Halo 4 Review
The franchise that colors the history of Microsoft's consoles returns to the fray once more, no longer content to release side stories and prequels. Halo marks the return of familiar faces such John-117, AKA the Master Chief, Cortana, the UNSC and the Covenant. But new faces, and a new developer, will define whether or not the fight should have remained finished. 343 Industries' attempt to separate itself from Halo's original guardian Bungie in many ways is both a success breakaway and a continuation of a few of Bungie's final changes, both for good and bad.
Four years after the events of Halo 3, the remnants of the ship Forward Unto Dawn reaches the orbit of the Forerunner Shield World Requiem. Covenant ships, however, have discovered the ruined human ship, leading Cortana to awaken the Master Chief from his cryo-chamber. After defending the ship and crash landing on the planet (something the Chief seems to do a lot), the duo is left to explore a hostile and alien world in an attempt to contact the newly arrived UNSC Infinity , a massive 3.5 mile long vessel built using alien technology. Things of course go awry when the main antagonist is released after a 100 millennium imprisonment and his Promethean forces wreak havoc, tensions rise between the UNSC and the Master Chief, and the humanity of John and Cortana is brought into question.
The relationship between John-117 and Cortana is the focus of the campaign.
Despite what many people would argue, the Halo franchise is filled with both story and content, especially from the books. Detailed characters, including the Master Chief, litter the pages of the Fall of Reach, First Strike, and Ghosts of Onyx. The problem in years past has been bringing this lore to the video game medium. Halo 3: ODST, Halo Wars, and Halo Reach attempted to do this, with varying levels of success (depending on who you ask). 343 Industries, however, has managed to not only design their game around the expanded lore, but create the best Halo story to date. The epic action sequences now have emotional, thoughtful scenes to really examine the relationship between the Master Chief and Cortana, who spend much of the game alone with only each other as company. Characters new and old to Halo lore for the most part add to the experience. Dr. Catherine Halsey, both in the campaign and in Sparta Ops (more on that later) is always a vivid character. Captain Andrew Del Rio, though somewhat bland, defines the new thinking of the UNSC, one which doesn't look kindly on the Chief. Though not in too many scenes, the major villain has the presence of a true threat to the galaxy, something that no single villain (save perhaps Gravemind) has been able to achieve. The show stealer is Commander Thomas Lasky, a character just introduced in the miniseries Forward Unto Dawn (which I still need to watch). Master Chief's new ally, while not the gung-ho personality that Sergeant Johnson was, feels the most human of the characters and yet can still sympathize with the Chief.
The amount of lore referenced in the campaign is astounding. Most of the background is explained in game for players who haven't read/seen the material covered in the books and movies, and what isn't is explained via terminals (such as why the Covenant are still enemies). For long term fans the extended background is helpful for picking out minor/hidden details. It isn't necessary to have read all the books and read up on the lore to appreciate the game, but it certainly adds to the experience.
But enough about the amazing story, what about the gameplay? For the campaign, the gameplay is yet another great entry to the list of Halo campaigns. The Promethean enemies and weaponry require a variety of new strategies, though a few weapons just fill the mold of human/Covenant/Promethean X. The only new vehicle is the Mantis, a powerful mech that can challenge the Scorpion and Wraith in terms of power and importance on the battlefield. An additional enemy type or two, such as the return of one more Covenant species, would've been nice, but there could quite well be a lore reason for this. Though there are only eight campaign levels, each is the standard Halo length (read: 2-3 Call of Duty levels long), and each is different from the last. The sniper mission, the guns blazing levels, and the vehicle levels each have their unique attributes that keep things fresh each mission.
New enemies, such as the Promethean Knight, fill both the campaign and Spartan Ops.
In a similar vein, the gameplay for Spartan Ops, the mission/story based replacement for Firefight, works well. Set six months after the events of Halo 4, the UNSC Infinity has returned to Requiem to learn more about the alien world, as well as train the legion of Spartan-IVs on board. This premise serves as the framework for both multiplayer and Spartan Ops. In the latter, characters that were overlooked or unmentioned in the main campaign garner precious screen time in cutscenes at the beginning of each new episode consisting of five missions. The story starts out slow, but by the third episode the plot thickens and many of the characters begin to develop, particularly Jared Miller and the Infinity's AI, Roland. Sarah Palmer, your primary commander, is one-dimensional and bland, and it's no coincidence the other characters develop more when she's away. Currently there are ten episodes out (Season 1 having been completed) with a new one released for free every week for given intervals. Though the complete lack of Firefight is disappointing, Spartan Ops serves as a good mixture of campaign and multiplayer, and the consistent updates are appreciated. Only a short respawn penalty for dying, a carryover from firefight and the opposite to the campaign, help keep Spartan Ops a fun experience. This game mode is much more fun when played with friends; however, horrible matchmaking connection can plague Spartan Ops at times, so stick to pre-mades when able.
And so we are left with multiplayer. For those who are not aware I was not the biggest fan of Reach's multiplayer, and the changes 343i has made are a mixed bag. The largest change is in gameplay; loadouts with options for weapons, armor abilities, and upgrades provide a fair amount of customization to the game. Old abilities such as armor lock have been replaced by new ones such as Promethean vision, which allows the player to see through walls for a given time, but give away their position at the same time. Placed weapons on the map are less frequent, with most of the weaponry coming from ordnance drops which are earned by earning points via kills and assists. Powerful weapons, grenades, and boosts such as over shields and damage boost. In most gametypes respawning is instant, and players can now drop in and out of games at will, with players being added when teams become uneven. As you continue playing, experience is earned which unlocks points to purchase more options for your loadouts (most options are unlocked fairly quickly).
Multiplayer Gameplay has changed, for both good and ill.
The problem with some of these changes is that the experience can feel cheapened. The slower paced strategy of Halo 3 is replaced by constantly rushing into fights with barely a penalty for death. While this makes the game perfect for a few matches of relaxing, the more competitive player is barely given a bone. However, the main concern is the actions of 343i in other areas. The lack of more competitive playlists up until late February and rankings until late March, the really pathetic excuse for not having a spectator mode that is present in even barely competitive games, the still malfunctioning file share months after release, and the lack of support for the professional scene have left a bitter taste in many players' mouths. While this analysis may seem pessimistic, I will say that I enjoy Halo 4's multiplayer more than Reach's. The Halo franchise has a history of experimenting with gameplay, giving each game a new feel, and Halo 4 is definitely an improvement on the gameplay shift for the series that started with Reach.
The passing of the Halo torch from Bungie to 343 Industries has yielded instant results, mostly for the better. The story, characters, and campaign are well developed, and Spartan Ops, after a slow start, has gained steam. The multiplayer, while ranging from slightly positive to very negative for those wishing for the competitive atmosphere of Halo 3 and before, is a solid, evolved experience that improves on Bungie's final take on the franchise. Only time will tell if the developer switch was worth it, but the new Reclaimer trilogy is off to a good start.
- CJ
Halo 4 Concept The passing of the Halo torch to 343 Industries, and the return of the Master Chief. Graphics Some of the best seen on the Xbox, with each new environment a sight to behold in and of itself. A bit too much glare on a few multiplayer maps though. Sound Neil Davidge does an adequate job of filling Marty O'Donnell. A few songs stand out, but the epicness that defined the original trilogy is missing. Playability Smooth controls with only a few minor alterations to the standard setting make immersion simple. Entertainment Between the story, the environments, and the gameplay for both single-player and multiplayer elements, there is never a boring moment in the game. Multiplayer Whether co-op or versus, there is something to fill every niche, with a variety of gamemodes. Except competitive gametypes apparently. Outside of that multiplayer is fast-paced and exciting. Replay High Overall Score 9.25