Halo 2 Review

Halo 2

Backstory and Gameplay

Master Chief destroyed the Covenant in the first game (you DID play the first one, right?) and now they’re mad. They want revenge and have their sights set on Earth. And when everything looks lost, it’s time for Master Chief to once again step in and save the universe--or in the sequel, save the world. If you’ve played Halo, then you fit right in with the mechanics of Halo 2. Smooth first person action and intense fire-fights make the single player mode just as exciting as before. Unfortunately, some of the levels do get monotonous, but the battles you encounter help break that up. The AI of the enemies has improved. For instance, enemies now lay cover fire while they jockey for better positions against you and in some cases, the enemies now come flying over any hiding spot you may find. No more cowering behind a big rock while you pop out and shoot sporadic fire. They see, they come, and boy do they conquer you if you’re not careful.

Though the storyline is rather unimpressive, Halo 2 does have a nice little twist early on in the game that makes it interesting. But be prepared to fight the same kind of aliens with only a few exceptions. There are now flying enemies (which can be annoying) and a special multi-legged tank that can be a pain to take down. One of the best aspects are the areas you fight in. Since it’s on Earth, you can expect to fight in cities, buildings, and land that should be more familiar. But don’t let the familiar lull you into a sense of confidence.

Graphics

Graphically, it’s pretty much the same as the first game. There’s seamless play between actual gameplay and the in-game movies. The in-game movies use Halo’s game engine and it’s distracting because they’re choppy and slightly pixilated. But hey, at least the voice acting is decent. Battles are bigger and have more action going on -- no slowdown or pauses.

Vehicles and Weapons

Vehicles have even improved in this sequel of sorts. The Warthog can do super-power slides, turning more sharply than ever. The Ghost can do boosts, making it go faster, and the Banshee has an extra maneuver, making it easier to fly. The weapon system is slightly different. You can dual-wield weapons (mostly the smaller ones), but then you’re not able to throw grenades or melee attack. Okay, so it’s realistic. This means that dual-wielding comes in handy some of the time.

Multiplayer

Multiplayer is 90% of the reason you play Halo. You can play LAN style or online. The result is the same: getting fragged by your friends or that 40-year-guy eating Fiddle Faddle in his mom’s basement . The maps are plentiful and rich in detail, though sometimes they are just too big, especially if you’re only playing against 4 people. The level-design is nearly genius, easily beating the first Halo. And here’s nice little fun feature the makers have added: vehicle-jacking. Getting tired of your friend constantly running you over? Jump on the vehicle and tap B -- he gets thrown out! Then, jump in and the vehicle is yours! One negative of multiplayer mode is the exclusion of Bots. Sometimes, when you need to just wipe some players out, there’s nothing like a simulated robot running around screaming like a little girl. That’s how you spell satisfaction. But once again, Bungie decided to leave out Bots.

Review Summary

Halo 2 continues to impress. The large, replayable battles in single player campaign mode and beautiful multiplayer maps gives this game the ability to stand alone in the genre. The weak (though slightly interesting) storyline and monotonous levels keep this game from being perfect. But wait, there’s always Halo 3.