Im gonna double kill myself now. 

EGM: And since folks are so bent out of shape about my comment on iron sights, I'll elaborate a bit here, too.

The thought came to me when I noticed that there is in fact a controller option called "Fishstick" in Halo 4 that gives you the same layout and functionality as most FPS titles on the market by allowing you to swap your zoom function to the left trigger.

However, several of the key guns don't offer sight-focused views, meaning that you use your binoculars and immediately jump out to the standard viewing angle upon firing. It's very jarring, and smacks as a half-assed concession to folks who want that feature in-game.

HiredN00bs: People were "bent out of shape" about your "iron sights" comment because it demonstrated a basic ignorance of the different shooting mechanics in Call of Duty and Halo--an ignorance that someone who reviews video games for a living shouldn't have. But, none of us are perfect, and some of these things may slip by someone who only casually plays the games (and at that point I would blame the editor for the poor decision of assigning such a person to review such a game).

The Aim-Down Sights (ADS) mechanic in Call of Duty isn't unique to the series, but it factors heavily into its gameplay. ADS grants greater precision, at the trade-off of lesser movement speed. It is worth noting that you can get a headshot in Call of Duty with just about any of the guns.

The Zoom mechanic in Halo is almost exclusively a feature of the headshot-capable weapons (although some other weapons may have it...Rockets come to mind, and in Halo 4, some headshot-capable weapons don't have it, such as the Promethean Pistol). This is because the other weapons trade precision for some other quality, like the close-range devastation of the Shotgun or Energy Sword, or the close to mid-range high rate-of-fire domination of the Assault Rifle.

Zooming in Halo does not restrict movement speed. There is an entirely different set of rules, carefully planned out to ensure balance between the various distinct kinds of weaponry. And they are VERY distinct. The weapons in Call of Duty have far less variation, and are built around the ADS mechanic--this is a crucial point. ADS is not an objective evolution in game design, but rather a tool used to craft a certain TYPE of game.

The Fishstick control scheme was built to make the game more accessible to Call of Duty players who are more accustomed to that button layout. I don't play Call of Duty very often, but I did finish the campaigns in Modern Warfare 1 & 2 on Veteran, and I bet I could switch from my Recon configuration to Fishstick without skipping a beat, just as it is when I jump between playing Halo and Call of Duty.

You didn't make some brave step in journalism, nor did you stir some designer at 343 Industries to wake from his traditional Halo slumber. It's not even about our bias towards Halo games. Halo 4 could very well suck, and takes many, MANY cues from CoD that gives the average fan pause, to say the least. What you did was make a huge leap in logic by assuming that because Call of Duty is most popular, it is an objectively better design. Here's hoping you learn from this experience.

EGM: A rather articulate response, to be certain, but I can't say that I agree with the misleading nature of your arguments. And when you imply that my opinions are an stab at an objective argument by taking them out of context - that's just a bit irresponsible of you, isn't it?

For starters, I'm firmly aware of the differences between the two franchises.

Next up is the fact that you simultaneously point out the fact that ADS mechanics aren't exclusive to Call of Duty, then call proceed to follow the lead of the internet troll brigade and assume that I have even a passing fancy for the Call of Duty series. Not the case and a biiiig assumption on your part.

I actually cited several games with ADS mechanics in my review (not just BLOPS 2) and the implication that I'm too stupid to recognize iron sights in other games is pretty weak sauce.

And as much as I'd love to congratulate you on the earth-shattering observation that Fishstick is bridge between most modern FPS titles and Halo's more...shall we say...traditional methodology, again, that notion is inherent to my entire point: the option is in there, you agree that 343i recognize some folks' preference here, and my whole point is that those who like ADS mechanics are utterly under-served in Halo 4 and that bums me out.

I also appreciate your attempt to introduce me to the basic tenants of game balance and the trade-offs involved therein, but my guess is I know a bit more than you think I do on that front.

Anyways, as a fan of the genre, I'm just not a huge fan of how Halo handles the whole movement vs. accuracy side of their mechanics. Having held and shot a gun before in my life, I'd rather see more of an impact here. Just my opinion. You're obviously entitled to disagree.

The while ADS mechanics slow down some games is a design decision and not a mandate, and further more, it's also relative depending a several things, including the average amount of damage a gun does. I think most FPS titles require way too many fucking bullets to eliminate an enemy, including both Halo and CoD. It's one of the reasons I don't play either for recreational purposes. Again, just my opinion on the subject.

Moving right along, I find the assertion that CoD's guns have less depth and breadth in terms of variety and technique to be a bit ignorant. The simple fact that I don't like Fishstick's half-implemented concession vs. a more realistic sense of aiming doesn't mean that the 20+ guns in Call of Duty suddenly offer less functional variety than Halo's dozen or so options - many of which are intentional mirrors across factions (UNSC, Covenant, Forerunner). I'm 210% certain this isn't a matter of subjectivity, and if you ever want to go to bat on this one, I'm happy to dance.

What's more, the argument that a lack of movement restriction assures or aids balance is a equally iffy. As I'm sure you're aware, the weapons in most contemporary shooters offer several points of variation from a tuning standpoint, including stability, rate of fire, recoil, damage, payload, effective range, zoom levels, weight, and reload speed.

Weapon balance is a careful combination of many factors, including (but not restricted to) those noted above, and you're not exactly putting me in my place by assuming that your average game designer is incapable of managing two with respect to a zoom mechanic. You're just getting stuck on something you feel is critical without actually thinking it through. Plenty of other games manage to get it done, so I don't buy that it's impossible, regardless of what game we're discussing.

And I never said or even implied that CoD's popularity is even remotely related to my desire to see Halo up the ante. In fact, when you consider that Halo shipped on one platform and will likely sell 10-12 million units and CoD will ship on three and do around 25-30, it's hardly a matter or might making right, nor would I ever make a case based on such frivolous ideals. That's like saying all restaurants should be McDonalds because a lot of people eat there. If that's what you're taking away, you're making some big assumptions.

At any rate, I'm not trying to make any brave steps. Just do my job, which is play a game and express my thoughts on its merits and short-comings. I also don't think that my difference of opinion is wrong any more than I do your opinions, nor would I presume to tell any of you your opinions are "invalid." They're just different.

You're welcome to disagree, but I'd appreciate if you don't imply I'm a simpleton because we like different things.

I believe you're right.  Maybe Hitman but I dont see that either. Reviews have been really harsh this year so Im not expecting any 90s next year besides Last of Us at the moment

Well, I am hoping God of War : A gets good reviews. It would be a shame otherwise, although it is a prequel.

Im sure it will get great reviews.  Anything between 86-92 probably.  Looks like a great game  and plus there isnt very many games like God of War.