HALO 4 Review

HALO 4 REVIEW

•  Publisher: Microsoft Studios
• Developer: 343 Industries
• Genre: 1st Person Shooter
• Release Date US: November 6, 2012
• System: Xbox 360
• Rated M for Mature

Halo 4 is the new era of Master Chief’s saga, but does 343 studios have what it takes to compete with the legend that Bungie has already imprinted?

We last heard from Master Chief in 2007. *spoilers* The previous installment of the core Halo series we left Master Chief frozen on board the Forward Unto Dawn. We had no idea if our hero would ever return. Well finally after 5 years the Chief is back and better than ever. Halo 4’s start feels very familiar to how we started back in the first Halo. You really have no idea what is going on and then before you know it you begin combat with a familiar foe…the elites. It’s not much longer after that you get acquainted with the new foe….the Prometheus. This new foe brings a whole new dynamic, but the Prometheus  isn’t even your biggest threat…Cortana is about to mix things up like never before. 

 Good Morning Master Chief. 

                     

The first thing that anyone is going to notice about Halo 4 is how amazing it looks. Be ready to experience the Halo world like never before. All the environments are rich in detail with realistic textures, animation, and lighting. The cut scenes do a great job of driving the story with facial capture that fully expresses the characters emotion and motivation. The graphics are top notch and the audio does an excellent job of tying the whole experience together. 343 studios has gone above and beyond in the sound department. Every gun fire, grenade explosion, and grunt battle cry has been given an extra “umf” to really bring the sci-fi world to life. However the music doesn’t exactly live up to the tracks of previous iterations. The soundtrack is far from bad, but I found none of the tunes ton behind why be very memorable.

Halo 4 provides a wealth of options to keep all types of fans busy for months and even years to come. I find myself, like many other people, mostly interested in the multiplayer. The Halo lore is great, but it is the matchmaking that will keep me returning to the battlefield with the Spartans. The matchmaking option in Halo 4 goes under the name War Games. War Games adds a bit more of a reason to why Spartans are fighting other Spartans. War Games is a type of training course taking place aboard the UNSC Infinity Ship between Spartans in training. The narrative aspect really ramps  up in the mode Spartan Ops…which I will touch on more shortly. Matchmaking brings back the standard games we have all become accustom with. Team slayer, Capture the Flag, Oddball, Swat, and others return. I was actually slightly let down in the lack of new game modes. When first booting up matchmaking you will notice a few  new names, but you will find these to just be slight alternations to game modes we already know. Modes like flood where…players take control of the flood are great additions, but all things considered…it is really just infection wrapped in a new coat of paint. Though the game modes are familiar, the core of multiplayer has been changed. Scoring is no longer just about kills, by adopting a more “Call of Duty” style score set for matches it gives Halo a new feel. Customization has also been upgraded, allowing players to create custom load outs to use for each match. This abundance of Call of Duty and Battlefield style perks in the multiplayer is a nice way to keep players coming back for more, but may need a turn off to some fans since it isn’t really very “new” I would have liked to see 343 flex their creative muscles  a bit more as far as game modes. While the modes may not feel extremely creative, the maps defiantly do. I was very pleased with variety of maps found in the game, and I look forward to seeing what the company has up its sleeves for future downloadable content.

Lookin' good Chief. 

                        

So how about that Spartan Ops that I mentioned earlier? Spartan Ops has replaced the spot for firefight, giving players the chance to team up with some of their friends or anyone from around the world and go through a campaign style adventure. Instead of giving the players all the missions to the story up front, 343 is dividing the story up into seasons similar to a television show. The first season includes 10 episodes which hold 5 missions in each. The missions also include cut scenes to drive the story. Sadly I found nothing too renovating  about Spartan Ops as cool as the concept is. The action isn’t terrible and it can be fun when grouping up with some friends, but I found no real motivation to stick through the full 10 episodes of season 1. Spartan Ops isn’t finished, which means there is still possibilities for Spartan Ops to change my mind.

To add to the great multiplayer of Halo 4 is the infamous Forge and Theater mode that debuted in Halo 3. These modes have not changed much, but still provide hours of additional fun and more reasons to  keep playing more. I still find the ability to record matches excellent, and being able to look back months later at an awesome grenade stick or kill streak great. All the customization of Forge is still intact and you can get lost in the wealth of options available.

  Prepare to lose days of your life in the multiplayer.

               

We have covered so much content and we bailey even scratched the surface of the Campaign. I found myself engaged more than ever before with what was going to happen next to Master Chief and Cortana.  While I found the story a bit hard to follow at times, it wasn’t enough to keep me addicted to finishing the story. I won’t spoiler any of the story, but minus some slight confusion it left me with I truly enjoyed the full experience. All leading up to a great ending. Coop also has returned up to 4 players, and wither you go it alone or bring some friends along for the ride, you will be thoroughly satisfied with the experience in the campaign.

Halo 4 is a massive game. There is so much to cover that it is tough to fit it all into a single review. With breathtaking graphics and sound, solid controls, and a wealth of game modes, Halo 4 doesn’t hold back. I found Spartan Ops a bit on the lacking side, but gives hope for something better for the future. Multiplayer also did not keep me as engaged as long as it normally does. I blame this complaint on the lack of freshness of matchmaking. This complains are small in comparison to the awesomeness of this game. 343 Studios worried the diehard fans when they took the reign of the series, but Halo 4 puts those fears to rest. Master Chief has returned to set the bar higher than ever before. The killer app of the Xbox is here to stay. See you in 5.

-Travis

Sonic Generations Review

Sega offers us a two for one deal, but is it a purchase worth making?

Flash back to 20 years ago when the now beloved blue woodland creature rolled onto the Sega Genesis and into our lives. From that point on Sega would have a mascot to rival Nintendo's Mario. Sonic would not only appear in many more games, but also he was on backpacks, lunchboxes, t-shirts, and Saturday morning television. Sonic has grown up with multiple generations of people, but his games have not been able to keep up the pace. Once Mario and crew made the jump to a 3D world, Sega knew that Sonic was required to do the same. Ever since that moment Sonic has been on a slow decline in quality with lackluster gameplay and presentation. The only avenue left to experience a high quality Sonic game was on portable systems or by revisiting games of the past. With the arrival of games like Sonic Unleashed, Sonic the Hedgehog 4, and Sonic Colors; Sonic Team has been taking steps in the right direction to perfect the Sonic formula for the current era. Sonic Generation takes all the good constructed in the past few years, while leaving out most of the baggage to deliver the Sonic game many fans have been waiting for since the Geneses era.

Sorry Big..no fishing levels this time.

So what brings these two Sonics from two different time frames together in the first place? During an attempt at a surprise birthday party for Sonic, a giant purple creature breaks through the sky sucking up Sonic's friends and setting everything into a limbo. In the limbo the two Sonics clash and team up to restore their worlds back to normal. The story is about as basic as you can get. Do not to expect anything ground breaking when it comes to story telling in the Sonic franchise. If anything the story in Generations is a step in the wrong direction. Luckily cutscenes are few and far between and are at least animated well with the inclusion of the mediocre voice acting Sonic games normally carry. I am also happy to note that Classic Sonic is not ruined with voice acting and remains mute for the full game, only speaking with his actions. If you are not a fan of the English translations, an option to change to multiple other languages is included. Listening to Omocha in Japaneses is quite the treat. 

Sonic Generation's sights and sounds do not disappoint. Viewing re-imagined worlds from a classic and modern perspective is great. All the levels are vibrant and colorful with a sense of scale. Of course when compared to other games of the this console cycle Generations is not up to par, but when you put it up next to similar games of it's category its a sight to behold. Frame rate is crucial for a game based on speed, and this game stays smooth throughout, with only a few slight slowdowns from time to time.  Overall the graphics do not disappoint, but what about the sound? Sonic music junkies are defiantly in for a treat. Featuring many original and remixed tracks from Sonic's past. Trust me...there is something to love for everyone. Each track can be played on any stage. Therefore if you cherish the Classic Sonic music of ole or are in favor of the love it or hate it guitar rifts of new, you have a choice on any stage. Also all of those iconic spring and and ring sound effects all return to add to the nostalgic value. 

Presentation is great, but what a Sonic game really boils down to is the controls. Luckily you need not to worry for both Sonics control great. Classic Sonic lacks the move arsenal of Modern Sonic to give him the feel of the 2D Sonic from the early 90's. All while Modern Sonic boosts through 3D stages at blistering speeds similar to his latest outings. With both versions of Sonic controlling so fluidly it gives older and younger generation of Sonic fans something to agree about. The controls are still not perfect, with a few slip ups here and there, but they deliver enough satisfaction to not distract from the experience.

Don't expect much of a fight from this  dude.

 The core experience of Sonic Generations is short. Getting from Green Hill Zone to the final boss battle can be accomplished in roughly 4 to 5 hours. If your only goal is to experience Generations from start to finish you may be disappointed. If you are willing to dig deeper into Generations though, you will find plenty of content to keep you craving more.  Missions are included with each stage in Generations for both Sonics. These missions range from anything to racing a doppelganger, to getting help from one of Sonic's friends. Some of these missions can be a lot of fun and add new challenges to the core game, while some are very dull and a bit of a hassle to complete. Thankfully most missions can be completed by choice and not forced upon the player. Boss battles with rivals from the past also made the cut. Sadly these fights lack in the quality found in the stages. The boss battles quantity also feels too low. There has been many phenomenal battles in Sonic's past and it is a shame to not see them revisited. The player is also able to upgrade their hedgehogs with new skills and abilities, such as faster recovery or classic shields from the past. Lastly an  option to play the original game that started it all is included, once you purchase a classic Genesis controller from the shop. 

More of this would have been nice.

Sonic Generations is a love letter to fans. A letter that may not encourage new players to jump on board the Sonic bandwagon, but one that will make any Sonic fan from the past 20 years grin. Generations falls short in some aspects, but makes up for its short comings by providing gamers with what it promises. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the blue blur's birthday than giving Generations a run through. This game is a drastic step in the right direction for Sonic. Lets just hope he does not fall off his pedestal again. 

8/10