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[grimshawish]

The reviews are all over the fucking place

Eh? I've yet to see a bad one. Majority are 8/9's with some 10's and 7's thrown in.
The games good. Not sure what your referring to with that.

 

[Omni]

So overall, it looks like a 9/10 game. Sounds good to me.

 

[Shadders]

LTTP, but I just noticed this in the Eurogamer review:

It's in the tactical packages dropped into multiplayer when you score the requisite kill streak, and in the perks and customisable dog-tags: all the borrowed trappings of Infinity Ward's success added to the Halo recipe. It is, most obviously, in the control scheme, which for the first time allows you to discard your Halo muscle memory in favour of Modern Warfare's, aiming down the iron sights with a squeeze of the left trigger.

!?

It doesn't have iron sights.. and what does he mean about customisable dog tags?

 

[plagiarize]

Fuck Edge. They just trying to get hits.

I bet you right now that their Halo 3 10 got them loads and loads of hits.

 

[Lime]

Ryan McCaffrey is cool.

No sane human being would be able to write such a criticism:

Amazingly, Halo 4 is not only a success, but a bar-raising triumph for the entire first-person shooter genre. And just how new developer 343Industries has done it will surprise, delight, and excite you.

Expect your jaw to drop at least once on every level of Halo 4’s eight-mission campaign, especially after crash-landing on the Forerunner planet Requiem, emerging from the wreckage, and ascending a hill whose apex overlooks a gorgeous valley

Of course, gorgeous graphics are only one responsibility a console’s killer app must bear. Perhaps equal to Halo 4’s monitor-melting visuals is its bar-none, best-in-class sound design. If you think you’ve heard Halo, check your ears and listen again.

Resplendent set-pieces are ubiquitous during your quest, matched by what is inarguably the finest Halo sandbox yet. Halo 4 feels much more open-ended and organic than Halo Reach’s paint-by-numbers sequences because of its massive scale, scope, and freedom for possibility.

No console shooter has a richer, deeper, more revered multiplayer history than Halo. So how does Halo 4’s multiplayer suite live up to the legacy in 343’s hands?

It’s golden.

With Halo 4’s immaculate weapon balancing and gun-for-every-situation combat strategies, it needs only a great crop of multiplayer maps in order to qualify for classic status. Fear not, as 343 packs War Games with 10 mostly stellar stages and three additional Forge-built battlegrounds.

After soaking in the new game, I am beyond thrilled to be so in love with Halo again, more than I’ve been since Halo 2. Halo 4 is a masterstroke everyone can and should celebrate, and its two guaranteed sequels instantly make the next-generation Xbox a must-own system, with Halo 5 its most anticipated title. Halo has been rebuilt. It has been redefined. And it has been reinvigorated. The Xbox’s original king has returned to his rightful place on the throne.

The Verdict
Cortana once asked Master Chief what would happen if he missed his target, and in the single greatest line of dialogue in Halo history, Chief replied with the coolest, calmest confidence, "I won’t."

With Halo 4, he doesn't.

You have got to be kidding me.

 

[AHappyPanda]

LTTP, but I just noticed this in the Eurogamer review:



!?

It doesn't have iron sights.. and what does he mean about customisable dog tags?

I'm assuming emblems/callsigns?

In regards to the second part, there's a control scheme that handles exactly like CoD I believe (left trigger will zoom in)

 

[The Elite]

LTTP, but I just noticed this in the Eurogamer review:



!?

It doesn't have iron sights.. and what does he mean about customisable dog tags?

It's saying you can select CoD controls now and iron sights are accessible with the left trigger. The Dog Tags look like something brand new. Maybe you can collect them in multi.

 

[AllIsOneIsNone]

The reviews are all over the fucking place

This is why I don't trust reviews. Three quarters of reviewers won't be able to notice minor (but possibly important) changes, especially in multiplayer.

 

[Pug]

As always, I go with Edge with regards to reviews, an 8 suggest another top notch Halo game and thats fine with me.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

No sane human being would be able to write such a criticism:

You have got to be kidding me.

It sounds like he really liked it. I'll judge for myself whether or not I find some of his statements hyperbolic once I've actually played the game.

 

[AHappyPanda]

No sane human being would be able to write such a criticism:

You have got to be kidding me.

It sounds like he really liked it. I'll judge for myself whether or not I find some of his statements hyperbolic once I've actually played the game.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=43843811&postcount=939

 

[Dennis]

I agree,..

As do I.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

Wait, you can use CoD controls?

Fuck yeah. Alright, I take back what I said, 343 just made a massive improvement to the game! Left trigger for grenades? What was that madness...

 

[BigTnaples]

The reviews are all over the fucking place

Not really. Something like 90% of them are in the 90% and higher range....

There are a few stragglers, but there always are, especially with huge games. There is always a small website looking for hits, a reviewer who hates the franchise, spa reviewer with whom the game just didn't click, etc.


Looking at the average scores I would bet my bottom jaw the game is great.

 

[jacobs34]

Congrats to the 343 guys, it seems like they made a quality game. Look forward to playing it next week.

 

[Shadders]

The Dog Tags look like something brand new. Maybe you can collect them in multi.

I have the game, I've actually played online with Simon Parkin. I've no idea what dog-tags he's referring to.. unless he does mean emblems and call signs, but to suggest that was lifted from COD would be bizarre.

 

[grimshawish]

Cortana once asked Master Chief what would happen if he missed his target, and in the single greatest line of dialogue in Halo history, Chief replied with the coolest, calmest confidence, "I won’t."

Hahaha - fuck off.

 

[BruiserBear]

I'm pretty hyped for the campaign.

 

[hyduK]

Hahaha - fuck off.

In Halo history. It's probably the most memorable tbh.

 

[ironcreed]

Yep, nice reviews indeed. But it comes as no surprise, as you can tell it's great just by looking at it.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

EDGE 8/10

http://www.edge-online.com/review/halo-4-review/1/

Wow. I never thought I would see the day where Edge gave this franchise anything but a 10.

Great reviews all around though.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

I'm pretty hyped for the campaign.

For the co op especially.

 

[BigTnaples]

You have got to be kidding me.

Sooo he really liked a game, that you haven't played at all, and somehow this makes his opinion less valid? Get outta here.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=43843811&postcount=939

You're right, some of the stuff he said is a little over the top. I guess I just understand that he isn't speaking literally and he just thinks the game is really something special.

I've already spent more time thinking and talking about these reviews than I wanted to, heh.

 

[keit4]

Anaitgames (spanish blog) - 9/10

 

[Mizzou Gaming]

Godawful doritos jokes are getting annoying. People also clinging on lower scored reviews is also questionable.

Couldn't you see it coming though. Each of these pages are even starting to take identical shape. People anxiously awaiting the game notice the high scores and make a comment about how excited they are then someone pulls up a quote from one of the lower reviews to try and dampen spirits and then that beastmode dude starts repeating himself and virtually belly-bumps the rest of the haters because he has read, wrote, played, slept with everything Halo.

 

[Fracas]

Hey Shadders, this is kind of a weird question, but does the game have camera bob? I've never been able to tell from vids I've seen.

 

[Pug]

Wow. I never thought I would see the day where Edge gave this franchise anything but a 10.

Great reviews all around though.

I'm pretty sure Halo2, ODST and Reach didn't get a 10!

 

[broony]

Wow. I never thought I would see the day where Edge gave this franchise anything but a 10.

Great reviews all around though.

They gave Halo 2 a 9.

 

[Tomat]

Damn, this is getting much higher reviews than I expected.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

I'm pretty sure Halo2, ODST and Reach didn't get a 10!

Oh yeah your right the lowest was a 9 till now.

 

[JdFoX187]

I'm pretty sure Halo2, ODST and Reach didn't get a 10!

Considering every one of those games is better than Halo 3, I don't see the issue. Halo 4 looks great, the reviews are great and it sounds like the developers of 343i did their jobs. Of course, GAF will use this thread as a platform for its never-ending hatred of anything related to gaming media.

 

[AHappyPanda]

You're right, some of the stuff he said is a little over the top. I guess I just understand that he isn't speaking literally and he just thinks the game is really something special.

I've already spent more time thinking and talking about these reviews than I wanted to, heh.

I don't really expect my monitor to melt, but like in the post I linked to earlier, there's better ways to convey the opinion of how much you loved it without it sounding so trite

 

[Lime]

It sounds like he really liked it. I'll judge for myself whether or not I find some of his statements hyperbolic once I've actually played the game.

Sooo he really liked a game, that you haven't played at all, and somehow this makes his opinion less valid? Get outta here.

Look, I'm not talking about Halo 4 as such, but the lack of critical thinking in reviews. I'm sorry if it's too off-topic, but Ryan IGN's review is a perfect example of trying to cram as many PR-laden superlatives into one review that I would think that anyone with some sensibilities about how to critically engage a game/film/book/theatre/etc. would immediately dismiss as fanboy drivel. How you can automatically accept such ridiculous statements in a review is beyond me.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=43843811&postcount=939

Reasonable post

 

[sflufan]

Sooo he really liked a game, that you haven't played at all, and somehow this makes his opinion less valid? Get outta here.

Its hyperbolic, purple prose that's almost self-parody. Even if it's his valid opinion, it's very difficult to take it seriously when its wrapped in such over-the-top language.

 

[sinnergy]

The reviews are all over the fucking place

What place? From good to very good?

 

[mik83kuu]

Guys I can't talk for too long because they are listening and the chem trails are giving me a headache but I just wanted to take a break from writing my blog about lizard men and tell you something important:

Spoiler

follow the Doritos

 

[zroid]

so decent game, I take it?

I don't have a 360 and I haven't cared for Halo since the Xbox days, but for some reason I actually want to play this. Hmmm...

 

[Zeouterlimits]

The EDGE review is an odd review.
3 paragraphs feel like a discussion of how 343 have set the scene/universe.
1 more on the Campaign gameplay.
1 more on the multiplayer.
1 last = summary.

All of them fairly short paragraphs too.

It was like a well written informed article that was not going in EDGE, but in the The Times review section, aimed at a involved audience.

I thought the critique was good but exceptionally brief.

 

[ironcreed]

I keep forgetting that in addition to the campaign, there is going to be 10 episodes of Spartan Ops that we can also play solo if we want. Then of course there is the multiplayer, which will make even more of a single player guy like me dive in. Make no mistake, the game is packed.

 

[KageMaru]

Great reviews so far, but this part of Penny Arcade's review concerns me:

The characters have well-written dialogue, but there’s very little context and set-up for much of what’s said. If you want to know who’s who, what’s what, and why’s why, you’ll want to study up on expanded universe material like The Forerunner Saga by Greg Bear. This could be an issue for less-invested players, as I found myself explaining important plot points to Ben as we played through the game together. He had played the previous games, but had not read the books, and was often lost by the plot.

You can also slow down and explore each environment; finding a computer panel might play back a log of Halsey’s experiments with Cortana, investigating the wreckage of a Covenant ship will explain how long the Covenant have been around, and accessing terminals will give more backstory on the Forerunners, the Mantle, the Flood, and ancient human civilizations. It’s highly suggested you take the time to search out this material; if you don’t bother to spent time with the terminals and haven’t read the books, you stand more than a fair chance of being confused by the events in the game. It’s a shame the story and background can’t be introduced more organically.

I haven't read the latest Halo books, so I'm a bit worried on being confused on some things.

No sane human being would be able to write such a criticism:

You have got to be kidding me.

Yeah, I haven't read his review, but watching his video review made me question if he is detached enough from the series to give it an honest review.

There's a chance the game can be that good, sure, but he presents his review in a way that it raises red flags IMO.

 

[Izick]

Reviews look to point to what we all new. GotY contender fo' sho'.

Oh, and this has CoD controls? When they say "aim down the sights" is it like the actual CoD and other games where an animation showing that the gun is pulled in and you actually aim down the sites, or does the camera just zoom in?

 

[AzerPhire]

For those asking about level size and large scale battles:

Spoiler

Because of the nature of the story and scale of the conflict (Not fighting to end the war as in Halo 3 but exploring and searching an unknown planet) there are not as many large scale battles however there are still about three to five large areas with 5+ vehicles fighting at one time as well as some traditional three way battles.

Some very minor story spoilers but thought I would tag it anyways for those that don't want to know.

 

[Miles X]

I'd say GOTY awards will be spread out. ME3 will probaby get the bulk but like most games that get released early in the year they tend to almost slightly forgotton about or put aside.

Other than that, it's Halo, Dishonoured and XCOM I guess?

 

[gaming_noob]

Great reviews. Biggest game of the year next to Black Ops 2. It's going to be a good holiday.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Reviews look to point to what we all new. GotY contender fo' sho'.

Oh, and this has CoD controls? When they say "aim down the sights" is it like the actual CoD and other games where an animation showing that the gun is pulled in and you actually aim down the sites, or does the camera just zoom in?

There is no ADS. Not sure what they mean there...

 

[Y2Kev]

No sane human being would be able to write such a criticism:



You have got to be kidding me.

LOL! I guess it's good, then?

 

[Ravensmash]

Its hyperbolic, purple prose that's almost self-parody. Even if it's his valid opinion, it's very difficult to take it seriously when its wrapped in such over-the-top language.

Yes, game reviews should never be entertaining to read.

 

[REV 09]

There doesn't seem to be a consensus on the negatives. Giant Bomb and Eurogamer both thought the campaign was safe, but this return to form was Edge's main positive. Looks like we're getting a good Halo game, but maybe not something revolutionary.

 

[erpg]

EDGE's review is pretty...fluffy (thanks for giving me talking points about the arsenal and location). With the uproar about the score, I was expecting a more substantial read.

I guess I'm just used to Halo-GAF's long winded rants.