WAKE UP JOHN
Halo 4, a game that won awards for Best Xbox 360 game and Best Graphics, is one of the greatest shooter games in its franchise.The Halo series was created by Bungie, and is now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft. It consists of Halo (2011), Halo 2 (2004), Halo 3 (2007), Halo Wars (2009), Halo 3: ODST (2009), Halo Reach (2010) and the latest, Halo 4 (2012). They center in the future on an intergalactic war between humanity and aliens that are known as the Covenant. Cool right? In the game you take the role of a cybernetically altered super humanoid, named John-117 aka Master Chief, and are accompanied by his artificial intelligence (AI) companion, Cortana.
For a game that had won Best Graphics above all games in the year, you can bet it was very visually accomplished. Literally, from the second you start playing, youre impressed. In the very first video scene, I was struck with confusion because I couldnt tell if it was actually video taped or if it was computer graphics. They were hardcore. The actually gameplay was also impressive. The scenery was detailed, the characters looked beautiful and lifelike, and the weapons & creatures looked dangerous and lethal. My favourite part of it all was how striking the outside landscape looked. The sunlight slicing between the trees, the 40 different shades of green blended in the earth, it was all very visually satisfying.
I have a positive review for the controls too. Once you start, you just jump right in and quickly discover how everything is done. It isnt very complex, its mostly basics like shoot, throw, pick up, so you wont find yourself looking through the manual. The controls are customisable too. Not only can you personalise the button layouts, youll be able to adjust the sensitivity, stick layout, look inversion, and more. If youre like me and prefer to snipe your targets from a distance instead of fighting them in close quarters, its advised you turn down the look sensitivity to score those headshots.
Something interesting about Halo 4 vs the other Halo games is that this one introduces an emotional connection between the characters, which wasnt present before. Cortana is deteriorating. Her AI life span is up and theres nothing Master Chief can do about it while the Covenant is around, so hes unhappy, and so is she, and it becomes clear they wouldnt be the same without eachothers company. In the previous games, their connection wasnt emotional, if there was a connection at all and there wasnt much dialogue either, but having the fact that Cortana is dying, their bond grows stronger during the game which was something we havent seen before, and its something you want to see if you want to get a true understanding of what takes place in the end of the game.
Halo 4 has given gamers and media alike reason to talk about gaming in 2012. Master Chief's return is certainly a triumphant one and the game is one of a kind even amongst its own series. Alien robot humanoids, graphics, superstellar weapons, an intriguing plot, whats not to like? Even if youre just bearly jumping into the story, you will enjoy it. But in the end, Halo 4 is defidentally a game for the fans.
