The Critics Love ‘Halo 4’; Call The Game ‘One Of The Finest Shooters In Years’

Halo 4, the hugely anticipated First Person Shooter, has finally arrived and the critics are raving about the game. The latest entry in the Halo franchise received excellent reviews, ranging from the critic who called Halo 4 “One Of The Finest Shooters In Years” to’ 5 out of 5 stars’ from Joystiq’s Ludwig Kietzmann:

“You don’t often see a monolithic franchise putting up a fight for fans, but the departure of Bungie has awakened doubt — enough to incur a fierce response from Halo’s new custodians at 343 Industries. The speed at which that uncertainty evaporates is the real surprise. Halo 4 is an expert at making you play along with the unfolding spectacle, and makes sure you’re never ensnared by it.”

The game arrived on November 6, 2012, forcing many Halo fans to choose between a few more hours of playing the new title or doing their patriotic duty to vote. Even those players who supported Mitt Romney’s failed bid for the Presidency had something to celebrate with the knowledge they still had Halo 4 waiting for them when they returned home from their local polling place.

Kietzmann was particularly pleased with the addition of new enemies to the game:

“The introduction of challenging new enemies — the armor-clad Prometheans — is a major alteration within Halo‘s intricate and iterated combat. “The airborne Watchers can shield their companions and return your grenades, while the hulking Knights can disorient your aim by teleporting. If they finish you with a brutal hit, it’s because your shields were whittled away by a pack of canine-like Crawlers, who wield all sorts of guns in their mouths.”

“The nature of Halo‘s fighting, which is to push back just as hard as you prod it, translates beautifully to a four-party team, but it’s the method of delivery that makes the Spartan Ops mode exciting. Every week a new episode will add five missions, exploring the fallout of Halo 4‘s events and giving direction to your slaughter of the alien hordes.”

“Halo 4 is Halo — a surprisingly successful, mandatory step for 343 Industries. But the game strives for more than competence, giving it a forceful march and a decadent show of strength. Our doubt and questioning of Halo‘s continued existence has, in some small way, helped deliver one of the best games in the series and one of the finest shooters in years.”

Chris Watters, reviewing the title for GameSpot, rated Halo 4 at 9 out of 10.

“A thrilling, moving story and intense competitive multiplayer help Halo 4 continue the series’ reign as one of the premier shooter franchises. 343 Industries […] has charted a new course for the iconic Spartan and his AI companion, Cortana. In Halo 4, the duo confronts a fresh new threat to the human race and grapples with mortality in a way the series never has before. The result is the most compelling story a Halo game has ever told, conveyed through a campaign that combines the excellent combat, pacing, and environmental design that have long been hallmarks of the series.”

Watters went on to single out the Halo’s multi-player mode for excellence:

“War Games is the new name for the vaunted competitive multiplayer action that has been a genre standout for more than a decade. The classic deathmatch and objective-based game types return in free-for-all and team varieties, with only a few tweaks and additions. […] Regicide is a new free-for-all game type that puts a bounty on the player with the highest score and occasionally grants him or her an overshield or other perk for remaining on top.”

“Halo 4 is every bit the massive shooter package that its predecessors were, and it holds the series’ standard high. The top-notch competitive multiplayer picks up where Halo: Reach left off, infusing the action with some mainstream elements while still remaining undeniably unique. Spartan Ops may stay a mere sideshow or prove its worth in the weeks to come, but there’s no doubting that the next planned Halo trilogy is off to a great start.”

The praise for Halo 4 continues to roll in and The Inquisitr wants to know if you plan to play this exciting new game. Have you already tried Halo 4 or are you thinking about purchasing it as the holiday season approaches?