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''Halo 4'' is a 2012
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the p ...
video game developed by
343 Industries 343 Industries is an American video game developer located in Redmond, Washington, part of Xbox Game Studios. Headed by Pierre Hintze, the studio is responsible for the ''Halo (franchise), Halo'' series of military science fiction games, origin ...
and published by Microsoft Studios for the
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
video game console A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to ...
. ''Halo 4''s story follows a
cybernetically Cybernetics is a wide-ranging field concerned with circular causality, such as feedback, in regulatory and purposive systems. Cybernetics is named after an example of circular causal feedback, that of steering a ship, where the helmsperson ma ...
enhanced human supersoldier, Master Chief, and his
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech ...
construct Cortana, as they encounter unknown threats while exploring an ancient civilization's planet. The player assumes the role of Master Chief who battles against a new faction that splintered off from remnants of the
Covenant Covenant may refer to: Religion * Covenant (religion), a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general ** Covenant (biblical), in the Hebrew Bible ** Covenant in Mormonism, a sacred agreement b ...
, a former military alliance of
alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
races, and against mechanical warriors of the Forerunner empire known as the Prometheans. The game features a selection of
weapons A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...
, enemies, and game modes not present in previous titles of the series. Development of ''Halo 4'' began in 2009 and continued until September 2012. ''Halo 4'' is 343 Industries' first original title within the ''Halo'' series—previously, development of the main series was undertaken by
Bungie Bungie, Inc. is an American video game company based in Bellevue, Washington. It is a studio owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The company was established in May 1991 by Alex Seropian, who later brought in programmer Jason Jones afte ...
, the creator of the franchise. In the developmental process, 343 Industries decided to explore the Forerunner fiction within the ''Halo'' universe, leading the team to design a new setting, enemies, and main antagonist. Existing characters and assets received visual overhauls, recreated from the ground up, and
motion capture Motion capture (sometimes referred as mo-cap or mocap, for short) is the process of recording the movement of objects or people. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robo ...
was used for animation within cutscenes. A goal for ''Halo 4''s story was to incorporate more human elements; to achieve this, the developers chose to delve more deeply into the relationship between the two protagonists, Master Chief and Cortana. Several external studios assisted 343 Industries with developing ''Halo 4'', and over 350 people worked on the game in total. The game was officially announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011 (E3) on June 6. Prior to launch,
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washi ...
stated that ''Halo 4'' was the most expensive video game title the company had created so far. The game was marketed with promotional events and videos, including the creation of a live-action film, '' Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn''. ''Halo 4'' grossed  million on its launch day and $300 million in its opening week—a record for the franchise. More than one million people played ''Halo 4'' on
Xbox Live The Xbox network, formerly and still sometimes branded as Xbox Live, is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft. It was first made available to the Xbox system on November 15, 2002. A ...
within the first 24 hours of its release. The game was met with positive reviews by professional critics and received multiple nominations and awards from the press. It was re-released as part of '' Halo: The Master Chief Collection'' for the
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
in 2014, and was followed by a sequel, '' Halo 5: Guardians'', in 2015.


Gameplay

''Halo 4'' is a
shooter game Shooter video games or shooters are a subgenre of action video games where the focus is almost entirely on the defeat of the character's enemies using the weapons given to the player. Usually these weapons are firearms or some other long-range ...
in which players predominantly experience gameplay from a first-person perspective; the game perspective switches to third-person when using certain weapons, abilities and vehicles. The player's
head-up display A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD (), is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a pilot being able to view informa ...
(HUD) shows real-time information on the player character's armor system, such as
shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of ...
status, information on current weapons and abilities, and waypoints for goals and objectives. The HUD also has a motion tracker that detects allies, enemies, and vehicles within a certain radius of the player. The game sees the return of the alien species who were formerly members of the
Covenant Covenant may refer to: Religion * Covenant (religion), a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general ** Covenant (biblical), in the Hebrew Bible ** Covenant in Mormonism, a sacred agreement b ...
as foes, and introduces a new type of enemy called the Prometheans, which are Forerunner A.I constructs. There are three types of Prometheans: Knights serve as leaders of the group and are considered the deadliest of the Promethean forces; Crawlers are a weaker class that often attack in packs; and Watchers offer support and have the ability to shield or revive Promethean allies. ''Halo 4'' features updated versions of many human and Covenant weaponry from previous ''
Halo Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to: * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Video games * ''Halo'' (franch ...
'' games, as well as introducing new weapons for the humans, Covenant and Prometheans. The game also features reusable equipment, called armor abilities, introduced in '' Halo: Reach''. New armor abilities are autosentry; the hardlight shield, which activates a protective barrier similar to a
riot shield A riot shield is a lightweight protection device, typically deployed by police and some military organizations, though also utilized by protestors. Riot shields are typically long enough to cover an average-sized person from the top of the head to ...
; Promethean vision, which diminishes environment detail and shows hidden players as
silhouette A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...
s; a regeneration field, which heals all players in close proximity and can emit a short range kinetic blast; and finally the thruster pack, which allows the player to launch themselves several feet in a horizontal direction. Returning abilities include
active camouflage Active camouflage or adaptive camouflage is camouflage that adapts, often rapidly, to the surroundings of an object such as an animal or military vehicle. In theory, active camouflage could provide perfect concealment from visual detection. Activ ...
;
jetpack A jet pack, rocket belt, or rocket pack is a device worn on the back which uses jets of gas or liquid to propel the wearer through the air. The concept has been present in science fiction for almost a century and became widespread in the 1960s. ...
; and hologram, which creates a doppelgänger of the player running towards a target point. Sprinting returns in ''Halo 4''; however, players can now use it independently of their armor ability. New gameplay mechanics introduced to the series include throwing and catching, which has been implemented into the multiplayer game modes Oddball and
Grifball Forge is a level editor developed by Bungie and 343 Industries for the first-person shooter video game series, '' Halo''. Forge was initially released alongside ''Halo 3'', and was further expanded upon in '' Halo: Reach'', '' Halo 4'', '' Halo 2: ...
.


Modes

''Halo 4''s story or campaign mode can be played alone or
cooperatively Cooperation (written as co-operation in British English) is the process of groups of organisms working or acting together for common, mutual, or some underlying benefit, as opposed to working in competition for selfish benefit. Many animal a ...
with one other player on the same console via
split screen Split screen may refer to: * Split screen (computing), dividing graphics into adjacent parts * Split screen (video production), the visible division of the screen * ''Split Screen'' (TV series), 1997–2001 * Split-Screen Level, a bug in the vid ...
, and up to three other players through
Xbox Live The Xbox network, formerly and still sometimes branded as Xbox Live, is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft. It was first made available to the Xbox system on November 15, 2002. A ...
. Unlike in ''
Halo 3 ''Halo 3'' is a 2007 first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie for the Xbox 360 console. The third installment in the ''Halo'' franchise, the game concludes the story arc begun in 2001's '' Halo: Combat Evolved'' and continued in ...
'' cooperative campaign where each player takes the role of a different character, in ''Halo 4'' all players assume the role of Master Chief. Players can enable "skulls" in the campaign menu which act as gameplay modifiers such as increasing enemy health, changing NPC behavior or removing elements of the player's HUD. The campaign also features terminals which provide the player with additional
backstory A backstory, background story, back-story, or background is a set of events invented for a plot, presented as preceding and leading up to that plot. It is a literary device of a narrative history all chronologically earlier than the narrative o ...
via videos viewed in the ''Halo Waypoint'' application on the Xbox 360. In ''Halo 4''s multiplayer component, titled "Infinity", players assume the role of a customizable Spartan-IV super-soldier. Players can progress through
ranks Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as: Level or position in a hierarchical organization * Academic rank * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy * H ...
by earning
experience point An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experien ...
s from completing matches and challenges. Gameplay items such as visual customizations, weapons, armor abilities, and various upgrades are unlocked and can be acquired by players when they gain ranks. Once players attain rank SR-50, they can enlist into a "Specialization", enabling them to unlock further cosmetic and gameplay-enhancing customizations for their Spartan. War Games is a competitive multiplayer matchmaking mode. There are various playlists with different game types ranging from standard
deathmatch Deathmatch, also known as free-for-all, is a gameplay mode integrated into many shooter games, including first-person shooter (FPS), and real-time strategy (RTS) video games, where the goal is to kill (or "frag") the other players' characters ...
to objective oriented modes such as
capture the flag Capture the flag (CTF) is a traditional outdoor sport where two or more teams each have a flag (or other markers) and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base", and bring it safely back to their own base. ...
. War Games can be played with up to sixteen players on Xbox Live and has up to four-player split screen support. In ''Halo 4'', players are able to join certain multiplayer matchmaking sessions while they are in progress. Spartan Ops is a story-driven episodic game mode, that can be played solo or cooperatively like the campaign mode. It serves as a replacement for the Firefight game mode that featured in ''Halo: Reach'' and '' Halo 3: ODST''. Ten episodes of content were released for Spartan Ops, each featured a cinematic and five objective-based missions. The first five episodes were delivered on a weekly basis following ''Halo 4''s launch, the final five episodes were released in early 2013. Other game features include
Forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...
, a map-editing tool first introduced in ''Halo 3''. Like War Games it has both split screen and Xbox Live support. Using the tool, players can edit default multiplayer maps by adding or modifying spawn points, weapons and items, or create new ones using canvases. Forge in ''Halo 4'' contains a new "magnet" feature for connecting forge pieces together. Theater mode allows players to view films, create video clips, and capture screen shots from recent matches in War Games or custom games. ''Halo 4'' also offers a file sharing system that allows players to upload and share video clips, screenshots, custom maps and game variants.


Synopsis and Plot


Setting and characters

''Halo 4'' takes place in a futuristic
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
setting in the year 2557, four years after the events of ''Halo 3''. Backstory details that hundreds of thousands of years before the modern era, humans were one of several interstellar civilizations. Following a war with the parasitic
Flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
, the humans came into conflict with the Forerunners, a powerful race that upheld a policy of benevolent shepherding of other races known as the Mantle of Responsibility. After centuries of war the Forerunners defeated the humans and stripped them of their technology and empire. The Forerunners soon fought the Flood themselves; after exhausting every other strategic option available to them, the Forerunners activated weapons of mass destruction known as the
Halo Array The Halo (series), ''Halo'' video game and media franchise takes place in a fictional science fiction universe. In the distant past, a race known as the Forerunners fought the parasitic Flood. The Forerunners ultimately activate weapons of mass d ...
. The Array's firing killed all sentient life in the galaxy to deprive the Flood of their food. Life that the Forerunners cataloged was then reseeded throughout the galaxy. In the 26th century, humanity came under attack by the Covenant, an alien collective of species that worship the Forerunners as gods. The human supersoldier Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 and his artificial intelligence companion Cortana, were instrumental in stopping the Halos from being activated, sterilizing the Flood outbreak before they could menace the galaxy once again, and defeating the Covenant resulting in the end of the war. At the end of ''Halo 3'', Chief and Cortana were left stranded in unknown space aboard the remains of the vessel ''Forward Unto Dawn''.


Campaign (Plot)

''Forward Unto Dawn'' drifts towards an unknown Forerunner planet, later revealed to be the shield world Requiem. Cortana wakes Master Chief from cryonic sleep shortly before forces from a newly formed Covenant splinter faction board the vessel. The remnants of ''Forward Unto Dawn'' are caught in Requiem's
gravity well The Hill sphere of an astronomical body is the region in which it dominates the attraction of satellites. To be retained by a planet, a moon must have an orbit that lies within the planet's Hill sphere. That moon would, in turn, have a Hil ...
and pass through an opening to crash-land on its interior. As Chief and Cortana explore Requiem, fighting hostile forces from the new Covenant faction and mechanical warriors called "Promethean Knights", Cortana malfunctions. She reveals that she is experiencing "rampancy", a declining mental state faced by smart AIs past their usual seven-year life span. Chief promises to get Cortana to Earth, believing that Cortana's creator, Doctor Catherine Halsey, can fix Cortana's condition. Chief and Cortana pick up garbled transmissions from a human ship, UNSC ''Infinity'', who have picked up the ''Dawn''s distress call. Cortana attempts to warn ''Infinity'' away from Requiem's gravity well and directs the Chief to deactivate what she believes are communications jammers. Instead, the Chief unwittingly releases the Didact, an ancient Forerunner warrior, from imprisonment. The Didact, who deems Man unworthy of the Mantle of Responsibility, takes control of the Prometheans and the Covenant faction, then attacks ''Infinity'' after it is dragged into Requiem. Chief makes contact with ''Infinity'' and helps repel the Didact's attack. Chief and Cortana recommend attacking the Didact while he is vulnerable, but ''Infinity'' captain Del Rio orders them to destroy the gravity well so their ship can escape. In the process, Chief is contacted by a Forerunner known as the Librarian—the wife of the Didact, as well as ancient humanity's protector. She explains that the Forerunners were divided on how best to combat the Flood. After failing to discover a way to immunize biological beings from the parasite, the Didact used a device called the Composer to convert the warriors under his command into Promethean Knights immune to infection. Requiring more soldiers, the Didact forcibly converted captured humans into Prometheans, before being stopped and imprisoned by the Librarian. The Librarian, who has guided humanity's development, accelerates the Chief's evolution to grant him immunity to the Composer. After destroying the gravity well, Del Rio orders a retreat back to Earth, doubting the Chief and Cortana's testimony. The Master Chief disobeys orders to stand down and relinquish the malfunctioning Cortana, and stays behind to oppose the Didact. Chief and Cortana attempt to sabotage the Didact's ship before he leaves, but are unsuccessful. They follow the Didact to a Halo ring, Installation 03. The Composer has been moved from the ring onto the nearby Ivanoff Research Station, which the Covenant faction attacks. The Chief defends Ivanoff, but the Didact retrieves the Composer and uses it on the station, composing every individual save Chief. Chief and Cortana use a fighter to follow the Didact's ship to Earth. Aided by ''Infinity'' and the home fleet, the Chief boards the Didact's ship with a nuclear warhead. Cortana inserts copies of herself into the Didact's computer systems to overwhelm the Didact's shield, but not before the Didact directs the Composer at Earth. With the help of Cortana, the Chief defeats the Didact, who falls into a portal underneath the Composer. The Master Chief activates the bomb but is saved by Cortana, who sacrifices herself. The Chief is found by a rescue team and is taken back to ''Infinity'', where he mourns the loss of Cortana. In a post-credits cutscene, the Didact proclaims the Forerunners' role as custodians of the galaxy having to bear the Mantle of Responsibility, and humanity as the greatest threat in the galaxy. Master Chief removes his armor aboard ''Infinity''; if the player completes the game on Legendary difficulty, the Chief's heavily scarred face is briefly shown.


Spartan Ops

Spartan Ops take place six months after ''Halo 4''s campaign. ''Infinity'' returns to Requiem, where the Prometheans and the Covenant splinter faction—led by Jul 'Mdama, who styles himself as "the Didact's Hand"—are still active. Sarah Palmer, commander of the Spartan-IVs, deploys Spartan squads to clear out Jul 'Mdama's Covenant and Promethean forces in Requiem's interior in order to set up research bases. Fireteam Crimson recovers a mysterious artifact excavated by 'Mdama's Covenant; ''Infinity'' scientist Doctor Glassman disappears after studying the device. Catherine Halsey is brought to ''Infinity'' due to her knowledge of Forerunner technology. She is kept under guard by marines and Spartans including Gabriel Thorne, who lost his family during the Didact's attack on Earth. While studying the artifact, Halsey begins receiving messages on her computer from an anonymous sender. The source of the transmissions is 'Mdama, who captures Glassman and forces him to work on a Forerunner device that supposedly contains the Librarian. Palmer arrests Halsey for communicating with 'Mdama, but Halsey uses an override code to force ''Infinity''s AI, Roland, to assist her. Halsey contacts 'Mdama to try and strike a deal, as they both want to find the Librarian; Roland breaks free of Halsey's control and summons guards to apprehend Halsey. Promethean forces invade ''Infinity'', capture Halsey, and teleport her to 'Mdama's base. Serin Osman, head of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), orders ''Infinity'' captain Thomas Lasky to kill Halsey, but he is reluctant to do so. Palmer sets off to Requiem to kill Halsey; Lasky tells Fireteam Majestic to intervene and rescue Halsey from 'Mdama. Halsey steps into the Forerunner device and makes contact with the Librarian. The Librarian gives Halsey the two pieces of the "Janus Key", an instrument that provides the location for all Forerunner technology in the galaxy, and instructs Halsey to use the key to advance humankind. Upon receiving the key, Halsey exits the device and 'Mdama takes half of the key from her. Halsey passes the second piece to Fireteam Majestic. Palmer wounds Halsey in the arm just before a Promethean teleports 'Mdama and Halsey from the base. 'Mdama sets Requiem to collide with the nearby sun and his forces evacuate the planet. Fireteams Crimson and Majestic disable devices that anchor ''Infinity'' to Requiem, allowing the ship to escape before the installation is destroyed. Meanwhile, Halsey, who has lost her arm, offers to ally herself to 'Mdama.


Development

In October 2007, shortly after the release of ''Halo 3'', ''Halo'' developer
Bungie Bungie, Inc. is an American video game company based in Bellevue, Washington. It is a studio owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The company was established in May 1991 by Alex Seropian, who later brought in programmer Jason Jones afte ...
split off from parent company Microsoft. Microsoft retained the intellectual property and rights to ''Halo'', and Bungie continued developing ''Halo'' games until 2010. During this period of time Microsoft formed an internal division, 343 Industries, to manage the franchise and develop future games. In 2008, while 343 Industries was still in formation, Microsoft approached Starlight Runner Entertainment to help assemble the "''Halo'' bible". Starlight Runner is a
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
-based company that specializes in creating and producing
transmedia Transmedia storytelling (also known as transmedia narrative or multiplatform storytelling) is the technique of telling a single story or story experience across multiple platforms and formats using current digital technologies. From a producti ...
franchises. Their job was to examine all content of the ''Halo'' universe, clean it up, and make it coherent and understandable for the people involved with the creation of ''Halo'' games and media. Frank O'Connor, a content manager at Bungie, assisted the team with the creation of the "''Halo'' bible" before moving to 343 Industries to become ''Halo'' franchise development director. Unlike the original trilogy, the story for ''Halo 4'' was designed to be part of a multi-game arc from the beginning. In addition, 343 Industries aimed for "a more complete connectivity between all of their future media than before"; relating ''Halo 4''s story to the ''Forerunner Saga'' and ''Kilo-Five Trilogy'' novels as well as using terminals in ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary'' to introduce background knowledge on the Forerunners. 343 started with a staff of roughly a dozen people, but grew to nearly 200 through development. ''Halo 4''s development team included former employees of more than 25 triple-A studios. Prospective employees could not be told they were going to be working on ''Halo 4''. "We had people who we hired who hated ''Halo'' because of 'X,'" said Frank O'Connor, 343 Industries' franchise development director. "But what that really meant was, 'I feel like this game could be awesome because of 'Y input' that I'm going to bring into it. I want to prove it, and I'm passionate about proving it.' So we ended up with a bunch of people who were genuinely passionate about the product. That is a huge advantage, and that helped in hiring and forming our team." This rapid hiring and growth occurred during development of the game, creating issues; because the team was committed to a delivery date, ''Halo 4'' executive producer Kiki Wolfkill said that the team was forced to make "necessary mistakes", with production difficulties and a team inexperienced with working together contributing to development difficulties. Nine months before shipping, the developers restructured the game's production pipeline and gave individual teams more control due to bottlenecks in development. With so many developers from different backgrounds, forging a common goal and company culture was different. Creative director Josh Holmes recalled that an "epiphany moment" that proved the team was headed in the right direction was early in development, when the team completed a section of the game that was "very traditional 'Halo''. Despite positive feedback from testers, 343 Industries discarded the prototype as too traditional, but felt that it showed the team could work together. Including contractors, 350 people worked on the game. 343 Industries contracted Certain Affinity, an independent video game development studio, to help with the development of ''Halo 4''; they started work on the game in early 2011. Certain Affinity has worked alongside Bungie and 343 Industries on producing multiplayer content for previous ''Halo'' titles. The studio developed the Forge mode, co-developed War Games and created a number of maps and multiplayer modes for ''Halo 4''. ''Halo 4'' and '' Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary'' were both officially announced on June 6, 2011, at the
E3 2011 The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011 (E3 2011) was the 17th E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It began on June 7, 2011, and ended on June 9, 2011, with 46,800 total attendees. E3 ...
. ''Halo 4'' is the first installment in the Reclaimer Saga of ''Halo'' games. The studio's creative team, which included nearly 200 people led by creative director Josh Holmes, started developing the game as early as 2009. Prior to the release of the game, Microsoft Studios Vice President Phil Spencer stated that the ''Halo'' franchise is the "most important entertainment product in the company" and that ''Halo 4'' was the most expensive game that Microsoft had made. A demonstration of the game's campaign was first shown at E3 2012. The developers described it as a pivotal moment in development, as it was the first time the game had been shown publicly. The positive reaction was a morale boost for the team, who were unsure how the public would react. On July 7, 2012, a pre-release build of ''Halo 4''s Forge mode was showcased by 343 Industries and Certain Affinity at RTX which took place at the
Austin Convention Center The Neal Kocurek Memorial Austin Convention Center is a multi-purpose convention center located in Austin, Texas. The building is the home of the Texas Rollergirls, and was also home to the Austin Toros basketball team, until their move to the Ce ...
. On September 26, 2012, O'Connor announced that the game's development was complete.


Design

Following ''Halo 4''s announcement, O'Connor reported that both Master Chief and Cortana would undergo "radical" changes in appearance for the game, some of them attributed to better graphics and others to story elements. The studio wanted Master Chief's appearance to convey an imposing mass and weight, to show that one of his characteristics is his armor. They studied the armor changes that were made for the Spartans in ''Halo: Reach'', which were much bulkier than renditions in previous ''Halo'' games. Character and concept artists began redesigning the Master Chief by creating sketches; these sketches would be rendered into 3D models so the team could analyze the design from every possible angle. The team would then return to creating sketches to make adjustments, and repeat the process until the main structure for the Master Chief was created. The team then worked on the finer details of his appearance. During the concepting process of ''Halo 4'', O'Connor decided it would be best for the franchise to explore the Forerunner fiction of the ''Halo'' universe, which had remained largely a mystery before 343 Industries' involvement in the franchise. This ultimately led to the creation of a new race of enemy, the Prometheans, warriors of the Forerunner empire. Given that the Forerunners themselves had never been featured in previous ''Halo'' games, the design process for the appearance of the Prometheans was long and tedious. The art team produced a large number of sketches, which were presented to other members of the studio to get feedback and reactions. Many variations of different character models were considered before the team decided on a final design. The main goal when designing their appearance was to make them resonate with the player, and evoke the image of the Forerunner architecture and language that had been portrayed in previous ''Halo'' media. Upon death, the Promethean Knight dissolves from the point where it was last shot; this visual effect also occurs when certain enemies are killed by Promethean weapons. From a gameplay standpoint the design for the Prometheans also needed to fit in well with the sandbox so they would be suitable enemies to fight. A goal when designing their behavior was to make them highly adaptive from a tactical standpoint. For example, the Promethean Knight can phase in and out of space, allowing it to retreat or charge the player at any given moment; this changes the way that a player engages in a combat encounter. Holmes explained that one of the goals for ''Halo 4''s campaign was to incorporate more human elements into the story. To accomplish this the team wrote a
B story In fiction, a subplot is a secondary strand of the plot that is a supporting side story for any story or for the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or thematic significance. Subplots often involve supporting ...
that explored Master Chief's relationship with his AI partner, Cortana, who would break down into a
dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
-like state. The development team realized that ''Halo 4''s narrative could be dense and hard to approach, making it inaccessible for new players. They found incorporating such a storyline into an action game to be extremely challenging and considered dropping it during development. Holmes was adamant about including it; he took inspiration from his mother's battle with dementia, which she was diagnosed with near the start of the game's development. This led Holmes to want to capture the emotion and tell "a perfect story". The senior art director for ''Halo 4'' is Kenneth Scott; he described the visual style of ''Halo 4'' as being more ingrained in the expanded universe fiction, and more "mature" than before. With the game's increased focus on the Forerunners, the artists invested heavily into the look and feel of Forerunner technology. The game also features more diversity in Forerunner structures, including fully active Forerunner technology as opposed to the mostly inert and abandoned structures seen in the earlier games. The majority of the game is lit statically using lightmaps; this allowed the art team to achieve realistic lighting effects with full
global illumination Global illumination (GI), or indirect illumination, is a group of algorithms used in 3D computer graphics that are meant to add more realistic lighting to 3D scenes. Such algorithms take into account not only the light that comes directly from ...
and
ambient occlusion In 3D computer graphics, modeling, and animation, ambient occlusion is a shading and rendering technique used to calculate how exposed each point in a scene is to ambient lighting. For example, the interior of a tube is typically more occluded ...
. Image-based lighting is also used to ground scenes and make everything fit together better. The cooperative Spartan Ops mode originally began as a Firefight-type mode, similar to that featured in ''Halo: Reach'', but was composed of different objective-oriented mission types. Over the course of development, changes were made to Spartan Ops to include a narrative that would tie ''Halo 4''s multiplayer together. The missions were designed primarily for four player co-op. The Spartan Ops development team worked with the narrative team to use ideas and storylines to shape the mode such that the cinematics would tie in with the missions.
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
based animation studio, Axis Animation, assisted 343 Industries on the creation of CGI cinematics for the Spartan Ops game mode. Axis have produced animations for numerous video games, including the award-winning announcement trailer for ''
Dead Island ''Dead Island'' is a 2011 action role-playing game developed by Techland and published by Deep Silver. Released for Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the game is centered on the challenge of surviving a zombie-infeste ...
''. To make each Spartan Ops episode as engaging as possible the team at Axis shot and edited episodes in
live action Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...
using performance capture. The team then used the reference cameras at the live action shoot to create a performance edit, before shooting with CG cameras to provide more coverage of all scenes and a greater selection of shots for the editorial team. The shading team at Axis made use of the 3D animation package,
Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...
, to procedurally generate the environment in the cinematics. Axis worked with Glasgow-based
audio post production Audio post production is all stages of audio production relating to sound produced and synchronized with moving picture (film, television, or video). It involves sound design, sound effects, Foley, ADR, sound editing, audio mixing, mastering e ...
company Savalas on sound design and the final mix for the Spartan Ops cinematics.
Facial motion capture Facial motion capture is the process of electronically converting the movements of a person's face into a digital database using cameras or laser scanners. This database may then be used to produce computer graphics (CG), computer animation for m ...
was also utilized to take the movements and facial expressions from actors and apply them to the in-game cinematics for both Spartan Ops and campaign. Performance capture for both campaign and Spartan Ops cutscenes was directed and recorded at Giant Studios. Axis worked in conjunction with Giant Studios and Cubic Motion to develop a special facial motion capture solution that would retain facial expressions from the actors when creating the animation. Visual effects house The Sequence Group, who had previously developed animation for ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''s terminals, returned to create additional animation for ''Halo 4''. The Terminals feature a painterly artistic style, which Sequence president Ian Kirby felt appealed to gamers familiar with the style of
concept art Concept art is a form of visual art used to convey an idea for use in films, video games, animation, comic books, or other media before it is put into the final product. Concept art usually refers to world-building artwork used to inspire th ...
. In addition to creating the visuals for the ''Halo 4'' terminals, their work appeared in one of the game's main cinematics. To save time and expense using traditional motion capture methods to animate the 3D characters, The Sequence Group used twin Microsoft
Kinect Kinect is a line of motion sensing input devices produced by Microsoft and first released in 2010. The devices generally contain RGB cameras, and infrared projectors and detectors that map depth through either structured light or time of fli ...
infrared sensors to create a home-made solution. The game utilizes much of the "sandbox" that has been featured across all six prior ''Halo'' games and other media, in addition to introducing new characters, weapons, vehicles, and other elements. The game engine used is a heavily modified version of the engine established by Bungie. Unlike previous games in the ''Halo'' series, ''Halo 4'' runs natively in
720p 720p (1280×720 px; also called HD ready, standard HD or just HD) is a progressive HDTV signal format with 720 horizontal lines/1280 columns and an aspect ratio (AR) of 16:9, normally known as widescreen HDTV (1.78:1). All major HDTV broadcas ...
resolution. The game itself comes on two discs and requires 4GB of available storage space either on an 8GB
USB flash drive Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard that establishes specifications for cables, connectors and protocols for connection, communication and power supply ( interfacing) between computers, peripherals and other computers. A bro ...
or Xbox 360 hard drive to play the multiplayer component. Disc two is used to install the multiplayer content and disc one is used for launching the game. Due to rendering issues and significant engine changes, Theater support for ''Halo 4''s campaign and Spartan Ops was not featured in the game on launch; however 343 Industries expressed that this feature may be implemented in the future. As with previous ''Halo'' titles, 343 Industries provides a statistic tracking service for players of ''Halo 4''. Player data such as game history, character progression, and various statistics can be accessed in game or via the Halo Waypoint website. The web services team at 343 Industries utilized the Windows Azure Service Bus messaging infrastructure to relay data from the Xbox Live network to
back-end database {{No footnotes, date=December 2021 A back-end database is a database that is accessed by users indirectly through an external application rather than by application programming stored within the database itself or by low level manipulation of the d ...
s, where player data and information is stored. ''Halo 4'' player data can also be accessed via the
Xbox SmartGlass The Xbox app is an app for Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, Android, iOS and Tizen. It acts as a companion app for Xbox video game consoles, providing access to Xbox network community features, remote control, as well as second screen functio ...
application.


Audio

British record producer and composer Neil Davidge wrote the music for ''Halo 4''. Davidge is best known for his work as a co-writer and producer for the band
Massive Attack Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol by Robert "3D" Del Naja, Adrian "Tricky" Thaws, Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. The debut Massive Attack album '' Blue Lines'' was releas ...
, and also composed the scores for numerous films. Davidge intended to add "a touch of romance" to the score as well as adding more electronic sounds while keeping ''Halo''s style. Sotaro Tojima, best known for his work on
Konami , is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. Konami has ca ...
's '' Castlevania: Circle of the Moon'' and '' Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots'', served as ''Halo 4''s audio director. The team performed many live audio recording sessions, several of which occurred in
Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...
, Australia. Some of these recording sessions took place in generally inhospitable environments, such as underwater, in fire, and in ice, through the use of specially designed microphones; other recording sessions have utilized "home made" explosives. Tojima intended for the game's audio to be clearly grounded in the ''Halo'' universe, while also having a more realistic quality than in past titles. Music composer Kazuma Jinnouchi, also formerly from Konami, joined 343 Industries during the production of ''Halo 4'' in 2011. He contributed several additional tracks for the game. He would later go on to be the sole composer of the game's sequel, '' Halo 5: Guardians'', in 2015.


Cast

Voice actors returning to reprise their roles in ''Halo 4'' include Steve Downes as Master Chief, and
Jen Taylor Jennifer Taylor is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Cortana in ''Halo'' games and the intelligent personal assistant. Career Jen Taylor taught herself how to do voice work by recording the radio and imitating what she ...
as both Cortana and Halsey. The two actors recorded together for the first time, as Downes actually flew to 343's Washington headquarters instead of recording in his hometown of Chicago. Voices for new characters include Mark Rolston as Captain Andrew Del Rio, Darren O'Hare as Thomas Lasky,
Jennifer Hale Jennifer Hale is a Canadian-American voice actress. She is best known for her work in video game franchises such as ''Baldur's Gate'', '' Mass Effect'', '' Metal Gear Solid'', '' BioShock Infinite'', '' Metroid Prime'', ''Overwatch'', and '' Sta ...
as Sarah Palmer, Adrienne Barbeau as Dr. Tillson,
Keith Szarabajka Keith Szarabajka (; ; born December 2, 1952) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Mickey Kostmayer on '' The Equalizer'', Daniel Holtz on ''Angel'', Gerard Stephens in ''The Dark Knight'' and Adam Engell in ''Argo''. I ...
as the Didact, Travis Willingham as Jul 'Mdama, and Lori Tritel as the Librarian. Additional voices provided include
Conan O'Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows for almost 28 years, beginning with '' Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' ( ...
, Andy Richter, and
Jason Bradbury Jason Alan Bradbury (born 10 April 1969) is a British television presenter and children's author, best known for presenting shows such as the Channel 5 technology programme ''The Gadget Show'' and the BBC One game show '' Don't Scare the Ha ...
. Employees of
Rooster Teeth Productions Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC is an American digital media company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2003 by Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Geoff Ramsey, Jason Saldaña, Gus Sorola, and Joel Heyman, Rooster Teeth is a subsidiary of Warne ...
' have cameo roles in Spartan Ops, as characters from the ''Halo''
machinima Machinima, originally machinema () is the use of real-time computer graphics engines to create a cinematic production. Most often, video games are used to generate the computer animation. The word "machinima" is a portmanteau of the words ''m ...
'' Red vs. Blue''. Bruce Thomas was the performance capture actor playing the role of Master Chief and actress Mackenzie Mason played the performance role of Cortana. Taylor served as the motion capture source for Halsey.


Marketing

On January 19, 2012,
McFarlane Toys McFarlane Toys is an American company founded by comic book creator Todd McFarlane which makes highly detailed model action figures of characters from films, comics, popular music, video games and various sporting genres. The company, a subsid ...
announced that they would be creating action figures for ''Halo 4'', bringing new characters, weapons and vehicles from the video game to the fans. McFarlane Toys CEO and founder, Todd McFarlane said that he was "really excited to be working with the all-star team of 343 Industries". McFarlane also stated that they would continue and expand their previous figure line which would be
rebranded Rebranding is a marketing strategy in which a new name, term, symbol, design, concept or combination thereof is created for an established brand with the intention of developing a new, differentiated identity in the minds of consumers, investor ...
as ''Halo Universe''. On February 14, 2012, toy company
Mega Brands Mega Brands Inc. (formerly Mega Bloks Inc. and Ritvik Holdings) is a Canadian children's toy company currently owned by Mattel. Mega Bloks, a line of construction set toys, is its most popular product. Its other brands include Mega Construx, Me ...
revealed a new product series in their Mega Bloks ''Halo'' Universe collector's line. Both McFarlane Toys and Mega Brands revealed their figures at the 2012
American International Toy Fair The North American International Toy Fair (formerly the American International Toy Fair and also known as Toy Fair New York) is an annual toy industry trade show held in mid-February in New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and at to ...
.
Jada Toys Jada Toys, Inc. is an American manufacturer of collectible scale model cars, figures, radio controlled model vehicles, and dolls. It was founded in 1999 by Jack and May Li. Jada's products are predominantly aimed at the collectible market, and ar ...
launched a new line of ''Halo 4'' die-cast toys in August 2012; Sideshow Collectibles also revealed a ''Halo 4'' Premium Cortana Figure. Toy manufacturer
Funko Funko Inc. is an American company that manufactures licensed and limited pop culture collectibles, best known for its licensed vinyl figurines and bobbleheads. In addition, the company produces licensed plush, action figures, apparel, accessor ...
released Master Chief, Cortana and Spartan-IV figures for their Pop! Vinyl toyline on November 8, 2012. On June 11, 2012,
video game console A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to ...
peripheral A peripheral or peripheral device is an auxiliary device used to put information into and get information out of a computer. The term ''peripheral device'' refers to all hardware components that are attached to a computer and are controlled by the ...
s manufacturer, Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. announced that they had signed a deal with Microsoft Studios to create a ''Halo 4''-branded gaming headset; the product shipped on October 30, 2012. 343 Industries and Microsoft also created a ''Halo 4'' art book, titled ''Awakening: The Art of Halo 4''; it was published by
Titan Books Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of Titan Entertainment Group, which was established in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cinema reference books; and graphic novels and c ...
and released on November 6, 2012. The book contains a collection of concept art and sketches accompanied by commentary from the artists at 343 Industries. A limited edition version of the book was also released with only a thousand copies available worldwide. Another book, ''Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide'' was created by 343 Industries in collaboration with DK Publishing and was released September 24, 2013. It contains annotated artwork and profiles on characters, items, and locations within the ''Halo'' universe. Microsoft once again partnered up with
PepsiCo PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the food and beverage market. It oversees the manufa ...
, having done so previously while promoting ''Halo 3''. In the United States players were able to earn double experience in ''Halo 4'' by purchasing
Mountain Dew Mountain Dew, stylized as Mtn Dew, is a carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman. A revised formula was created by Bill Brid ...
and
Doritos Doritos () is an American brand of flavored tortilla chips produced since 1964 by Frito-Lay, a wholly owned subsidiary of PepsiCo. The original Doritos were not flavored. The first flavor was Toasted Corn, released in 1966, followed by Taco in ...
and then redeem product codes found on the packaging using an iOS and Android app game called ''Halo 4: King of the Hill Fueled by Mountain Dew''. Players were able to redeem product codes from October 15, 2012, on websites that PepsiCo set up for the promotion. In the United Kingdom, a promotion ran from September 24, 2012, until December 4, 2012, where purchasers of Mountain Dew were able to redeem codes to have a chance of winning copies of ''Halo 4'', Xbox 360 avatar items and a trip to
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...
to attend a tour around the studio of 343 Industries. Microsoft also partnered with
Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and desse ...
branches in the United Kingdom; people who entered the contest via an official website had a chance of winning ''Halo 4''-themed prizes. The contest was open from October 22, 2012, until December 30, 2012; entering participants also received a free code for a ''Halo 4'' Xbox 360 avatar outfit. Microsoft partnered with
American Express American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation, multinational corporation specialized in payment card industry, payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Man ...
to offer a promotion for eligible card holders in the United States and United Kingdom. Card holders who sync their American Express card with their Xbox Live account receive coupons and credits and are also rewarded with additional credits and coupons for obtaining achievements in ''Halo 4''. Microsoft also offered ''Halo 4'' armor, for Xbox Live avatars, to people who watched at least thirty minutes of footage from the
2012 United States presidential debates The bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) held four debates for the 2012 U.S. presidential general election, slated for various locations around the United States in October 2012 – three of them involving the major party presid ...
on their Xbox 360. On October 31, 2012, Microsoft and government-owned organization Liechtenstein Marketing transformed the countryside of
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German language, German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constit ...
for a special live action event for fans and members of the press. The Gutenberg Castle was transformed into a military fortification where guests tried out ''Halo 4'' for the first time. A nearby countryside had a United Nations Space Command military camp installed and Balzers Quarry was transformed into a battleground where fifteen actors played out a two-hour-long adventure.


Promotional videos

''Halo 4'' was announced with a trailer at E3 2011, titled "Awakening". It was directed by Joseph Kosinski and visual effects were created by animation company
Digital Domain Digital Domain is an American visual effects and digital production company based in Playa Vista, Los Angeles, California. The company is known for creating digital imagery for feature films, advertising and games from its locations in Californ ...
. Kosinski and Digital Domain had collaborated previously on the ''Halo 3'' " Starry Night"
commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
. The trailer is set on the UNSC frigate ''Forward Unto Dawn'' during the opening events of ''Halo 4''. It depicts the Master Chief being awakened from cryonic sleep by Cortana, as the remnants of the frigate drift towards Requiem. The trailer was short-listed in the Visual Effects and Design categories at the 2012 AICP Show and NEXT Awards. On April 30, 2012, it was announced that a web series, titled ''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn'', would play on Machinima Prime and Halo Waypoint during the weeks leading up to the release for ''Halo 4''. The series debuted on October 5, 2012, and contained five 15-minute live action shorts. It was directed by
Stewart Hendler Stewart Hendler (born December 22, 1978) is an American film, commercial and digital series director. He is best known for his work in digital series, where he directed the '' Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn'' in conjunction with the promotion of the ...
and the project was Microsoft's largest investment in a live action promotion. The series is set in 2526, 31 years before the events of ''Halo 4'' at the beginning of the Human-Covenant War. The plot is centered around the character Thomas Lasky, who appears in the video game, he is primarily portrayed by Australian actor
Tom Green Michael Thomas Green (born July 30, 1971) is a Canadian-American comedian, show host, actor, filmmaker, podcaster, and rapper. After pursuing stand-up comedy and music as a young adult, Green created and hosted ''The Tom Green Show'', which a ...
in the live action series. The series also ties in with the plot of the ''Halo 4'' campaign and Spartan Ops mode. The Master Chief is featured in the latter part of the series, and is played by actor
Daniel Cudmore Daniel Cudmore (born January 20, 1981) is a Canadian actor and stuntman. He is perhaps best known for his roles as the superhero Peter Rasputin / Colossus in the ''X-Men'' film series, and as the Volturi Felix in ''The Twilight Saga'' film ser ...
. At E3 2012, the presentation of ''Halo 4'' was preceded with a live action segment called "The Commissioning". The video was directed by
Nicolai Fuglsig Nicolai Fuglsig () is a Danish film director and photojournalist. He graduated from the Danish School of Journalism. In 1999, his book on an untold nuclear disaster (Techa River pollution by the Mayak plutonium production site) won the ICP Infi ...
and filmed over two and a half days, with four weeks of
post-production Post-production is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording individual program segments. Th ...
and visual effects were added by
Method Studios Method Studios is a visual effects company launched in 1999 in Los Angeles, California with facilities in New York, Atlanta, Vancouver, San Francisco, Melbourne, Montreal, and Pune. The company provides production and post-production services i ...
. Music in the trailer was scored by Neil Davidge. The video shows the UNSC ''Infinity'' vessel being pulled within the confines of the planet Requiem. Mark Rolston portrays Captain Andrew Del Rio in the live action video. On October 18, 2012, the ''Halo 4'' launch trailer, titled "Scanned", premiered on ''
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon. About pag ...
''. The trailer was produced by
David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly psychological thrillers and biographical dramas, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. F ...
and directed by Tim Miller. The trailer was filmed in
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
and features both CGI and live action sequences. It shows Master Chief, bound by a force shield, being approached by an enemy. The enemy moves toward John, scanning his mind to find the source of his strength and search for weaknesses. A live action sequence proceeds with flashbacks of John's past; showing him being kidnapped as a child, the Spartan-II augmentation procedure, and him being suited into his MJOLNIR armor. The trailer then shows John attacking Promethean Knights, before returning to the scene of him bound and being faced by his enemy, the Didact. On October 23, 2012, the ''Halo 4'' launch gameplay trailer was revealed; it featured segments of gameplay footage from the campaign and multiplayer. In October 2012, visual effects company
Framestore Framestore is a British animation, visual effects company and creative studio based on Chancery Lane in London. Formed in 1986, it acquired (and subsequently merged with) the Computer Film Company in 1997. It works on feature films and telev ...
assisted advertising agency McCann London in producing live TV adverts for ''Halo 4''. The adverts aired on November 9, 2012; they featured live data on how many people were playing ''Halo 4'' online, correct to within five minutes of the broadcast.


Release

''Halo 4'' was released in all territories except Japan on November 6, 2012; the Japanese version was released on November 8. Microsoft initially released the game in two separate retail versions, branded as "Standard" and "Limited" editions. The Limited Edition includes digital items for Xbox 360 avatars and in-game Spartan-IVs, as well as access to future
downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enabli ...
in the form of three competitive multiplayer map packs, containing a total of nine maps. It also includes a 90-minute extended version of the live action digital series, '' Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn'' and a UNSC ''Infinity'' Briefing Packet. At launch, two Specializations were available to all players; only owners of the ''Halo 4'' Limited Edition had access to all eight Specializations. However, 343 Industries later granted access to players, in certain countries, who participated in an online multiplayer match during the opening fortnight. For the remaining players, the Specializations were gradually unlocked in the months following launch.
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washi ...
produced an Xbox 360 Limited Edition ''Halo 4'' console bundle that launched alongside the game. The bundle features two custom designed controllers, a standard edition of ''Halo 4'', a wired headset, exclusive downloadable content and a ''Halo 4''-themed Xbox 360 containing a 320GB hard drive. It was also announced that Microsoft would be releasing a standalone Xbox 360 ''Halo 4'' Limited Edition wireless controller featuring a different design to the one included in the console bundle. Microsoft reported that their security teams and law enforcement were investigating the possibility of ''Halo 4'' content being leaked on the internet in October 2012. Jessica Shea, Community Manager at 343 Industries, warned fans to be wary of ''Halo 4'' spoilers that were posted on the internet. O'Connor stated at
New York Comic Con The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. History The New York Comic Con is a ...
that leaks of the game and footage would not have any impact on how the game is released or marketed and that unlicensed uploading of high-profile games is inevitable. Over ten thousand stores across forty countries opened for the midnight launch of ''Halo 4''. On the evening before the release of the game, a fifty-foot diameter illuminated Didact glyph was flown by a helicopter over the
River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
in London, from the Greenwich Peninsula to
Tower Bridge Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel. It crosses the River Thames clos ...
. The glyph was created by a team of over fifty designers, engineers and fabricators and took approximately eight weeks to design and construct. Following the release of the game, New Zealand censors declared many copies of ''Halo 4'' illegal, after deciding to label it with an R13 rating, restricting it to buyers aged 13 and over. Many copies of the game had already gone on sale with an unrestricted M certificate, but these copies are in breach of the
Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 The Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 is an Act of Parliament in New Zealand. It repealed the Indecent Publications Act 1963, the Films Act 1983 and the Video Recordings Act 1987. In 2015, the book '' Into the River'' ...
. On February 5, 2013, a digital version of the game was released via the Xbox Live Games on Demand service. A game of the year edition of ''Halo 4'', featuring the season pass and Champion's Bundle DLC, pre-order bonuses, special avatar prop and the entire first season of Spartan Ops, was released on October 8.


Sales

''Halo 4'' grossed US$220 million on its launch day and $300 million in its opening week. The gross was a new record for the franchise, surpassing ''Halo: Reach''s $200 million first-day gross. More than one million people played ''Halo 4'' on Xbox Live within the first 24 hours of release. While ''Halo 4'' debuted at the top of the UK Video Games Chart and became the eighteenth biggest launch ever in the UK, it failed to beat the week one sales records of ''Halo 3'' and ''Halo: Reach''. U.S. retail tracking firm NPD reported that ''Halo 4'' was the second most sold retail video game of November 2012, the third most sold retail video game of December 2012, and the third most sold retail video game of the year. In the United States ''Halo 4'' became the best-selling Microsoft Studios title for sales counted during respective launch years. In 2012, ''Halo 4'' was the third most played game on Xbox Live based on average
unique user Website popularity is commonly determined using the number of unique users, and the metric is often quoted to potential advertisers or investors. A website's number of unique users is usually measured over a standard period of time, typically a m ...
s per day.


Post-release

''Halo 4'' supports downloadable content (DLC), which is available to download via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Three War Games map packs, each containing three maps, can be purchased individually, or bought together with the ''Halo 4'' War Games Pass. The pass is included in the Limited Edition version of the game and is available to purchase on the Xbox Live Marketplace. The first map package, the "Crimson Map Pack", was released on December 10, 2012. Players who were awarded early access to Specializations received complimentary access to the Crimson Map Pack for a limited time. The "Majestic Map Pack" was released on February 25, 2013, followed by the "Castle Map Pack" on April 8. Forge Island, a map designed for Forge mode creations was made available at no cost to Xbox Live users on March 29. Microsoft released additional DLC on August 20 that could be purchased together as the Champions Bundle or separately. The three DLC packs include: the "Bullseye Pack" containing two multiplayer maps and early access to the Ricochet gametype; the "Steel Skin Pack", which offers
steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian ...
-themed skins for weapons; and the "Infinity Armor Pack", which includes new armor for customizing the player's Spartan. Aside from map packs, the game is supported by regular matchmaking playlist updates. These updates make playlist and balance changes, sandbox tweaks and fix minor glitches. A title update to fix various game issues and glitches was released in December 2012. Spartan Ops went on a mid-season break that December and resumed on January 21, 2013; the back half of the season was made available as a free download from the Xbox Live Marketplace. On January 29, an in-game search feature was implemented for ''Halo 4''s file sharing system; a web version of the ''Halo 4'' file browser was made available on February 27, 2013. On April 8, 343 Industries launched a competitive skill ranking system akin to that featured in ''Halo 2'' and ''Halo 3''. During Spartan Ops' mid-season break, a free-to-enter ''Halo 4'' tournament, titled ''Halo 4 Infinity'' Challenge, was launched by Microsoft in partnership with Virgin Gaming. Players could register on the ''Halo 4 Infinity'' Challenge website to participate in the tournament, giving them the opportunity to win various prizes. On July 3, 2013, 343 Industries announced a second tournament in partnership with Virgin Gaming, titled ''Halo 4'' Global Championship. The tournament spanned a period of five weeks with a grand prize of $200,000. The tournament began on July 5 at RTX 2013, and on July 15 on Xbox Live. The tournament finals took place on September 1 at the 2013
Penny Arcade Expo PAX (originally known as Penny Arcade Expo) is a series of gaming culture festivals involving tabletop, arcade, and video gaming. PAX is held annually in Seattle, Boston and Philadelphia in the United States; and Melbourne in Australia. PAX w ...
; the event was streamed live and was hosted by
Larry Hryb Lawrence Hryb (), also known by his Xbox Live Gamertag "Major Nelson", is a Director of Programming for the Microsoft gaming network Xbox Live. His blog "Xbox Live's Major Nelson" provides an inside look at operations at Microsoft's Xbox divisi ...
, Blair Herter, and Jessica Chobot. ''Halo 4'' was re-released as part of '' Halo: The Master Chief Collection'' for the
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
on November 11, 2014, and for
Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ...
on November 17, 2020. A sequel, '' Halo 5: Guardians'', was released for the Xbox One on October 27, 2015.


Reception


Critical reception

''Halo 4'' received positive reviews from critics, with aggregate review website
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
assigning it an
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score of 87 out of 100, based on 87 reviews. Many reviewers were impressed by 343 Industries' debut effort and considered it a worthy addition to the series. Ryan McCaffrey of IGN gave ''Halo 4'' a very positive review, considering it to be the best game of the series to date and the best Xbox 360 game of 2012; he called it "a bar-raising triumph for the entire first-person shooter genre." Wesley Yin-Poole of ''Eurogamer'' remarked that although he was initially skeptical of changes being made to the formula, 343's greatest achievement was managing to stay true to what ''Halo'' is. He was enthusiastic to see what the developer would do with ''Halo 5'' and expected them to deviate further while retaining the series' "magic". ''Halo 4''s campaign received a mixed reception from critics. Reviewers enjoyed Master Chief's return as the protagonist, and the emotional connection between Master Chief and Cortana was highly praised. Mike Mahardy of ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 ...
'' complimented the characterization improvements of Chief and Cortana, calling their evolved love story more "focused" and "relatable" to the player, in comparison to the "cloudy and impersonal" stories from the prior games of the franchise.
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
editor, Chris Watters, described the "thrilling and emotional return of Master Chief and Cortana" as the highlight of the game.
GamesRadar ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites '' Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Comput ...
maintained that the narrative was enthralling and the campaign's structure was much better than its predecessors. IGN's McCaffrey praised the game's lighting, movements, animations, and lauded the campaign for its pacing, "deftly mixing on-foot combat, vehicle sequences, quiet story moments, and key Chief-and-Cortana interactions." Although Neil Davidge's work on the musical composition was noted as a "bold shift", McCaffrey claimed the music seemed "complementary rather than additive." '' 1UP.com'' reviewer Jose Otero was critical of ''Halo 4''s story, writing that the ending of the game "doesn't make a lot of sense". He also remarked that while the narrative tied the main plot lines together well, it was disappointing to see some of the smaller story points were ignored entirely. Both G4 and ''
Official Xbox Magazine ''Official Xbox Magazine'' (or OXM for short) was a British monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released at E3 2001, with another preview issue in November 2001. T ...
'' agreed that the plot became convoluted on occasions and might be difficult to understand for new players of the franchise. G4 reviewer, Adam Rosenburg, also stated that while the soundtrack had some memorable moments, he was disappointed that composer Neil Davidge had chosen to ditch the familiar theme of previous games. Michael Gapper of ''
Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website w ...
'' drew a comparison between ''Halo 4'' and ''Halo 2''. He stated that the hardware limitations of the Xbox 360 had negatively impacted ''Halo 4''s campaign, in the same way that they had throttled Bungie's ambitions for ''Halo 2'' on the original
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...
. He explained that although the game was visually stunning, this had detracted from the scale and spectacle that was present in ''Halo 3''s campaign. He found the spaces within the campaign to be narrow and constrained which led to a lack of tactical options in encounters. Competitive multiplayer received a mixed reception by critics. Chris Watters of GameSpot welcomed the new armor abilities and gameplay tweaks introduced in multiplayer. He praised the continuing robustness of Custom Game options and the accessibility of level editing in Forge. CVG's Gapper stated that the new scoring system alone made ''Halo 4'' multiplayer the best in the series, emphasizing that recognition for assists and completing objective tasks was a positive change. ''
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed '' polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two ...
'' writer, Arthur Gies, said that the new game mode Dominion was the best addition to ''Halo'' multiplayer since the introduction of Xbox Live. He also thought that the multiplayer component was more approachable to people outside of the core player-base without dumbing anything down. Reception towards Spartan Ops was mixed to negative; some reviewers expressed their disappointment in Spartan Ops replacing the cooperative Firefight mode. Criticisms were aimed at the brevity of missions and lack of replay value. Despite any shortcomings, IGN said the mode was a must-play for the "incredible pre-episode cinematics" which open up "a number of interesting narrative possibilities for future episodes and seasons." Martin Robinson of Eurogamer complained about the repetition of environments within the first half of the season and noted that missions quickly become a chore. He felt that Spartan Ops was a "weak, bloated alternative" compared to Firefight. ''1UP.com'' found that while the short length felt odd initially, the mode was still fun to play and offered more opportunities to play ''Halo'' cooperatively.


Accolades


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External links

* * {{Authority control 2012 video games 343 Industries games Esports games First-person shooter multiplayer online games First-person shooters 4 Microsoft games Motion capture in video games Multiplayer and single-player video games Split-screen multiplayer games Video games developed in the United States Video game sequels Video games scored by Neil Davidge Video games with user-generated gameplay content Windows games Xbox 360 games Spike Video Game Award winners Interactive Achievement Award winners