Halo 2 (Video Game 2004) - Halo 2 (Video Game 2004) - User Reviews

10/10

cameron-burn20 November 2007

Every new console launches with at least one killer title, but in Halo Microsoft had found one that would not only ensure the future of its fledgling machine, but raise the bar for games on every platform. This now-legendary first-person shooter even converted people who wouldn't normally look at a gamepad, winning them over with accessible gameplay, an involving story and the xenocidal charms of its protagonist, the enigmatic Master Chief.

Halo 2, then, is a sequel with no small amount of hype to live up to. Picking up very soon after the events in its predecessor, the game begins with humanity's worst case scenario: religious fanatic alien alliance The Covenant invades Earth. Reprising your role as the bio-engineered supersoldier, you begin by repelling boarders on a planetary defence frigate but soon find yourself on terra firma, skirmishing with invaders amid the ruined cities then pursuing a key Covenant figure back to their neck of the galaxy. Far more polished than the original story, Halo 2's plot line drives the action well and, thanks to the judicious use of cut-scenes, gives a deeper insight into the Covenant, evolving them beyond faceless cannon fodder and probing the reasons for their galactic jingoistic instincts.

Which brings us to the most significant change in Halo 2. After wading through the first few levels as the Master Chief, the viewpoint switches to that of The Arbiter, a disgraced Covenant Elite. Apart from coming as something of a surprise, playing as The Arbiter is a subtly different experience. Equipping you with the Elite's deadly force blade and Predator-like cloaking field, the Covenant perspective provides an interesting counterpoint to the human levels though remembering that the aliens are now your friends and shouldn't be gutted on sight takes some getting used to. The continuing narrative doesn't abandon the Master Chief, though, and you'll alternate from one side to the other as the story progresses, until the two come together in a final, satisfying synthesis.

The graphics, while not leagues ahead, have certainly been given a boost this time around, and the fiendishly addictive multiplayer mode now comes with added bells and whistles in addition to being Xbox Live enabled. Gameplay changes include the ability to wield two weapons simultaneously a welcome addition that rules out the need to retreat and reload, markedly changing the strategies you'll employ in the many ranging firefights. New foes, vehicles and weapons have likewise been added to the roster. Halo 2 isn't revolutionary by any means, but as the follow-up to such a sublime experience as Halo, it really didn't need to be. The sequel's achievement is to give a second helping of the most accomplished title on the Xbox, with just enough tweaks and polishes to make this experience as fresh and enjoyable as the original.

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9/10

My favorite game ever.

FoolyMagoolz6 May 2005

What worked: The action on this game is so intense and the production values and story is so great this could have easily been a movie. Playing this game on legendary with a friend is incredible. The graphics are possibly the best on the Xbox. And if you have surround sound crank this baby up, you'll be ducking and dodging at every bullet ricocheting off the wall. The level are incredibly huge! The missions with the SCARAB will have you looking at the screen in awe.

What didn't work: I wish the game would have spent more time on Earth fighting off the Aliens and I wish we could have seen innocents slaughtered mercilessly by the Aliens and why is this game rated M, most of the violence is against the Aliens anyway.

Overall: This game is possibly the best game on the Xbox. Recommended 10/10.

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10/10

Awesome

winged_loner5 June 2006

Halo is probably one of the hardest games in history to follow-up. But alas, after three years of waiting, the fans are finally served a huge amount of 'Flippin sweet' in this incredible masterpiece that shouldn't be even considered a game. Halo 2 creates a genre of its own. It's still a first person shooter, but there are so many things about this game that put it into this 'own genre' I like to call: Impossibly good. Its so awesome that it is nearly inevitable to play for hours on end just to beat your friend down for that one-millionth time in a multiplayer game. So what if the ending is a huge cliffhanger? The games story is so excellent and mezmorizing, its easy to forget about it. Awesome doesn't even kiss the feet of Halo 2.

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ULTIMATE FPS ACTION GAME EVER! *HALO 3 SPECULATION*

jarra_baron25 November 2004

Halo was a hugely original, unique game that offered an unprecedented method of playability to the gamer. Halo 2 expands in every way; graphics, narrative, character, accessories. This time it offers you the covenant perspective as you play another character, ARBITER; a disgraced covenant elite who must stop a rebellion in the galaxy; along with the consummate professional MASTER CHIEF as he vows to stop the destruction of Earth during the war. HALO 2 reeks of quality; nice fine touches of witty, purposeful additions to appeal to the hardcore, loyal players of the original; rock music used in the BUNGIE opener; Johnson and Chief at the awards ceremony; Captain Keyes daughter's introduction; the return of Blood Gulch in the multiplayer. Hell; this is so far the best sequel to a game ever. Ever!!!! Halo 2 is a sweeping; hugely epic adrenaline shot straight to the heart, with occasional cinematic breaks directed by the legendary Joseph Staten; of course the real battle begins when you clock the game on easy, normal and hard; and you find your way barely breathing through LEGENDARY mode. I can say that; as i have completed the game, it finishes comparably to the Matrix 2; you know there's going to be a third and it ends rather abruptly which is one of my main gripes; damn the excitement, this is not halo 2 but halo vanilla. A perfect consumer product that diversifies but never quite fulfills expectations as to the original. I would expect Halo 3 to ship in no more than 3 years time; rounding up the story with a thrilling climax; the end of a trilogy, the best FPS trilogy created by man...well, BUNGIE then (they're not quite human y'see) and if sales records are anything to go by it will probably be the best selling game ever. You owe your forty quid, your twenty hours time and infinite fun to BUNGIE; slaving away under fluorescent bulbs to perfect their craft! C'mon guys; the next step; TOTAL WORLD WIDE DOMINATION!!!

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8/10

A great game - albeit flawed

MovieAddict201626 November 2004

Okay, points must be made. HALO 2 has disappointed many videogamers. It was "the" highly anticipated game - more so than GTA San Andreas, which has had its predecessors close behind (2001, 2002, 2004).

HALO 2 is the first bit of HALO we've had since 2001. The previews looked extraordinary. The new graphics engine was supposedly "kick-a$$," and nothing we had ever seen before.

Well, okay, it's not the masterpiece we expected. Or is it? Okay, here's a few things to consider:

1. The high expectations are what cause people to dislike this more so than the game itself. If HALO 2 had been released first, people would be saying HALO "sucked" because they changed the weapons, etc. I agree that the weapons aren't as good in HALO 2 but that's probably got to do with the fact that I enjoyed HALO so much. If I had played this first, would I feel the same?

2. The graphics ARE extraordinary. The best I've ever seen on any console. The movies are great - I don't like the new/remapped characters such as the Covenant creatures in the opening sequence...but they look amazing and character details (faces in particular, and body movements) are more realistic than anything we've ever seen before. The opening montage shows a space ship gliding through space and it's much more realistic than the original HALO in which many battleships seemed to just be still images being screened in front of a back projection.

3. The game is not as freeroam as the original (as others have pointed out). This is a plus, and a minus. The gameplay of HALO 2 reminded me of that N64 game with the female protagonist (wasn't it DARK something? I can't remember. I used to own it and play it all the time, but it's been years since I've laid eyes on it!). It's got a very dark story going on and the gameplay (including weapons, etc.) reminds me very much of the old N64 game. It's NOT very much like the original HALO when it comes to actual gameplay. It's very different.

It's the ALIENS of the ALIEN series - it's meaner, faster, and different than its predecessor - for better or worse. I'm glad Bungie went somewhere new with this. If it had been identical to the original, we'd all be complaining. I don't mind having linear gameplay, because it's still a lot of fun.

Oh, and here's one more thing: The whole FPS snobbery thing is getting old. I've played tons of FPS games over the years - Doom, Unreal Tournament, AvP, Unreal, Goldeneye, etc. being my favorite. (I guess Max Payne is a 3rd-person. Bummer.) Admitting to loving HALO does not mean I have "not played" any other FPS'es. Frankly, I loved the endless abilities HALO provided - the intense gameplay, the freeroam, etc. I thought it had a solid lead character, good graphics, fairly good villains, and overall excellent gameplay. It was a unique experience and blew everyone away - myself included.

If you thought HALO was overrated, please don't blame your disappointment on those of us who enjoyed the game - it does not mean we don't know anything about FPS games. It simply means we have different taste.

Overall there are different things about this game I consider pros and cons, and to put them into words would take too long. Suffice to say it's both disappointing and extraordinary in various measures.

Gameplay: 8/10 Graphics: 10/10 Plot: 8/10 (it has much more actual story than many other games, even if it's a bit silly at times) Weapons: 7/10 (I'll admit it, I miss the other weapons but maybe these will grow on me) Vehicles: N/A (I haven't played enough with them yet - I am disappointed, however, that many of what Bungie promised is not here)

Overall: 9/10

I know this may seem a bit odd. I sound a bit disappointed in this game. Not really. Maybe a bit underwhelmed at times. But overall it's just very DIFFERENT from its predecessor, and this is the reason it's causing so much distress - it's very multiplayer-oriented so the first-player campaign won't take long to complete, but it's still a lot of fun and very different from the original HALO which is more than can be said for many games. (Unreal Tournament 2003 was an enormous disappoint - the characters were awful, the gameplay was boring.)

HALO 2 might disappoint some die-hard HALO fans, but they need to recognize that sometimes being different is better than just copying - we can accuse Bungie of many things but we can never say that they were content to merely rip off the original!

A very fun game that I'm sure will grow on me more with time.

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10/10

One of the best games of all time!

Spartan_23418 January 2006

I can't think of a single thing that's wrong with this game. Even Half-Life (both 1 & 2) can't achieve this level of absolute perfection. While the gameplay mechanics have mostly been recycled from the original Halo (and that's a good thing -- after all, it's not a very good choice to try to fix something that isn't broken, only to break it anyways, like many developers have done in the past with sequels), Halo 2 does add some new tricks to the already excellent formula to create perfect gameplay. You are a cyborg named Spartan 117 (AKA The Master Chief) that was one of many Spartan cyborgs that were built by Humanity in an attempt to win a losing battle against an evil alien race known as the Covenant. And I mean "evil" -- these aliens just started a war against the humans because they thought that humanity was an affront to their gods. All the other Spartan cyborgs were blown up by the Covenant while they were being cryogenically frozen. In fact, you are the only Spartan cyborg left, and Humanity's only hope. People who have played first-person shooters for a long time may not notice anything new in Halo 2's storyline, but who cares? There's probably no other storyline to use for a futuristic, sci-fi themed game that takes place in deep space.

Gamers have been sick of always playing as some kind of "tough guy" who can take 40 bullets to the head before dying. Yet, when games like Splinter Cell incorporate a "one-shot, one-kill" rule into the gameplay, they become frustrating for unexperienced players. While Spartan 117 can only take a shot or two before dying, he has shields that protect his body from damage. So, technically, you are another "tough guy" in Halo 2, but there's a realistic-enough excuse for it. Since your shields recharge to 100% a few seconds after you've stopped taking damage, there are no "med-kits" in the game, and there doesn't need to be any med-kits, either, since your shields recharge like that. This is a superb gameplay mechanic -- I haven't been sick of playing as a tough guy, but I've been sick of when you waste a med-kit or other object because, let's say, you had 99% of health and the medkit only restored 1% of health because it didn't want your health to go over 100, but you couldn't use the medkit again to restore 24% more health. What annoys me just as much is when you make a little mistake (like taking damage from a fall) and have to backtrack to find a medkit to restore your health. With the shields system, restoring your shields is as easy as them automatically recharging to 100% a few seconds after you made that mistake, and you also don't have to worry about wasting a medikit just to restore 1% of health.

Adding to the realism, Spartan 117 can only carry two guns at once. They don't have to be a specific kind of gun, they can both be anything you want to carry. If you want to carry another gun and already have two other guns, you must discard one of your weapons to make room for that weapon. I mean, Gordon Freeman from Half-Life can carry over 20 guns at once, a cliché carried over from the earliest days of first-person gaming, and that's just unrealistic. Another cliché that was carried over from the earliest days of first-person gaming concerned melee fighting. You could only use one weapon for melee fighting, which was usually a knife or brass knuckles or a sword, and they packed much less of a punch than in gun-based combat. Did someone not realize that you could swing the guns themselves at opponents, which packs MORE of a punch than in gun-based combat? Apparently, the people at Bungie realize that very well, because that's what you do in Halo 2 for melee combat. And that's realistic. Spartan 117 can't sprint, but since he moves at a fast-enough pace just walking, you don't need to sprint. Grenades are not handled as a separate weapon in Halo 2 -- rather, you store them in your left pocket to throw simply by pressing the left trigger, which is realistic, as opposed to having to switch to a separate weapon to throw grenades (as in Doom 3).

You simply pick objects up by walking over them. While this may be the only thing that's not realistic, it is appropriate for the fast pace of the game, where it would be somewhat frustrating to have to manually pick an object up in the heat of battle. The only exception to this is when you swap one of your weapons for another weapon. After all, nothing is more annoying than having the game automatically swap a weapon when you didn't want to swap it, or if it swapped the weapon you wanted to keep. In Halo 2, you press the action button to swap weapons. This allows you to switch to the weapon you want to swap, and decide if you want to swap that weapon for the new weapon you'll get. The game will tell you via a message at the top of the screen if an object can be used with the action button, so that you know what you're doing.

Such excellent attention to realism means that you will be immersed into Halo 2 for a long, long time. Other excellent features include some of the best graphics, audio, physics, and AI ever in a video game (The graphics are so good, I almost threw up when I started riding an elevator in the game). Only one thing is certain: If you don't play Halo 2, or if you don't like it, then there is something wrong with you. A definite 10 / 10 to this one!

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10/10

An Honest Review

generationofswine23 November 2020

Well, the handgun was a little less powerful in this wasn't it? But, you could have two, and that makes sense because anything as powerful as it was in the first game.... you probably couldn't control it to be as accurate as it was in Halo.

And, you can be the aliens too, and the final mission was a shotgun zombie kill fest, or at least close to the final mission (if I remember right).

What I am saying is that the game was SUPER FUN, a great follow-up to Halo, and, like Halo, really a game made for socially killing your friends for the sake of fun... and that is the appeal of FPS games... and it is also the drawback to the online style of play.

Online the other other players might as well just be NPC's, even when you can speak with them you don't have that feeling of the split screen and everyone in the same room shouting at one another and swearing as they are killed by people they are friends with, close too... you don't get that with headsets and online FPS shootouts.

I think Halo 2 was when online was introduced to the series.... but it still encouraged your friends to gather around one television and that is where the appeal is, the socialization, the REAL socialization. It was kind of like playing a violent board game when you did it.

Now with everyone online, it's like playing a video game with NPC's you can talk to... and that lacks the socialization, the bonding, the fun of the split screen shoot outs with friends.

I don't know, now when I play games like this, I do it single player, only because the fun didn't come with playing against people miles away, it came with playing against people in the same room as you.

To me, at least, it just isn't as much fun without that TRUE social element... and Halo 2 was the last of that era.

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10/10

11/10 greatest game to date

BigSexy7723 December 2004

on November 9th history was made over 2.5 million copies of halo 2 were sold on first day,2 million people on xbox live(doubled the original amount and doubled,amount of xbox's bought at video game stores,beat out the original,was called game of the year by many websites,created over 1000 LAN parties, and was the most anticipated game in history, and it also got the #1 spot in gamespy's best xbox game.The success of halo 2 is undeniable it has revolutionized both xbox live and FPS gameplay that has outmatched even Halo Combat evolved which was the killer app for the xbox and halo 2 is now judged by many FPS's which none have even come close to proving that they were better to no surprise and halo 2 was put to the test by sony computer entertainment(Microsoft's rival and Microsoft's owns bungie which created halo and 2)sony owned guerilla games which created killzone exclusively for the ps2(sonys video game system)which the media said would be the halo killer.It did not live to its expectations and fell short until halo 2 which proved that no game could challenge the halo franchise which was one of the best FPS's ever made and halo 2's graphics, gameplay, sound, story are nothing short of brilliant and halo was 10/10 now Halo 2 is cranked up to a 11/10

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10/10

Best Video Game of All Time

walthershunter31 March 2022

I mean what isn't there to enjoy? The story is nothing short of remarkable and gripping (especially with the anniversary graphics), the gameplay is super fun, the campaign is extremely challenging, which makes it satisfying to complete each level. They add a ton of stuff from the first halo to this one, such as brutes, dual wielding weapons, hijacking vehicles, etc. It is in my opinion, the best video game of all time.

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8/10

The second best sequel with some minor flaws.

johnnymacbest10 June 2009

I just finished playing Halo2 at least two times and it was great. Only reason I gave it an 8 instead of 9 was that it was felt unfinished and rushed as well as an unsatisfying and incomplete ending.

The first Halo game was something of a milestone of it's time as it reinvigorated the FPS genre in ways that were never before seen in the history of games of this kind. With that in mind, Halo 2 does it again with tight game play and graphics and a gripping if somewhat recycled plot.

The opening scenes of Halo 2 are simply impressive on the now-ancient Xbox hardware, showcasing very fine details in the characters both old and new, especially the Master Chief and Cortana, who looks even more refined then ever before. It's really rewarding to see how a series progresses into it's later stages; like the process of evolution and that is what Halo, Halo 2, and to a greater extent, Halo 3 (more on Halo 3 later on in a future review). Having recently played Halo 2 on Xbox 360, I can say wholeheartedly no system can do a game like this justice, not even PS2, at the time it was made.

Adding to the already stellar package is the game play, which is quite different the first time you play. For one thing, one of the most impressive features of Halo 2 is the ability to wield two weapons at once, doubling your firepower. Nothing is more visceral than taking down a squad of Grunts with two submachine guns without breaking a sweat. You can also adjust the difficulty' naturally I chose Legendary since I like my games on the hard side. Halo 2 may not have the same wow factor of the previous game, but it's new additions more than make up for it.

Character development is highly prominent with new characters such as the Arbiter, the Brutes, and the Prophets. The Arbiter is the coolest addition to the franchise, a warrior on a suicide mission due to failures of the past, voiced EXCELLENTLY by Keith David. David is one of my favorite voice actors around and he gives the role with dignity with a sense of honor. The voice talent is one of the best and most convincing elements of the Halo franchise and everyone involved does a remarkable job. Most of it is great but some of the death screams are a little generic and basic. While it doesn't hurt the game overall, it does make the game lose some of it's atmosphere and impact.

And for any Halo fan out there, one cannot fail to see the wonderful score composed beautifully by Martin O'Donnell. The man is simply a genius when it comes to composing music, especially for this series which has moments fraught with danger and suspense and blistering excitement. Martin does a great job of establishing the mood and atmosphere with mellow, calmness to dark eeriness with surprisingly effective rock music spliced between several moments throughout the game. A true testament to many acclaimed game music compositions.

But that's not all. Halo wouldn't be Halo without it's blistering action and this game does it in spades. Just like in the original, the level of strategy evolves into fresh game mechanics; most certainly as the Arbiter which was a blast to play. Aside from his alien heritage and stealth capabilities, he's Master Chief's equal. Since most players disliked the Arbiter, I actually enjoyed playing as him. One of my favorite moments was when you had to reach the Library to retrieve the sacred icon while killing hordes of the Flood through the ruins of Delta Halo. Really cool.

However, there are several gripes that keep Halo on being on par with Halo: Combat Evolved. Despite being a good game, the game feels unfinished and not nearly as polished as Halo. Enemies will sometimes just stand there waiting for you to kill them, taking some of the challenge out of the game. But the biggest gripe was the ending. I

just couldn't believe they ended it like that with so many questions and loose ends untied. Hopefully the next game, which I yet to play, ends the series with a rock-hard solid coup De grace.

Halo 2 is worthy of praise but it's somewhat unfinished feeling and cliffhanger ending marred it's potential.

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9/10

Been Playing Yearly Since 2004

theoriginalnickshow13 April 2021

I my self have played Halo 2 once or twice a year since It came out. My father purchased the Limited Collectors Edition at launch and I have watched the accompanying BTS DVD more than 13 times. I am a massive fan and still play without rose tinted glasses.

The voice cast is phenomenal which brings the script to the top. The music and sound design bring an epic score to this fantastic tale.

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10/10

The Sequel to one of the best games.

deavenger17 February 2007

Warning: Spoilers

Halo 2 is one of the games that'll keep you entertained for hours and hours.

You return as the Master Chief, who now has to defend Earth from the Covenant. Soon, you come across a new Halo which the entire covenant try to claim. You also play as the elite the Arbiter. He soon must side with the Master Chief and the covenant is being split into two.

This is an awesome game. The ending was disappointing and the campaign was a little short, but the new weapons, duel wielding, and the multi-player. It's still easy to learn how to play and the action is still non-stop. Plus, with all the cut-scenes, it's like a mini movie. Lastly, the graphics are amazing. The first was cartoonish, this one is nearly real life. This is for the top 100 games for all time.

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6/10

Quite possibly the worst FPS to have taken so much time to make.

johnyjoe26 March 2006

Take this into consideration: Halo 1 was a unique experience with an atmosphere unlike any game ever. It spanned huge environments with huge wars and intense free-thinking game play. The plot was movie quality, and the graphics were top-notch. It was full of mystery and

Halo 2 is an average FPS with average FPS guns and average FPS game play. It has puny battles on long (but not big) maps. The scenery is nice, but you don't get to travel it like in Halo. Then you hit the second quarter of the game, and you begin re-playing Halo with more guns and less freedom. The new additions to the game alter it so it becomes less of a struggle for survival and more of a run-and-gun Rambo-style mess of a game. Honestly, if this is the best game ever then gaming has lowered itself from imersive long well-written games to cheesy explosion-filled stereotypical high budget action movie rip-offs.

I got confused after playing Halo 2 and comparing it to Halo 1 (to see if it lived up as a good sequel), because it all didn't add up. It took them 3 years to write a plot that was pretty much "Good fights evil and wins... WITH A CLIFFHANGER YOU'LL NEVER SEE COMING that's pretty much just the evil getting away". It was pathetically simple, and everyone I talked to agreed we could have all written a better plot on our owns (and we did). So I looked into it. Turns out the original writer for Halo quit when Microsoft took over and started changing things, so then Microsoft hired a writer. All that writer had to do was write a plot that went nowhere and left the game open for another sequel and they were set up for more money than any game series has ever made ever. So looking at this game from a technical POV, this was a money grab, and man did it work. But I guess if you compare the game to a game like... Shadow Ops, it looks better.

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5/10

Alright

Johnothan11 November 2007

The game was alright but, It just gives me the same feeling as every other first-person shooter out there. To tell you the truth I like the old school fps games like the quake series better than these new fps games. I ended up playing quake for hours and hours every day, but apparently not with halo. The online play is terrible, there are all sorts of annoying, obnoxious, redneckish, idiotic, rude, etc. people. A kid 'bout 10-12 years old comes on and some, idk 20ish-30ish year olds, come on and harass the heck out of him/her. I am currently 20 years old and I am a university student at the University of Virginia and I like to play xbox and computer games, and I at least have some sportsmanship and even a life to not harass kids on video games! It just makes me wonder, where are these people going in life. Anyways,enough with the people, the multi player is fun when you and a buddy get together and play off a couple of rounds, there are many types of games including oddball, team slayer, slayer, capture the flag, king of the hill, etc. The fall back to the fun is that the game is glitchy as hell. There have been so many glitches like BXR and Double Shoot that would help being get those double kills and crap.

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The most aggravating cliff-hanger in all history, but it did not disappoint in any way

papajohn328923 November 2004

Halo 2, hmm....I thought I might try it out, I mean, I only spent 100000000 hours on the first one...

Anyway, this game is good. REALLY good. As a matter of fact, so good that if you have an Xbox and don't own this game, you should slap yourself.

I thought I might start on the story mode when i got it. Halo 2 begins with a ship orbiting Earth being attacked and of course, you as the chief, must save it. OK, and then you go down to Earth for a kick-butt battle (sorta) and then what? Well, the Covenant general in charge of protecting Halo is still alive, but he has been sentenced to death by the Covenant. However, the Prophets refute this death sentence and instead make him into the legendary Arbiter. Arbiter is the other main character introduced in Halo 2.

Chief discovers a new Halo and he is sent down to destroy it, and actually kills the prophet of regret, however, he becomes outmatched by the Prophetic Guards that guard the water pyramids. An odd creature captures him and Arbiter, so they meet for the first time. The odd creature transports them to find a key; he transports Chief to the Prophets' capital ship and Arbiter to a jungle area on Halo. However, the flood take hold of the ship and you are left to deal with both the flood and the Covenant Army. Meanwhile, Arbiter deals with the Covenant Brute Chief, Tartarus. Chief manges to escape the ship. Arbiter makes friendly with the general of Earth's army, a girl who I don't know the purpose of, and everybodys favorite character, Monitor (or Oracle, whatever). The game ends in a cliff hanger, Arbiter and the gang learn of the "Ark" from the Monitor and Chief zooms toward Earth to end the Covenant war by killing the final Prophet, the Prophet of Truth.

Yes, you do not end the crisis in Halo 2. However, I didn't beat legendary mode yet...(!!!) But anyway, I was sooo disappointed with the end, I ran to multi player. multi player online in Halo 2 is utterly so INCREDIBLY AWESOME I don't think that there is one word in the dictionary that can explain it. Let's just leave it at that.

Story: Ending: 1/10 Sniff, sniff Story: Other than Ending: 9.4/10 Co-Op- 10/10 Online: 10/10 because ratings unfortunately cant go higher... OVERALL: A+

Except for the ending.

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10/10

My favorite game of all time and easily the best game on any Xbox console.

arraychannel14 June 2020

That is a bold statement, but I stand by it. While the first Halo (Halo: Combat Evolved, 2001) is a masterpiece in its own right, Halo 2 took everything from its predecessor and cranked it up ten notches. The story, the level design, the graphics (Halo 2: Anniversary's cutscene graphics are only RIVALED by Red Dead Redemption 2's), voice acting, horror, humor, memorable moments... all of it is just so fine tuned. Sure, you'll find bugs and glitches, but those are what give the game so much flavor and shape the memories of people playing this game for the first time. Multiplayer is a blast, the story is downright incredible (especially for a 2004 game; this thing feels like a 2019 movie), and the stakes are the highest they've ever been. If you have never played this game, now is your chance. You're missing out on something perfect.

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9/10

One of the best games ever!

madhouse728 July 2007

I remember when everyone went crazy about this game so I got it. It has outstanding game-play and i was impressed by the storyline. 2-player and cooperation is extremely fun.

I was very astonished by the sound. It had a addicting noise that i had to hear over and over.

The thing that upset me the most was that it is a very short game. Also after an hour or two I have to stop playing, because it gets very boring. On the other hand, the game kept me going because the numerous amount of glitches.

Although after playing this game I was impressed. I give it a 9/10 A :)

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9/10

A Classic or Not?

ahifi1 January 2005

Warning: Spoilers

*Minuscule Spoilers*

Storyline - A fantastic piece of work by Joe Staten. Although at times it is a quite over-zealous plot, Staten works with it well so that you don't feel too alienated from the original. I have no grudge against the ending; it's an intentional cliché and leaves it on a nice cliff-hanger.

Graphics - Very Good. You don't really need to ask for more. Half Life 2 does beat Halo 2 hands down in the graphics department but unfortunately is just short of or on par with Halo 2 in every other aspect.

Game Audio - The guns sound excellent, it stays true to the original and when you melee something, it sounds good. From the reloading of the SMG to the crackling of the Energy Sword, it's very well done.

Game Audio Score - Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori have produced yet another masterpiece of gaming music and the music can only matched by the original Halo. The soundtrack was probably one of the most commonly seen stocking fillers this Christmas. It's epic at the right times, slow and quiet when the mayhem has froze over and when the mood of the music changes; you know if you are approaching a highly populated area of enemies or an abandoned area devoid of any life. You also don't pay attention to the music first time around, basically what every musical score should aim to achieve.

Voice Acting - Some of the best of the year. Because everyone else who reviewed the game has talked about the graphics and storyline, I will go into detail with the voice acting. The standout is without a doubt Keith David in his role. I can't say much about it, but due to his trademark deep voice, it'll be hard not to guess who he plays. Again, I don't think I could mark down the amount of superlatives I have for him after this role. Steve Downes is back as the Master Chief. This time Downes, plays the Chief with a little more attitude and maintains the steely voice which made him a recognizable and legendary character first time around.

The stunning Julie Benz captures the 'Keyes' attitude - without ruining anything - very well indeed. Tim Dadabo is back in marine form as the hilarious Coporal Perez who you will enjoy listening to as he takes the rip out of the covenant in Tony Montana style. He also brilliantly plays the returning little lightbulb 343 Guilty Spark.

Hard man Robert Davi is also in there playing a character simply named the 'Spec Ops Leader' and puts on a pretty noticeable role for what should have been a minor cinematic character. Another film baddie, Miguel Ferrer, puts on a more evil display as the Heretic Leader. Ron Pearlman is also in there in his role as Lord Hood, a role which he fits into very nicely.

David Scully is once again brilliant as the hilarious Sergeant Johnston, producing some of the most memorable lines of the game alongside Keith David. Try dying beside the Sarge and you'll be rewarded with some great lines. Jen Taylor is back, sassier than ever, as AI construct Cortana while Michael Wincott (intense voice as always - suits his character very well), Hamilton Camp (excellent acting as the Prophet of Mercy) and Robin Atkin Downes (video game voice over veteran delivers well) feature as the prophets.

Kevin Michael Richardson puts in a great performance as Tartarus while John Michael Higgins guest stars as 2401 Penitent Tangent (who I am sure we will see more of in the next instalment if there is one) and the ever versatile Dee Bradley Baker plays another character who I shouldn't say much about, but certainly does deliver his lines with reassurance.

There's also some great voice acting from the AI actors. David Cross stands out like a sore thumb and the constant pronunciation of 'Pinhead' from his Marine is quite funny during a battle. Orlando Jones makes a guest appearance as Sgt. Banks while Pete Stacker, Sgt. Stacker from the original and originally penned to play Sgt. Banks, is reduced to an AI sergeant yet Stacker really suited the role as seen in the E3 2003 demo of the game but still is easily recognizable to fans of the game.

Comedy fool John Kassir delivers some funny AI lines while mad Aussie Andrew McKaige returns even more trash-talkative than ever. To go with all of that, you have the seductive movie villain in the form of Michelle Rodriguez who plays one of the female marine models with a bit of attitude. Add to that the lovely Laura Prepon and you have one heck of an AI actor line-up. Also, the video game voice-over talents of Ken Boynton and Chris Edgerly as the Brutes, cinematic director Joe Staten again returning as one of the Grunt models serving up some hilarious lines alongside Brian Posehn. Finally, David Scully returns to voice some of the elites again accompanied by Norm Woodel who serves up some darn good enemy AI talk that'll leave you laughing as it reminds you so much of Arnie. You know this is a star-studded line up across the board when you even have John Hurt starring in the I Love Bees saga.

Multiplayer: If you have Xbox Live, why are you reading this?? One of the best online experiences, if not thee best. Even on system link and with LAN parties it's great. This game also MUST be played on co-op, it's a fantastic experience.

Conclusion: Although a lot could have been improved to make this game live up to the hype, it certainly doesn't buckle under the pressure. The original was evolutionary while this title is more revolutionary. Still, the game offers some of the best audio on the market with the acting standing out above everything else. This game is a must have for xbox owners. 9.5/10.

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8/10

I'm just re-commenting

jawsbites967 May 2006

I'm just re-commenting my horrible comment I did before. First, Halo 2 is AWESOME. Amazing game play and the graphics were OK. But anyway, I think I've made my point, now: For the following:

Gameplay-10/10 Simply amazing, it was so fun Presentation-9.0/10 All the basics Multiplayer-/10/10 Jaw-dropping multi player, very, very fun Graphics-8.0/10 Graphics aren't that good, the textures are pretty good, the shadowing is all right A.I.-8.8/10 They run, jump, duck, its pretty good, nothing mind-blowing Last Appeal-10/10 You'll want to redo the campaign billions of times, if you've got Xbox Live(TM) Your going to be playing this game until you, well, you'll never get off!

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10/10

a little disappointing

buddy91115 February 2005

halo 2 is possibly in the top 10 video games and i for one thought it was great i'd give it a 9/10.but here are the down falls on halo 2.

weapons-alright now I'm mad they changed the weapons on halo and i am very VERY disappointed!they took out a lot of my favorite weapons and they took out the fun of sniping because now they can snipe you.

another thing i was mad about was that "THIS GAME WAS TO SHORT!"this game took me two days to beat and I'm only a beginner at this game.it could at least take a week or two.

other than that this game was very exiting game play 10/10 story 7/10 graphics 9/10 and overall score 9/10 and halo 2 might have its down falls but other than that halo 2 will attract millions.

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10/10

Great Game ! Many people don't see it!

Astute_Althean16 May 2007

Every time someone talks about Halo 2 , they always mention how CE was better. I think Halo 2 is the best in the Halo franchise because there aren't many repetitive levels. Though it is short it is satisfying.

Graphics - Graphics may not be the best but is great. MC and Cortana look very good. But in the cutscenes there are some graphic pops.

Gameplay - Halo 2 has the most intense FPS gameplay. It is just superb. A job well done by bungie.

Story - Halo has a very deep story and when you finish the game you will be wanting more. I really loved each and every character in Halo 2, especially MC, Cortana, Arbiter, Prophet of truth, etc., Voice acting is perfect.

Overall - Halo 2 is a must have for shooter and Halo fans.

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10/10

The Greatest Game Ever.

excruciation13 July 2006

Warning: Spoilers

Halo 2 is THE first person shooter.

Every aspect that makes any video game good, Bungie have taken and perfected it in their latest instalment of the Halo trilogy.

Halo 2 takes place... well, everywhere. While the first Halo game was mainly limited to one ring-shaped planet, Halo 2 has the player travelling from Earth, to a Halo, To a Forerunner facility to the Enemy Homeland. This is part of what makes this game the best first person shooter ever, that it is unlimited in it's settings.

Halo 2 has the player in the midst of exciting battles using imaginative weapons and following a brilliant storyline. Anyone who has read the 3 novels (soon to be 4) or will see the film will know of Halo's epic storyline about a genetically-enhanced soldier's journey to save humanity from a vicious enemy, who are fighting a Holy war against the human race.

The single-player campaign of Halo 2 isn't long, but is dramatic and intense. It is is no doubt an achievement in gaming visuals. Bungie obviously paid attention to making the environments beautiful in order to enhance game-play.

The main problems with todays first-person shooters is that they lack depth, they're shallow. They can create a situation in which you must fire a gun to kill an enemy but they can't give the player a good reason to kill the enemy. Halo 2, using it's poetic battles, artistic scenery and spectacular storyline, gives the player a strong intent to stop the covenant (human's enemy) and save humanity.

This video game has inspired tons of beautiful artwork, masses of elegant poetry and endless pages of intense fan fiction stories.

All this... from one video game? doesn't seem possible, does it? Play Halo 2. And find out for yourself.

But i'm not done yet, because if the campaign of Halo 2 is the turkey, it's multi-player is it's stuffing.

Halo 2's multi-player has up to sixteen players fighting amongst a creative landscape, with 18 weapons and 7 vehicles at their disposal. You can choose to fight on an island or a train station with a sword or a sniper. And with constant updates courtesy of Bungie, the multi-player only gets better! From the inspired campaign mode to the intense multi-player mode, there is several reasons why Halo 2 is the Best Game Ever...

...at least until Halo 3 releases :-)

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10/10

Halo 2 was just a great game

The_Nature_Sage21 January 2007

Warning: Spoilers

I don't know why some people say this game is bad. It ain't. It was the best-selling XBox game ever. And it is good. You play as Master Chief (A green jumpsuit wearin' bad ass who says nothing but one-liners) and you fight against the Covenant (A bunch aliens) and The Flood (basically a bunch of parasites that turn people and covenant into zombies). You try to stop the Covenant from activating Delta Halo (the second Halo; a giant ring-shaped superweapon) which would wipe out all sentient life, thus killing the Flood by wiping out their food supply. The game's great, the multiplayer's greater, but the ending leaves you wanting more. A perfect 10 in my opinion. (Oh, and it's better than Killzone. Way better.)

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7/10

Its ending lets it down a little.

Pjtaylor-96-1380444 September 2021

'Halo 2 (2004)' picks up a little while after the events of 'Halo (2001)', introducing a couple of new key characters before kicking off the action again with an accidental Covenant invasion. It's worth noting that I played the anniversary edition as part of 'Halo: The Master Chief Collection (2014)', but that doesn't have a listing on IMDb so I'm reviewing this original version since the two games are only really separated by a new coat of paint. The piece adds a couple of new mechanics, such as the ability to dual-wield weapons and actually make use of the energy swords that the pesky elites use against you in the first title, and also delves deeper into the lore surrounding both the humans and the covenant. There are a few new weapons and vehicles, too. For the most part, however, the thing just feels like a slightly more mechanically refined version of its predecessor. That's not necessarily bad, since the prior title is so entertaining, but it does mean that the experience is a little bit predictable. The story is what sets it apart, really, as it focuses on a somewhat more nuanced conflict and explores the inner workings of the covenant. It's interesting and, for the most part, well done. One area in which it fails, though, is its ending. In fact, this is the biggest problem with the entire piece. It just sort of stops (apparently due to Bungie running out of budget), providing pretty much no sense of closure or, even, climax. This non-ending really dampens the experience as a whole, leaving things on a very sour note. Looking past that, though, the overall game is still very enjoyable. It also looks phenomenal in its anniversary mode, with its newly recreated cutscenes being a real highlight. Considering its age, it's no slouch in its original mode, either. I would've liked it to have a few more vehicle levels and to have actually had a proper ending, but it's a solid first-person shooter that's entertaining almost all the way through. 7/10.

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5/10

Overrated and unimaginative

slothy113 July 2006

Warning: Spoilers

OK, I know I'm going to have my head attacked by those creepy spider thing that are in Half Life and Half Life 2 err... I mean Halo and Halo 2. I get them confused because that part of the story line is exactly the same. Which is actually irritating. Seriously is Halo a bad attempt at remaking Half life? I agree with people that you cannot compare this game with early games such as Golden Eye on the N64.

Now don't get me wrong the graphics are awesome.

Gameplay is well thought out and make sense to the game.

Story is a complete rip off from half life except you can actually see whose behind the alien menace in Halo.

The one thing that both Halo 2 and Half Life 2 have in common is once you start getting into the game is when it's over. I was getting ready to fight on earth the game ends. Completely ruined the experience enough where I don't even care about Halo 3.

Overall level design is terrible. There are sections of space ships or tunnels where you go down a corridor to go down a similar corridor to go down a similar corridor to get to a room that looks like the other room that looked like the other room that looked like the other room. Sorry for that last run on sentence, but that is how both Halo and Halo 2 feel. Any original content is lost on me because I only remember the repetitiveness of these sections.

Now the multi player is great. If it weren't for bridgers, stand byers, and modders it would be a far better experience. This isn't the games fault it's the designers of the servers and those who run it. Half Life 2 was genius in making the steam network and having INSTANT bans. Not a "report user" and we'll do something 4 weeks from now when that user has 150 complaints. If you are cheating in Half Life 2 Multiplayer you are banned right away. They also have a separate area for modders so everybody can play how they wish. The multi player of Halo 2 is the only reason why this game gets a 5 from me.

I was holding off on Xbox because there were no good games for it. A friend convinced me to buy it and Halo 2 so we could play. I went a few months playing Multiplayer and then got into the single player stuff. I came to realize Xbox still has no good games.

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Halo 2 (2004 Video Game)

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