Just in Case SPOILERS AHEAD!!-
This is a review made from a Halo fan, making a comparison with previous halo games. As an isolated game, I would recommend this game for everyone since it’s going to make you play for years after you beat the campaign.
So, what do I think.
I’ve enjoyed many things, and not enjoyed some:
Story:
Bungie never really delved into the universe they created the way it should have been done, and if they did, they just made a quick look. Story wise, Bungie created a great story, but the narration was sloppy and had to be revised many times to be fully understood, for example in Reach, they could have explored the innies (Insurrectionists) more, but instead, we have fast gameplay moments that could have been aid with a small cut scene or other characters in the story.
Halo 4 achieved what I as a Halo fan have been waiting for, after reading all books, watching the FUD series and watching/reading to previous terminals and other stuff, I have to say I enjoyed the story amazingly and hope they do this again in next installments. Halo 4 applied almost everything perfect, I would complain a bit about not explaining certain things more, like; why the covenant are back?, why Jul Mdama isn’t even a little bit in the campaign, why Cortana knows who the Didact is (if you can correct me here if wrong, please do so), why do the Didact can use the force (is this in the books? I missed this totally), why does the chief can see this covenant are more fanatical(first level)? , no mention about the arbiter? , more info about installation 03 (there it is, now good bye).
Besides this, everything else is amazingly enjoyable, loved the librarian, the Composer, the character development, the amazing voice acting, the look at the morality of the Spartan program, the introduction, the addition of more in game cut scenes in between levels (wouldn’t mind more). Amazing. ( I know many things are explained in the book, but common, I wanna see more of it in my favorite Halo medium)
Music
I bought the special edition and standard edition just to get those extra songs, because I’ve loved Halo Music since its first Game. I didn’t buy Halo Wars (Finished it though) but bought the soundtrack. I read the books with the music, so it’s a must for me. I’ve been revising Marty´s music to compare it with Halo 4 music, which I have been listening nonstop since I got it about a few weeks back. Regrettably to say, it´s beneath previous albums. I guess it lacks, in a way, the variation and originality in each piece. Even though, I concur that it is an amazing album and still will be placed among my favorite, there are pieces that I enjoy more and others less. I do think it lacks the perfect theme which you can relate to, or some theme that pushes you in the game and makes you “feel” more, being aggressive or energetic (like the “Rock anthem for saving the world” in Halo 1, or the rush of “the Package” in Reach), but on the other hand it works amazing for cut scenes, like never before. The last scene with Cortana and The chief has been the most sensible scene in the whole series and even though it’s due more to the voice acting of Jen Taylor (God damn that woman is good!) the music was just the perfect complementation. I do trust Neil Davidge and know he struggled creating music for this game being his first try (which you can read about in the book in the special edition of the OST), and hope he improves on the next installments because I really like his style, but he needs to make this music something more varied, keeping “the new” style he has created, which is what I liked.
Gameplay
Levels:
Here is where I´ll criticize. After recently finishing all Halo games again and playing Halo 4 twice and some levels a few more times, I got to say, they nailed some really good parts, but missed others totally.
A few levels just felt too long, not delivering fresh spaces to make the player really think how to deal with strategy. Requiem(level 2) started amazingly, an open place of wrecked ships, then a great ride with the hogs which suddenly is cut short with a small action scene and then introduces us to Forunners inner sections which stretched too long into more boring and claustrophobic parts, that gave me no way to feel really creative about my approach to face enemies.
This goes as well for Forerunner(level 3), which if it had been made shorter would have been much better. That level had a really bad introduction for prometheans (the new enemies) and some repetitive missions in between, before getting to a really good ending part, where Prometheans and Covenant are fighting and we have to go through them to get to the Didact. At that point, a great cut scene happens and then an escape with the ghost while that part of the planet is being destroyed. Fresh new staff. Sweet.
What´s up with Shutdown (level 6)? In Reach we had New Alexandria as a similar level, which made the air ride super fun, being attacked from different places, and being able to stop in buildings where other soldiers where holding out and fighting aliens. Here, the ride in the pelican has some action at the start, which is not much fun, and then it becomes a mere transport to get to some of the most boring parts of the campaign, in my opinion. From the three stops the pelican has to make, the first two were very similar, and the third felt a little different because of the Banshee, but not helped much. Very small and similar places to fight… felt the same claustrophobic feeling as before.
Midnight (last level) started very good, with another air ride Star Fox/Rogue Squadron II style, which I enjoyed, not as fun as the space part in Reach, but still felt like something fresh and new for the series, which I always enjoy. After this, the level is very boring and straightforward. The last part, before facing the Didact felt like developers where in a rush to finish the level and made four almost exactly the same parts, facing enemies without strategy, just covering and firing.
Finally, the Didact faceoff ended the game without giving me the feeling of a deserved accomplishment I have felt before, like and escape in a warthog for example, but well, the ending scene covered it I guess.
The first level, being too short, was a great introduction, had great design and loved the low gravity part. Infinity (level 4) was from the start eye candy and made me anxious to find and protect the UNSC team after being in space for four years! Then the tank part with Spartans 4 (could have delved more into a little relation between Spartans 4´s and the master chief, maybe Cortana could have said more) and a great final with the Mantis. Reclaimer (level 5) stands as the best level, more varied and tons of fun. Great introduction with the new Elephant, the Mammoth. Amazing middle part, wondering into the new forunner architecture to find the librarian and witness an amazing cut scene. Finally, the tank fight was a great way to finish. Composer (level 7) Gave the game a great new touch to the levels design, making us feel in a total different environment. Also I felt I had choices of where to go to face the enemies in a different manner. The fight with the Mantis at the end was super good. Loved this level.
Something I never felt with Halo was that there wouldn’t be a place that I could not find cover. Many times in this game that happened to me and was super frustrating. Also, I found myself with a really bad gun or without ammo. This never happened before. This brings frustration as well and made me want to throw my controller many times. This is not supposed to happen. Not in Halo. Not in good design at least.
Whats up with the mid scenes to press buttons with directions? I don’t know how can they improve this, but they are probably not necessary in game. If not, just let them be automatic maybe. It felt out of place.
Overall, there are some good and really bad thing´s, Halo normally has some bad, but in my opinion not as bad as this. Still, I enjoyed the campaign, being helped with the story and many great levels, and taking into account that this is the first 343 effort to make a game, and that the improved graphics probably took some of the space that could have diminished this problem in some cases, it’s totally acceptable. God knows where and how this franchise could have ended (Thank you Frank).
Enemies
Prometheans. Don’t like them as much as the covenant. I hate how the Knights disappear and are totally over powered. The crawlers can be enjoyable to fight, but once they appear in thousands they are frustrating. The flyers (whatever they are called) are fun to shoot down, but they really make no sense. Overall, the Prometheans are a cool enemy, but they luck the organic and living feel that the covenant provides, and the Knight really needs to be given a behavior change to make it feel more real and fun to fight (need to take out the tele-transportation thing).
The Covenant was totally nailed. My only complaint is: WHY CANT I BLOW THEM METHANE TANKS! (And bring the Engineers in. Common! They were all over the last books!) (Why can’t my helmet translate sanghelly anymore? I like not understanding them, but at least explain why!)
The Feel
I love how Halo 4 feels. Is amazing. 343 has adopted everything good from previous games and enhanced it. Sound helps a lot here. The weight of the armor, the guns. Its just right. Running, hitting, assassinating, the armor abilities (should be more important in campaign) are just great.
Graphics and art design
This Game looks fantastic. I miss a few things about Bungie´s exteriors and how the sky boxes look, but this game really really looks amazing. The characters design, the architecture of the three species, the light effects, the rocks, all really made me have chills. I wish we had had more time inside the infinity ( I actually was praying for a version of it to walk and explore while heading to War Games or Spartan Ops). But the most important of all of these is the realistic tone it has now. It’s just how I always envisioned Halo. I do wished Requiem had more wild life to make it a little less dull, but still, my jaw is in the ground for this one.
Features
Theater
I really hate the fact that Theater is not in campaign, one of the reasons I played this game over and over was to go to theater and watch the gameplay from a third person perspective. It gave me the feel of watching a movie, but at the same time knowing I was the main character. The decision to cut it out has made some gamers not invest tons of hours more to this game. I hope they actually do include it, but after more than two months and not another word of it, I’m loosing hope.
Forge
I Don’t Forge, but love wondering and playing around. Can’t say more. I know it has been improved and hope Forgers are grateful.
War Games
Greatest Halo Multiplayer Ever. The Levels are some good and some amazing. The ordenance feature is a great addition. I love the fact they are giving us 3 DLC map Packs already. Thanks 343!
Spartan Ops
The Levels are all made for 4 player gameplay, so I have to play this in Normal, because I play alone. The online version only provides some levels and I want to follow the story. The cut scenes are amazing, and the story has the feeling of reading one of the halo books (who is writing these??) but they should really put them at the end of the episodes, I would feel much more drawn to finish the chapters if that was the case.
The Level design varies, some are really bad, and some are super fun. The repetitiveness of this is abusive. They should definitely keep using multiplayer levels! It’s working! Should also make more Spartans and soldiers appear in the levels, it makes the missions feel like they are telling a story and less than just having a firefight match. In the trailer for episode 6-10 I see things totally new that look campaign quality. I have my fingers crossed.
As you can see, I Love this game but hate some important things of it. I give my best wishes to 343 and hope they improve their design problems and keep up the amazing good work in everything else.
Cheers
drossello
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