Halo 2
Halo 2 is one of the biggest and most popular X-Box game. Created by Microsoft and Bungie many people wonder if it’s as wonderful as everyone has made it out to be. The main point of Halo 2 is the campaign mode, which is very much the same of the original game. They didn’t forget the single player mode and have added many updates and improvements.
The tactical fighting and combat is more exact and the levels have more variety. Most of the levels are uniquely designed, with areas that are perfect for standoffs or all out gunfights. The Enemies are smarter and they will use their own unique strategies against you, making it mroe challenging. Friendly AI has also been improved and your allies now have the ability to drive vehicles. The new weapons are great to use and many of the same weapons have been improved on.
The duel wielding ability adds a new twist to combat but doesn’t necessarily make things any easier for the player. There is more importance on the use of vehicles, which leads to some extremely fun levels. The physics have received some updates as well, everything moves very realistically. The rag-doll physics on enemies are excellent. You’ll also take on the role of someone other then Master Chief during some missions, which leads to some refreshing levels and gameplay elements.
The campaign mode feels very well balanced for the most part. They worked hard to remove the long load times between levels so that the action flows undisturbed. But this is rather pointless as each level starts out very slowly and eventless. There are some others flaws with the gameplay as well, including some returning ones. Some missions seem as if they are endless and continue to drag-on. Lengthwise, the campaign mode is still pretty short, less than 15 hours in normal difficultly. Of course, the co-op mode and ‘Legendary’ difficulty will definitely ask for another play through or two.
Multiplayer in Halo 2 is probably the most played thing about the game.. Offline split-screen and LAN multiplayer experiences feel the same for the most part, with the exception of the new weapons, levels and modes. The main focus of Halo 2 is Xbox LIVE multiplayer. This is the game to get if you have Xbox LIVE.
You can participate in matches at anytime without worrying about the hassles of setting up split-screen or LAN games. The interface is very simple, allowing you to get into matches or set up your own without much effort. Without LIVE play though, the split-screen and LAN matches are still worth playing.
The audio quality in Halo 2 is excellent; everything is on sync and sounds excellent, and the surround sound is very believable. The voice acting is up there with the best of the best. The musical score is excellent with some old favorites remixed and some completely new tunes. There are a few tracks that aren’t as great as the rest of the score but overall, the soundtrack is great.
The story continues where it was left off in the last game. You’ll learn even more as to why the Halo rings exist and you’ll also see the internal civilization of the Covenant. The game takes some surprising twists and turns, and will leave you shocked. The story is way better then the previous games, but the ending completely leaves the player empty. Right you think all will become clear and all your questions will be answered, you are left unsatisfied by the ending.