[Professor S]

"The greatest Xbox game of all time..."

IGN - 9.8

Genuinely great games don't come around that often, but in 2004 we're seeing a few truly remarkable achievements come to the forefront. Halo 2 is one of them. While you can minimize the game to its basics -- it's a linear first-person shooter, it doesn't have online cooperative play, some of the cutscenes look awkward -- the level of improvement in every aspect to an already near-perfect game is staggering.
Even though Halo didn't revolutionize the first-person shooter genre, its influences have already taken place -- it's two-weapon, one grenade system has had profound effects, just to name one -- and it's earned its place in the annals of gaming. Halo 2 is similar in form. It's not going to revolutionize the world of first-person shooters, but it stands on the shoulders of other really good FPSs, and it improves the game on every level.

The best parts of Halo 2 are subtle. No one thing stands out and smacks you on the face and says, "LOOK AT THIS!" Instead, the whole product, the entire game, from top to bottom, is remarkably well produced, well paced and planned. Very few games come together and look, sound, and play as smoothly, organically, and as well as this. It's got dozens of exciting, intense gameplay segments, excellent graphics and sound, and though it sounds like a cliché, the game is filled with millions of the little things that accumulate in your subconscious. The end-result is that it's not only addicting, it's not only the most fun you'll have in single-player or multiplayer game on Xbox, the story is deep and smart, and it keeps you interested. Perhaps best of all, the online portion will essentially blow everything else on Xbox Live out of the water. In a way, there are dozens of surprises about Halo 2, and yet there none. It is the best Xbox game this year, and it is the best Xbox game on the system, full stop.

Gamespot - 9.4

To say that there's a lot to like about Halo 2 would be an understatement. Despite a rather short campaign and a disappointing storyline, Halo 2 is an exceptional shooter that frequently delivers thrilling, memorable, and unique moments in its online, co-op, and single-player modes. Depending on what you most want from the game, you may find that Halo 2 leaves you desperate for another installment in the series--but even if it takes Bungie another several years to produce that game, there's enough first-rate action and lasting value here to keep you happily entertained till that time comes.

Gamespy - 5/5 stars

After three years of wishing, hoping, and waiting, it's hard to believe that everyone will finally get a chance to play a true masterpiece of a game on the Xbox. The campaign mode introduces a ton of new elements, not only to the game itself, but also to the Halo universe as a whole. As for the multiplayer, you won't find a better Xbox Live experience anywhere, and you can be sure that Halo 2 will be topping the Live charts for years to come. If you want to see a perfect mix of everything that makes games great, from storytelling to graphics and audio, look no further than Halo 2.

1UP.com - 100%

Halo 2 is not perfect. There are specific minor details you can point to as evidence that the game has flaws -- there are minor graphical and AI glitches, and you can't play co-op online -- but it almost feels unfair to even mention those points in this review, because none of them are significant enough to bring down their own part of the game, much less the game as a whole.
I've played roughly 15 hours of multiplayer battles in the past two days, after having played through a 24 hour single and multiplayer session a few weeks ago. We have Metroid Prime 2 in the office, with Metal Gear Solid 3, Prince of Persia 2 and Half-Life 2 on the way. All those great games, and there's nothing I'd rather do than play more Halo 2.