Storyline
As a Halo fanboy/fanatic, the storyline really fascinated me. I mean, Master Chief vs. Prometheans! What's not to like? Forward Unto Dawn really got me excited, and this magnificent game really delivered. The elements of the emotions are perfect, and it really shows more depth to the characters (much like the novels), more so/unlike the other games in the Halo franchise. You really felt more connected and interested in all the characters. You really explore the humanity in John, and the breakdown of Cortana. In my opinion, they expanded more on the Halo Universe than any of the other video games, and they flawlessly crafted the story for Halo 4. In fact, I'd say they beat every single Bungie Halo Video Game in this category.
Gameplay
Halo, a franchise known for it's fast-paced, and excellently executed action, mixed with the perfect measure of sci-fi awesomeness. Halo 4, obviously, does not disappoint, and 343 Studios did an excellent job. Everything is perfectly placed, and the newly introduced weapons are fabulous! The assassination animations, semi/first-person cutscenes, and general movement in this game is more fluid than any other, and you really feel like you are Master Chief, unlike Halo 3 wherein most stuff where very basic (basic melee, basic jump, no sprint, etc. etc.) The 10 different excellent maps are each unique and have their own special quality, and fit in nearly every single game category/mode (especially Flood Mode). Leveling up is not too different, but still very interesting nonetheless, as it is more based around experience. Such examples are medals, capturing the flag, winning a Slayer match, and more. Other new add-ons only add to the fun, as Supply Drops are balanced and not overpowered like the Halo : Combat Evolved Pistol, and Spartan Ops is even better than Fire-Fight, as there is an actual story and you can team up with up to 3 other players. All of this adds up to possibly the best Multiplayer experience in decades.
Audio
Neil Davidge did an awesome job with the soundtrack, but in my opinion, didn't live up to his hype, nor did he succeed in besting Marty O'Donnell. But don't get me wrong. Neil still did an excellent job, and really set the atmosphere of the games, but I'm just more used to Marty's work, and I'm more accustomed and used to hearing his music after the many years he's produced music for the Halo franchise. However, that's just my opinion, and I could see other gamers being perfectly suit to the new soundtrack(s). As for in-game audio effects, 343 introduced an entirely new array of weaponry effects, and they all fit without any problems. Explosions, footsteps, melee, and other audio applications are flawless, and do not disappoint. As for Voice Acting, they isn't an actual improvement, since they are mostly the same people for the main characters, but have a lot more room to breathe, and the characters are more lively and human. For the other characters/voice actors, they did a fantastic job.
Visuals
Halo was never specifically known for it's mind-blowing graphics (other than Halo 3, which, for a 2007 video game, was spectacular and highly impressive). Halo 4 delivered, visually-wise, a new quality that the other Halo video games failed to deliver. Sure, Halo : Reach had good graphics, but the visuals didn't stand out much against other games like Crysis 2. 343's first video game is, at a minimum, eye-candy. There are few bugs/glitches that ruin the visuals, and everything is sleek and fits the atmosphere, such as minor organic roots growing, or an entirely flat fore-runner platform. The weapons are even better and have the best details compared to other 2012/Halo video games. Explosions are awesome, and the cut-scenes are even better than Halo Wars, which is an impressive feat to bout. It really leaves you to imagine how this game would look like on an Alienware computer.
I mean, how can you not love these sick graphics?
Lasting Appeal
I could, without a doubt, seem me playing this game in a couple years. This game really has special qualities that make it special amongst other generic First Person Shooters *cough*Call of Duty Black Ops II*cough*. If Half-Life and Half-Life II survived as one of the legendary games of the First Person Shooter genre, I could definitely bet that Halo 4 would survive as one of the best First Person Shooter, if not generally one of the best games, of these several decades. There are no other games in the market that I know of that are like Halo, unlike the generic Modern-Day Military shoot-em-ups.
The Verdict
All in all, Halo 4 perfectly delivers the visuals, gameplay, audio, and storyline you guys seek, especially if you're a Halo fan like me. This is easily one of the best video games of the decade, and the best Halo game to date. The game has very few bugs/glitches to interfere with the experience, and everything fits together like a jigsaw puzzle, with no missing pieces at all. I can't wait for any upcoming DLC's (if they have them), as that may even boost up the score for Halo 4. As for now, I'll wait (which is fine with me), for I'll be playing Halo 4!!!
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