343 Industries take up the Halo torch with sumptuous production and a Master Chief on a more personal quest. The campaign shines through its direction, multiplayer reinvents itself with Spartan Ops, and Cortana on the edge of rampancy builds toward a poignant finale.
First-person shooter by 343 Industries and Microsoft, November 2012. Master Chief awakens on Forerunner ark Requiem and faces an ancient threat released by the Didacts. New Promethean enemies, Master Chief-Cortana relationship narrative and Spartan Ops. First 343 Industries Halo.
Halo 4 review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Epic science fiction with grandiose landscapes, a majestic orbital ring and careful light: the game unfurls a universe of remarkable coherence and breadth. The design of the Covenant and the extraterrestrial architecture compose an iconic vision of the future. This art direction, vast and inspired, defines the modern science-fiction FPS.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The return of the Master Chief in a new cycle, where a fresh threat and sumptuous settings renew the epic, while keeping the precise, snappy shooting that is the soul of the series. The enriched multiplayer and the co-op Spartan Ops mode ensure lasting pleasure. Spectacular, generous and technically dazzling, an FPS that relaunches the saga with ambition and offers grandiose clashes.
The first Halo developed by 343 Industries after Bungie's departure, relaunching the saga with spectacular production and a new narrative cycle. Mass-printed, it stays accessible and lightly priced. Its collector interest lies in this status as the handover of an emblematic franchise rather than scarcity, its period online closed.
Better with friends
A pillar of console shooting, whose campaign plays out four-player in co-op and whose competitive arenas defined the genre for a whole generation. The competition rests on power-weapon control, mastered jumps and team communication, readable and deep at once. Local split-screen backs up an online with uncertain servers, making evenings a joyful blend of mutual aid and rivalry.
Is Halo 4 still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2012 on Xbox 360, 343 Industries' Halo 4 is a dazzling technical showcase that pushes the console to its limits and adds real emotional depth to the bond between the Chief and Cortana. The sandbox combat, sharp and nervy, stays a pleasure, and the presentation reaches heights for the machine. The introduction of the Prometheans divides, these enemies being less fun to face than the Covenant. The official multiplayer has shut down on this console. But the campaign and its intimate story stay strong. For fans of console shooters and the Halo saga, this first 343 entry keeps a definite appeal today.
