It doesn't avoid all the pitfalls that lie in wait for a sequel, but it succeeds admirably at enough key points that ultimately it doesn't matter much. Many of the levels are repetitive and aesthetically dull (much like the original Halo) and the end truly is jarring: by the time you realize "Hey, that was the end?" the credits are already rolling and you're wondering where the last level is. However, much like the first game, the gameplay itself is good enough to make any level design flaws forgiveable. The core gameplay makes its way to Halo 2 with few changes, outside of a higher jump and the ability to dual wield weapons. And that ability is quite welcome - it makes many of the weapons significantly more effective, especially in the case of the needler. Dual-wielded needlers are exceptionally deadly in Halo 2. Many different weapons have been added to the game. The fuel rod cannon was used by Hunters in the original Halo, although you couldn't use it then. It has been added to Halo 2. The previous game's standby assault rifle has been sort of split into two new weapons - a dual-wieldable submachine gun and a battle rifle that can zoom in a bit and fires three shots in bursts. Others include Covenant versions of the human sniper rifle and battle rifle, and a Brute grenade launcher that is surprisingly ineffective. Perhaps the best addition to the weapon roster, however, is the energy sword. Many elites in the first game carried these - their arrival (often cloaked) usually resulted in your frenzied backpedalling while firing rounds as fast as you could at the Elite bearing down on you. The good news is that it can kill basically any enemy in the game with a single blow - of course, you will have to get close to do so. Halo 2's campaign is roughly the same length as that of the original game and is structured in a similar way (with one notable exception to the plot that doesn't really alter gameplay any, but you'll see that when you get there). There are levels that provide you with a number of AI-controller teammates to help you fight, levels that give you nice wide open areas and lots of vehicles to cause mayhem with, and tight cramped indoor levels that throw lots of enemies at you. It's not hard to say which segments of Halo 2 are better than others - just as in the first game, the parts that offer you more freedom (both of movement and variety of ways to dispose of your enemies) are significantly more fun that others. Unfortunately, roughly half of the game's levels will frequently degenerate into nothing more than typical FPS corridor crawls. Most of the time those segments are balanced out with outdoor portions, but occasionally they are not. You can only wander through so much repetitive alien architecture for so long before you start wondering why everything has to look the same. There isn't anything as bad as the infamous Library in Halo, but some of it comes close. Having said that, overall the campaign is quite fun and while it isn't extremely lengthy, there is plenty of reason to replay it over again, from the co-op play to the different ways the AI handles each battle. On the multiplayer side of things Halo 2 is brilliant. Ultimately it's nothing more than the original Halo's multiplayer put on Xbox Live, but the dual wielding changes things, and the way that Halo 2 handles online play is quite clever. The optimatch selection can become irksome (due to the random nature of level selection as well as the matches short lengths) but seems to do a good job of matching players of similar skill level. And if you want a more classic experience, you can create a party and play through levels of your choice, or simply cycle through optimatches with the same group of friends. The graphics are significantly improved over the original Halo, even if the bumpmapping can become overdone. During the majority of cutscenes instances of obvious pop-up (and delayed detail textures) are easy to spot, but ultimately they don't detract much from the experience. Sound is universally excellent, from the weapons themselves to the excellent voice acting and beautiful music. Halo 2 isn't going to convert any Halo non-believers, but provides an excellent FPS experience nonetheless and at the moment is - by far - the best game of its kind on a console for multiplayer. The single-player level design is still sketchy, which can make playing through portions quite a chore, but is compensated by the fact that everything else is extremely well done.
By Madskillz999 | Review Date: Dec 23, 2005 | XBOX
I'm finally ready with the review of this awesome game! First off, this is obviously the sequel to the hugely popular initial Halo game. You are Master Chief, a space marine who is sent out to battle the enemies. You... Read Full Review
Halo 2 is a worthy sequel to Halo. While the story does lack in some parts, overall, the game is still excellent, one of the best games ever. To get the bad points out of the way, i didn't like the single player campaig... Read Full Review
