Halo 2: Halo 2 Review

Halo 2 Review Xbox

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Halo 2 Review

Certainly one of the most anticipated games of 2004, Halo 2 hit store shelves with a bang. But how does it compare to the original Halo? What changes from the original Halo have been made? And, finally, is it a must-buy or a should-rent?

Let's begin with graphics. "Wow!" is probably the first thought that will come to your mind when you see the graphics in Halo 2. This game takes advantage of way more of the Xbox hardware than its predecessor. Running around in the campaign is much more immersive than it was in the original. Halo 2 features a complete overhaul of the graphics engine (if not a total rewrite), making this view of galaxy of the future look like it must have come from the future itself.

Numerous changes to the engine add up to its overall brilliance. First, Halo 2 features a separate cinematics engine that shows greater character and environmental detail and better lighting effects than the core engine without much drop in performance. This is not to speak badly of the in-game engine, which itself runs absolute circles around the original. Bump-mapping is used extensively to great effect, turning what would otherwise be well-textured but flat terrain into a realistic environment. The Master Chief's flashlight works a little differently, too, and only shows even more the quality of the bump-mapping.

One of the less considered aspects of the graphical appeal of a virtual world is its sky. Where Halo featured stretches of blue sky (as well as the almost disturbing view of Halo itself wrapping around), Halo 2 displays rich, detailed sky environments, often depicting large and clear mountains, buildings, etc. The overall effect is that it makes you feel like there really are other places you could get to; the levels no longer feel so isolated.

A big concern in Halo was that the campaign levels had a large degree of stylistic repetition. The Covenant ship had a very uniform appearance and Forerunner installations, while simultaneously strangely alien and eerily familiar, were still unvarying in general design and tone. Halo 2's stomping grounds are much more diverse in form and atmosphere, from almost Mayan jungle ruins to the sandy streets of an Earth metropolis, from dark, snow-covered mountain passages to an ancient Forerunner installation hovering precipitously over a huge orange storm. Monotony eliminated.

The game feels about as long as Halo, but don't hold me to that. Everyone plays games differently, so your mileage may vary. There are a few more levels in Halo 2 than the original, each a fair bit shorter than the marathons (pardon the pun) of Halo. Levels are often in pairs, transforming what would have been a monster mission in Halo into a well-partitioned one, allowing the designers to offer two different level styles in the same environment.

Exploring Halo 2 becomes even more fun in a vehicle. Classics from Halo return, including the Warthog, Scorpion, Ghost, and Banshee. A new Covenant vehicle is found in the game called the Specter, and it is something of an analog to the Warthog. Also, now you can pilot the Wraith, that smooth Covenant mortar tank. A feature new to Halo 2 is the ability to steal vehicles from your enemies. See that Ghost coming at you, weapons blazing? Hold X at the appropriate time, and its yours, courtesy of one of a few takeover animations (perhaps a swinging kick knocking the poor Elite off the side). Occasionally, enemies will also pull this on you, making it more important to fly and drive smart. Covenant vehicles now also feature a boost feature allowing for increased speed at a cost of temporary weapon lockdown and maneuverability.

Of course, important auxiliary characters in a game like Halo 2 are its weapons. There is a good mix of old favorites, reworked classics, and new toys. Perhaps the most striking change is in the assault rifle, which is no longer present in its old form; instead, it has been replaced by the battle rifle, an accurate, zoomable, burst-fire affair. It doesn't really fill the role of the assault rifle, but rather transforms it. A more direct descendant of the assault rifle is the new sub-machine gun (SMG), fast-firing and deadly at close range. The pistol has been downplayed significantly. It can no longer zoom, and it just doesn't feel quite as powerful anymore. Other human weapons, such as the sniper rifle and the rocket launcher, come back more or less the same, though the rocket launcher's new vehicle lock-on feature levels the playing field for heavy infantry.

Covenant weaponry has also seen some changes, but mostly additions. Like its human counterpart, the plasma pistol has been altered to have a lower maximum rate of fire, but it still packs a punch. The plasma rifle is essentially the same, and has an alternate form featuring faster fire and slightly more power at a decrease in heat efficiency. The needler is back with a larger clip and somewhat better tracking. Halo 2 also features new Covenant weapons, including a sniper rifle that doesn't have to be reloaded (but still runs out of ammo after about 20 shots). Another notable addition is the Brute Shot, something of a grenade launcher that takes a bit of getting used to. The Covenant carbine mirrors the battle rifle in a sense, and many players will rejoice over the inclusion of fuel rod guns and energy swords as useable weapons.

As a final note on weapons, a new feature in Halo 2 allows you to dual-wield the smaller weapons. The list includes the human and Covenant pistols, the sub-machine gun, the needler, and both plasma rifles. If you possess any of these weapons and come across any other on the list, you can pick it up and mow down enemies even faster; one particularly effective combination is a plasma rifle and a sub-machine gun, pairing the Covenant shield-drainer with the human lead-slinger.

Ah, but what good are weapons without targets? Halo 2 has better enemy (and friendly) AI than its predecessor, so many fights get a lot more interesting when there are just a few obstacles on the field. Covenant troops include new ranks and upgrades to the old. Whereas in Halo a skilled player could effectively take out a Hunter or two in melee, their tactics have changed to make this option not effective. The new Covenant forces, the Brutes, which are large, gorilla-like hulkers, and the Drones, insect flyers that always attack in a small swarm. Other old favorites are back with new forms, abilities, and tricks.

Then there is the audio dimension of the game. Halo 2 shines even more once you include this aspect. From the still-powerful sounds of gun- and plasma-fire, the grunts of alien foes as they fight and die, and the whines and roars of the numerous vehicles to the environmental sounds and the levels' well-toned music, Halo 2 sings with aural delights. Whether the Master Chief is reinforcing human lines to a crisp marching drum crossing the modern military with tribal power or clearing a Covenant-infested ravine with triumphant rock styles, the game's "background" music fits the situation with a depth few games have achieved.

Unlike Halo, Halo 2 takes the fight online with Xbox live compatibility. This feature takes the fun of a LAN party and makes it available anytime. In contrast to most online-multiplayer FPSs, you don't just pick a game and join. Instead, you have two choices: go it alone and get randomly thrown into a game featuring players of your approximate level in an also-random set of game options defined by game types (slayer-based, team-based, etc.); or gather a group of friends (on one Xbox or across the world) and stomp through games as a team in still-random games but knowing who is on your side each time. There also exists the option to make a private game and invite friends, allowing you to set exactly what your multiplayer experience will be like in terms of shield strength and whatnot. Also, unique to your player is a custom-made mark, based on one of a few dozen of base symbols and enhanced by choice of color and background style (gradient, circle, bars, etc.) You will probably never run across the same mark being used by two players.

Local multiplayer options have also been increased. The ability to create custom game modes remains, with some increased setting possibilities and entirely new possibilities, like rounds: the game is won by the person/team who wins the most rounds of whatever-the-game-is. You can also take these game types online when running your own private game. A great variety of multiplayer levels and customization remains. In Halo 2, instead of choosing a basic weapons set, you can specify exactly what weapons the players start with, including the options of map default and random. You can also change what weapons spawn on the map. These same options exist with vehicles, allowing you to specify two light and one heavy vehicle, go with map defaults, or let the rotation be random.

With all said and one, this game is really awesome. If you didn't like Halo, this game may have fixed the flaws you disliked, and maybe it hasn't. Either way I'd suggest those who didn't care for the original to at least rent Halo 2. For those who thoroughly enjoyed the first game, I recommend buying this one. Probably there will be one or two minor changes that will get on your nerves or take some getting used to, but more than likely they will be swept under the carpet of the swath of new features and abilities. Any gamer, even one who dislikes FPSs, is missing something by not at least looking at this game. So give it a try, see what you think, and cross your fingers for Halo 3.