Halo 4 review round-up: 343 deemed worthy of Bungie's legacy

Posted on Thursday 1st Nov 2012 at 7:32 AM UTC

Our Halo 4 review describes 343's debut Halo entry as "One of the best multiplayer shooters on 360," adding, " but Reach has the better Firefight and Halo 3 has the better campaign."

Other reviews have also gone live, and as always we've rounded them up and presented them for you below.

CVG: 8.0 - "343 did the best job anyone could have done with those graphics on this generation of hardware but given the choice between pretty or huge, Halo should always be the biggest game in the world."Eurogamer: 8 - "Halo 4 is authentic, and assures 343's role is more than a mere tribute act. Their delicate yet sprawling work may be more continuation than true expansion - and perhaps the true test comes in the next step - but for now, Halo returns with a bang, not a whimper."IGN: 9.8 - "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."Gamespot: 9.0 - (Video)Joystiq: 5/5 - "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. Of course, if we want to use this tactic for the next one we'd better start now."Kotaku: Yes - "As afraid as you may be of Bungie passing the torch to a new development team to handle a franchise that has the foundation of years of quality behind it, I strongly urge you to keep an open mind for Halo 4, because you just may enjoy it as much as I did. "The Mirror: 5/5 - "Halo 4 is recognisably a post-Modern Warfare shooter in the sense that it has grit under its fingernails and a hint of darkness in its heart but it still fundamentally looks, feels and plays exactly like a Halo game should. Think of it as as Combat Evolved evolved."Polygon: 9.5 - "Halo is in new hands with 343i, but the studio nailed exactly why the series became a genre-defining franchise. And it's exciting to think about where it goes from here."ShopTo: No score - "Halo 4 is a massive, high budget title which will more than appease fans of the series. It's a great start to 343 Industries 'Reclaimer Trilogy' and a fantastic sign of what is to come. If this developer can break free of Bungie's legacy then the future of Halo is looking very bright indeed. "Strategy Informer: 8.5 - "Despite this instalment's shortcomings, 343 have got plenty of time to find their feet and take the series to new and greater heights."Videogamer: 9 - "One fact is clear: this is no longer Bungie's Halo, but much of what made the series such an irresistible proposition has remained intact for this new beginning. Rich, lavish and often spectacular, Halo 4 is an encouraging first effort from 343 Industries and a deserving entry into one of gaming's most beloved franchises."Digital Spy: 4/5 - "Despite the risk of handing the reins to a new studio, 343 Industries has done good with such a revered franchise, by not only respecting and retaining the essence of what makes it unique, but also by having the will to take it forward in some smart and satisfying ways."Giant Bomb: 4/5 - "The developers have executed quite well, developing a Halo game that gets that Halo feel down nicely while also playing around with the periphery of the experience in an attempt to modernize things a bit. Some of those new ideas work better than others, but if there's any actual issue with Halo 4 it's that the game plays it a little too safe. "Destructoid: 10 - "343 Industries have done a remarkable job at continuing the Halo legacy. They've gone all out, creating a fantastic sequel that brought forth a major focus on storytelling while upping the visual and audio direction to a level that will be tough for anyone to rival with these few remaining years of the current console generation."

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