Is it any coincidence that both Black Ops 2 and Halo 4 haven’t actually been released yet? Halo 4 is slated for release on November 6, 2012, and Black Ops 2 will be coming out a little later on November 13. Of course, Bungie is no longer involved with the development of the series. 343 Industries is now in charge, and conceptually, Halo 4 is going to be the first game in a new trilogy called the “Reclaimer Trilogy”.
Halo 4 is sure to fly off the shelves in light of the upcoming Christmas season. Have you pre-ordered your copy yet?
Update: Halo 4 was released worldwide on November 6, 2012 (in most territories) on the Xbox 360 video game console. Halo 4 begins four years after the events of Halo 3, mainly on a Forerunner planet where cybernetically-enhanced super-solider Master Chief (accompanied by artificial intelligence construct Cortana) encounters the alien race known as the Covenant, and ancient warriors of the Forerunner Empire called the Prometheans.
Halo 4 grossed $220 million at launch, and they posted $300 million on the opening week, which was a record for the franchise. In total, it has sold more than four million copies. On a financial level, it did very well.
How about critical reception? T3 notes that the game didn’t really evolve in the way fans were hoping. In short, their feeling is that Halo 4 isn’t that different from previous iterations in the series. GameSpot gave it a glowing “superb” at 9 points out of a possible 10, citing its gripping story, excellent combat mechanics, attractive graphics, added diversity in multiplayer modes, and good customization tools. IGN rated it “amazing” at 9.8 out 10, going so far as to praise 343 Industries for outdoing original developer Bungie. In short, though Halo 4 was met with mixed reception, few reviewers gave it less than eight out of 10. Ultimately, it outdid Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.
As for me, I have not played Halo 4. I have played earlier games in the series, and didn’t mind them. I found the multiplayer action a little slow and the controls a little clunky. I always felt like I should like it more than I actually did. Perhaps I would like it a little better with a keyboard-and-mouse setup.
Still, if it was the best game around, I would gladly play it and enjoy it.