Halo: Combat Evolved made its debut on the Xbox in late November 2001 and with it a lengend was born. Rating 9.2 originally with OXM Australia and 9.7 moderately worldwide, Halo CE had been quoted to say it had "Surpassed" 007 Goldeneye. Eleven years later, Halo 4 has finally made its way into the hands of many underage fans around the world, the first not to be made by the original creators, Bungie. There was only one question that mattered overall with the regular players and the die hard fans alike: Would Halo 4 live up to the legend it had created?
Of course, the first thing that needs to be talked about is the gameplay. The Single Player is definitely fluid and works well, developers have created changing and challenging areas to fight in. This is pushed greatly by the graphics; the game looks stunning during both Multiplayer and Campaign. While the Covenant do look slightly different, its refreshing to see them in a new light. Voice acting is utterly sublime; Jen Taylor (Cortana) creates quite an effective mood and feel both in the midst of battle and in the cinematics. A more talkative Steve Downes (Master Chief) is definitely the cherry on top of the cake. While the rest of the voice cast do a great job diving into the Halo Universe, many lacked the "oomph" that the series requires. In saying that, not all secondary characters are overlooked - Mark Rolston (Captain Del Rio) does an extraordinary job, especially with the sparring between the main characters and Darren O'Hare (Thomas Lasky).
Without revealing many spoilers for the game, the storyline does indeed start off a little rocky, not knowing what's happening but nearing the end of the game things start to tie off into a neat little bow. The epilogue does show quite the small spoilers and where the game may head for the next game in the new sequel. Sound effects were of great quality in-game but seemed to lack in the cinematics. For unknown reasons, all actions in the cutscenes seemed to come out faded and dull, while the voices were clear. This detracted from the mood but had little effect.
Many of the fans were worried over what would happen to the Multiplayer side of the game but 343 Industries truly delivered what many are calling one of the best MP experiences online for a Halo game. While a few sneaky glitches has been found and exploited, with the choices of connectivity, the customisation of our characters being even better than before, 343 did not hold back for the series.
Spartan Ops was originally critisied for its "Spec Ops" likeness, but the gameplay is quite enjoyable. Waiting each and ever week for a new installment adds to the excitement of completing something on this massive scale. Remember, this is continuing for 50 weeks after launch. That's five brand new maps for nearly a full year!
Overall, the Halo series is still alive and well and many gamers worried if the game would live up to the hype, if 343 could fill the shoes of the departed Bungie. In a sense, 343 and all those involved have breathed on the embers of Halo 3 to bring the series back to life, and now the fire is burning hot once more.
Out of 10, I give Halo 4 an 9/10
Good Points
+ Campaign is great, storyline and graphics suit well
+ Spartan Ops a nice touch
+ Cinematics awesome
+ Return of MC!
Bad Points
- Few MP issues
- Sound effects muffled during cinematics
Halo 4 is out now for the standard price of $68
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