4/5 ★ – RoseFNV's review of Halo 4.

"Welcome Home, John." All around solid entry to the series and a great showcase for 343's talent, while also highlighting some of their weaknesses when it comes to their vision of Halo (especially on the multiplayer side, but we'll get to that later) When it comes to the campaign, a lot of what is put on display here works and it provides a solid foundation for the next game to build off of (although if my memory's correct It doesn't) and Introduces actual depth to the main two characters in a way that feels satisfying and realistic. All of the stuff regarding the main characters is easily the strongest aspect of the storytelling as it puts both Cortana and master chief through Tough situations. Also helps that both voice actors deliver strong work per usual. Level Design here Is great and is a nice mix between classic Halo Sandbox levels and unique, more linear and compact Levels Showcasing the fore runners Building designs. It's a consistently solid Mix of location types that allows for the art direction team to create some gorgeous Environments. Enemy placements occasionally become overwhelming and There is a segment on the very final mission that does test patience but as a whole the campaigns level design and pacing of the levels remain consistently enjoyable. Reclaimer, Infinity and Composer we're probably my favorite levels. When it comes to the weapon and enemy design I'm a bit more mixed, although my opinions remain mostly positive. Returning weapons all feel great, from the Classic assault rifle to the DMR and shotgun. Did find that a few returning weapons Were very scarcely used which I found Odd, as I only encountered the rocket launcher and Sniper rifle Once in the entire game. Weapons from the covenant remain largely unchanged asides from the storm rifle replacing the plasma repeater. The new forerunner/Promethean weapons, however, are where things get messy. They are fun to use and we'll designed from an impact standpoint, but ultimately fail to Justify their existence, as pretty much every one feels like a weaker version of Already existing weapons. The only one that Stands out really is the Boltshot pistol, which is much more short ranged than the Standard magnum. The suppressor feels more than anything like a faster, less impactful assault rifle, the light rifle is basically a battle rifle, the incineration cannon is A much weaker rocket launcher, and so on. It's a shame cause they genuinely could have made interesting weapons for this new group of enemies but they failed to do much with them. The ability system is a bit weak too, with most feelings very optional. Enemy design however is Mostly solid solid and they all feel new and provide variety to the battlefield. If I had to complain I'd say they include the dog enemies and the flying enemies a bit too much but it's nothing major. When it comes to the main story here I do understand where the criticisms lie but ultimately I did find all of the conflicts to be quite engaging, whether that be the UNSC failing being in conflict with the chief or new lore regarding Humanities past and the Prometheans. I do think it could have used Another mission or so to explain or expand on things better though, as the UNSC-chief conflict feels a bit undercooked and I'm still confused why The covenant is working so with the didact. The only aspects I'm mainly negative about here are the music and the multiplayer. Regarding the music, it's not exactly bad, but the lack of Composer Marty O Donnell is felt widely, as a large portion of the new tracks feel unimaginative and fail to provide as much atmosphere or scale as the previous scores did. The Multiplayer side of things is unfortunately VERY rough, as the Loadout system proves 343s interest in turning the Non-campaign aspects More towards a call of duty style of gameplay and ruining the Game while doing it. It practically breaks balancing as most matches Have Very few interesting pick ups and Battle rifles rule the weaponry. Doesn't help that the Map design isn't particularly strong, and a lot of the lighting can make it look awkward. Still though, looking at this game through a Single player perspective makes it a much more enticing experience, especially since the Multiplayer is much more easy to ignore on the MCC. A very good entry overall and Much better than the following mainline Halo entry.