It’s been five years since we last saw Master Chief save Earth by ending the Covenant war, but much has changed since then. Halo is no longer the most played game on the Xbox 360, as Call of Duty has become the played series on Xbox Live. On the development side, Bungie is no longer behind the Halo brand. In charge is 343 Industries, a first-time developer that has been handed the reins of one of the most popular video game franchises. Did 343 meet expectations? Lets go find out …
Since Halo 2, Xbox Live multiplayer is the franchise's signature cornerstone and once again it’s back in Halo 4. Unlike Halo: Reach, multiplayer has now been simplified resembling the Halo 3 look. Called War Games, competitive multiplayer squarely takes place on the combat deck of the UNSC infinity. At launch, Halo 4 features 10 different maps to claim dominance on.
A few maps from Halo 3 have transitioned to Halo 4. Valhalla, one of the most popular maps in Halo 3, is now called Ragnarok. The biggest gameplay change is the Mantis, a player-controller AT-AT-like vehicle that changes the pace of the map. Players who are smart can win the match easily with the Mantis, but thankfully the combat is never unbalanced. There is always some way to defeat your opponent, regardless of your skin or rank.
Did I say rank? Halo returns with cosmetic upgrades to your multiplayer avatar, allowing you to stand out from the crowd. What’s different from previous iterations is the Call of Duty influence instilled in the product. Now, once you reach the multiplayer level cap, you have the chance to prestige and unlock more cosmetic equipment upgrades and weapon layout options. This influence is seen also in the gameplay as kill streaks are now a part of the multiplayer fabric. Now hold on just a second!!! The new Halo 4 kill streaks only unlock new weapons that you can use on the battlefield, and never break the game. Halo 4 still holds onto it’s classic Halo feel, but just with a few new upgrades that allow the game to seem fresh and exciting.
Forge mode, a tool inside the game which is used to create your own maps, is included within Halo 4. While most of the improvements are genuinely helpful, the mode has remained the same. Where Forge mode has made strides in is the streamlined process of showing your maps to your friends. Finally, you can share them and play them online, giving the mode a greater incentive to play.
