Let’s get something straight. Bungie created a hell of a universe with great characters to populate them. In conjunction with 343 Industries, the universe has expanded to a size impossible for anyone to predict eleven years ago. This, above all else, deserves the highest of praise. Halo 4 is the first step into a new trilogy spearheaded by the folks at 343i, and I can safely say I couldn’t be more excited.
STORY
Right off the bat, the emotion involved with Halo 4‘s campaign takes off right where we left off in Halo 3, and then takes it to the next level.
It wasn’t far into campaign when I realized the ties I’ve developed with Cortana and Master Chief after starting my Halo career ten years ago. Halo 4‘s innovation and ambition skyrockets when 343i incorporates A LOT of information and events that took place in novels released in between Halo’s 3 and 4. Now, when I say A LOT, I mean A LOT. Many reviewers have already commented on this and listed it as a negative. The fact that they did this, and I won’t mention any names, astounds me. Halo isn’t just a video game anymore. I know it, you should know it, and every gaming journalist out there should know it too. Halo 4‘s story is the story fans deserve.
Halo 4 isn’t just the next big FPS. When I think Halo, I think story. I think universe. Fans have hundreds of thousands of years to play in. We are able to find canonical information in past campaigns, terminals found in Halo 4 and Halo: CEA, novels, comics, short stories, animations, and other media forms. Halo is at the forefront of transmedia and a universe so dense and emotional such as Halo should have fans of video games clamoring for more universes like it from both developers and studios. The Halo franchise has achieved the gold standard for video games, and should be looked upon as so, starting with Halo 4.
MULTIPLAYER
It’s not the same ‘ol, same ‘ol. Halo 4’s multiplayer is beauty coupled with an extreme amount of fun. It’s faster-paced than Halo: Reach and fills the void many had missed with Bungie’s last installment. My memory may be hazy, but Halo 4 doesn’t exactly harken back to Halo 2’s multiplayer, which is totally a good thing. 343i has come and established itself as a AAA studio with its first title.
Just as the gameplay, every vehicle you thought you knew is also different for the better. Trust me, you’ll have a blast.
Weapons, especially the ones that belong in the Forerunner arsenal, look amazing. I’m sure you’ve all seen a Forerunner weapon form before your eyes already!
While I haven’t picked a favorite map yet, it doesn’t mean they’re all bad. I often finding myself playing Big Team Battle Slayer more than the regular 4v4 Slayer’s, which tend to feature smaller to mid-range maps.
There are a wide variety of matchmaking gametypes. While some old favorites may be missing, there’s no question that 343i will be injecting more than a few matchmaking updates, starting as soon as next week. Rest assured we won’t be playing the same ‘ol games forever.
SOUND & MUSIC
The games sound, and this goes for all modes, is something every video game fan should demand from all developers. The first thing I noticed was the thumping of Master Chief’s boots hitting the ground as I walked in the first campaign mission.
I was just in theater mode taking a screenshot of a sniper rifle. To my amazement, the shell casing of a sniper rifle round made several “ding” sounds as it bounced down a rock. I admit, when playing, I didn’t hear a thing due to being in the moment.
It’s also extremely important to note that 343i went above and beyond to create unique sounds to every weapon in the game. Watch the sounds of Human and Covie weapons below!
The great Marty O’Donnel may be gone, but Composer Neil Davidge has made his fantastic debut into the Halo universe. Fans should rejoice that the soundtrack sounds like Halo while including atmospheric tones and themes in conjunction with what we’re experiencing in Halo 4.
SPARTAN OPS
Yet another ambitious move to further Halo 4’s replay value, like it needed any. Spartan Ops is ambitious in the sense that it will advance the Halo cannon while providing new missions in weekly episodes. Each episode is meant to be played with friends. I recommend everyone play on Heroic or Legendary to get the full experience, otherwise you may blow through each chapter quicker than you’d like. Still, while on Legendary with three friends, Episode 1 lasted about one hour. Check out the trailer below!
The best part of Spartan Ops? It’s free.
Halo 4 has arrived and should be a milestone among video games. Halo 4 is a game for Halo fans and fans of FPS alike.