Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Disappointing"

Upon launch the original Halo was magnificent and in some respects it still is today. So imagine the hype surrounding Halo 2 especially as it's release came nearer. Everyone was really excited to say the least and then the day came and it was finally here. The reviewers in general loved it and so did the fans but for me it just wasn't the same as Halo. Maybe they changed it to much, more likely they didn't change it enough. Apart from the addition of online play and some new weapons there isn't much difference between Halo 2 and the original and that's just one of it's problems.

As far as the story goes Halo 2 follows the same characters and factions except now the covenant have invaded Earth and it's up to Master chief to repel them. The addition of a second playable character in the form of the Arbiter( a Covenant Elite) feels pointless. It's not really a bad thing but for me it didn't do anything to help the game. The flood also return but feel tacked on in a way as if they were only in to please the fans.

Graphically Halo 2 is a letdown. Halo one had great graphics on launch so you would have expected Halo 2 to deliver much the same, it didn't. The graphics are Halo 1.5 spec in my opinion and apart from being slightly cleaner and shinier they're not all that much better. Physics in cutscenes are still a problem with the Arbiters face going all sorts of wrong at times. I do like the Rag doll physics of master chief when he's blown up though with his legs flailing everywhere, it's a very neat touch an it suits the game well. As far as the sounds goes they might as well of just reused everything from the original because apart from a few new musical scores that's all it is. The voice acting is very good again though which is a bonus.

The main problem with Halo 2 isn't that it's not fun, it's that the gameplay can feel a bit stale and lacks ingenuity. There are no significant changes to the way Halo worked. I wouldn't expect massive changes but there should have been some evolution and it sadly isn't present. Halo 2 is fun to play and you will enjoy it but the campaign doesn't take centre stage this time. It can be played in co-op but the best part of Halo 2 would have to be the online.

Online works much the same as offline splitscreen. You have a variety of game modes and every map from splitscreen is present. Playing random people is just as fun as playing friends and it really boosts the longevity of the game. Without online Halo 2 really wouldn't keep you occupied for long at all. All the weapons are present and correct online as well but for me the weapons just aren't as good as in the original.

For a start what I think is the best weapon from Halo is gone, the assault rifle. In it's place are two new guns. The battle rifle and SMG. The battle rifle fires in short three shot bursts and allows for greater accuracy whilst the SMG sprays bullets everywhere. Also new is the Magnum this replaces the pistol which was also a great gun from Halo. The magnum is a lot weaker and is apparently dummed down so new players aren't as vulnerable. The best new weapon is the energy sword. I suppose it's in because you can play as an elite so that is one bonus of having the Arbiter. Cutting down opponents or enemies is easy with the energy sword. It's not just the weapons that have changed so have the ways you can use them. You can now duel wield certain weapons. These include the SMG and energy sword. Duel wielding is easy and is a great addition allowing you extra firepower when you need it.

Enemy AI is just as good as it was in the original. Covenant will jump, roll and hide allowing for a more challenging and satisfying experience. Jackals now can actually be snipers rather than just shooting from far off. This is because of the new covenant carbine which is basically the covenant version of the sniper rifle.

All in all Halo 2 may have been better if the original Halo had never existed, but it did and we're glad it did. It shows Bungie that they can't just re hash the same game with a few extras and hope we'll love it. New players to the Halo universe will love it more but old hands from Halo will still enjoy it especially online but maybe not as much as they were expecting.

Score= 78%