Pogosama

Let me start by saying that I am simply a consumer and a long time fan of the game. Nothing more really needs to be said because nothing more really matters in the grand scheme of things, and there are plenty more people like me out there, so my opinion isn't really something special. That being said, Halo 4 is a different sort of beast then its predecessors. As far as the campaign goes, I like how 343 tried to get the Chief more involved in what is really his own storyline. I think they missed the mark just slightly, and only slightly, because they really were only able to focus on Cortana to convey this change in his character. His emotion was so centered on her the whole time, that the Chief was fleshed out much at all, rather we just had a small window where we were able to observe him. It's a step in the right direction, but not a huge leap for Halo-kind. I disliked Cortana's new look a lot. She felt over sexualized honestly, and I think a lot of that had to do with her seeming more naked then usual. I understand graphical constraints of previous generations have largely shaped how we had seen Cortana up to this point, but something more modest would have been nice in my opinion, and would have suited her character more too. The Forerunner enemies felt like a new type of enemy at first, but once you realize they have the same "shield break" stumble before you can knock their heads off, they started to blend together with the Covenant. And speaking of which, I strongly dislike the new Covie designs. They feel so monstorous and so much less personified in this game. I mean, we spent an entire trilogy shaping Human-Covenant relations and learning about their culture and hierarchy, all to just be disregarded with a simple "These Covenant seem more fanatical then the one's we fought before." No sir 343, not buying it. Not one bit. The music this time around seemed largely forgetable, though thats not to say it wasnt nice. I understand that there was a new composer, and he did a fantastic job, but the game never really emphasized the music, and in some parts of the campaign I realized I was fighting in total silence! The soundtrack is pretty solid (though admitedly I miss some familiar tunes) but it never really feels like part of the game, it mostly seems tacked on in bits where the action dulls out a bit. I miss the crescendos at key moments, rather then just high pitch tension music. This is another portion where I really feel 343 missed the mark, but more so then previously mentioned. As far as multiplayer goes, I feel I need to address a few key points that many people are complaining about just to provoke the vocal minority. -Weapon Balance -Weapon Disintegration -Map Design Starting with balance, I haven't noticed a whole lot of imbalance as far as weapons are concerned, other than the Scattershot and the Binary Rifle. The scattershot fires too quickly and overshadows the shotgun in a wide variety of scenarios, and the binary rifle's magazine size should be dropped to 1, seeing as its a single shot to kill. I feel that 343 really put the time in to make the weapons feel good in player's hands (especially with the new sound effects!) and at the same time balance them well. They should really be commended for their effort here, as it has made the game very diverse and satisfying in multiplayer. Weapons disappear too quickly after they hit the ground. Nothing more needs to be said then that, as it changes a fundamental of Halo multiplayer that many, including myself, found very satisfying. I hope it is increased to at least 20-30 seconds. Finally, the new map designs are BEAUTIFUL, but only in a cosmetic sense. I see a lot of work put into texture quality and game feel, and it shows. The maps are very pretty. Unfortunately, I dislike how cluttered they all feel. So many maps have such an odd distortion of long open areas and small corridors, nearly every map I play feels wonky. HOWEVER, what I think many people fail to realize is that the new maps have been designed around the removal of many in game weapon spawns. The new loadout and ordinance system allow you access to much of your equipment in the field, so the new maps really allow you to interact with your enemies on MANY different fronts, rather then the typical 2-4 we are used to in older Halo Maps. I understand the reasoning for this new map design, and understand how it benefits the new system, but I think the cost of this is how attached we are to certain maps. When there are 15 different pieces of cover between you and your enemy, this present new and interesting combat scenarios, but it does not allow us as the player to enjoy any of them. Perhaps this is just the nostalgia talking, and I understand hitting this mark is nigh impossible, but I wish there was a little less map clutter and a little more focus on dramatc set pieces, so we as players could feel more at home in the maps, and less de-tached. Except for Exile. I mean, a banshee and a scorpion/wraiths and about 15 feet in either direction to manuever. What's the point there? All in all, I feel that 343 did a good job in re-creating that Halo magic we have all felt at one point or another, but at the same time taking the gameplay in new and interesting directions. Overall, I am very satisfied with Halo 4, and although I was very skeptical at first, I think this was a good first step for them. It's not perfect, but to expect perfection on their maiden voyage would be asking for too much. I hope that they learn from their (minor) mistakes in this game, and move forward with their (major) changes to our franchise. Here's to 343 for moving the Halo legacy forward their own way! I can't wait for more Halo 4 goodness and Master Chief's next step forward! TL:DR It's pretty good man

I had an issue where I lost my internet connection while completing the Solo Legendary campaign, so even though I was awarded the achievment for beating it, my commendation list said I hadn't finished a level on Legendary. As a result I had to replay the Forunner level on Legendary in order to complete the commendation. That's about it.

Let me start by saying that I am simply a consumer and a long time fan of the game. Nothing more really needs to be said because nothing more really matters in the grand scheme of things, and there are plenty more people like me out there, so my opinion isn't really something special. That being said, Halo 4 is a different sort of beast then its predecessors. As far as the campaign goes, I like how 343 tried to get the Chief more involved in what is really his own storyline. I think they missed the mark just slightly, and only slightly, because they really were only able to focus on Cortana to convey this change in his character. His emotion was so centered on her the whole time, that the Chief was fleshed out much at all, rather we just had a small window where we were able to observe him. It's a step in the right direction, but not a huge leap for Halo-kind. I disliked Cortana's new look a lot. She felt over sexualized honestly, and I think a lot of that had to do with her seeming more naked then usual. I understand graphical constraints of previous generations have largely shaped how we had seen Cortana up to this point, but something more modest would have been nice in my opinion, and would have suited her character more too. The Forerunner enemies felt like a new type of enemy at first, but once you realize they have the same "shield break" stumble before you can knock their heads off, they started to blend together with the Covenant. And speaking of which, I strongly dislike the new Covie designs. They feel so monstorous and so much less personified in this game. I mean, we spent an entire trilogy shaping Human-Covenant relations and learning about their culture and hierarchy, all to just be disregarded with a simple "These Covenant seem more fanatical then the one's we fought before." No sir 343, not buying it. Not one bit. The music this time around seemed largely forgetable, though thats not to say it wasnt nice. I understand that there was a new composer, and he did a fantastic job, but the game never really emphasized the music, and in some parts of the campaign I realized I was fighting in total silence! The soundtrack is pretty solid (though admitedly I miss some familiar tunes) but it never really feels like part of the game, it mostly seems tacked on in bits where the action dulls out a bit. I miss the crescendos at key moments, rather then just high pitch tension music. This is another portion where I really feel 343 missed the mark, but more so then previously mentioned. As far as multiplayer goes, I feel I need to address a few key points that many people are complaining about just to provoke the vocal minority. -Weapon Balance -Weapon Disintegration -Map Design Starting with balance, I haven't noticed a whole lot of imbalance as far as weapons are concerned, other than the Scattershot and the Binary Rifle. The scattershot fires too quickly and overshadows the shotgun in a wide variety of scenarios, and the binary rifle's magazine size should be dropped to 1, seeing as its a single shot to kill. I feel that 343 really put the time in to make the weapons feel good in player's hands (especially with the new sound effects!) and at the same time balance them well. They should really be commended for their effort here, as it has made the game very diverse and satisfying in multiplayer. Weapons disappear too quickly after they hit the ground. Nothing more needs to be said then that, as it changes a fundamental of Halo multiplayer that many, including myself, found very satisfying. I hope it is increased to at least 20-30 seconds. Finally, the new map designs are BEAUTIFUL, but only in a cosmetic sense. I see a lot of work put into texture quality and game feel, and it shows. The maps are very pretty. Unfortunately, I dislike how cluttered they all feel. So many maps have such an odd distortion of long open areas and small corridors, nearly every map I play feels wonky. HOWEVER, what I think many people fail to realize is that the new maps have been designed around the removal of many in game weapon spawns. The new loadout and ordinance system allow you access to much of your equipment in the field, so the new maps really allow you to interact with your enemies on MANY different fronts, rather then the typical 2-4 we are used to in older Halo Maps. I understand the reasoning for this new map design, and understand how it benefits the new system, but I think the cost of this is how attached we are to certain maps. When there are 15 different pieces of cover between you and your enemy, this present new and interesting combat scenarios, but it does not allow us as the player to enjoy any of them. Perhaps this is just the nostalgia talking, and I understand hitting this mark is nigh impossible, but I wish there was a little less map clutter and a little more focus on dramatc set pieces, so we as players could feel more at home in the maps, and less de-tached. Except for Exile. I mean, a banshee and a scorpion/wraiths and about 15 feet in either direction to manuever. What's the point there? All in all, I feel that 343 did a good job in re-creating that Halo magic we have all felt at one point or another, but at the same time taking the gameplay in new and interesting directions. Overall, I am very satisfied with Halo 4, and although I was very skeptical at first, I think this was a good first step for them. It's not perfect, but to expect perfection on their maiden voyage would be asking for too much. I hope that they learn from their (minor) mistakes in this game, and move forward with their (major) changes to our franchise. Here's to 343 for moving the Halo legacy forward their own way! I can't wait for more Halo 4 goodness and Master Chief's next step forward! TL:DR It's pretty good man, you should try it.