Legends Never Die. Halo 4 Review

Awakening...

After taping the start button, we all remember the famous Gregorian-like chants in the epic music composed by gamer favorite Martin or Marty O'Donnell in a game called Halo. In laymen's terms, remember that Halo game that had those monks chanting at the beginning? That must have been the most outspoken, ha, part of the Halo series. Sadly for that, some people missed this game and a lot loved it. Halo Combat Evolved was a, in some ways, the first hugely epic FPS game that could appeal to a large audience , and that it did. Halo 2 was a major leap for online gaming and featured the continuation of a great immersive story. Halo 3 was an amazing way to top off the franchise. Halo ODST, was, well, alright. Reach took a step back in story, but jumped forward into gameplay. Bungie then stepped down as Halo's creators and the world did keep turning.

The torch that was set down has now been passed to 343 Industries who made the decent, Halo HD remake a many of us saw coming (Me). Does this no name company who made a HD conversion would be able to carry such a hot fire in the Halo shape? Well, lets carefully take a yander at renewed Halo series and the story of Master Chief.

What We Do Best

Everyone who plays Halo either experienced or watched the Halo 3 Legendary ending and you saw the Forward Unto Dawn floating near a "alien" planet-like structure. That's it, now 343 has to decide what happens next. Everyone then saw the teaser trailer for Halo 4, so then the anticipation and speculation began. We have the game. After much time of playing and procrastination, I have a review! That start of Halo 4 is just as expected, get off of what's left of the Forward Unto Dawn, nothing much. Then other events that were a cause of the time going by while the Chief was sleeping goes underway and makes the player worry about the Chief's future. You soon find an "ancient evil" that "awakens" and you got some new enemies. So then you find this bad guy who looks a bit like an Engineer from Prometheus with the same temper.

The story is well played out and predicable in a very good way. The game may even bring you to tears at the end, but no real man cries! Maybe a little. The new bad guys make the story more interesting, again like Prometheus, it asked many new questions while answering a few. One question I had that was never answered was, Why are the Covenant attacking us? I thought the Sangheili were good now... Well, that was never answered. One more thing, I felt that the evil guy (aka the Didact) was not very developed, it was like, "I am bad guy. [violent poetic stuff] You will lose" *goes away* Maybe who he was will be answered. Alright, this has gone on far enough. The story was good, but there was a plot hole and the antagonist was not very developed. Oops I forgot. The story was also the most emotional Halo of all. I enjoyed it very much. For players looking to be badass and kill some alien goons; that's in this game, but to don't be afraid to get into a story too. Great story-line with a plot hole and little bad guy development, but managed very well.

Asking Is Not My Strong-Suit

To shoot first and ask questions, is always the way of the shooter game. It's kind a odd that the first Halo was originally going to be a Mac Exclusive RTS game. EEEEEEWWWWWW Anyway, it's a shooter much like Doom, running around blasting bad guys only from the hip in a 7 foot tall, super solider in high-tech armor. The most deadly weapon was, of course either your arm or a warthog tire. In this game, it's not smart to run out and whack aliens anymore. This game got harder, a lot harder. I was playing single-player Heroic and I was beating my head like it was Halo 3 Legendary, now I want the Achievement for beating it on Legendary, aloooone.... I feel like it's good because we all know how to beat Halo or most of us vets do. I feel like the beginners are gonna need a class on playing this game, and the vets will be wanting to take it on!

Other than the challenge of Halo 4, nothing else is new and why should it be? Mostly the rest is just tweaks here and there. Grenades arch sooner, more guns were added, different types of enemies to fight, and new armor abilities. Changes in weaponry are much like a Treyarch vs Infinity Ward and differences in gameplay of the CODs each has made. It's fine and really it is more of preference  I personally wanted a machine gun and the BR to make an appearance in Halo 4 so, yay! The new enemies certainly added to the overall challenge. Here is a plus, NO FLOOD!!! I'm happy because three types of enemies would be a plain mess. Also the enemies kind the game interesting and re-playable  I still feel that there is an easier way to defeat them. I'll be on YouTube.

You Knew This Was Coming

I don't even have to introduce this. Does it keep Halo 4 alive? Halo 4 vs Black Ops II, you will have to wait a bit for that. Halo 4 using a a very COD-like player system. What you can do is get three slots: One is for an Armor ability, one for weapon ability and one for a player ability. Perks, they're perks, okay? Just like Call Of Duty and it fits just as well. The game even awards support packages that can let you choose from three items the game may offer you. Speed upgrade, over-shield, and ever power weapons can be teleported to you and used until either death or expelled otherwise. I especially like that for there is a pesky Ghost or screaming Banshee eating kills. Get some stuff done, receive a Rail Gun and shoot that Flying Fraidy Cat out of the sky. Multiplayer is fun and intense. You can actually feel like you can do something to win! That's until you get a lobby with a bunch of idiots that just quit or can't even defend themselves. That is not 343's fault, but it was their fault for making a fun multiplayer. ADD CAMPAIGN MATCHMAKING!!!

I Can't Really Fully Review This

From the name, Spartan Ops, it's a blatant rip off of Call of Duty Spec Ops. Right? Wrong! It's a separate, full-length story that you get to take your own Spartan from Multiplayer on for the ride. It even features fully rendered CGI cut-scenes for each Episode. I can't fully review it because 4 and 5 have not been released yet. I do have one complaint though, the levels are mostly so far, cut and past of the others levels or more like maps. Remember, this so far and I haven't even played Episode 3 yet. If they went so far with the cut scenes, why not go the extra for the actual game play. Other than that, it is very fun and also very challenging. You can even use your multiplayer classes and "perks" in Spartan Ops. So there is more fun to be had with changing up. So it's fun and interesting, but feels a bit oddly cheap, only in gameplay, for now...

Where Is The Purple?

Whole lot of blues and yellows. 343 wanted to make a push away from purple because that's Covenant style, not the "new guys". Change is and was good. Still coloring with purple would have been a killer, for sure. The game looks wonderful. I really got nothing but praise for the visual style. Some times the visuals may be a little too bright, but it's so real looking, so it looks surprisingly well. In tradition of the epic style of Halo, this game just times the epic-ness by 50! This easily the most amazing looking Halo game ever and the best looking game this year. Now the most ridiculous part. I swear those CGI cut scenes are most realistic and most awesome amazing speechless-ly jaw dropping real looking renderings. I am not exaggerating either, maybe a little. The cut scenes look the same if not better than of all Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. So real, is this real? Yes! Halo 4 has got them! Astounding.

I could have written that in two paragraphs, but I have to talk about the music. Marty would be proud. Oh, the guy who did it Halo 4, his name is Sotaro Tojima and he just happened to compose the music for Metal Gear Solid 4! Now he did the newest Halo and he does not disappoint at all. In fact, I should actually get the soundtrack. You will have to experience for yourself. Even if you can't get Halo 4, listen to the music anyway, it is way too good. It sounds and feels just like Halo, but not Martin O'Donnell's Halo, it's a new era of a Halo musical masterpiece.

The Legend of 117

This game is a new ride that runs smooth, but has a few clinks in it. It is overall an attraction to return to again ans again. The story is gripping and emotional with a blah bad guy to knock around. The gameplay is not needed for too much change and the changes seem like rip-offs, but take the game to better level than before. The art and music is the best it has ever been and it is so awesome. Halo fans, get it! Casual Halo fans, get it! FPS fans, you played Halo, get too! With some points of improvement to make and questions to answer. Not perfect, Halo 4 is still amazing. The Legend of 117 will continue for two more games and I can't wait to see were we will fly like a brick to next. Halo 4 sticks 5 eggs out of 6.