Halo 4 turns ten, and with it we remember what, to me, is one of the best games on Xbox 360.
To understand everything I’m going to comment on, I’ll start by explaining the background to Halo’s history with Bungie, and the historic mark it left on the gaming industry. And it’s well known that the main Master Chief trilogy has had its transcendence within the community, with both Halo 2 and Halo 3 becoming almost insurmountable cult games.
With all of this, and after a decade of games bordering on perfection, Bungie built an impressive reputation, also attracting a group of fans who would defend and praise anything they released. Thus, the perfect mix between good study and good games accompanied the childhood of many players.
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Over time, Bungie abandoned the project and Microsoft put it in the hands of 343, in the case of a study made up of several of the original developers, but with a change of direction that they did not like. At this point, in 2012, Halo 4 was released and the negative reviews were not long in coming. Although it is a game with many innovations for the saga, the hateful and unfair comparisons with Call of Duty overshadowed the merits of 343’s first title.
Reviews that result from nostalgia have affected Halo 4
As we know, nostalgia is a differentiator when delivering a game to audiences; in this case, understanding that continuity had been Bungie’s formula for success, the community didn’t take too kindly to the changes 343 implemented. Changes, such as sprinting or loadouts, directly affected the perception of Halo 4. From that point on, the main story and multiplayer were criticized and downplayed, in a way that even today people believe it’s a bad game with a bad story.
But it’s very simple, nostalgia hit hard and 343 started making bad decisions to please the community. This is why the latest Halos would have drastic changes, instead of creating another cohesive saga; but that is the subject of another conversation.
The twist in the narrative was a problem at the time
We were coming from 3 games where the Master Chief had a very simple narrative role, so the inclusion of sentiment and deeper development bothered a number of people. In addition, the fact that the Flood disappeared from the game was something catastrophic for those most faithful to the saga. For this, the inclusion of the Forerunners has been heavily criticized for being something new, but also for not being continuous, leaving out characters like the Inquisitor, or leaving the facts of the earth adrift.
The Presentation of the Didact, who is now loved by the community, had his controversy due to his appearances in the game; from his introduction to the final scene. But not only that, but also Cortana’s death and the complexity of the argument haven’t fully penetrated the community. These changes, in my opinion, were good; Well, a long narrative was introduced that brings Halo to life, as well as giving some serious closure to what was an open ending like Halo 3.
But on top of that, I also want to add the aesthetic and art design changes, because they weren’t well received either. This point is more debatable, but it cannot be denied that the seriousness experienced with the graphics of this era is great. The Boss looks intimidating and the world its characteristic dark joy, filling a color war zone.
Good gameplay that did not convince users
Keeping pace in a game can be very difficult, especially when there is no fast scrolling mechanism. Halo 4’s gameplay was a total paradigm shift in the franchise, but not for the worse; or at least that’s what we think now, because before being able to sprint and have more movement was a hated mechanic, which was made worse in Halo 5.
These previously hated changes like a more stable movement system and several other things are desperately wanted for Halo Infinite. And it happens what Halo 4 has already been through, and that is nostalgia makes them remember him. 
The media battle linking Call of Duty and Halo 4 a priori is absurd, but the community has clung to a story against current trends. It may have been the change that gave Halo 4 its personality, but it ended with the patience of the fans.
And it’s all these things that are finally talking about him even 10 years after his departure. He laid the groundwork for what is now 343, positive or negative, implies that the known universe today in video games started with the audacity to take users out of their comfort zone, leave them something innovative and risk taking complete turns with the formula. So much so that now we remember it with good eyes, perhaps because of current errors it’s that we can see well into the past, but it’s still a good sign that the perspective with Halo 5 follow this same path.
And it is that under the injustice of a poorly valued game, it is good to look back to understand the magnitude of what is coming. Halo Infinite has impressive storytelling and multiplayer potential, and the foundations of it all lie beyond what’s collected on Halo 3, thanks to this fourth installment. For this reason, I consider Halo 4 an underrated game that deserves a different place in gaming history.
