I've had some experience with H4. (3-4 days MP playtime. Some rather intense forging) [b]Verdict: 4/10[/b] It's not a -bad- game. It's a -meh- game. My history with it's release was both varied and... well... emotional. I've been a hardcore Halo fan since it's release and I WANTED (PRAYED) Halo 4 would live up to my expectations. Admittedly, my first reaction to it's announcement was very skeptical. I'd been playing Reach rather religiously and had just undergone the rather jarring half-transition, take-backsies "Title Update" that was released alongside Halo:CE Anniversary. (Which I admit I never actually finished a full playthrough of the revamped SP) Thus, my predisposition was already against 343i's gameplay ideologies. My initial skepticisms were fueled by a few factors: 1.343i was a nascent studio. This was their first attempt at a full major title. All studios undergo some difficulties when new, even those who benefit from ex-Bungie veterens. It takes a while to hammer out the pipeline, get the talent all moving in one direction. 2. Halo:Reach's Title Update. The mechanical changes felt... half-assed. (As show by the weird 'take-backsies' of the vote to change some playlists back to original mechanics) It was my first experience with inexperience of some of 343i's design. I'd become so used to Bungie polish it really felt jarring. 3. My own crushing nostalgia. The Halo Trilogy really defined my early gaming career. Begun when I was 11 and concluding shortly after my 17th birthday, it was truly my defining trilogy in gaming. I'd grown up with Master Chief, shared his victories and his pains. Had a hint of a romantic crush on Cortana. To see this trilogy, my trilogy, in the hands of anyone but the studio I'd come to know and love worried me to no end. However, as the ad campaign for H4 shifted into overdrive, the hype shunted my fears into a dark little corner. The story looked compelling, the MP fast and fresh. So what if they took some ideas from CoD? That's a popular series right. (I admit to buying MW1 on the PC to check it out and not hating it) I -wanted- to believe it could be every that was promised. Spartan Ops? Sure. But then, as November '12 neared... I began to doubt again. Wait, how can they promise so many features? Isn't Spartan Ops a HUGE amount of content? What about... the polish? I was sadly, proven right. My first few days with the game were as any with a big title release: Blissful. I slaughtered noobs, I saved the galaxy once more. I sniffed a bit at the character reveals. I reveled in the new Forge Maps and the new MP maps. But then... I stopped. For a month I didn't pick up the title again. I'd played Reach non-stop with my friends for nearly 3 years... And yet... after two weeks... I stopped. It just wasn't... Halo. Here's why: 1. Instant Respawn Good in theory. Terrible in execution. THere's no rest between fights. No break in the action. No time to let your mind and frustration reset. I ended up yelling at the screen more times in H4 than in any other Halo title to date. It was like being smothered in a snuggy. It's so warm, so familiar... yet you still die of asphyxiation. 2. Boltshot/Power Weapons I couldn't believe it when I unlocked the Boltshot and tried it out for the first time. A pocket shotgun... in a starting loadout. It had as much damage as a close-range power weapon, didn't take much skill to charge, and could outrange some ordinance. What? Who thought that was a good idea? My favorite power weapons were back... yet... everyone had them. All the time. Everywhere. Got a shotgun? Too bad, he has a Incineration Cannon. Sniping? Naw, they've got 3. And don't even get me started on Dominion. (Hint: It's like competitive Arcadefight) The balancing mentality seemed to have been: Power weapons define games. Give them... to everyone. All the time. Very frustrating. 3. Menus/Matchmaking All the subtle nuances that make me love the Halo matchmaking systems/menus are gone. I can no longer see when I'm against a pre-made four man team. I can't CHANGE MY VOTE ONCE I'VE SELECTED A MAP. OR CHOOSE NONE OF THE ABOVE. Also, half the games you'll get matched into are already 1/2 to 3/4s complete, usually with you on the losing side. (Those people left for a reason right?) I've also had some SERIOUS menu glitches that bounce me between screens faster than a man with parkinson's attempting to use a touchscreen device. (This joke approved by my grandfather afflicted with aforementioned disease) Also, FILE BROWSER anyone? Also, Matchmaking Aborted? 20 times in a row? 4. Splitscreen (Or lack thereof) H4 proved to me that Graphics should never EVER come above gameplay. In an FPS, it's important to optimize your content to run at a constant 60 FPS. Twitch games practically require this. H4 splitscreen knocks me down to 20-30. Why? Lights, particles, shaders. I dare you to play H4 to Reach back to back sometime. Compare the lighting in the two. Reach's is both utilitarian and effective while maintaining proper and interesting lighting. It also SERVES THE GAMEPLAY. Nothing in a Reach level distracts you from the fact that you are these to put holes in someone else's armor. In H4, I'm constantly blinded by the dynamic rays of the dying sun reflecting off some sod's codpiece half the level away. It's... almost painful. Bungie has always known friends like to play games together in the same room. For us poor folks, that means manning up and sharing a screen. That is and will always been some of the appeal of MP games. 343i needs to realize that. I could go on, but I feel I've covered enough GLARING HOLES in the design to justify giving this game a low score. I don't hate 343i, but I severely hope they learn their lesson and put out a good/great title with Halo 5. Kudos and sorry for the wall of text. I tend to ramble when it comes to design talk. -Euphorius