After playing Halo 4 for a few months now i thought it was necessary to leave my feedback here and give 343 the praise they deserve.
Before i purchased this game i had heard of mixed reviews and negative opinions. But after playing the game i strongly recommend that you disregard all the negativity because those people, with all due respect, have no clue what theyre talking about. I simply cannot find any reason as to why this Halo isn’t the best of the series, by far. Halo 4 feels through and through like a Halo game yet there are just enough new additions and tweaks to keep the series fresh and interesting. Halo 4 is the complete package if there ever was one.
Im usually more of a multiplayer guy but i must say the campaign is fantastic, not too mention the rest of the Halo essentials (forge, theater, etc.) are all there and better than ever.
The Graphics are nothing short of breathtaking. Easily the best on the 360 yet and there really are no words to describe how immersive the visual experience is. The shadows, attention to detail, etc. are all done so very well. Most games take shortcuts, 343i definitely did not. Every maps is literally a visual -Yoink!- down to every last grain of dirt.
Next we have map design. All the maps have a unique feel to them and seem to be extremely well thought out in terms of design. Theres also really nice selection of maps ranging from your compact, action is never more than a few seconds away, maps to your classic massive BTB with plenty of well placed cover, bases, and vehicles. There’s also a nice mix of gamemode-specific maps all boasting perfect harmony with the gametypes they represent. Overall, map selection is great and it feels like every map has a really smooth flow, good balance, and enough small little tricks to keep them fun and interesting. Lastly, one of the most important things in any shooter, spawns. You may not believe me when i say this, but ive never been spawned killed in Halo 4. Not really sure how 343i did it, but the spawns are genius. No matter what map i play on, i always always have enough time and space after spawning to take the game at my own pace until im ready to five into the heat of battle. The quality of the Halo 4 spawn system is perhaps one of the most defining features of this game, this is where Halo 4 succeeds where other fps fail.
Now on to gamemodes. Halo 4 offers a wide variety of classic Halo gametypes in addition to some interesting new ones. I really think 343i did a great job of making each gametype feel unique, offering a certain type of playstyle. Again we have the idea of intensive planning and testing behind each gametype, all of them feel balanced and no two gametypes feel too similar. Thanks to some quality matchmaking I always find myself in competitive and intense matches no matter what gametype im playing. One thing i will say, is every now and again the game migrates hosts, but since Halo 4 doesnt run on dedicated servers i really dont expect much else. At least the game recognizes when the connection in bad and then fixes it instead of having to deal with lag the whole game. I’d 95% of the time, it does feel like im playing on dedicated servers.
Weapon and loadout balance is as expected, near perfect. Every weapon feels unique and fills a particular role. The AA abilities have finally found their place in this game, not giving any game breaking advantages, yet still doing a good job of bring Halo into the modern video game era. The new weapons are all cool and fun to use and the thing im most impressed with is how none of the weapons really seem overpowered. As crazy as it seems, it feels like every weapon has its positives and negatives and truly no one weapon feels grossly overpowered compared to the others. I know people complain about the DMR and whatever else but i find all the starting weapons to be very very balanced. Certain situations and certain maps call for a battle rifle, certain situations call for a DMR, certain situations call for a suppressor, etc, you get the point. Its really about about playstyle and preference. Idk how 343i got the balance so right in Halo 4 but they did, and thats why when you play the game youll see that everyone uses completely different starting loadouts.
Possibly the best part about Halo 4 is the level of polish put into the game. Never EVER have i seen such a polished multiplayer shooter at launch. Now that its been a few months and im sure some hotfixes have been made this game is simply immaculate. Glitches and imperfections are not a thing in the Halo 4 universe. Everything down to the menus is crisp, clear, intuitive, and well organized. There is nothing in this game that doesnt need to be and everything that does need to be.
Last but not least, please dont listen to those who are saying they made Halo like call of duty, they made the game easier, Halo 3 was 10x better, blah blah blah. Halo 4 has the most depth to any Halo game and it is easily one of if not the most skill-based shooters out there on the market today. Yes the pace of the game has been sped up but to be honest, i feel like its right where it should be. Fast enough that you never feel like your bored in a game, yet i dont feel like action is crammed down my throat every second of the game if i dont want it to be. Never has Halo felt more like Halo, just because there are new additions to the game that doesnt mean 343 butchered it, not even close. In fact its the exact opposite, they got nearly everything right and more.
Probably the best $60 ive spent in my gaming career. Clearly microsoft pumped a -Yoink- ton of money into this game and it definitely shows. Halo 4 is without a doubt the best shooter out right now and probably will be for some time to come.
