Common Sense Media parent member review of Halo 4 - This is one of the best ones I've read!

Team building, fun game. ON for 12 and up

I know that a lot of families would immediately be fooled by Common Sense Media saying "Not For Kids." I usually think that Common Sense Media has it down. But here they kind of screwed up.
I've bought my 12 year old son (my oldest) Halo: Reach last year (the previous game), when he was 11, and I thought it was a great game for kids his age to enjoy and even older kids to enjoy. I always check on Common Sense Media for reviews and appropriateness checks for these types of games that I get my son. When I saw Halo 4 was rated "Not For Kids" I said to him that I couldn't get it for him because CSM said otherwise. He was sad, of course, since Halo is his favorite game. But then I asked him to show me some other people playing the game and when he showed me the game, I thought it looked exactly the same as the other Halo games. He got annoyed at me for saying that :) But to ME it looked the same. So I decided to get it for him even though my most trustworthy source said not to. And I don't regret it. He and my husband played it for a couple of hours and my husband was hooked (which showed how good of a game it was). I watched them play it together for a little while and it was a little bit violent like the previous games, but I still don't think CSM was right on this game. Do your kids a favor parents! Buy your kids this game. It looks fun, and I don't even like video games. It teaches team building and maybe even a little bit of reflexes too.
I give this game 5 stars, fair for learning, positive role models (Master Chief), watch out for a little bit of violence, and it's a FPS, so parents out there who don't like FPS-es look out for that. I think this game is ON for 12 year olds and up.

Link for more:
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews/halo-4/user-reviews/adult

Common Sence Media parent member review of Halo Reach - This is one of the best ones I've read!

Violent, yes, but it's "Nerf" Violence if player is appropriate age

Game reviews geared towards parents often include objective descriptions of a game's most violent aspects out of context, but fail to capture how violent a game subjectively feels.
Halo games may sound technically violent, but I find them to be surprisingly tame compared to other popular shooters. Yes, there is blood, but consider that there are no dismemberments, no visible wounds, and no gibs. Most of the weapons are fantasy weapons you can't buy. Your avatar and your enemies always stay in one piece, and in online games, when everyone is completely encased in brightly colored, face obscuring armor, it all feels more like a glorified game of Nerf tag where nobody really gets hurt. (In Reach, the new assassination animations are, IMHO, as violent as it gets and the only time I feel remotely like I might be hurting someone - emotionally more than anything!)
More important for parents to consider, I think, is the question of whether cartoon violence sends the undesirable message that violence isn't really that bad. As adults, we have to walk the tightrope of reminding kids that violence and war are incredibly hurtful, horrifying, and serious. On the other hand, we don't want to desensitize them to gore. Having this discussion with young people would, I think, be more productive than simply concluding that a game is too violent without considering the nature and context of the violence.
Context and real life experience: I'm in my late 20's and have not yet felt comfortable with playing Gears of War or Call of Duty, which have much more "realistic" violence and context.
I have allowed a 13 year-old friend to play Halo: Reach with me (with parental permission).
Observations: the realization that one is playing against actual human beings online may be a source of anxiety to a child and may heighten the experience of violence. Children may also take getting "owned" by an online opponent more personally. The game may be overly exciting for some ages, as there is necessarily some tension when opponents are shooting and one is under pressure to make quick decisions. The presence of an adult co-player and role model is helpful for younger teens. These issues, rather than violence per se, were the ones that I was most concerned about with my 13-year-old player, and ones that I feel an older player would be better equipped to deal with and even enjoy.

Here is the link for more:
 http://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews/halo-reach/user-reviews/adult

Show Your Parents This Video!

This is one of the many and greatest of videos explaining why Halo 4 is a very fun, clean, and appropriate game! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4vIoX2RbGQ