Halo 4, the first game in a new saga from newly created 343 Industries. While it’s not my overall favorite, I do enjoy the game for the most part. And while it has the fewest levels – eight – they are quite lengthy, and vary in biomes, objectives, and set pieces.
So here is my ranking of Halo 4’s levels.
8. Reclaimer
A level that’s too long, it needed to be split up. Both because of the set pieces and objectives related to the story. It’s conflicting and jarring. If it had been split up, I’d enjoy it a bit more. But It’s also let down with the execution. It has great potential. You board and escort a Mammoth, destroy AA guns, but it’s all on-rails. Thus slowing the gameplay. And the open areas still feel a bi crowded.
The second half is exploring a forerunner facility, and this is where the level needs to end. It feels like an annoying detour, but this is hugely important for the plot moving forward.
But I did appreciate the epicenes at times with fights, and the final battle does end it on a decent note. But it’s heavy linearity holds it back. A level I don’t mind playing, but it’s definitely my least favorite.
7. Dawn
The first mission of Halo 4 is pretty good. Reminds me of the first level of Halo CE. You awaken from cry sleep to Covenant boarding your ship, before crash landing on a forerunner world.
Has that classic Halo feel, that unfortunately doesn’t carry as frequently or well throughout the rest of the game. I enjoyed the zero-gravity section, and needing to get to escape pods, but it’s a fairly generic level, but makes sense given it’s the first level. It’s kept at a good pace, so it doesn’t feel like it drags on like Reclaimer, and because it reminds me of the original Halo’s, I enjoy going back to play once in a while. Plus, you see Chief and Cortana’s dynamic relationship start, and hearing Chief speak while in game was definitely a shock. Controversial, but I enjoyed it.
6. Requiem
The first level taking place on Requiem was very solid playing through. I enjoyed going through the ship graveyard, coming out to see the vistas, this ancient, mysterious forerunner world. What (deadly) secrets to uncover.
Driving the Warthog through the ship graveyard was fun, and encountering Covenant, a local cartographer, brought back some nice memories from the first Halo game again. Needing to access a communications array was a bit boring after, because even though there’s an optional section to use a banshee, it’s too enclosed, and linear.
That’s my biggest problem with this game; linearity, and lack of friendly NPCs. It feels small, and gameplay uninteresting, boring, and tedious at times. You can’t use certain vehicles effectively, strategy for engagements is very minimal.
But exploring Forerunner areas made me feel at home with Halo again, and ending on a bit of a cliff-hanger with the reveal of the Prometheans was good. Like Halo 4, this level is decent, nothing too bad, but nothing great or even good. Just decent.
5. Shutdown
The first time flying a pelican dropship! What a great way to start the level. But it’s not as exciting, because, while you do have the choice to go to either the two towers to stop the Didact leaving Requiem, the encounters to get there aren’t interesting. Just destroy some phantoms.
But I did like the choice you got, and so the freedom is there. And the weapons you can choose to take from the pelican was a nice touch.
The one area you visit, shutting down glowing orbs, was decent. Open enough in your options to fight Prometheans. The second area is a slog to get through. Slowly stay on an elevator, get off and fight Covenant. Get back on the elevator, get off to fight Prometheans. Then destroy the generator and ride the elevator back. I couldn’t wait to finish this part, which is never good in a level. You want to keep playing.
Fortunately, the final set pieces make up for it. You have options how to access the gravity lift, then when you do, you can either go at it on foot, or in a banshee. And these areas are pretty open, so I always enjoyed these sections. As the first half is a little slow, and underwhelming, but the second half ends on a high note.
4. Midnight
The final level of the Halo 4 overall doesn’t disappoint. You start in a broadsword flying alongside the Didact’s ship. Reminded me of the warthog runs in the original Halos. The music, speed, avoiding obstacles, seeing Earth, it was beautiful.
Fighting inside the Didact’s ship was pretty good, and as Halo 4 tries to tell a more character driven, emotional story, Cortana’s rampancy getting worse becomes more apparent.
One section I didn’t enjoy was when you were just waiting for Cortana, and Crawlers keep appearing. It feels like a distraction, and halts the pacing, story, and level right in its tracks. Drags on forever.
But when you get to the final section, this is it. The music, Cortana, waves of Prometheans, the clock ticking, Didact taunting you, it’s all amazing!
Needing to shut down the Didact’s shields, get the nuke in there, and save Earth, my heart was pounding. And when the console Cortana was on blew up, I freaked out. While the cutscene with Chief and Didact is tense, and Cortana’s rescue, it’s completely ruined with a quick time event. Just push a button and stick a grenade to the Didact. So underwhelming! It leaves a stain on this final level from a gameplay perspective.
But the ending. What an ending. Seeing the Chief look up at Earth, then pressing the nuke. I thought he died. Then Cortana appeared, and the music, voice acting, and performance, especially from Chief, are handled beautifully. Especially considering you only see Chief’s armor, so showing emotion through that was impressive by the designers and writers. The dynamic relationship between Chief and Cortana on full display here, I almost shed a tear. It ends on a sad note, with Cortana dying, Chief alone, but overall I was very satisfied with the ending.
If it wasn’t for that darn QTE, this level would’ve been even better.
3. Forerunner
A level I always enjoy replaying from start to finish. I love the atmosphere and aesthetics of the biome of this level. A rocky volcanic terrain inside the core of the forerunner world of Requiem. Really leaned more into that sci-fi angle, and being in a foreign, hostile world.
Needing to shut down jammers to contact help from the UNSC Infinity, the first section sees you fully introduced to your new enemies; Prometheans. The introduction is done well, and the wide open area to destroy the jammer is pretty good.
The second set piece sees the Covenant and Prometheans fight. Always love having those faction battles. Using a banshees section was pretty good, though the objective of taking out glowing balls wasn’t interesting. When you shut down the jammers and teleport to the relay signal, the action intensifies. Needing to warn Infinity to keep the ship getting caught in the gravity well of the planet, battling Prometheans and Covenant, really got my blood rushing.
The ultimate reveal of the Didact was pretty cool, and the ending with a Ghost run, escaping the core as it destabilizes (and splattering fleeing grunts was fun), was fairly intense, the ground shaking and breaking apart.
Good pace, different set pieces, but uninspiring way of achieving objectives. A level I actually enjoy going back replaying frequently whenever I pop in Halo 4. The sense of mystery and intrigue, discovering something dangerous, an awakening an ancient evil, gave me Halo CE vibes with exploring the ring the first time, especially with uncovering the Flood.
It’s a real bright spot that actually stands nearly toe-to-toe with Bungie’s Halo levels.
2. Composer
What a fun level! Being on a space station, fending off Covenant invaders; classic Halo. Loved the pacing of the level, starting off with securing hanger bays to prevent further Covenant troops invading. Moving through the station, rescuing UNSC personnel, and then getting into a room fighting two Hunters with a jetpack boost, claustrophobic, but fun.
Then you need to prep the station for evacuation, to nuke it. When you go through the station, you get the option of launching Covenant out of the escape pod doors into space. So funny! I enjoyed this level as well with the dynamic between Chief and Cortana, as her rampancy worsens, and it impacts her ability (and yours) for completing the mission.
A good balance of the two stories the game tells.
Then you need to fend off Covenant with a Mantis, and I love this section. You fight troops, banshees, phantoms, you get a spartan laser, the level really gives you freedom and choice of how to engage.
I enjoyed the ending part with Cortana having a major rampancy bit, and Chief is desperately trying to keep her focused on the mission. You hear the desperation in his voice, this is a losing battle for him.
Overall, I enjoy the level for its variety of engagements, more openness, and a good balance of emotional/character driven moments. Definitely a level I wish was more frequent through this campaign.
1. Infinity
This level might creep into my top ten levels of all time.
Mainly for its variety of set pieces, and engagements, and the journey you go on. It’s a very lengthy level.
You start off in a jungle, fighting Prometheans, searching for UNSC survivors of the crashed Infinity. The jungle setting is different than other jungles you’ve encountered, and how you access the terrain varies a bit, giving you some freedom. I love the part where you need to use Promethean Vision to see through the thick fog, the only actual time equipment is useful in the game.
When you encounter Marines, you need to clear a landing zone, and the section of defending the door to the LZ was nice, not too long. Then discovering Covenant and Prometheans working together, clearing the LZ, a good ending to the first act.
I loved the second act of getting into a scorpion tank, blasting your way through hordes of Covenant.
Then getting into the Infinity, using a Mantis the first time, and crushing Prometheans along the way, what a power trip! Getting outside, destroying Covenant banshees and phantoms, wiping out ground troops, was a blast. This part of the level opens up a bit more. And ends with you finally reuniting with the UNSC and driving the Didact off.
While the level is pretty linear in terms of how you move about it, at least it varies with on foot sections, different vehicle sections, objectives, set pieces, and encounters. Does have a good journey element to it. Again, variety is what makes this easily the best Halo 4 level. Good pacing, doesn’t feel like a chore or slog to go through, and getting Marines finally makes it feel like the old Halo games. I never get tired of playing this level, something other parts of the game struggle with.
A top tier Halo level.
So that’s my ranking of Halo 4’s levels. What about you? How’d you rank them? Comment below.
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