Halo 4

A lot of other reviews bash the new art style of this game compared to the original 3 by Bungie but they don't talk about the story.

The original 3 Halo games tell an epic story about the mysterious Forerunners and saving humanity and the galaxy from the misguided Covenant.

After playing through all of the halo games in sequence I can say that none of them really dive into the character of Master Chief or Cortana with any depth. In Halo 3 we get to see a glimpse of the impression that Cortana has on Chief but even that is limited. If anything we get more character development from the Arbiter than any human character.

Halo 4 is the only game that actually focusses on Master Chief and Cortana. Master Chief is no longer a just a guy that says one-liners in cutscenes, he is a deeply damaged person who has ties and connections with people (or A. I.).

Halo 4 may not look like a Bungie Halo game but it's story rivals that of any single bungie halo title, except maybe Reach.

If you have been a fan of the Legendary trilogy of Halo through its duration, you would have, like I, been coming into this whole new introduction expecting (and maybe hoping)for it to crash and burn.

However, 343 has done an excellent job. What I really like is their company name, as it is a reference to 343 Guilty Spark, a large contributor to the Halo universe. They have not destroyed the name of Halo; they have raised it to a whole new level

The campaign is extremely fun, and not too long (8 missions). The story line between Master Chief and Cortana was chalked up to be more than it came out to be, but I found it to be more profound than other Halo story-lines, even if it didn't move me to tears. I blame that on the (while good) soundtrack that just wasn't quite Martin O'Donnell level.

The online play from what I've seen is great: they took some factors from Halo: Reach that worked and they bettered them. (The game style that I particularly enjoy is Regicide).

A good game-- it was everything we needed it to be and more than we expected it to be.

I have to admit, the halo franchise is something I have had very little experience in and know next to nothing about. But after getting hooked on halo 4 I can make a guess of what they they're all about. Halo 4 is revolved around master chief escaping after being kidnapped. the story and gameplay are both engaging and interesting but even compare to the maps and not to mention the graphics. the basic tactic to halo is to engage into combat and eliminate the enemy. compared to other shooter games such as modern warfare which is all tactical halo is just fun. there is very little thinking required its just pick varies weapons, engage the enemy and try not to get killed. Although the story to halo 4 isn't as good as the others (so I've heard) fans wont be disappointed, and if your not a halo player (like me) you'll still have a blast!

Halo 4 is beyond incredible. I went to the midnight release, but unfortunately I had an early morning class at my college so I wasn't expecting to play it necessarily... Then I got to the dorm with my friends and realized... this is frickin' Halo, of course I gotta play it. Long story short, didn't go to class. Immediately it sucks you in. The graphics are by far the best graphics I have ever seen in any video game. It is absolutely astonishing. The campaign is award-worthy. However, for someone beating the game already I would recommend playing it on a lower difficulty to get the feel and message of the game first. I played it on Legendary and it is a PITA at some points by yourself. Although Halo 1 remains the hardest solo legendary experience in my personal experience. Halo 2 is the hardest co op legendary experience. Halo 3 (eh) and Reach (eh). Halo 4 is quite difficult in some parts and I must say the new enemy? The Prometheans? Are very challenging. As a warning, you should probably carry around a plasma pistol as your secondary to weaken their shields first because there are many times you are greeted by more than 5 knights and that is NOT a fun time (or carry around a scattershot).

Additionally, I must say, the campaign is a sad campaign. I won't give away anything even though it is probably circulating all over the Internet by now. It almost gave away from the experience and I am surprised 343 gave it such a ballsy ending but I haven't been disappointed with 343 yet so I am sure they have something big planned.

Multiplayer is very good. It is a little confusing at first to figure out how to navigate things on the screen. It is actually quite similar to Call of Duty in the aspect that you make your own classes. The only problem is it is a little more restricted whereas there are only so many weapons you can choose from depending on the game type. Also, there is a killcam so that also makes it similar to CoD for that reason. But lets be honest, the killcam was a genius idea. But do not worry, the feel is extremely different so it makes up for it. Also the maps are awesome and created perfectly where it is fair for both sides. There are camping spots, yes, but there is almost always a spot you can assassinate them from. It is a very nicely made game.

Firefight is gone, but Spartan Ops is alive (another thing similar to Call of Duty) where you complete brief missions at whatever difficulty; whether it is invading Promethean territory, or destroying jammers and eliminating covenant. Either way it is a nice touch, especially when you are not ready to have the campaign end. There are 5 missions for each chapter and as far as I know there are 5 chapters (Could be adding more).

All-in-all I say this will have a hard time being beat out by Black Ops 2 and by any game for that matter. It is an extraordinary ride and those of you who have given up on the halo series, I would highly recommend changing your views for this game. It is not the same as the rest, trust me. Keep gaming folks.

-10/10

I have loved Halo sine its birth on xbox, many a day, night and another day spent playing with my friends and then (later with the release of Halo 2), fellow gamers online. I have enjoyed the whole series, and followed it closely. I have always loved the campaigns and online game play. Recently I got a little bored with Reach online and so put it down for a while, but OMG! I went to the midnight release being a true fan, but still was unsure... OMG people! everything about this game is excellent, the campaign is fun and refreshing, and the online multiplayer is Friggin' fantastic!!!! I wasn't sure with the class' and spartan points and so on, but HOLY CRAP! It is fun, fun, fun. My love of Halo has been re-kindled. I cant wait to get home from work and play it! long live the master chief! Thankyou 343. Thankyou.