Halo 4 Review for Xbox 360 - Cheat Code Central

System: Xbox 360
Dev: 343 Studios
Pub: Microsoft
Release: November 6, 2012
Players: 1 (2+ Online)
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p	Blood, Violence

Graphically, Halo 4 stands above all the rest. There were several moments where I found myself gawking at the realism of the character models. Couple this with the hardly noticeable difference between the cutscenes and the actual campaign graphics, and one has to wonder why this level of detail and refinement simply hasn’t been accomplished before in the Halo series. Halo: Reach looked fantastic, but when you see how crisp the details in Halo 4 are, you will never want to look back.

Halo 4 Screenshot

Regrettably, I do have a few criticisms. Most notably is the load time whenever you try to pick up your campaign progress. It seems to continuously take longer each time you have to come back to the campaign. While this may not be a huge problem—you can, after all, just go fix yourself a sandwich while you wait—I can see it being a reason for some less-focused players to never finish the campaign.

My other complaint is more personal than anything else. Cortana’s voice actor just doesn’t have the same dynamic she had. Not saying she did a horrible job with what she had, but more often than not her deadpan delivery of important dialogue affects the overall impact of the moment. Steve Downes still delivers as Chief though. Add that to the simply amazing score of the game and the sounds department knocked this one out of the park.

Many fans have been worried about what Microsoft and 343 Studios had in store for the beloved Halo franchise. I can reassure you that there’s no need to worry. With this just being the beginning of the second act of Master Chief’s long and strenuous military career, there’s only room for improvement. Halo has been the king of console shooters for a long time now, and 343 Studios isn’t going to allow the crown to be taken away from Chief anytime soon.

By
Matt Walker
Editor-In-Chief
Date: November 1, 2012

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.7

Graphics
There were several cinematic moments where I found myself blown away by the sheer realism.

4.8

Control
Nothing feels out of place here. If anything, the controls are slightly more fluid.

4.6

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
I may not like the voice cast throughout, but I cannot deny their abilities.

4.5

Play Value
Halo’s multiplayer is still one of the best on the market.

4.5

Overall Rating - Must Buy
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

The Reclaimer Saga Begins: Experience the dawn of an epic new Halo adventure, solo or split screen with up to three friends.

Go Beyond the Story: Halo 4's Infinity Multiplayer features a vastly expanded suite of multiplayer modes, weapons, vehicles, armor abilities, a new loadout and Spartan IV player progression system.

Spartan Ops: Extend your campaign experience in a massive-scale adventure that builds upon the "Halo 4" Campaign. Receive a weekly series of cinematic episodes on Xbox LIVE followed by new gameplay missions, played solo or cooperatively with up to three friends - effectively delivering two campaign experiences in one game!

War Games: Battle the competition in fresh, immersive new game modes and strategies.

Track your groups, stats and scores on HaloWaypoint.com.

Edge-of-your-seat Entertainment: Immerse yourself in Halo 4's graphics, sound and epic gameplay including a mysterious and deadly new class of enemies.