343 continues the tradition of light, sound, and magic in the latest installment in the Halo Franchise and the first of three in the Reclaimer Saga. Gameplay, an epic score, and story culminate into an experience which is not to be missed. Though it may not stack up as the favorite campaign in the franchise, it is a welcome addition that expanses the Halo universe and sets up the major theme in the new line of story.
Gameplay (Heroic difficulty)
Halo 4’s gameplay borrows the most from Halo: Reach with the way human and Covenant weapons work as well as armor abilities with some additions. Like Reach, Halo 4 introduces a variety of new vehicles such as the Mantis and Pelican. The Covenant weapons behave mostly the same with the replacement of the Plasma Rifle with the “Storm Rifle.” For those unfamiliar with the way weapons behave in Halo, damage from one of the standard weapons (the battle rifle, assault rifle, DMR, Covenant Carbine) are not enough to kill an enemy of sufficient health like the alien enemy Elites (or fellow Spartans in Multiplayer) without an entire clip unless complete with headshots. The new strain of weapons comes from the introductory enemy “Prometheans,” which were [No Spoilers] developed by the ancient Forerunner alien race. The weapons mimic the human and Covenant weaponry with slight differences in handling and special characteristics. They do not feel like new weapons, but variations of existing ones, which is not a bad thing. Promethean enemies also mimic Covenant enemies, but only in respect to health and difficulty of dismantling. Promethean Knights are more satisfying to extinguish than Elites while Promethean Crawlers are nimble and between the difficulty of a Covenant Grunt and Jackal, though less satisfying. Kill them with headshots. The humor and adorableness of the Grunt is unfortunately stripped away in Halo 4 with the exception of the option to add a birthday party explosion when dealing a headshot in the options menu.
My choice of difficulty, Heroic, is less challenging then previous Halo campaigns due to the abundance of options. Being able to choose between armor abilities come across, seven varieties of primary rifles, three kinds of grenades, and other specialized weapons makes playing the way a gamer desires easier than ever. Without the “Famine Skull” option turned on, ammo will be plentiful enough to dispatch hordes of enemies if used efficiently. However, the game rarely gives a player the tools needed for success and instead requires him/her to earn it by killing the enemies with the weapons desired. Gameplay is occasionally varied with vehicle missions; though rarely as difficulty as gun gameplay in order to not frustrate those who want to get back to the gunfights as soon as possible. There even comes a time near the end that feels like “Star Fox” (1993). Gameplay is overall satisfying and loaded with fun. Legendary difficulty will be a challenge for any gamer, and along with the all “skull” options turned on, Halo Legendary-All-Skulls-On (LASO) it remains one of the most difficult challenges in video games.
Presentation
Halo 4 boasts spectacular visuals both during gameplay and cut-scenes equal to if not surpassing the previous best in the franchise, Halo 3. The mass quantity of visual content seems to be limited only by the aging Xbox 360 console. The only time when I feel the visuals don’t shine is during a jungle mission in which the organic plant matter lacks the realistic feel the rest of the game is treated with. The old look of Master Chief’s visor is also missed from Halo 3, though that may just be personal preference. Sound in the game is an improvement over the franchise’s already award winning quality. Each action makes a sound that conveys distance, orientation, and magnitude with excellence. This game is best enjoyed with a surround sound headset. The most drastic improvement is in gunfire sounding more realistic for human guns and more thought out for alien weapons. Also changed is the score to the game. Now renowned composer to the previous Halo games, Marty O’Donnell, has been replaced by “Massive Attack” producer Neil Davidge. Seemingly inspired from O’Donnell’s work, the soundtrack sounds familiar, though not replicative or emulative. It works well in the campaign at all times, enhancing suspense and feeling throughout. However, only some of the music is enjoyable for casual listening to outside of the game. The music, visuals, and sound shine as well as previous Halo installments and are a primary reason to be wowed by the campaign.
Story (No Spoilers)
Halo 4 establishes both morally ambiguity and its concentration on the Master Chief character within its opening scene. Master Chief is a Spartan super soldier and like all Spartans was kidnapped as a child and turned into something not entirely human. Spartans are emotionally dysfunctional and sociopathic at times, being closed off and unable to connect to the world around them. However, the presence of Spartans and in particular Master Chief John-117 spared humanity from annihilation at the hands of the Covenant armada. John is left in effect a machine doing nothing but his duty with militaristic style and undo resolve. Ironically, the one connection 117 has is to a digital artificial intelligence, Cortana. Left alone together adrift aboard the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn spaceship, Master Chief laid in suspended sleep while Cortana had nothing to do but think and rewire herself. In Halo 4, Cortana comes back more human looking than ever, and is breathtakingly rendered. Symbolizing Cortana’s evolution towards humanity and being more a young woman than robot, her expressive face tells stories within the story.
The story of Halo 4 centers mostly on Cortana’s “rampancy” –an increasingly fatal dysfunction that A.I.s develop after 7 years of service where they literally think themselves to death. Cortana has been in commission for 8 years. Throughout the campaign, it becomes the source of urgency as her dysfunction elevates in severity with Master Chief hoping to get Cortana to her maker before she is destroyed. 343 Industries leaves 117’s and Cortana’s relationship ambiguous and largely unspoken, though highly complex. The highlight is the conversation in which Cortana asserts that she wants to find out who the machine is -him or her?
Outside of the overarching story line with Cortana, the premise is the fighting of an ancient enemy left behind by the Forerunners. With no spoilers, I can elaborate little about the enemy itself and discuss only on its effect. In truth, it lacks the thrill of the Covenant battles in passed Halos with a lull in the middle of the game. However, at the end of the mission that feels to lack direction, cut-scenes bring back excitement with new developments and information. The best part of this story line and the developments with Cortana is the ending that has a huge and one of the most satisfying payoffs in Halo video games. I do, however, suggest that gamers familiarize themselves with Halo fiction outside of the game. In particular, the internet mini-series “Halo: Forward Unto Dawn” is so tied into a central character of Halo 4 that it is a must watch (See my review here). In addition, forerunner fiction from “Halo: Legends” and/or the novels will supplement the experience.
With questions left unanswered, it is clear that Halo 4 leaves many things for the latter two installments of the Reclaimer Trilogy to explain. The campaign is not a completely rounded out story all by itself -nor does it seem 343 intended it to be. Many in-between parts dealing with protagonists aboard the UNSC Infinity and outside of Master Chief are to be dealt with in “Spartan Ops,” the online chapter multiplayer experience. Overall, it achieves a story worthy of high praise and keeps this gamer looking forward to Halo 5.
VERDICT: 4/5
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