It's four years after the Halo event, and everyone's a Master Chief. First-person shooters don't get any better than Halo 4. Of course, that's what many thought about the previous Halo:Reach .

Beautiful graphics; Rich, textural scenery; Great music; Engrossing gameplay; Non-stop action.

Not much innovation

The third and probably final Halo 4 multiplayer map pack is a bit more like the Crimson pack than the recent Majestic, to its disadvantage. Crimson and Castle are both characterized by large, open maps, full of vehicles and wide sight lines that are fun for big team battles and SWAT/sniper matches,...

1.5 fun maps out of 3 isn't too bad

Perdition's a bit boring; If you're not into vehicles; getting voted into Outcast may not be fun

Halo 4 is also proof that even if one changes development teams and then throws the game characters into a new situation, the core structure of a franchise rarely evolves in radical ways and that publishers like Microsoft are more concerned with solid sales than with evolving the content they are...

+ The return of Master Chief; + Level design; + Arena battles

- Story lacks coherence; - Spartan Ops has limited appeal

After a five-year hiatus, Master Chief dons his helmet and armor once again to defend all of humanity from impending doom and utter annihilation. With a new development team behind him and a new trilogy before him, the Chief has his work cut out for him.

Beautiful graphics and sound; intricate campaign; fantastic multiplayer

Under-realized Spartan Ops mode; online glitches

If it were not for Halo, it's quite possible Microsoft's Xbox dreams would have been resting in a grave right beside Zune. So assuming that Microsoft would have a soft corner for this franchise is understandable.

Very engaging gameplay and storyline; A visual and auditory stunner; Sets the stage beautifully for the rest of the trilogy; Game develops a deep emotional bond with many characters not just the protagonist; The online Halo 4 community is huge

In Spartan Ops; the weapons that are picked up disappear immediately after death; Pricey

Halo isn't allowed to die just because Bungie and Microsoft parted ways. It's too big, too popular, and too vital to the Xbox brand to simply fade into obscurity. And so 343 Industries was assembled, and handed the keys to one of the most popular gaming franchises of all time.

Playing through the thrilling campaign; Keeping up with Spartan Ops; Losing a few hundred hours in multiplayer

How quickly it's over; That Spartan Ops isn't hard enough; That some gameplay elements haven't evolved

Even with its challenging gameplay, spectacular atmosphere, awesome moments in the narrative, great music and voiceovers, Halo 4 doesn't make that bold step everyone's been hoping for.

The Covenant and the Prometheans are relentless foes; spectacular action scenes; storyline is finally beginning to take some shape with compelling characters set in a premise we've been following for over 10 years; first-class voiceovers; Neil Davidge's new soundtrack is a great addition to the...

Single-player's a bit on the short side; all these years have passed and we're still fighting the same foes

I've always considered myself a closet Master Chief apologist. With his helmet always firmly attached and his habit of "getting it done" without one-liners or a glimmer of humor, he embodies everything that today's gamers sourly gripe about.

+ Characterization and storytelling push series' fiction to a new level; challenging new foes, + Lovely visuals and soundtrack; multiplayer offers plenty of variety

? Is this 2012's Best Game Ending

Halo 4 takes few risks, but newcomer 343 Industries seems to understand the franchise and what fans want from it.

Series-faithful continuation of Bungie's work; New enemy faction and weapons offer fresh strategic opportunities; Multiplayer progression falls in line with what's expected; Best-in-series graphics

Exceedingly "safe" sequel from this new Halo developer; Soundtrack ditches familiar themes; More corridor shooting; fewer sandbox arenas; No more Firefight

The Halo series begins a new chapter. Find out how the initial offering holds up in our full review.

+ Multiplayer is still king; + Spartan Ops; + Visuals are amazing; + Fantastic sound design; + Well paced

Campaign ends too soon; Odd narrative choices