Halo 2

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.

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.

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.

I was a big halo 1 fan, I loved the game loved the story and thought it was amazing. Halo 1 was defiantly the golden-eye of next gen. But is halo 2.

GAMEPLAY 8/10 - Gameplay was fun a big improvement from the last game in every way. But nothing really new was added to the game play making it pretty much the same thing just more crafted. But it was still fun and I enjoyed it. Even though it was very repetitive just like the first game. and there really wasn't much to the game play besides killing mindless aliens.

GRAPHICS 9/10 - Graphics where well done, a big improvement from the first game considering the fact that both where made for the same system. All the models and textures where well done. Defiantly well done.

STORY 4/10 - Stroy, here is where the game loses its points. The story was rushed. The first game was simple and full of surprize's. Halo 2 added all these new creatures and all these new halo rings and characters that didn't really fit. The game didn't really have a ending and if it did it sucked. Also because the story lacked the levels lacked and you didn't really know what you where playing for. Also the game is WAY TO EASY. The first time through can take an average person under 10 hours no problem.

Muilty player 10/10 - Muilty player was defiantly an improvement from the last one. IT fixed up all the problems with the last one and made it 10 times better. This is the only reason people will play this game after they beat it.

OVERALL 7/10 - I know I gave a lot of it good reviews but I still feel like there was something missing in this sequel. Something that the first game had and this game doesn't. People always think that if it has good graphics it makes it a good game, there wrong its game play and the game play was to much of the same. The first game was repetitive and this game was pretty much the same as the first but better graphics.

and story is an important part because it motivates you to beat the level and helps you know what your playing for. But the only reason people beat this game was hoping the story would get good, or just to tell there friends they beat HALO 2.

Halo 2 is Not flawless/Perfect! Don't get me wrong it is a great game but it is what the first halo should of been. I am going to point out what I mean, 1.In Halo marines couldn't drive so you couldn't be in the gun turret, 2. You couldn't blow up the warthog and scorpion, 3. you could only hold 1 weapon, 4. The graphics weren't that good, 5. there are not many weapons and 6. the game was short having only ten levels.

Lucky there is halo 2 that solved all these problems expected for being short. Some good points are: 1. You can be an elite, 2. New aliens, 3. New Vehicles and 4. New weapons ( some old ones are replaced the assault rifle is now the battle rifle with a scope, the pistol is now the magnum with no scope).

I will stop going on about how good or bad it is and get down to it. Story: The story is great so much happening at once The Covenant is invading Earth so it's up to master chief to stop them and then he finds out that there are trying to activate another halo (there are seven halo's in total). It kinda feels like the first halo was a waste since you destroyed one halo when there is seven. 9/10

Graphics: The graphics are the best I've seen on a xbox to date. They are really detailed and look like they have had a lot of time put into them. 10/10

Audio: The Audio is the best I've heard on an xbox to date. 8/10

Controls: The Controls is the same as the first which is good but with some new buttons (Locking on enemy vehicles, holding two weapons etc.). The controls are easy to learn which is good too. 8/10

Conclusion: Halo 2 is excellent and is worth buying, it maybe short but you would want to play again, with co-operative it is good, it is great on xbox live too but you shouldn't buy this game until you have the first or have finished the first. Overall: 9/10