Hello everyone. I have just completed Halo 4’s Campaign and have had a big dose of online fun. I dabbled in Spartan Ops but, sorry to say this, it honestly bored me so I won’t say anything about that game-mode here. This thread is not intended to be a big philosophical rant, only the rants of a longtime Halo fan who was never part of the hardcore-serious crowd 
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I’ll only address the Campaign here. I’ve always much prefer the Halo Campaign to the Multiplayer.
Basically, less attention to Graphics. We want Gameplay.
Part of the reason Halo 2 was so great, for it’s time, was because of the great graphics. I understand that 343 were trying to emulate that here but the attention to graphics, was in my opinion, excessive. The battles seemed to be much smaller in scale in order to accommodate the game’s graphical power.
For Example:
The Pelicans don’t fight anything. Even when you fly them there is barely anything to shoot.
The Mammoth doesn’t do much either. Although Reclaimer is still a great mission I think.
The final boss fight, god god let’s not go there.
The AI is not often in the game or driving vehicles. There are actually a severe lack of AI VS AI the whole way through the game in general.
The levels in general feel very empty, with very repetitive ‘defend-location’ objectives.
I, and I’m sure others, would prefer big scale battles over mindblowing graphics. The maps themselves also seemed to be much more linear and less sandbox compared to other Halo titles.
It reminds me of Final Fantasy 13. Final Fantasy 13 was similar to Halo 4 but, moving in a better direction, Final Fantasy 13-2 toned down the graphics to have better gameplay.
Also, while I’m on the subject, the lighting effects are totally over the top. The room is either pitch dark or blindingly lit. Please improve this.
I have issues with the game’s story but this was my main concern. I hope 343 can learn from these mistakes. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the campaign, but I just was expecting that bit more, because, I KNOW 343 CAN DO IT! 343 have done things Bungie wouldn’t dare do. Jump in a covenant cruiser to blow it up, fly pelicans (such a good idea that was almost totally squandered), fly broadswords, make entirely new enemies.
I hope Halo 5 will make these points come alive.