First Things First: Graphics
The campaign opens with a cinematic interrogation of Dr. Catherine Halsey by and unknown character whose face is shrouded in shadows. The beloved voice of the AI Cortana emanates from her creator, who is the same woman that also created the Spartans. The motion capture and lighting trick you into thinking that this opening is live-action.
This medium of storytelling is used twice: the Prologue and the Epilogue (not counting the weekly episodes of Spartan Ops). The rest of the campaign uses in-game graphics for cutscenes, but the clarity of the prologue transitions perfectly. You almost can't tell anything has changed. These graphics, the artwork, the visuals overall are an upgrade in every way. The flaws of Halo 3 and even Halo: Reach are not present here.
Lightning Before Thunder: Audio
To state the obvious, the Halo franchise is well known for its soundtracks. The original trilogy was defined by the deep vocals of its main theme. The music of the first three played with upbeat scores great for action sequences. Halo 4's score tackles a different beast altogether: emotion. The music of Halo 4 sets the tone of the story revolving around our protagonist Master Chief and his near-human, AI companion Cortana. The soundtrack does not seek to compete with the music of previous games, but to stand alone and to do so boldly. It is one of the most essential parts of the story, and it compliments well.
Weapons in previous Halos always sounded incredible, and the sounds, as well as the designs, of the Covenant weapons were always unique. Halo 4 goes above and beyond with how real the Human weapons sound. There is certainly an advancement with the way the alien weapons sound as well.
Why We're Here: Gameplay
Shooters originated with the likes of Doom and Marathon on PC. Halo's original creators, Bungie Studios, set out to create another great PC shooter. But with Microsoft's new Xbox video game console coming out, the game was created for this system instead. The Xbox has been known to many as the "Halo Delivery System." PC shooters were really simple: dodge and shoot. While these two aspects remain, Halo has evolved from this point and expanded the shooter base by miles. Because of Halo's success, we now have video games like Gears of War and Call of Duty. Call of Duty ran with its infamous multiplayer. Gears of War integrated multiplayer, but ran with the telling of a great story. What I love about Halo is that it is the best of both worlds. Gameplay matters. As far as the story mode is concerned, the gameplay is as flawless as ever. There are more advanced AIs, the use of interactive storytelling, where a story is told as you act, and encounters that provide for a myriad of tactical combat scenarios. Halo 4 is more, more, more. 343 has delivered.
The Best for Last: Story
Halo always bewitched its players with good storytelling. Halo 4 takes the characters you know and love and makes you love them even more. The story revolves around the relationship of Master Chief Spartan John-117 , a man who was abducted and indoctrinated at the age of six, augmented, and sent to fight impossible battles against a relentless alien covenant, and an artificial intelligence with a lifespan of 7 years, who is on her 8th year; all the while, both of these characters are put in place to be the protectors of Earth and all her colonies against not only the Covenant or the Flood, but the return of the Forerunners, the pedestal-ed gods, themselves.
10/10
~~~
P.S.: Eating my self-prepared lunch at work today (11/15/12) was strangely nice. I guess you could say that was a tinge of happiness.
No comments:
Post a Comment