were renowned for then they should be on to a winner without a doubt.

 

 

Overall Halo 4 is a solid title, although it has some minor flaws it is very much worthy of the praise it has recieved, especially considering this is only the second title in the franchise from a different studio to Bungie. 343 have done the game and name justice and this is very much so deserving of your money.

 

Graphics: Very good for Xbox 360, probably the best the system has seen yet. 9/10

Audio: Well scored, sounds great, weapon sounds are awesome, but not quite Halo. 8/10

Gameplay: A return to real Halo style gameplay. 9/10

Longevity: If supported well this will keep the community going until the next generation of consoles. 9/10
Overall: A worthy successor to Halo Reach and a title worthy of any gamers time. 9/10

Played on: Sharp Aquos LC60LE636E 60 inch HDTV, Sony STRDN-1000 AV Reciever, Eltax Concept 180 Floorstanding Speakers, Boston Acoustics Soundware XS 5.1 Speakers, Xbox 360 Console (installed).

 

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