We came, we played, we kicked its butt, and now its time to talk about it. Of course we’re talking about the most anticipated game for the Xbox, and perhaps all of gaming - Halo 2. You’ve seen it at E3 for the past couple of years, read about it constantly in forums across the web, watched the features on everything from G4 to ESPN, and we KNOW you have it pre-ordered. In fact, over 1.5 million Xbox’ers have Halo 2 reserved which means most of us are buying, hype or not.

Why review a game that people are possibly already waiting in line for? We’re glad you asked, and thanks to our email-happy forum members as well, who want to know the same thing. The answer is simple; whether you want to believe it or not, there are still some gamers who are not sold on Halo 2 (this is why we said MOST of us are buying not ALL of us above). These people have no clue about exactly how many screens and movies have been released by Bungie, who the Covenant is, or why the Needler was in need of an upgrade - and they are fine with this. Maybe they played a bit of Halo at a LAN party and are thinking about upgrading to a real console if Halo 2 sounds good in the reviews, or perhaps these gamers who want to know more are looking to supplement a complete collection of Xbox sports titles with a single, strong FPS. Gamers who don’t have Halo pre-ordered may not comprise the core demographic of a hardcore Xbox gaming site, but we try never to leave anyone out of the loop here at TeamXbox. Besides, those that are already planning on being in line November 8th will be that much more prepared for Halo 2 when they call off work on Tuesday to play, er, we mean, to rest up from the Ebola virus, or, fill your favorite medical emergency excuse here.


So, Halo 2 reservists - embrace this review as your first real glimpse at what to expect (without any spoilers of course), both offline and online, when you finally get your hands on the most coveted layaway in your time here on Earth. To those of you who ignored the gaming store pre-order pitches and have not been infected by Bungie’s marketing virus - you possess great inner-strength, and you’re in good hands here at TeamXbox. We quite possibly have more hours logged on Halo 2 than any other media outlet, with no less than three of our staff members completing the lengthy campaign mode. Our score will be based objectively on our experiences with the game, without a “hype factor”, even though we do admit to having quite a few Halo 2 action figures strewn about the office.

The wait is nearly over, but until then…

Story

So much of what made the original Halo so special was the storyline that drew you in as soon as the top popped on Master Chief’s cryotube. This came as a bit of a surprise as we already had a good idea that Halo’s gameplay would be solid, but to have a plot that we still discuss 3 years later and that has spawned 3 novels is quite a feat. Bungie could have quite easily painted themselves in a corner as it is tough to follow up a blockbuster with an equally engrossing story. We’re here to tell you, any worries of Halo 2’s script not living up to the first can be safely tucked away. Not only does Halo 2 provide just as much intrigue as Master Chief’s adventures in the first game, it surpasses Halo in every aspect.

With a game that we’ve all waited for patiently for 3 years, the last thing we’d want is for the plot to be spoiled by some “think they know it all” editors. Microsoft and Bungie have gone great lengths to ensure that the many twists and turns you’ll experience in Halo 2 remained a secret. While a few idiots have tried to mar this by posting spoilers in various forums, you won’t find anything of the sort in this review. Halo 2 is a game that YOU need to experience and that’s exactly what we’re gonna let you do.

So what has Master Chief and Cortana been up to since Halo was destroyed? Several months have past since what’s left of the Pillar of Autumn’s crew returns to Earth to warn the UNSC forces of the impending Covenant attack on our home planet. If you really want all the details revolving around the events from the end of Halo to the beginning of Halo 2, we recommend reading First Strike, a novel by Eric Nylund. While enjoying a short respite aboard Earth Defense Platform, Cairo, the opening sequence shows Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson as they decorated for bravery in fighting against the Covenant forces on the Pillar of Autumn and the mysterious ring world of Halo. Along with their awards, a posthumous honor is granted to Captain Keyes and accepted by his daughter Miranda. The awards ceremony is cut short when a number of Covenant cruisers appear out of slipspace and almost instantly begin their attack on the Cairo Platform and Earth. Time for Master Chief to get to work!


You’ll immediately be faced with defending the space station from the seemingly never-ending onslaught of Covenant forces. As with the first game, each chapter (15 in total) is prefaced with a cinematic cut-scene that helps to set the tone for that particular stage. While we don’t want to talk much about the story itself, one thing we will say is that the script of Halo 2 is FAR superior to that of Halo. Right from the opening scene you’ll know that you are about to experience something quite special. One of our first gripes is that the cinematics aren’t at the level we were expecting. It’s not that they look bad, but being they use in-game visuals, you’ll notice some aliasing and pop-in on occasion. Before all the graphic ho’s start crying, these flaws are kept to a minimum, but they are still noticeable nonetheless.

Gameplay

Taking Control

Part of what makes Halo 2 so incredible is that it retains the same great control scheme that we all love. It’s just like that cliché about riding a bike…you never forget how to ride. There have been quite a few changes, however, all of which improve the gameplay substantially. The most significant (and most publicized) addition is the ability to dual-wield. While this may seem like just a cut and dry method for Master Chief to rip Covenant baddies to shreds, guns-a-blazin’, there is a definite method to the madness. To dual wield you simply press the Y button when standing over a free weapon. Master Chief will immediately pick up the weapon, throw it into his left hand, and be ready for action. Afterward the triggers fire the respective weapons. You can still melee attack by pressing the B button, but MC will drop his left handed weapon. The only real downfall to dual-wielding is that you cannot throw grenades being that both hands are taken up. This is where a little strategy comes into play because you have to decide which course of action would be most beneficial. Do I try and stick this Brute with a plasma grenade, or do I pick up this second SMG and try and rip him a new one?


You would think that with his augmented abilities that MC might not be subject to recoil, but you’d be wrong. It isn’t the best strategy to fire both weapons simultaneously unless you’re really trying to get out of a pickle. The recoil on guns like the SMGs tend to make this even more evident as you’ll be wasting half your rounds as the gun starts to kick up and away from the intended target. This makes alternating left and right trigger pulls with short, controlled bursts a much better approach. The second thing to keep in mind is that certain weapon combinations work better than others. For example, dual-wielding a plasma pistol and an SMG is a killer (literally), because you can charge up the pistol and take out an Elite’s shield and then pump them hot full of lead with the SMG.

The rest of the controls pretty much stay the same: jump = A button, action/reload = X button, flashlight = White button, switch grenade = Black button, and so on. The flashlight now has an infinite charge although we found that we used it a lot less often. You can still crouch by pressing in on the left stick and pressing in on the right stick will activate MC’s binoculars or a scope zoom if armed with a weapon like the sniper rifle or the Covenant carbine. Probably the most difficult choice for gamers will be what type of Xbox controller to use. Most of us used the now phased-out Duke controller for the majority of our Halo exploits, so using the Controller S might be a slight problem due to the placement of the White and Black buttons. We did fumble more than a few times in trying to switch from frag to plasma grenades while using the Controller S. You will eventually get used to it, but many hardcore Halo players might still prefer the beefy Duke controller.

For the sake of those that have asked (and there have been many), Halo 2 has nearly the same exact controller settings of the original game. This means you can choose from the default, southpaw, legacy, and legacy southpaw thumbstick layouts, and the default, southpaw, boxer, and green thumb button layouts. The only change here is that the “jumpy” button layout has been axed; not a real big loss. Look sensitivity can be adjusted and look inversion and auto look centering can be turned on or off. Controller vibration can also be toggled, but why wouldn’t you want a little rumble feedback when fighting the Covenant?

While not really a “control”, one major aspect that has changed is the elimination of health bars to the Chief’s upgraded Mark VI MOJOLNIR armor. In the original game when your energy shield dropped to zero, there were still a number of health bars that you could fall back on. Not so this time around. Take one too many shots to your energy shield and the Master Chief is only one hit away from biting it. To help offset this change, the energy shield does recharge a lot quicker than before. You might think the lack of health bars would increase the difficulty, but most gamers will adjust quickly and appreciate the new up-tempo pace of Halo 2. The HUD altogether has been moved around quite a bit. The ammo and weapon indicator are placed in the upper right side of the screen and both the plasma and frag grenade indicators are listed on the upper left. The energy shield meter now sits above the motion tracker on the bottom left. You are provided visual icons as to when you’ll need to reload or when your weapon is empty.

Looking the Part

Before even beginning any game in Halo 2 you are prompted to create a user profile. From here you can tailor such things as the player model you’ll use online (Spartan or Covenant Elite), the color armor you will don, and you can create a custom emblem to further differentiate yourself from the millions of people that will be playing Halo 2 for years to come. You can choose from a palette of 18 hues what the primary and secondary color of your armor will be. The secondary color affects only a handful of items like your visor tips, wrist panels, etc. Surprisingly, you CANNOT select black as a color for either primary or secondary. Perhaps this was to eliminate those who would use it as a natural camouflage, but there are enough variations to please most gamers. The colors you choose also come into play when finalizing your custom emblem because it has both a foreground and background. After selecting from one of the 65 emblems (no, you cannot create your own logo), you can mess a bit with the foreground and background to create a unique design. Those that might bitch and moan that 65 emblems aren’t enough will soon realize that are nearly an infinite amount of combinations after messing around with all of the available options.

Weapons

The arsenal available to Master Chief has a bit more balance as compared to Halo. With its zoom function, it was no secret that the pistol was one mean killing machine in Halo. The zoom is no more, but the pistol is still packs a mean punch, especially with headshots. The assault rifle has also been axed and replaced with two different weapons: the SMG and Battle Rifle. The SMG is deadly when dual-wielded, but it doesn’t compare in power to the Battle Rifle in the hands of someone that can use it. With its zoom scope and burst fire capabilities, we expect that this will be your weapon of choice…as long as you can keep finding ammo for it. The only downfall to the Battle Rifle is that you cannot dual-wield it since it is a two-hander. The shotgun is still one badass weapon, but it seems to be of more use during multiplayer matches than during the campaign. All the marksmen will take great joy in knowing that the sniper rifle is back in full force. The rocket launcher now has a lock-on feature that will track vehicles such as Ghosts and Banshees. This helps to offset the new features of the Covenant vehicles. Frag grenades are useful in a pinch, but they still don’t compare to the joy of “sticking” an enemy with a plasma grenade.


The UNSC aren’t the only ones packing heat as the Covenant have a few new toys as well. By far, the most enjoyable weapon to wield in Halo 2 is the Energy Sword. It isn’t practical in all situations, but it is extremely deadly. A lock-on feature allows a charge attack when the reticle turns red. This is so satisfying, as long as you aren’t on the receiving end! The plasma pistol and rifle can still deal some serious damage but have limited battery life. The Needler has been given an upgrade in power which makes it an excellent second gun for dual-wielding. The needles can make short work of an Elite’s energy shield. The Covenant get a few weapons to counter-act the UNSC arsenal with the likes of the Carbine, Beam Rifle, and Brute Shot. While each of these weapons have the Covenant styling, they all basically feel like the UNSC Assault Rifle, Sniper Rifle, and Rocket Launcher respectively. The Brute Shot does act more like a traditional grenade launcher with a slight arc to its discharge, and it also has a bladed hilt for when things get up close and personal.

Along with the handheld weapons, don’t forget that there are a number of stationary turrets and cannons mounted to various vehicles. Shade Plasma Cannons, UNSC chain gun turrets and Gauss cannons are spread throughout the campaign mode and you can always add them to nearly any multiplayer game as well.

One of the things that makes Halo 2 so amazing is that players are able to complete the game in any fashion they like. For us, we primarily stuck with either the Assault Rifle or Carbine, but many gamers will choose something completely different. If you want to be a dual-wielding maniac, then do it. If you’d rather sit back and try to be more methodical with well placed shots, you can do that too. The usefulness of each weapon is magnified a bit in multiplayer game modes, especially when you specify a specific type or set. All in all, the changes and additions enhance the gameplay with more options in both campaign and multiplayer game modes.

Vehicles

As with just about every other category, the implementation of vehicles in Halo 2 has been stepped up. The Warthog is back and better than ever with the same control and the addition of a handbrake for quick turns, as well as a horn: honk, honk! The Ghost has been given a speed burst function that allows you to run over an enemy with the quickness. Upgrades to the Banshee include the ability for fancy Crimson Skies-like maneuvers by pressing the A button and different directions on the left stick. This especially comes in handy in multiplayer combat because you can usually avoid trouble against the computer AI the traditional way, at least on normal difficulty. It also gets a new Banshee Bomb weapon which acts mostly like a missile. The Scorpion Tank is as strong as ever, which becomes extremely evident when trying to retake a Covenant-held bridge on Earth. As Marines hop aboard and provide support, the Scorpion is one bad mutha. You can take control of the Covenant Wraith, which happens to be the only real competition for the Scorpion vehicle wise. Its arcing plasma cannon can take out nearly anything with one shot and will lay waste to a block of ground troops. The mammoth Scarab walker (which has been shown in a few Halo 2 TV spots) is not a controllable vehicle, but it is still bad ass. You will need to hitch a ride and get rid of all the Covenant passengers which makes for one of the many intense situations during the game.

As demonstrated at this year’s E3, all of the vehicles now have multiple layers of damage that they can sustain along with the over-the-top physics we had so much fun in during Halo multiplayer matches. As vehicles take on damage you might see the wing of a Ghost shatter and start to smoke, or notice that your Warthog’s wheel cover has been shot off. Not only does this help indicate exactly how much gusto your vehicle has left, it’s just damn fun to bust up a Covenant’s ride.

The best addition to vehicle combat is not actually a vehicle at all, but rather the ability to board an enemy’s ride. Even though it takes a little bit of timing, being able to commandeer the opposition’s vehicle adds even more options to your attack. You can simply hop aboard and melee attack your enemy, or plant a grenade on larger vehicles like the Wraith. One thing to keep in mind is that Master Chief isn’t the only one able to board any vehicle in the game. The Covenant will take advantage when possible and hijack your vehicle for their use. It almost goes without saying, but when adding this feature into the already frantic multiplayer mix, you can amazing results. Even after only a few hours in multiplayer matches, players were diving off cliffs and other vehicles in an attempt to board another. The funny thing is…it worked!!! We can only imagine the insanity that is going to ensue online.

Allies

Even though Master Chief is a finely tuned killing machine, he still needs some backup from time to time. Cortana returns as everyone’s favorite sexy AI construct, as does Marine Sergeant Johnson. And you thought he was a gonner! Teammate support is provided much more often in Halo 2 than in the original game. As before, keeping Marines and the elite ODSTs around will make your job a lot easier, but it isn’t required at any point. When ammo gets low, or if you simply just want something new, you can always snatch a Marine’s weapon by approaching them and pressing the X button. This becomes a valuable feature because you’ll often be in a situation where your current weapon won’t cut it.


Your squadmates will drive vehicles like the Warthog or jump aboard and provide additional firepower, but they can be “iffy” at times. For example, while driving the Warthog full of Marines, we noticed a large ambush up ahead. Rather than drive up and get right into the fray, we thought that Master Chief could jump out and approach on foot while the Marines would take the Warthog and provide a diversion. While this is a good plan in theory, it would have been nice if one of the Marines moved from the passenger side to driver’s side. Instead, two Marines sat there and watched while the Chief was surrounded. More times than not, squadmates won’t let you down, but just keep your head on a swivel to make sure there is adequate backup.

Enemies

Just when Master Chief thinks he’ll get a break from waves of Covenant forces, they attack Earth! Can’t an enhanced super soldier get a break? It’s no secret that the Grunts, Elites, Jackals, and Hunters are back, but there are new forces determined to destroy “the demon” (aka Master Chief) and rid the universe of human existence. While the religious leadership of the Covenant, known as the Prophets, have only been touched on in the novels, we finally get to see them in all their glory in Halo 2. The Prophets act more as the upper echelon and guiding force behind the Covenant rather than being warriors like the Grunts or Elites. Again, no spoilers, but we will say that they play a key role in all scenarios that Master Chief is involved in. The ape-like Brutes follow their masters with fanatical devotion which make them extremely dangerous. They can operate all vehicles, the make use of the explosive Brute Shot, and their charge attacks are comparable to the Hunter’s. Not exactly a walk in the park for Master Chief. Lastly, we have the lesser know “Drones” warriors that combine speed and the gift of flight to make for one annoying enemy. Referred to as “Buggers” by the UNSC Marines, what they lack in overall defense and attack power, they make up for in swarms.

Getting back to the original Covenant baddies, each of the three classes have few different variations. You’ll see Grunt leaders that wear different armor from the common soldier, and Elites have several ranks amongst them. Blue, Red, and Gold Elites are not the only ones that you’ll come across, and you better believe that their armor color means something! The Elites also have added a jump attack to their repertoire, so you’ll need to keep on your toes. Hunters pretty much stay the same although they do seem slightly more agile. Regardless, aiming for their fleshy innards will bring ‘em down.

The folks at Bungie have outdone themselves when it comes to the enemy AI in Halo 2. With Halo being known for having some of the most adaptive and challenging AI in a FPS, Bungie was determined to put things in overdrive for the sequel. Covenant forces will attempt to flank you and use the natural surrounding to their advantage. This is even more evident in the higher difficulty levels as Elites will perch on top of boxes to snipe you from a hiding spot, or simply use one squad to keep you busy while another one sneaks up from behind. Even the lowly Grunts have improved aim when sticking you with a plasma grenade. With the addition of the Beam Rifle, Jackals now have the ability to snipe you, and don’t forget about those Brute Shots! The savvy AI holds true during vehicle combat as well.

Locations

During the campaign mode you’ll encounter 15 unique areas that offer up a lot more variation than the original game. The main gripe against the original Halo was the repetitive indoor environments. To be honest, it didn’t bother us all that much, but regardless no critics will have little to complain about in Halo 2. We really can’t elaborate much on the locales without ruining the story, but you will begin in space as you defend Cairo station’s MAC-gun and soon after will head to Earth to help bolster the UNSC forces. Environments include war torn city streets, underground caverns, and a Covenant battle cruiser, just to name a few. The size of the environments are far more expansive than Halo in a multitude of areas. Basically, if you can see it on-screen, then you can go there. There is a nice mix of indoor and outdoor locations with perfectly implemented level design. Nothing feels thrown together and you’ll find everything from wide-open vistas to compact, industrial-like settings that keep the action fast and furious. The addition of destructible objects makes blowing things up all that more fun. See an Elite hiding behind an overturned truck? Then toss a frag grenade underneath and watch as truck explodes taking the sorry ass Covenant with it.

You Mean It’s Over?

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and so it is with Halo 2’s campaign mode. As we mentioned before the pace is so brisk and the story so engaging that most hardcore gamers will be glued to their couches from beginning to end. Unfortunately, on normal difficulty, this won’t be all that long. Halo vets can expect to get through normal difficulty in 10 hours or under. There are a few challenging areas throughout, but if you really want a test of your skills, move on up to Heroic or Legendary. We can attest that Legendary mode in Halo 2 might surpass Ninja Gaiden’s Hurricane Packs for most difficult game of all time. Not only will the Covenant have you begging for mercy, while playing split-screen co-op, if one teammate dies then you are both sent back to the last checkpoint. No piggy-backing your way around a level this time.


When all is said and done you’ll be quite shocked that the game is over and exactly how it ends. We sat their, controller in hand, as the credits rolled saying, “nah…that can’t be how it ends.” But alas, it was. After being able to digest the entire story for a few weeks now, we are a little less upset with the ending as we were initially. It’s a cliffhanger that already has us counting the days until Halo 3. No, Microsoft hasn’t made it official, but you can bet your life that we’ll see Master Chief again. The only question is…when?

Multiplayer

Multiplayer Xbox Live action is the foundation upon which the sequel to the Xbox’s most popular game was built. It is obvious that one of the main goals was to make Halo 2 THE reason to sign up for or sign onto Xbox Live. So, how do you divert attention towards a new FPS shooter, when many people have already established themselves on Live in games of the same genre? Well, being that Halo 2 is the single most anticipated game ever helps, but Bungie was smart enough not to rely on this moniker alone. At the heart of Halo 2’s online play is the rogue Party System that allows you stay gaming with your buds (or your clan) even if the designated leader bows out for some grub. What Bungie essentially set out to accomplish with the Party System was to replicate the exact appeal of what made Halo LAN party games so fun. There is simply nothing better than having a group of friends together for hours of uninterrupted multiplayer madness. This is exactly what the Party System is all about. You can check your Friends List to see who is online and invite them to join your party, or you can simply spam your entire list if desired. Once your party is established you can jump from game type to game type with no concerns of someone being kicked out or the nuisance of re-inviting and re-organizing when moving from a game of Slayer to a game of King of the Hill.

Another interesting multiplayer online structure to go along with the Party System revolves around the Matchmade games, which are essentially the ones that end up going towards a gamer’s rank; known as the Level System in Halo 2. Matchmade games are formed using familiar Quick Match and OptiMatch features, but do not allow players to select a particular server or “room”. Forget what you know about hand-selecting your game type and/or room and realize that Bungie’s selection of these areas for you is the way it is. The philosophy here is that the single most important factor of an enjoyable online experience is connection speed, followed closely behind competition of a similar ability; nobody digs lag, and I don’t hear too many people sounding off in the forums about how great it is to play against far superior competition. Halo 2’s network code looks at individual connection speeds to the host, but also evaluates this with respect to the clients within the game. This pretty much guarantees that, even if the game type isn’t your cup of tea, the connection will be rock solid.

Quick Match will of course throw gamers directly into a random game type, but with the best possible connection and similarly able combatants. OptiMatch in Halo 2 works off of what are called Matchmaking Playlists which contain general game type headings, but none of the specifics so commonly seen in this mode (i.e., number of players, map, variants, etc.). A playlist (which will be constantly updated by Bungie) entitled “Small Team” will include game types such as Capture the Flag, and Team Slayer, but the choice as to which type, and its variants is a crap shoot. You may, for example, end up playing an assault match in Zanzibar with friendly fire turned off and no grenades to start. Once again, you will have no control over the match in which you end up, but it’s all in your best interest. Not only will your connection be more consistent, but you will also sleep better in knowing that it’s about impossible to pad stats or cheat in the rankings with this kind of system. As particular game types grow in popularity, Bungie can immediately update the playlists to include fan favorites or even special tournament game types. It sounds kind of limiting at first, but once you experience it, you’ll wonder why anyone would ever want to scroll through a list of server names again.

Gamers will be ranked separately for each playlist (there will probably be seven or so up first thing Tuesday) and can also view stats for each. Levels are also included, which use some simple math to determine a player’s ability against other ranked competition. In essence, if you are killed by a player of lesser rank, then your level will diminish. Conversely, taking out a skilled player will send your level points through the roof. Those who are intimate with RS3’s ELO system will have a good understanding of how Halo 2’s levels work, and know firsthand of the frustration felt after being picked off by a FNG.

Quick Match will of course throw gamers directly into a random game type, but with the best possible connection and similarly able combatants. OptiMatch in Halo 2 works off of what are called Matchmaking Playlists which contain general game type headings, but none of the specifics so commonly seen in this mode (i.e., number of players, map, variants, etc.). A playlist (which will be constantly updated by Bungie) entitled “Small Team” will include game types such as Capture the Flag, and Team Slayer, but the choice as to which type, and its variants is a crap shoot. You may, for example, end up playing an assault match in Zanzibar with friendly fire turned off and no grenades to start. Once again, you will have no control over the match in which you end up, but it’s all in your best interest. Not only will your connection be more consistent, but you will also sleep better in knowing that it’s about impossible to pad stats or cheat in the rankings with this kind of system. As particular game types grow in popularity, Bungie can immediately update the playlists to include fan favorites or even special tournament game types. It sounds kind of limiting at first, but once you experience it, you’ll wonder why anyone would ever want to scroll through a list of server names again.

Gamers will be ranked separately for each playlist (there will probably be seven or so up first thing Tuesday) and can also view stats for each. Levels are also included, which use some simple math to determine a player’s ability against other ranked competition. In essence, if you are killed by a player of lesser rank, then your level will diminish. Conversely, taking out a skilled player will send your level points through the roof. Those who are intimate with RS3’s ELO system will have a good understanding of how Halo 2’s levels work, and know firsthand of the frustration felt after being picked off by a FNG.

Nearly as important as good connection speed and fair competition in FPS multiplayer gaming are the maps and Halo 2 has a little bit of something for everybody. Most of the maps allow gamers to utilize the new controllable vehicles in the game, such as Banshee, Scorpion Tanks, and Ghosts, which can be deadly with the right pilot. Extreme elevation changes, precarious spawn points which give no real advantage to either team (in team-based matches), and numerous ways to unintentionally perish are the norms for most of the maps. Map sizes fluctuate, but they are generally on the largish side. Lockout is the lone exception, but it does work well for Sword-only battles or Ninjanaut (a single, active-camo’ed “it” player against all). There will be around 11 multiplayer maps at launch, but you’ll have to figure out how to get a few of them on your own. The level design is expertly laid out with just the right number of cover spots, various paths into bases, etc. You cannot fully defend any base which adds intensity because you are always needing to make split-second decisions. As we mentioned, Lockout is a favorite of ours already because the action is so frantic, especially in CTF matches. Waterworks and Burial Mounds are awesome for large team-based play, but the true joy of Halo 2 multiplayer is trying all kinds of game types on all the various maps. For our complete list of “known” maps and a short description, click here.

The multiplayer HUD adds additional icons that help out tremendously. In team based games you’ll be able to easily tell friend from foe, who has the flag or bomb, or be able to track important waypoints. Even a white outline will show around the person currently talking. Which brings us to Halo 2’s proximity voice. Just like in the real world, anyone can hear you talk if within close range. As a player gets further away, their voice will soften. When wanting to talk to teammates only, you can simply press in on the White button to open up a radio channel. This way teammates can hear you regardless if they are on the other side of the map. It’s intuitive, it works, it’s fun.

Integrating game data with the Internet is something that we’ve enjoyed via Xbox Live for some time. The now defunct XSN allowed us to view box scores and arrange tournaments via the Web and keep tabs on friends and even bitter rivals. A few publishers like EA and ESPN Videogames have also integrated similar features for their sports titles. Now, just imagine getting all the same type of in-depth information, but for your Halo 2 matches! As long as you have an MSN Passport and an Xbox Live account, any gaming you do online in Halo 2 will immediately be tracked and listed on Bungie.net. Only your performance in ranked games (those in Quick Match and OptiMatch) will count toward your actual player ranking, but the system will still keep track of all your stats in arranged games as well. Full Xbox Live 3.0 support is also included to accommodate clans and track their performance as well. Clans can have up to 100 members although you can only be the member of one clan at a time. Various rankings and responsibilities are assigned for clan management as see fit by the clan overlord. Bungie.net is also offering Halo 2 clans additional resources on their site to create a private forum, their own webpage, and more.

Halo 2 supports up to 4 different players on one Xbox for online play. This can be any variation of actual Live account holders and/or guests. This is almost the best of both worlds as you can have 3 buddies over, log into Xbox Live and probably find an online match of 4 other gamers on one Xbox. Now that is replicating a LAN party! Halo 2 packs just as much action for non-Live gamers as you can play any available multiplayer game type via System Link. LAN parties made Halo what it is today, and you can expect the same killer gameplay for Halo 2. All of the options available for online play are there for System Link play, and you can still link up to 16 Xboxes together.

Of course, the sad news was that the campaign mode would not support Live or System Link play. We were keeping our fingers crossed until the final word came down from above, but unfortunately it was not to be this time. We do know that bringing co-op campaign online was a major focus at Bungie for many months until it became evident that it simply would not make for a top-notch experience. With huge environments, adaptive AI, and a lot more action than you ever saw in Halo, bringing this online would have been a networking nightmare in trying to synch the action. We know Bungie tried (hard), and if they say they couldn’t do it, then we believe ‘em.

To make up for it, the split-screen co-op mode has one lovely new feature. Those that own widescreen televisions will be happy to know that Halo 2 fully supports the 16:9 aspect ratio. Not only does this mean that you’ll enjoy more action when playing solo, but while playing split-screen co-op campaign the screen will be split vertically which allows each player to essentially have a full screen. Those gamers with traditional 4:3 TVs will enjoy the horizontal split-screen co-op action as before. Those looking to tackle the co-op campaign on Legendary difficulty…good luck! It took us an hour just to get past the second space dock on Cairo Station. That is just the first level!


If you can’t tell by now, we LOVE Halo 2’s online multiplayer! Yes, we’ll still get LAN parties going from time to time, but having the ability to jump online and find a competitive match within seconds is soooo nice. There is literally something for everyone and the vast game options add infinite possibilities.

The Collector’s Edition

If you’re a true Halo fan then you’ve probably pre-ordered the Halo 2 Collector’s Edition no questions asked. We all did. If you haven’t then chances are that you’re sh!t out of luck. For a measly five bucks you get some well worth-while extras including a “Making of Halo 2” documentary, a featurette highlighting characters, weapons, and vehicles that were eventually cut from the game, and a look at the audio production.

The “Making of” documentary alone is worth the cash as you get to see exactly how glamorous the life of development studio is. Ok, so we’re joking. It’s a lot of hard work, long nights, deadlines, and the expectations of millions of gamers; not exactly a stress-free environment.

The “Cutting Room Floor” section spotlights items that were axed from the final game such as the ATV Mongoose and the oft-desired flamethrower. No, it IS NOT in Halo 2. Aside from those two, you’ll really be surprised at a few of the character concepts. You owe it to yourself to watch the behind-the-scenes footage of Halo 2’s audio production. This could be the best sounding videogame ever and so it’s cool to see exactly how much work went into it. You’ll also get a look at many of the recording sessions performed by various big time Hollywood talent.

We’re guessing that they’ll be a lot of people wishing they had dropped the extra five spot to get the Collector’s Edition. Those that have…congrats!

Graphics

We’ve all seen the screenshots that made us drool for months and we’ve all been expecting groundbreaking visuals and stunningly sharp graphics based on those images. However, we must say that having played through the game those images were a bit higher in resolution and quality than those you’ll find during gameplay. Had we never seen such high-res images of Halo 2 prior to its release, our expectations would have been somewhat less, and we would have been easily amazed by the game’s visual power that blends well with the advancements in the gameplay. Halo 2 does support 480p resolution for high-def enabled gamers out there so the graphics are boosted slightly over standard resolutions, but even at 480p the visuals don’t live up to the screens we’ve “ohhhed and ahhhed” over for so long.

Before you get yourself in a tussle over this, we have to point out that Halo 2 still easily one of the best looking Xbox games to date, and when you take a deeper look at the action ensuing around you, it becomes clear that Bungie is pushing the hardware to its limits. Sure the screenshots we’ve seen so far are somewhat more impressive than you’ll see playing out on your Xbox, and while we can’t say we favor such “juiced” up images, we can assure you that the game still has powerful visual advancements over the first Halo. With so much happening on screen at once combined with the vast improvements in AI and the sheer scale of the gameplay, it is actually quite impressive that the visuals are as good looking as they are without hardly a drop in framerate and nearly no load times during and between levels. Remember all those long loading screens we waited for between levels during the first Halo? We actually got nearly halfway through the campaign before we realized there hadn’t been one noticeable loading screen during the game. The only time we noticed such a screen was after we had quit a game and returned later, loading up a saved game. Other than that, Bungie seems to have found a way to process the loads during the cut-scenes in a pre-loading sequence that makes the gameplay virtually seamless.

The original Halo was a game that boasted some powerful lighting effects and great looking textures that only got better the closer you zoomed in. Halo 2 is all of that and more, with even more advanced lighting effects (such as light blooms) that play a big role in the overall atmosphere of most levels. The textures are also more defined and detailed than before, and with the help of both bump and normal mapping, they pop out with much more prominence. The mapping system that has been implemented in Halo 2 provides objects with more suggestion of dimension and materials such as metal and the terrain cast a realistic appearance. The lighting is also greatly affected by this mapping system in that there is a lot more dynamic interaction between the light sources and the objects the light shines upon. The only problem we found with this mapping system is that there seems to be too much contrast on the faces of human characters. There were simply just too many dark shadows on the human faces, giving them a very plastic, fake look. This usually wasn’t much of an issue, but during a couple of the game’s cut-scenes it becomes very noticeable. On the other hand, the facial textures and models are better than before, so they are getting there and making progress, but there is still some ways to go before they nail it.


Speaking of characters, the models have been revamped and improved for more fluid and realistic animations during the game and the cut-scenes, which run on the in-game engine. Most of the character types look very good during the regular gameplay, and the armor shows off the benefits of the normal mapping technique we mentioned earlier. However, during some of the cinematic cut-scenes, some of the characters look less than impressive, particularly during close -shots that expose a few visual anomalies. In some cases the models look quite odd, but it’s hardly anything that takes away from the game itself. During actual gameplay, the movements and actions are very fluid so we can live with the very minor visual flaws. Again, the screens released prior to Halo 2’s completion really had us expecting a bit more.

Audio

Thank the maker for 5.1 surround sound! Halo 2 has stellar audio, and every bit of it pumps through with all the impact and presence of a big screen motion picture. There is no mistaking the game’s soundtrack; a perfect blend of orchestrated music and the almost Zen-like chants accompanying it. If any game on the Xbox is capable of producing a soundtrack that could hold its own against Hollywood it would have to be Halo 2. The symphonic compositions by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori have returned along with producer Nile Rodgers to put together yet another soundtrack that sets the audio backdrop for Halo 2’s action. The music fits the mood and action of the game beautifully, and actually helps control the game’s tone as much as the action itself. We’re not just talking about the main soundtrack or the music during cut-scenes either. The in-game music is dynamic and just as intense as any cut-scene which kicks things up a notch when the action intensifies. On the other hand, you’ll experience an almost unsettling tone while the game builds anticipation during the more dramatic situations.

In addition to the orchestrated scores of Halo 2, there are also a few tracks written and recorded by the rock bands Breaking Benjamin, Hoobastank, and Incubus. Each band lent their talents to the already impressive soundtrack by picking up the pace with their unique styles. At first, you might think, “great, Halo is selling out and becoming packed with licensed tracks,” but the cool thing is the songs by these popular bands actually blend quite well into the game. The Breaking Benjamin song in particular cranks things up at just the right moment, and the heavy guitar riff that begins to play at a certain point lets you know things are about to get a little hectic, and the adrenaline really starts pumping.

If you want to rock out to Halo 2's soundtrack, or if you're just interested in what you'll be hearing as you rip through Covenant baddies, be sure to check out IGN's Music Channel for their in-depth coverage.

Another great aspect of the Halo 2 audio department is the voice acting that also boosts the overall cinematic qualities of the gameplay and storyline. Returning to their roles in Halo 2 is Jen Taylor as Cortana, David Scully as Sgt. Johnson, and of course Steve Downes as Master Chief, just to name a few. Each voice actor does a great job of putting forth their optimal effort which really gives each character a lot of emotion and personality. A number of major stars (Michelle Rodriguez, Wilmer Valderrama, etc.) provide their voices to spice things up for Marine chatter. It’s that level of quality, personality, and emotion that helps draw players even deeper into the Halo universe by making them actually care about what’s going on to the characters of the game.

Rounding out the audio department of Halo 2 are the sound effects that include powerful explosions and weapon blasts that sound as authentic as possible, being that most of them don’t actually exist. The guns, such as the Battle Rife and the pistol, have all the subtle details most games seem to overlook. You can actually hear each round being disposed from the chamber while another loads in its place, as well as the rattle of empty casings dropping on the floor. This is a showcase game for how much directional sound can add to a game. It’s easy to tell which direction enemy fire is coming from when playing Halo 2 in 5.1 sound. All the other sound effects filling the air are equally as detailed, leaving nothing to chance. Halo 2’s audio is top notch, and deserves a standing ovation from gamers everywhere who are in for a treat.

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