Showing posts with label Halo 4. Show all posts
Developer- 343 Industries
Publishers- Microsoft Studios
Release Date- November 6th, 2012
Price- $59.99 MSRP
Review Platform- Xbox 360
Reawakening the Fight
343 Industries has the difficult task of appeasing millions of fans that come to expect certain elements when it comes to the release of a new Halo title. As the start of a brand new trilogy starring Master Chief, Halo 4 is their major debut as a developer and a chance to show that they are up to the task of continuing the popular franchise.
In my opinion, they not only do enough with Halo 4 to let fans know they can create a good Halo game, but have also created one of the best sequel-ed shooters in quite some time.
Campaign was my first stop for Halo 4, and it really impresses. It does enough to satisfy while also setting things up for the next two titles. I found it to be well paced too, with enough action and cinematics to get the story going forward. Refreshing your mind with the ending of Halo 3 will probably help, but something that is not required to follow the game's roughly 7 hour campaign.Co-op play is once again available, so you can go through the game with friends and some skulls activated for fun.
Halo 4 is a more focused story with the relationship between Cortana and Master Chief being at the center of events. Chief has never spoken more than in this game, and you'll be happy to hear what the heroic spartan has to say in this game.
343 has also prepared great additional content for the game aside from the usual multiplayer features. Spartan Ops is a episodic feature that contains cinematics and five missions per episode that will be released weekly for Xbox Live. The content is available for free and can be played in solo or co-op mode. It's pretty well done so far for episode one, and allows you to use your multiplayer spartan and weapon loadouts. Custom Loadouts? Yep. That's new for Halo 4.Halo multiplayer has always been different from most other shooters with a great emphasis on vehicles and a small number of available weapons. While this remains true, elements from other titles such as Call of Duty have been mixed into the game. Don't worry though - these changes enhance Halo multiplayer for the better.
War Games is the competitive mode features revamped gametypes like Flood, the new infection mode where its humans against infected flood Spartans, and Regicide, a FFA mode where players compete to be the number one king and earn more points for killing the top player.
Ranking up in Halo 4 grants you points that can be used to build up your Spartan. Weapons such as the Battle Rifle and DMR are given to you fairly quickly to have in your loadout, since most of the power weapons are the only ones that randomly spawn on the map.
You'll also be able to have certain abilities always available to you like sprinting, with others equip-able such as the jet-pack and active camouflage. Credits are gone in Halo 4 and these new points go towards unlocking new abilities and not Spartan armor, which is now unlocked based on challenges given and your SR ranking.
Forge is back too, and making your own maps is easier than ever. With new additions such as locking placed items, putting items together with the magnet ability, and more items to make unique gametypes and creations, Forge gives the tools needed to make maps fast and varied. Another neat feature is the readjusted lighting, so objects will now cast better shadows and help make custom maps look better than ever.
The presentation in Halo 4 is top notch. From the amazing visuals to the great new weapons and sound, there's plenty to like about this title. The new Promethean enemies are visually nice and help provide new tactical situations for players.
Simply put, you'll be getting a lot of gameplay for $60 with Halo 4.
343 can take a breather. They have improved upon the Halo formula, while pushing things forward in a respectable manner that makes you want to keep playing to see what they will do next. Master Chief is back, and you'll want to step back into his Spartan shoes.
"The Master Chief returns to battle an ancient evil bent on vengeance and annihilation. Shipwrecked on a mysterious world, faced with new enemies and deadly technology, the universe will never be the same. Enlist aboard the Infinity to experience Halo’s original multiplayer and Spartan Ops - innovative episodic fiction-based co-op missions."
The Chief has officially returned! Halo 4 is now available worldwide and I'll be digging into it later today. I played a quick match before bed last, and the game immediately felt good to control. The next two weeks are going to feature a lot of shooting as Call of Duty Black Ops II releases next week.
If you missed Saints Row: The Third the first time around, you'll be able to grab it now at a discount and packed with plenty of content. The Full package of the game features all of the released DLC, which according to the boxart is worth $50, so you'll be getting great DLC for a $50 title. Another multi-platform release this week is the Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection. These fighting games based on DBZ we're always a ton of fun to play.
There's also the Rockstar Games Collection which includes GTA: Episodes from Liberty City, Red Dead Redemption, L.A Noire, and Midnight Club, as well as the Mass Effect trilogy which sees the debut of Mass Effect 1 on the PlayStation 3.
The PS3 also gets a exclusive release today has LittleBigPlanet Karting is now available. The game allows you to create your own tracks with that LBP charm.
Lastly is the XBLA version of Toe Jam & Earl and its sequel Panic on Funkotron. I love that game!
Have a great week of gaming!
Master Chief and Cortana will make their return to the Xbox 360 on November 6th, 2012 , and tonight on Conan's show, the game will be shown. The 343 and Microsoft developed game will be the first of a new trilogy with new changes coming to the gameplay. There are currently no plans for a beta, so November 6th will be the date when everyone can get their hands on the game worldwide.
"Halo 4 is the next blockbuster installment in the iconic franchise that's shaped entertainment history and defined a decade of gaming. Set in the aftermath of Halo 3, Master Chief returns to confront his own destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. Halo 4 marks the start of a new trilogy that begins with its release in 2012."
