Halo Review and ALL features

[Crash]

I DID NOT WRITE THIS POST>>>> MAY CONTAIN CRAP LOADS OF SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For about a week I'm pissed. I'm angry because my friend, the guy who is trying to get Halo 2 for me has yet to text message me or call me or show any sign of affection. Sure, I've known him off and on for a while but it was never serious. We never gamed together. I never saw a movie with him. So, do I really know this guy? You start checking your cell phone every five seconds for a message, some sign, a number two nodding assent. It didn't come though. Nights passed, my stomach in knots, wondering about the future of our relationship. Well, not my relationship to him but my relationship to his modded Xbox and to Halo 2. Before I start the review I wanted to preface it by stating my opinion about gaming piracy. I don't own a modded Xbox and I don't steal video games either. My opinion of of the seller/consumer relationship is that I believe if someone is going to pay money for something it should be warranted. The type of thievery I despise the most is when you buy a music album because you hear two songs on the radio you enjoy and the rest is complete ****. I've done this with video games before and it stings, it stings $50 worth. You're promised revolutionary and you get the opposite.

Now, did I think Halo 2 was going to fall in this category? No, I didn't. That being said, since I've bought and paid for two copies, spent hours compiliing information for loyal fans and acquired at least three new Xbox owners and Live subscribers for Microsoft's clientele list, so I think I deserve a little early Halo 2 action. And on that fateful day last Friday I did acquire the game from my loyal friend. It was in this very place and I sat down with him for some quick one on one multiplayer in the corridors of Ivory Tower. Since that moment I have been able to think about little else other than Halo 2. In the following paragraphs I'm going to try to be fair and illustrate, to the best of my ability the aspects of the game which were at my disposal. I won't be discussing Xbox Live or the clan-based systems that are going to be chief elements of the game online and I won't go into the latter portion of the game's story. Everything else, however, is accessible and it will be discussed in one form or the other. In terms of campaign spoilers, I will hold this section till the very end and tag it as such. Until then I will give a detailed account of the following game elements: Player Personalization, Gameplay, Weapons, Vehicles, Enemies, Multiplayer Game Variants and nearly the first half of the Campaign



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Player Personalization

When you start Halo 2, just like Halo: Combat Evolved, they require you to create a profile (everyone who plays on your Xbox must do this or select an existing profile). There are several different variations to your appearance that can be changed (possibly more with downloadable content). The amount of customization is not hands-on or unfettered. You have preset options you can customize, and you must stay within those parameters. The first option you select is the Player Model, either a Spartan or an Elite. Then you select your Primary Player Color and your Secondary Player Color for different parts of your armor (there are 19 colors available). Thirdly you select your Primary Emblem Color and your Secondary Emblem Color from the same palette of colors. The fourth, and most definable customization is the actual emblem (there are I believe 65 to choose from in this menu, quite a bit more than I expected). Once you've selected your emblem you can select a background for (there are 33 to choose from). This is the extent of player customization and to be perfectly honest, despite it being finite it is far better than I expected. You won't be spending too much time here once you get to play the game, but its enough customization for it to be worthwhile that they include it..

Gameplay

So I can tell you're disappointed that there's no Rocket Warthog, ATV or human flying vehicle. I can see the tears from the moment you found at that online and system link cooperative mode were simply fanboy dreams, waiting to be crushed. The remnants of the Mongoose ATV which was cut by the game or the attempts at cooperative mode on Xbox Live and through the system link are carved into the face of the game's hex code, but, you've heard it right. They're not in it. The first thing about the review you're going to learn when it comes to gameplay is that the game is absolutely not negatively affected by the lack of these vehicles. The reasons for them not being in are obvious once you've played the game, since there's really no need for another projectile-based jeep, another four-wheel drive and/or single-manned craft or another airborne vessel. Its just not needed as the current ones are quite effective and work better. At times it even seems like they are cluttered and could be cut down, but fear not, the chopping block stopped appropriately. I would have told you different before I played the game, however, now having tasted the goods, there's no reason to suggest that the game would have been better with either three of those vehicles incorporated into it. Plus, there's always room for downloadable content in regards to this.

The additional cooperative modes are arguable and I'm fairly certain if they were possible the developer would have included it in the game. Truth be told, they tried. Just look at the hex codes. Some individuals have told me that this element is something that could be transferred via downloadable content, like a weapon or vehicle. My response to that is to not hold your breath. You'd be better off buying a big screen television and a surround sound system and playing with a buddy splitscreen in the same room, then holding out hope that within the next few years we're going to get a patch to play online. I don't see it happening anytime soon, but there is always Halo 3.

Well, I'm mentioning what wasn't in Halo 2, let me talk about what is. The single most powerful element of the new game is physics. There is arguably nothing more prevalent in terms of the actual engine upgrade then the physics. I'm not just talking about energy cores and barrels. The environment does hold a ton of surprises, from giant slabs of stone, breakable glass to the various moveable boxes that respond accurately to explosions and impact in whatever degree necessary to make them look real. You also have beams hanging from wires, platforms which shake and teeter, all of which react directly to the weight being applied. Fire at a Marine or a Brute's head, and if they're wearing a helmet, it's coming off and sliding along the ground, rolling to a stop. You can knock over an object and use it as cover with a well-placed rocket, or knock down an enemies cover and take them out. The best effect is the dynamic and smooth transitions from the death animation to the real-time physics. This is so gratifying it makes me almost cry (almost). When you kill an opponent their body responds accurately to your death blow, and then it falls to the ground and behaves as it should against the terrain, sliding down a stairwell one step at a time or drooping over a balcony until its own weight carries it over. Even once they've stopped, sometimes you can see an arm or a leg twitch as the character meets his destiny.

The best example of the new physics wasn't in character or individual items in the environments being able to be moved in response to gravity and impact, but a single scene in the story where a character is plunged deep below the surface of a large body of water. It a box with glass windows, your character's body is tossed lightly with the weight of the structure they are in. If you set your controller down you'll see the reticule sliding about, acknowledging every aspect of the artificial gravity and pressure of the water below. Its a phenomenal scene that demands cinematic attention from the player, and it adds to the immersive quality of the game as do all of the above aforementioned physics elements. Out of all the gameplay elements, this one is the one which makes the game seem more alive and more entertaining by far.

The player in both multiplayer and campaign has some significant attributes that were not in the original game. First off, when you first grab hold of the controller you feel like you might be moving a bit slower. I can't tell if this was just simply amy mind playing a trick on me or a sincere drag, but it goes away quickly. As you play the game you get used to the general speed and of course can adjust the sensitivity of your directional movement. You also jump much higher than before, a necessity in light of some of the enivironments you must scale in the game. This also comes in handy when boarding is a factor, as jumping atop a Wraith may be the only way you can wrangle it in many circumstances. When you melee you no longer have to be immediately next to your victim, but you can be a few meters away. Your character charges forward with whatever weapon available and unleashes a brutal attack, sometimes with variations in animation.

Interactive environments play as role as I mentioned in the physics overview but even more so, they can be deadly. Energy cores and explosive substances litter some levels and maps which can provide ample firepower if needed. Structures and objects can be altered and damaged during battle changing the core element of gameplay, strategy. In Waterworks for example you can shoot down the stalactites atop enemies. These objects are about the size of two tanks and they come tumbling down to the ground crushing anything beneath it. Barrels and boxes react to the environment now. As I'm writing this I'm in the multiplayer map Foundation rolling barrels onto the air vents and watching them shoot into the air delicately. Yes, that's right, even the environment can react and respond to other environmental elements. Speaking of air vents, many locations are littered with these or anti-gravity pads which launch a player to a higher level (sometimes an extremely high level) or simply in the air for a good birds-eye view of the competition. In the original game's campaign the light bridge activated in the second level is like a stone wheel compared to the light bridges in the new game which rocket the player horizontally and vertically through what appears to be space and time. Yeah, traditional elevators are a thing of the past. You'll either float across one of these things or take a platform in a number of different directions through one wave after another of enemies. The environments are like another character and the dynamic only serves to make the game more fun. You'll spend at least an hour the first week rolling barrels and energy cores around with friends, just for the hell of it.

The graphical enhancements are obvious, so there's no reason to dwell on them. I would like to point out that despite what everyone has seen in the screenshots and hodge-podge of magazine footage, there is nothing akin to playing the game. Fighting off flying enemies on a gondolla a mile above the watery surface of an alien installation; you see towers in the distance that are twice the size of any single structure in the first game. There are massive temples with nearly endless corridors, canyons filled with shattered and smoldering spaceships and even an actual Covenant orbiting station that you not only get the pleasure of raiding through on foot, but your mission takes you around the brilliant behemoth architecture through aerial battles. The graphical achievements in environments is only one side of the apple. The character animations are amazing. From the haunted eyes of a Jackal to the wavering mandables of an incensed Elite, the characters human and alien all translate accurately from in-game visuals to the cut scenes. They look brilliant in both and there's nothing more that I can say about it that hasn't already been said or seen. You'll understand in November.

Someone said to me before I had a chance to play that dual-wielding was simply a novelty. That couldn't be further from the truth. Dual-wielding is the most lethal manifestation of controlled firepower in any shooter I've played. The logic behind it is obvious: If you have two of the same weapon you can down an opponent quicker than if you have one. Then, there's always the studdering between shooting. You can fire the right gun and then turn to the left while reloading the right. You can do this through several clips of ammo and it sometimes works even more effectively, depending on the weapon, than just barrelling through with both triggers depressed. The most effecient result of dual-wielding is the strategy. When you walk into a room where you've just brought death to a horde of Covenant troops and you rummage through the corpses for weaponry these are the choices you make. Should you use energy weapons or projectile? What about both? The most obvious pairing, and one that I have used effectively multiple times is the Plasma Pistol and the SMG. One weapon charged to its peak and then released takes down the shield of an opponent immediately. Hold down the trigger on the second weapon and spray the enemy down to the ground until they stop moving. The most lethal combination though is none of the above. One would think it would be the dual SMGs, which although powerful isn't nearly as potent as a pair of Magnums. If you're good with triggers you can lay waste to any opponent within two to three seconds. The gun individually is not as powerful as the original, but together with another in the hands of a worthy combatant is far more lethal than the former could ever be.

Everyone knows how to dual-wield by now. When you're over a weapon which allows it you would simply hold the (X) button to swap it and the (Y) button to dual-wield. What you probably don't know, as I did not, is that when you are dual-wielding weapons already and you see another that you like, you don't need to bother dropping any to get the most effective in your right hand (primary weapon). If you find a weapon that is more suitable, simply hold the (Y) button to swap out the left hand or the (X) button to swap out the right. Yes, that's correct. You can choose which hand swaps which weapon, and you'll need to when you've got a room full of enemies and you're not packing enough heat to take them out.

One thing that you think looks cool on paper but may not pan out to be all that its cracked up to be is the ability to hi-jack an enemies ride. I was uncertain how this would be engineered in the game, but I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that its the best element of multiplayer and an absolute necessity in campaign. Vehicles as a whole play a huge role in the gameplay for both campaign and multiplayer, and when there aren't any vehicles parked you have to take them by force. When I first watched the videos I believed that this would be far too difficult to really master, but it is not. With the enhancements to the players armor, you can be hit with vehicles and unless they are boosting you won't be immediately killed as you were in the first game. The key to boarding it to have the vehicle corner you or to simply be within immediate range before the operator can pick up speed. If a vehicle corners you, and they have the potential to boost, they will. This is there downfall as a quick jump will heft you upwards and you'll take it from behind as it now becomes cornered and facing the wrong direction.

[Crash]

You can board any vehicle by holding the (X) button when prompted near a slower moving vehicle; some like the Spectre are more difficult than others. The Spectre requires that you open the hatch and then rip the driver out, but its extremely difficult not only because of its speed and sporadic movement but because your character will want to grasp one of the two sides before he ever wants to take the driver out. The easiest vehicles to board are the large heavy ones. The tanks have both a front boarding method and a rear boarding method. When you grasp the craft the icon menu will tell you to melee the vehicle and you'll begin to pound away by pressing the ( button. When the front or rear hatch is open, you can continue to melee (very effective in the front hatch, not so effective on the rear since there's no driver back there to hit) or simply toss in a grenade with the (L) trigger and boom. Instant fireworks, release the vehicle and enter it.

The Ghost and Banshee are actually not as difficult to board as you would think, but the boost is the one thing you're going to want to keep an eye on. Good vehicle operators will boost at the last second which is immediately deadly if you're in the eye of the vehicle and trying to play matador. Another thing problematic, yet strategically interesting, with boarding is when you do board, because the animation does take a moment to two to occur, the other player may bail at which point you become the vehicle operator and they can knock you out of commission. Sometimes this works out well for one party, other times its the other. In the end its all about placement and release, how you get to where you want to board and how to get out of there with the vehicle, hopefully with the previous operator splattered on the ground. The single best way to board a vehicle is always by creating a diversion (or having your allies do it), whether human or a bot, the operator is trying to fight something off to the side and doesn't see you until its too late. That's when its crunch time.

Weapons

Most of you are already aware of the weapons to such a degree that me covering them extensively would be a waste of your time. There are however, some elements involving the weapons which I was not aware of until playing the game. I'll try to fit the additional information if I can about each weapon in a sentence or two for the sake of brevity.

The Battle Rifle will be you first and last line of defense in the campaign; it fires in three-round burst zoomed or unzoomed. Some people are upset that it no longer fires a single-shot zoomed, but I can't say that gameplay has been affected negatively by this. The Magnum is the lesser version of the Pistol from the previous game, and although it doesn't pack quite the punch and lacks the scope it fires much much faster. The SMG is a fast and simple weapon which works best when paired with another gun and in close-quarters.

The Plasma Pistol is actually far different than it was described, as the fully charged plasma burst and even the single fired shots seem far less effective in terms of tracing the enemy and their individual potency than before. It can take a shield down if needed, so in this regard it is still a trustworthy arm. The traditional blue Plasma Rifle is the only weapon which appears to have remained unchanged, but its counterpart the red Brute Plasma Rifle is far more powerful. The offset between the two is that the traditional one can commit to sustained fire for longer periods of time before overheating, whereas the Brute's version can go out of service rather quickly.

The Rocket Launcher is by far the most powerful projectile based weapon in the game and with its new lock-on feature it has a lot of potential in both campaign and in multiplayer. It also has a cool and unique sound now when its fired, something which always raises the hair on the back of everyone's collective neck when its heard. The Shotgun is by far the most lethal close-quarters weapon in the game; one well-placed shot can do the trick and two mediocre shots are just as effective. The Sniper Rifle now has a recoil thats a little getting used too, but don't worry, its not nearly as bad as you could expect and despite the new look, this weapon remains largely unchanged.

The Brute Shot which becomes a very costly necessity towards the end of the game is really an amazing weapon if you learn its minimal trajectory and speed; the only problem is ammo runs out quick so make sure every shot counts. The Needler is back and is more powerful apparently, but I enjoyed the original version so this weapon is not a homecoming for me but simply a great find. It's the best ranged dual-wielding weapon out there. The Carbine to me appears slightly more powerful than the Battle Rifle, but is only capable of good use with a person who can tame its fast semi-automatic single-round firing. Once you have reigned it in you can really bring a lot of death with it. The Beam Rifle is an excellent sniping weapon as it never has to be reloaded (although it can run out of energy), if the user keeps a steady and even poise when shooting the gun. If you fire too quickly it will make a metallic grinding noise and halt for a second or two. This is the most powerful gun in the game, as it will even cut through the shield's of Jackals.

The Energy Sword will be known as the "Noob Stick," and despite requiring some level of skill it will allow unskilled players to get some kills here and there. If you don't have a ranged game then you're going to want to learn one quickly because its the only way to survive a proficient swordsman, well that and good grenade placement. The Sentinel Beam is dropped by the floating propitioners of the Halo construct's monitors (like Guilty Spark 343's sentinels) and basically emits a beam of orange energy frying some more resilient enemies; in so much as I have not used the weapon very often its efficacy is questionable which may be why the Sentinels are such easy opponents.

There are only two types of grenades, Plasma Grenades and Frag Grenades the former being the more powerful of the two. Unlike before, inactive grenades do not explode when an active one goes off nearby. I don't know why this was changed, but I suppose to makes sense to some degree. Since they're not active they won't be capabale of detonation, at least not in my experience. There are four types of Turrets in the game, two human and two alien. Each side has a large turret with shielding and a small one without. I have yet to determine what the purpose of the small ones are, as they seem quick ineffective in comparison to the larger, armored turrets.

The only weapon which you do not get in multiplayer but have the pleasure of dishing out in campaign is the new and improved Fuel Rod Cannon. This may be available for downloadable content since there's no weapon really like it in the multiplayer system, and its completely reinvented for this game compared to the counterpart of the previous game. Apart from looking drastically different, it now fires as straight burning mass of gas towards the victim instead of lobbing a shard of plasma upward with arc. Very effective, but unfortunately by the time you get to really use the weapon excessively in the campaign the enemies are so tough it takes two or three direct shots to take them down. Cool weapon though, extremely fun to use despite taking up half of your screen.

Vehicles

I'll try to skim through these just like the weapons, and I'll cover all the noticeable features which I have yet to hear from an outside source. There are only three types of vehicles: Light, Heavy and Banshees. Follow closely, there's going to be a test on November 9th.

The two most obvious Light Vehicles are the traditional Warthog and the Guass Warthog. The former needs no introduction but the latter you'll remember from the E3 2003 demo. It fires a magnetic beam of energy which is instantly deadly and it is the closest thing you will get to a heavy vehicle from this end of the spectrum. The Warthogs are not as top-heavy and with the breaking mechanism by pressing the (L) trigger its easier to keep them in line. The Ghost is not all too different, the most important thing about it is the boost. Always boost when you're in a tight spot, otherwise you're at risk of being fired upon or worse, boarded. The Ghost is a perfect reason why no ATV was necessary, as now having played the game it is painfully obvious that any incarnation of an ATV would be simply cannon fodder. The Spectre is a little bit of an oddity. The vehicle has a driver, gunner and two people who can hang on the sides. It works well and can move and fire fast, but the control can be slightly awkward compared to the dynamic ability of the other vehicles. Its fun when coordinated properly, but if not done so it could spell doom for any participants. Its also somewhat difficult to board which is good for areas not as wide open, like Burial Mounds.

The Heavy Vehicles consist of only the Scorpion Tank and the Wraith. The former is extremely slow and overbearing. Its only real asset it a complete 360 degrees of enabled attacking ranges. You can fire in any direction while traveling in one and it also has a secondary fire with the (L) trigger. When comparing the two though its painfully obvious that the Wraith, with its massive primary fire (huge plasma mortars) and its boosting ability is the best heavy vehicle in the game. Its fast and lean when it is controlled by someone who knows what they're doing, yet it can be strong and relentless too. I didn't like the fact that in campaign it has a secondary fire but I was not able to locate it once I was in the vehicle. I also know that you can have a passenger stand right in front of the cannon (if this individual has lost their ride) and you can fire and travel despite with them being right there, in front of the plasma cannon. With the level sizes you deal with in Halo 2 it becomes an imperative to invent new ways to travel.

The Banshee is a sexy vehicle, I don't care what they say. And if some of you know who my real name is you'll know that I was a strong supporter and believer that there would be other flying vehicles. This of course is not the case, we only get the Banshee. That being said this is one hell of a ride. I didn't care for the speed or handeling when I first took it up in the air, as it seemed to move slightly slower, doesn't hover in the same way and would be the victim of severe clipping problems. This was all alleviated once I learned how to operate the damn thing. You can hover simply by looking straight out and letting go of the controls, if you try to back up and hovering while looking downward you'll fall to the ground. The new movements are not only cool to look at but especially useful in dodging shots and avoiding boarding when you make systematic dives against an enemy base.

In campaign you get the luxury of two things you don't get in multiplayer. First its the return of the fuel-rod cannon, or now known as the Banshee Bomb. This fires almost indentically to the previously advised weapon, the Fuel Rod Cannon. It doesn't lob per se, but fires in a nearly straight trajectory and instead of a solid mortar of plasma it fires a clean burst of burning energy. Its quite useful if you can learn hovering and barrell-roll techniques. You'll need to when you go against three or four Wraiths at a time in the latter part of the game. Throw in a Phantom and you've got another reason to learn this. The second thing you get to enjoy in the campaign is a new paint job. In one early level you get to fly a brightly colored Banshee throughout a space installation in what is definitely the best aspect of said level. Its nothing new in terms of gameplay, but its cool to see a different color.

Enemies

Wow, where do I start? Well, as you'll find out from my campaign review good and evil aren't as easy to splice this time around, but I'll give you a break down of what enemies there are and what to expect from them without giving away any pertinent secrets. I'll divide these up into paragraphs as I see fit, and some of this will contain slight spoiler information (but nothing that really hasn't been touched on already) so guard your eyes and skip over this section if need be.

Lower Hegemony

The Grunts haven't really changed much to be perfectly honest. They hobble around and still do purple-bloodied flips when you shoot them in the head. They are loyal to their Elite commanders as you will learn and not as loyal to anyone else. Jackals aren't loyal and they aren't the bastards they were in the game before, hiding behind their impenetrable shields. That's probably because many of them are carrying Beam Rifles and they will fire and kill you from a distance if you don't move quickly to take them out. If you get close, incidentally, they will drop the heavy rifle and begin to run covering their head. I found this strangely comical.

The Drones are difficult to fire upon in certain situations, but as you go through the game your ability to gun them down will improve. They like to flying around sporadically and either do one of three things. They'll cling to a nearby wall and take pop-shots, attack from the air above you or they'll hit the ground and run towards your position while firing. They're simply bugs and they bleed their white blood once you've got a clean shot or two in their direction. Its not a problem. Hunters however can be. They are seemingly larger this time around and not only that, they are tougher to take down. Its not terribly different from the previous game. They have three methods of attack instead of their previous two, charging forward and firing their Fuel Rod Cannon. Their third is when you get close behind them they will raise their armored arm into the air and bring it crashing down behind them. Not a good place to be, needless to say. Their arm-mounted weapon is more of a powerful ray gun now, firing a column of green burning energy and making a decidedly different sound. Its more effective in some ways than the Fuel Rod Gun of old, but not by much. The best part of the Hunters in Halo 2 is not having to deal with them as enemies all the time. They make much stronger allies if you're of that conviction.

Heretical Order

Its not all fine and dandy in the Covenant army, anyone who fails at their mission or disagrees with the doctrine set forth by the leaders is labeled a heretic. When this happens all of the defectors of the Covenant who follow the heretic unite under the banner of their leader. During a brief instance in the campaign you run into a whole new set of Grunts and Elites, all wearing the armor of the heretical order they belong to. They are more resiliant and aggressive than the traditional Covenant militia and should be dealt with in an equally aggressive fashion.

[Crash]

Robotic Monitors / The Flood

Just like the original Halo game, artificial intelligence and the guardian Sentinels which protect Forerunner treasures are in abudance. There are three types of hoving robots which now pose a threat. The older ones from the original game return, and now there is a new type clad in similar metal structures but now completely gold. The third, and most dominant is the plasma shielded Sentinel which rains bolts for fire that seem to trace the player like they are seeking heat. It is quite effective. These robots guard something special, something you know as the Flood. The Flood is, well, the exact same.

Upper Hegemony

This class includes Elites and Brutes, the two warring classes. The Elites have held positions in guarding the leaders, the Prophets for a long time, but something seeks to usurp this position now. The Elites are divided up into multiple classes, of course there is the traditional blue and red. Now there is a silver in addition to the gold versoin, a much more tough and powerful version of the aforementioned. There are other Elites which wear ornate outfits that indicate religious significance, but there are two many to mention accurately here. Suffice to say, the Elite species is bountiful and this is seen in the game. The only real change with Elites in terms of gameplay is their ability to taunt and climb the nearest high point to get a better shot on their victims. Other well-armored Elites take to the air with rocket packs and although easy to hit can pose a problem in numbers.

The Brute species has a couple variations, but they all act similarly. When at a distance they will fire effectively, when close they drop their shoulder and charge in a way similar to the Hunters. Yeah, its not fun to be in this spot, unless of course you have a Brute Shot and you introduce the said incoming beast to the back end of the weapon while saying, "Have a nice homecoming bitch?" It works well but you have to say those words to add the extra sting. The Prophets are a confused bunch, but I'll let you see this when you get to play the game. Their role is heavy in this story and their mistakes could be quite costly. Fortunately they don't carry the big weapons, but you do.

Multiplayer Game Variants

When you create a multiplayer match your editor is referred to as the Game Setup. In this section there are four options: Change Map, Change Rules, Quick Options, Switch To: Co-Op Game. The first option we've already covered extensively and most of you know what maps are included in this game and have heard there are unlockable maps when you finish the campaign successfully. The fourth option is of course split-screen Co-Op between two players, the only Co-Op mode available. The middle two options, Change Rules and Quick Options are the two I will discuss here...

Change Rules This allows you to customize what the game refers to as a "Built-In Variant" noting that you cannot edit them. If you don't want to participate in one of the many game variants available, you can always customized your own (see Quick Options).

Slayer - Kill as many of your opponents as you can. The player with the most points wins.

Slayer - Prepare for a classive Slayer duel to the death. 25 points to win.
Team Slayer - Take on a small team of enemies in a straight up Slayer throw down. 50 points to win.
Rockets - Get ready for an explosive game of Rockets. All rocket launchers, no motion sensors. 25 points to win.
Swords - Sharpen your Energy Swords and power up your overshields. 25 points wins this game.
Snipers - Steady your shot and aim high. All weapons are sniper rifles and there's no motion sensor. 15 points to win.
Phantoms - Everyone has active camo, so watch your back. 15 points wins this game.
Team Phantoms - Everyone has active camo and you can organize into up to 8 teams. First team to 25 points wins.
Elimination - You have just one life per round. The last player standing wins a round. First to win 3 rounds wins the game.
Phantom Elimination - You have just one life and everyone is invisible. Last player standing wins a round. First to win 3 rounds takes the cake.

King Of The Hill - Gain control of the hill to earn time. Keep your opponents off and earn the most time to win.

King - Stay on the hill for a total of 2 minutes to win the game. Hill does not move.
Team King -Your team must take the hill and control it uncontested for 1 minute to win. Hill does not move.
Phantom King - Control the hill uncontested to earn time. Everyone has active camo and the hill does not move. 1 minute wins.
Crazy King - The hill moves once a minute. Be the first to earn 2 minutes on it to take the crown.
Team Crazy King - Your team must earn just 1 minute uncontested on the moving hill to take the crown.

Oddball - Find the ball and hold on to it to earn time. The player with the most time wins.

Oddball - Get ready for a classic game of free-for-all Oddball. Hold the ball for 2 minutes to win.
Rocketball - This game of Oddball with nothing but rocket launchers is a real blast. Control the ball for 1 minute to win.
Swordball - Tense rounds with swords and no motion sensor. Own the ball for 30 seconds to win a round. First to 3 wins.
Team Ball - Up to 8 teams can go head to head in this game of team Oddball. First team with 2 minutes ball control wins.
Low Ball - Team Oddball with a twist. Everyone on your team must hold the ball for at least 30 seconds to win.
Fiesta - An odd game of ball with random weapons. Earn 2 minutes ball control time to win.

Juggernaut - Work together to take down the Juggernaut. Beware, you kill the Juggernaut, you become the Juggernaut, and only the Juggernaut can win.

2 on 1 - One player is the Juggernaut, the other 2 are teammates. Only the Juggernaut can score and 10 points wins the game.
3 on 1 - One player is the Juggernaut while 3 others are teammates. Earn 10 points as Juggernaut to win the game.
Ninjanaut - The Juggernaut has active camo and a motion sensor. You don't, so work together to corner him and take him out. 10 points wins.
Phantom Fodder - You're invisible but you have no motion sensor. You;re being hunted so watch out! 3 rounds wins, 5 points wins a round.
Dreadnaut - The Dreadnaut is an unstoppable beast. Fear him but work together to take him out. 20 kills as Juggernaut wins the game.

Capture The Flag - Invade your opponents stronghold, heist their flag, and bring it back to your base to score.

Multi Flag CTF - Defend your flag while launching a coordinated attack on your enemy's flag. 3 captures to win.
CTF Classic - Defend your flag while capturing the enemy's. 3 points wins, flag must be home to score, flag may be returned.
1 Flag CTF - Take turns offense/defense. A capture wins a round. Flag may not be returned. Rounds last 3 minutes. First to 3 wins.
1 Flag CTF Fast - Intense 2 minute rounds of alternating offense/defense. A capture wins a round. Flag may not be returned. First to 3 wins.

Assault - Carry your bomb into the enemy base and arm it. Once armed, drop it on the enemy bomb post to score.

Multi Bomb - Defend your base while trying to deliver your bomb into the enemy's base. 3 successful bombings win.
Single Bomb - Take turns on offense/defense. A successful bombing wins a round. First to 3 wins. No bomb return. Rounds last 3 minutes.
Single Bomb Fast - Intense 2 minute rounds of offense/defense. A successful boming wins a round. Bomb may not be returned. First to 3 wins.
Neutral Bomb - There's just one bomb that starts in the middle. Use it to bomb the enemy base 3 times to win.
Blast Resort - You have just 1 life and no motion sensor in this single bomb game. 10 second arming, 3 minute rounds, first to 3 wins.

Territories - Find and control territories on the map. The more territories you control, the faster you earn time.

3 Plots - There are just 3 territories. Earn 3 minutes control time before your oppnents by owning a majority of them.
Land Grab - Own a majority of territories to earn 5 minutes control time before your opponents.
Gold Rush - Grab your pistol and load your shotgun! 2 minutes wins round. Rounds last 3 minutes. First to 3 rounds wins.
Control Issues - Bring out the big guns to fight for control of just 2 territories. Everyone has overshields, 5 minutes control time wins.

Quick Options This allows you quick customization of the available game variants. You're not permanently editing them, but rather simply altering them for your session (it will remain intact as you select different maps).

Score to Win Round - 1 - 250 or Unlimited
Round Time Limit - None - 1 Hour
Starting Weapon - Map Default, Random, Battle Rifle, Magnum, SMG, Plasma Pistol, Plasma Rifle, Brute Plasma Rifle, Rocket Launcher, Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, Brute Shot, Needler, Carbine, Beam Rifle, Energy Sword, Sentinel Beam
Weapons on Map - Map Default, None, Rockets, Shotguns, Swords, Brute Shots, Halo Classic, New Classic, Heavy Weapons, All Duals, No Duals, Rifles, Sniping, No Sniping, Pistols, Plasma, Human, Covenant, Random Set
Motion Sensor - On/Off
Bonus Points - On/Off
Starting Grenades - On/Off
Secondary Weapon - Map Default, None, Random, Battle Rifle, Magnum, SMG, Plasma Pistol, Plasma Rifle, Brute Plasma Rifle, Rocket Launcher, Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, Brute Shot, Needler, Carbine, Beam Rifle, Energy Sword, Sentinel Beam
Max Active Players - 2 - 16
Primary Light Vehicle - Map Default, Warthog, Gauss Warthog, Ghost, Spectre, Random, None
Primary Heavy Vehicle - Map Default, Scorpion Tank, Wraith, Random, None

Campaign

They said this day would never come. What are they to say now?

From the get go, the developer has stated clearly that their main goal of the game was to tell a good story. This story is different than the story articulated in Halo: Combat Evolved, whether or not you fell in love with it. I was never a big fan of the story, but mixed with the gameplay I always enjoyed the original Halo. This game, in my opinion has a far greater story. I'm going to warn you again that the following information here is going to be concerning the first half of the game and if you choose to read it, it is your own choice. Although I don't believe this gives away anything that is too pertintent that it will ruin the game, I want to make sure that you are warned. So one last time, here below lies the first half of the game as articulated by myself and separated into the appropriate levels:

The Heretic is not really a level. Much like some of the "levels" in the level selection screen, these are merely cinema cut scenes used to bring the character from the previous level to the next. This first one is simply the transitioning piece from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo 2. Before I discuss it I should preface by saying that the events in the novel Halo: First Strike are irrelevant in respects to Halo 2. The remaining Spartans, Dr. Catherine Halsey and the attack on the Unyielding Hierophant appear to not be mentioned (although there is one quick exchange in French which I don't pick up well between Sgt. Johnson and Master Chief early - its not clear if there was any mention of the above). The level begins with a dual-pronged approach which sets the game apart from its predecessor, you follow the award ceremony for the Master Chief and the punishment ceremony for a Gold Elite who was in charge of the original Halo construct, also known as Installation 04.

This parallel between the Chief and the Elite run throughout the game and not only touch the story but directly impact gameplay as you will find out early. The Chief, Sgt. Johnson and Captain Keyes' daughter, Miranda, accept awards on a MAC-gun spacestation orbiting the Earth called Cairo. Meanwhile the Gold Elite is removed of rank and title and labelled "The Heretic" by the Covenant Council, hence the name of this level. The Heretic is moved to containment to be executed by the dragging of his entrails throughout the Covenant city, while Master Chief's ceremony is cut short by, yeah, you guessed it, the invading Covenant Armada. Your game starts in the level called the Armory where you get your equipment and fight your way through some of the interior corridors of the station. You travel both in and outside the station (in near zero G) fighting against various Covenant throughout. Once you've achieved victory in the Cairo Station level you find a bomb that the Covenant were looking to set off to destroy the MAC-gun (one of Earth's last defense posts) and you ask for permission to leave the ship from the Captain. Apparently, the Master Chief wants to take the bomb back to the Covenant. He does so in convincing fashion.

The end result is him rejoining Miranda Keyes and Sgt. Johnson aboard her ship, The Amber Clad and heading to Earth. With a pack of Pelicans you head to the surface of Old Mombasa and are knocked out of the sky by a beam from a giant Covenant transport called a Scarab. The Pelican crashes and during Outskirts you have to fight your way through a horde of Covenant troops. They attack in waves and won't finish attacking until you've wiped them out. Moving forward toward the central city, New Mombasa, you pass through alleys and corridors and into the dark hallway of a nearby hotel. You end up on a beach and must travel through several large sandy sections with makeshift Covenant bases setup and fortified along the way. Once you enter the underground tunnels it gets a little hairy.

You're objective is to reach the bridge topside to get to New Mombasa and retake the city. In doing this your goal is to gain entrance into the massive Covenant cruiser which contains a Prophet named Regret. You're suppose to kidknap the bastard. After dealing with regiments of Covenant warriors in the tunnels you make it to the surface at the bridges abasement and Sgt. Johnson drops a Scorpion Tank off for you to make your way across toward New Mombasa and the Scarab. This level is referred to as Metropolis and is quite fun. Despite the lack of real speed in the Scorpion Tank, its relentless in terms of firepower against the multitudes of charging Ghosts barrelling down the bridge to your direction. After submerging again at the end of the bridge you gather your resources in the center of the city and take force against the Covenant holding it. When their grip is sufficiently broken (meaning you've kicked enough Wraith ass), then you continue to an upper platform surrounding the city. This allows a timed jump to board the Scarab and destroy the crew atop and within, and eventually taking it completely out of commission. With their vehicle out of gas and their hold on the city broken, their cruiser begins to enter Slipspace while inside the city. You, the Sarge, Miranda and the remaining Marines heft aboard The Amber Clad and follow the ship into Slipspace. Guess where it goes? I'll give you a hint. Something like this happened last time around...

Well, don't guess yet because the story changes pace. The now punished (but still alive) Heretic is brought before two Prophets called Hierachs, he is dragged by Tartarus and his guards, a large, twisted Brute with a pention for hierarchal success. The Hierarch's names are Truth and Mercy. They tell the Elite that he was to be executed according to the Council, but now they have other plans. They discuss what can be considred a significant story element called The Great Journey, but more so, they talk about the role of The Arbiter. This title is given from time-to-time to Covenant warriors who undergo a specific task in which their life will most certainly be taken, but they are looked upon as noble and worthy of praise. They wear an extremely specialized silver armor that appears almost medieval compared to others from that era. He is charged with the task of killing the true Heretic in the gas giant that the original Halo orbited around, called Threshold. This real Heretic is another Elite who has sectioned himself off with an entire legion of Covenant troops under his own dogma, that the will of the Prophets is flawed and that the Halo rings are not keys to this sacred mission, The Great Journey.

The true Heretic is actually located near the ruins of the original Halo, which parts of are still in orbit. Inside, as The Arbiter you battle your way through the Covenant rebels and into the presence with the true Heretic. Upon locating his holographic form he traps you and your squad in several containment cells and then emerges a familiar entity, The Flood. Yeah, they return here in their familiar form attacking in sporadic waves as you scale through the space installation that they occupy. Once you've found the Heretic, he tells you what an Oracle has told him, a floating orb you affectionately know named Guilty Spark 343. He explains that the Halo structures are actually weapons and that the Prophets are deceived as to their purpose. You, The Arbiter don't believe him and a fight ensues in which you win. The Heretic is taken away and so is 343 Guilty Spark, by Tartarus, again trying to regain appeal in front of the Prophets.

This is a level or two before the middle point of the campaign, but this is as far as I will go in my review. The remainder is quite interesting. I was worried when I originally heard about The Arbiter and the fact that you would now control not only Master Chief, but a second character on the other side of the battle lines. I was concerned that the developer was going to blur the moral grounds and try to legitimize the actions of the Covenant. I didn't like this because it doesn't make the plight of Earth and Master Chief as genuine. However, this is not the case. The villains remain villains throughout the game, and the two lead characters undergo a reinvisioning of their objectives in light of each other's existance. Other than that I won't say more, but you don't have to worry about trying to understand the Covenant mindset. There's a certain logic to it, but ultimately you're still fighting evil in the end as either character. It's a great merging of both stories; and how it establishes duality parallels while keeping the gameplay interesting and intertwining is absolutely amazing. I am definitely more pleased with the story than I was with the first one.

I've read negative comments about the ending of the campaign, and although I understand them I can't say they're shared. I loved the ending, and in fact I thought this coupled with the last two levels of the game were unbelievable. Like any good sequel this one does not end with complete resolution, in fact it only resolves the primary story's issues while opening up another whole can of worms. If you're a fan of sequels like Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back and Matrix: Reloaded then this story's ending shouldn't be a problem. I fully expect a Halo 3 and its quite obvious what will happen at the beginning of it based on just the last few events. In word, it leaves you wanting more but not in a bad way.

The story itself wasn't too short, perhaps slightly larger than the original game but it covers about twenty times the space and area. I recommend even seasoned Halo: Combat Evolved player to play through on Normal for a good cinematic experience with even pacing and enough difficulty to make the player work a little bit. Heroic isn't all too difficult, but towards the end of the game there are parts which you will get stuck on, trust me. And once you've beaten the game, wait through the credits and the final cinema scene. If you do you should be able to acquire another multiplayer map called Foundation. Nice reward as well as it makes for some heated multiplayer battles.

[Crash]

Negative Impressions

You didn't think I'd be all positive did you? There are some things about the game that I didn't quite care for.

1) While the game is not repetitive at all (at least not to the degree of the first game) you do find yourself in similar scenarios. The battles are quite scripted, meaning you'll get in one spot and be held their until you've killed off two or three waves of various enemies. This isn't really repetitive but it can be annoying.

2) The open-ended game play can be problematic to some degree. There were several similar looking spots in the game, or simply just large areas where there was no indication what to do next. I had to wait for Cortana to say something and an arrow appear to my next objective. This frustrated some of the pacing, but was rare and only in two or three of the levels for small periods of time.

3) The Flood were back and I can't say I liked it. They're tougher this time around and more annoying. I just don't care for them so perhaps its a personal opinion, but they really don't entertain me during a fight. Their AI isn't particularly exciting, but they can drive vehicles and man turrets.

4) The music is great save for one spot where they actually play Breaking Benjamin's song without vocals. Its salvagable because there are no lyrics, had there been this would have been a serious flaw. I like guitars and heavy music, but I don't like contemporary new metal riffs and I don't think it fits well with Halo's amazing aural qualities.

5) I wanted more ODST action to. There was only one small section where the fabled "Helljumpers" were incorporated and despite their smart ass comments, they were infinitely more effective then the standard issue, now reckless, Marines (yeah, apparently improved ally AI means completely irresponsible but can drive).

6) One thing which isn't really an issue, but it did bother me is that the Covenant speak human languages. This wasn't in the first game. The Grunts squealed in English because of a communication system described in Halo: The Fall Of Reach, but the other Covenant had no communication. This was destroyed apparently in Halo: The Flood despite not being in the game, and although I realize I have to suspend my disbelief for obvious reasons at the very last levels (in other words there is a definite need for communication between humans and Covenant), its still a tad ugly to me.

7) One final negative element is actually the size of the level. The developer did a good job of planting as many vehicles in certain locations as possible. The size of the levels is so huge that if you don't get a vehicle you'll be on foot for quite a while, walking (not shooting) from one point to the next. This again halts proper pacing and is quite detrimental to the enjoyment of the large levels. Fortunately, there are many vehicles and with boarding as a gameplay element it does save the game quite a bit.

Positive Impressions

1) The multiplayer is flawless first and foremost. I've played all sorts of multiplayer shooters on all platforms and none come close to this in terms of sincere gameplay. I have also played on XBC as previously discussed here and I had no lag problems despite it being system link and being tunnelled from my Xbox to another's. Live will no doubt be perfect if this is true, void of any real lag issues that are inherent in most online games.

2) The weapons and vehicles are great in their own regards and I don't feel as though I would add or take away from them, the fun they illicit is unparalleled on the Xbox.

3) The campaign story is far better than I expected and for the most part it was solid and open-ended unlike the first game's extremely precise and narrow-minded approach. The characters, both good and bad are alive and real as well as sincere. They are real beings, very convincing with their own personalities and vices and it is accurately displayed in in-game dialogue as well as the cut scenes.

4) The music was powerful, and save for the one aforementioned negative quality it was brilliant. In the level called "The Arbiter" while flying some Banshees around the facility the screaming guitars really set the pace for the action, its quite exhilirating. I especially enjoyed the use of guitars during the theme as the theme is played in several variations throughout the game when something notable is discovered or revealed. Quite cool since Halo's main motif is about discovery, both the Covenant's of Forerunner artifacts and the accidental discovery of the original construct in the first game.

5) One of the amazing elements of the campaigns are just the missions. At one point you're attacking a Scarab from a bridge and in another scene your escorting one with a Banshee. The sheer amount of warfare that goes on over land, sea, in mountains and temples, even returning to the familiary chambers of the Library (trust me its not that bad), there's a ton of treking to do and a lot of vehicles and paths to take. It adds to this beautiful tapestry of survival and warefare. It takes the best elements of the original game and gives it speed and grace like nothing I've ever seen,

6) I was at first thrown off with some obvious "boss matches" to end a level, specifically the final level, but realistically it did work well within the context of the story and I enjoyed the fights, particularly in cooperative mode.

Overall this is honestly the best game I've played in a long time. My favorite game used to be Mario Kart for the SNES and then Link To The Past for the same, but Halo 2 has literally ripped that to shreds. Despite any downfalls this game is a shining joy ride of fun and excitement from start to stop, with an unbelievable story that will continue well into the next game and a multiplayer system which is unrivaled in my opinion. I wouldn't have your hopes soar because obviously its going to be a different experience for every player, but I can't see disappointment as an option. My friend described the game today in one word: Whirlwind. I think its fitting and precise. Its something that will be discussed and played many years from now, Bungie has made a legend in my opinion.

[coolman3007]

To some people halo seemed fun but most people think that the game was overrated and so is halo2 is going to be overrated :zzz:

[Canyarion]

........................ :stupid:

[Professor S]

To some people halo seemed fun but most people think that the game was overrated and so is halo2 is going to be overrated :zzz:

I alweays find it funny when people say "most people think that game was overrated". I believe sales figures, all the reviews and number of consoles that it pushed kind of fly in the face of that concept.

I didn't read that review, as I want to be surprised by the game just like I was surprised when the Flood came into the last one. Only a few more days...

[Null]

I alweays find it funny when people say "most people think that game was overrated". I believe sales figures, all the reviews and number of consoles that it pushed kind of fly in the face of that concept.


well. most people would have to buy it in order to know its overrated. lol





its a joke strangler :p While i may think more then you think did.... I dont think most thought it was over rated, not for the reason you say tho, But because if most thought the first was over rated, why would the 2nd be as hyped?

[Professor S]

Do you think?

;)

[Null]

on occasion yea. but normally not. and least i dont think i think.... hmm

[Professor S]

Personally, I think I think I think, but then again thats just what I thought I thunk.

...

My head hurts.