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Shoot, shoot, walk in circles for 10 minutes, shoot, shoot, evade fanboys, shoot...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 10 / 13
Date: April 23, 2006
Author: Amazon User

There are few games that get as much hype as Halo 2 ever did. Heck, some game systems don't even get as much hype as Halo 2 got. I remember seeing a line of people camped out of various stores in my area, 5 hours before they even closed, just so they could be there at midnight, or the next morning, to snatch their copies right away. Some of them brought tvs and their Xbox systems and played Halo's multiplayer while waiting. It was sad. Then, the game came out, and sold more than anyone expected. Heck, the game could've been released as a Platinum Hit, as it had well over one million pre-orders alone. While most people love Halo for the multiplayer, there was something very wrong that many reviewers didn't see past- the single player mode completely sucked. Level designs were poor, the game held your hand and told you what to do after each mission was completed, enemy designs were still lame, and many promises that Bungie made didn't make it. Remember hearing about how Master Chief could sprint now? That was scrapped. But I don't see what big of a difference that would've made. You may as well have said he can jump 2 feet higher now too. But, something else that "betrayed" gamers, was that Halo 2 pulled a Metal Gear Solid 2. While the commercials and even the game's box makes it sound like you're playing as Master Chief the whole time on Earth, defending the planet against the Covenant, that's only partially true.

Halo 2 picks up a little bit after the first one ended. Master Chief's back in action, and fronts the war against the Covenant on Earth in the country of Africa. The battle takes place in a now destroyed city (for the most part), and there's havoc about. Giant mech spiders walking around blowing stuff up, new types of Covenant, new weapons to deal with, and more. After you bulldoze through the first portion of the game, you'll learn something that no one expected- there's a second character to play as, and it's one of the Covenant. Apparently, there was ONE Covenant in charge of taking out Master Chief with an entire army at his disposal. We all know what happened with that by now, and it didn't fly with the Prophets (seemingly the highest ranking Covenant), and he's tortured. But in the end, he's used as the new Arbiter, and will restore glory to the Covenant. This, is the guy you play as for half the game. Switching between him and Master Chief every other level. Blah blah blah the Flood's back for more, blah blah someone's daughter is taken away blah blah, there's a traitor amongst the Covenant, blah blah join forces...yeah, there's a lot to the plot, but a lot of it seems like Bungie was going, "hey, I have an idea" and then the rest go, "sure, we'll use it, even if you only said 5 words there". But, I suppose it's good to get a FPS with some effort put into the plot, no?

There's not much to the single player mode. The newest, and most talked about feature/addition was being able to dual-weild: something that's been done in games before this one. I don't know what the big fuss was about. Sure, it's nice, but there aren't that many times when you'll really need two Needlers or pistols at once. The flashlight is now no longer manually operated- it shuts off when "it doesn't need to be used" according to some. I say it's lazy programming. The first few levels also tell you to watch out when your health meter is low, as if you couldn't tell without that. As Arbiter, you can go invisible...for about 10 seconds, making him seem like a total chump when you're hit and the invisibility goes away until it recharges for another use. Hijacking vehicles is kind of cool, but risky. Also, vehicles now take damage, but can STILL BE USED as long as you're alive in them. How about not being able to drive a Warthog after it's been blasted a few times by plasma cannons? My last gripe for the main game/overall game is that there's a completely useless "extra first person" mode when you click in the right thumb stick. This sets the camera inside of your character's helmet. But...isn't this a first person shooter, meaning that the view is already your own? What's the point of, and how can, you see even more with that? I don't get it, and it hurts my head thinking about it. But what you're all wondering about is how the multiplayer is- the main reason people play Halo. Well, this game came out almost 2 years ago, and the online following is just as strong as it was then. You can customize matches to your heart's content. It's almost silly as to how much you can customize. Some stages from the first Halo return, and there are even more to select when/if you get the Halo 2 Map Pack. On Xbox Live, there are people that dedicate all their free time to this game, so watch out. If you saw True Life: I'm a Competitive Gamer, you'll see that some companies pay the big dogs to win tournaments. That's how big the following is for Halo 2's multiplayer. Disregarding the weakness of the main game, if you buy Halo 2 for the multiplayer and not the single player mode, you won't be disappointed.

When the game came out, it was supposed to be the best looking game on any system. It wasn't. There were tons of pop-in textures that plagued cut scenes and during gameplay. But character models are in high resolution, have better textures, and some of the lighting is very good. The action almost never causes a drop in the 30 frames per second animation either. However, some levels look pretty weak- the last one in particular. The trees in that level look like mid-PSone life span quality. As for the audio, it's insanely good. Voice acting is average to good, sound effects are great, the explosions rock your speakers, and the music is well-heard. This -is- Dolby 5.1 as far as I'm concerned.

While this could warrant another review for the other version of Halo 2, you're better off buying the basic version unless both cost the same. The limited edition (which isn't so limited, since it's still in stock on here, 2 years later) comes in an easily-dented case, has an extra Covenant instruction/mission book, and an extra disc that goes over the making of the game, and could be seen as an apology by Bungie. They go on about how late they were on deadlines, how much people expected from them, and how the E3 demo level was basically just something to give the people while they struggled with making the game. I felt bad for those guys after watching it.

As you can tell by the review, and the rating, I'm no Xbox/Halo fanboy. I liked the first game ('gave it a 4/5), and loved the story. Here, everything just seems like a step back, aside from the multiplayer. I mean, when every level's rooms look the same and you're walking in circles for 10 minutes, it makes you wonder how much they shelled out for a decent mapping programer. Here's hoping that Halo 3 takes the good from the previous two games, and doesn't make the same mistakes as Halo 2 did. And hey, maybe it'll have an ending!

Cliffhanger ending? Only half a game here!?!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: November 12, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I don't believe this! I was just getting into this game & the credits started rolling! I was on my way back to Earth,getting excited & anticipating the most awesome battle & then the friggin credits started. And then after the credits were finished there was a scene of Cortana talking to the Elder God from Soul Reaver. I'm not kidding,it looked just like Audrey II,the plant from Little Shop Of Horrors & spoke like the Elder God from Soul Reaver. WTF???
The game was awesome up until that point. I only have 3 complaints;
1. The cliffhanger ending,I hate cliffhangers!
2. The Elder God rip-off from Soul Reaver.
3. Not enough places to use vehicles.

I haven't played the multiplayer game yet so this is only about the 1 player campaign. I would have given this game 5 stars if that cliffhanger ending didn't piss me off so badly. It feels like they only released the first half of the game & we're gonna have to wait another 3 years (or more) to see the second half. I hate when they do this crap. This is gonna piss a lot of people off!!!

Halo 2 is merely an extention of the first

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: November 17, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Halo 2 is an excellent game, there's no doubt in that. The core of the game still remains the same as the original, making it almost impossible to take a step backwards. The thing to think about here is how have the changes and improvements affected this game over its predecessor.

For campaign mode the story is not quite as captivating as the original. In addition you need to have it on Heroic for any type of challenge. And, as many other reviews have said, the game is simply much shorter than the previous (the cut scenes graphically were a little dissapointing too). However, the game is really entertaining. The maps are much more detailed, there's more variance in the layout between checkpoints. They did a pretty good job in making the layout not as repetitive. Plus the scenery is pretty interactive and makes you do a lot more cool stuff to accomplish a mission.

Weapons as well have changed a lot. They have increased the types of weapons, as well as improving ones that used to suck (the needler) and taking away some power from the pistol. The much talked about dual weilding is defiantly a nice advantage. It takes a little getting used to know how to use it best and the best combinations of weapons. Although people have complained about the fact you can't throw grenades while using it, it's more realistic (you do only have two hands). So they've made it a powerful tool, but they didn't want it to be unstoppable. Basically it seems like they've leveled the playing field more and although you may be disappointed because something isn't as dominate as before or than you thought it would be, ultimately it's for the better.

Same thing goes for vehicles: you have more to choose from, with different advantages, but they also made each a little more vulnerable and less unstoppable (the rocket launcher lock helps tremendously from the last game).

The multiplayer part of course is amazing. Looking past some minor faults (not all maps are good, the energy sword is too dominate here, etc.) this part really makes the game a cut above anything else.

The limited edition version here only really provides an extra DVD with the making of (which is interesting but not really necessary... you could easily have a friend tell you the stuff on there that's worth knowing). Besides that and the metal case, it's the same. It's really up to you weather $10-15 bucks difference is that big of a deal for you, cause it's not that big of a difference.

Bottom line: Halo 2 is a great game. It's definitely a lot of fun and very enjoyable. It's a little disappointing because the original Halo was such a huge difference from anything out there and I think everyone was expecting Halo 2 to do the same. Unfortunately, it didn't make any drastic leaps that leave you stunned, but maybe (besides living up to the hype) it didn't really need to be. What it did do was make a lot of tweaks, to try and improve on something that was already incredible. You have to praise Bungie for trying their best to please everyone. In the end the hype may have been too much, but don't let it deter you from enjoying this great game.

Shockingly Unimpressive

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: December 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I played through the first Halo about 20 times (a half-dozen on Legendary), read through the 3 Halo novels, and organized multiple Halo LAN parties. I was all psyched for Halo 2 to continue the fantastic story of Master Chief ...

... that is, before I actually started playing Halo 2.

After some 275+ reviews here on Amazon, people have pretty much covered all the bases. I'll just say that, after three whole years, a hardcore Halo fan such as myself was STILL regularly playing Halo 1's campaign and multiplayer. That gives you an idea of just how immersive and addictive Halo 1 really was.

So it speaks volumes that it took me only one week (just one frickin' week!!!) to stop playing Halo 2. Man, what a disappointingly average game. There's simply nothing gripping about it.

Beautiful Graphics, Awesome Music, Great Cinematics, Enthralling Game Play...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: May 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Halo 2 is a masterpiece. The game boasts absolutely stunning graphics, especially during CGI movies, an absolutely amazing soundtrack, humorous dialogue (especially from the marines and grunts in-game) and very fun game play. The only problem with this game is it is very difficult when you do not play on easy mode, but if you play on easy or co-op then the game should not be too overly difficult. The game is not actually all that bloody either, and is very fun to play on Xbox live or against 3 friends.

HALO 2 is like a drug

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 14
Date: November 10, 2004
Author: Amazon User

a week before this game came out i told my friend that on november 9th i will fail out of school. he asked why. i told him HALO 2 is coming out and im going to play it for a week straight. what i said is happening. this game has so many things better then the first halo that i just cant stop playing. its got the dual guns which i think is so awesome. and the new aliens are so cool. i like the fact that its on earth an a city block it make you feel more comfortable when im playing. i would write more but i have to go play right now. if you have xbox buy halo 2 now because it wont be in stores for another 3 months. BYE BYE and have fun playing HALO 2

Way to Short

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 9 / 12
Date: November 13, 2004
Author: Amazon User

The game is really fun, but you'll be through it quickly. My guess is that in actual play time, from start to finish, this game is less than half the length of the original Halo. I feel that many loyal fans of Halo will feel betrayed by this undersized sequel.

Game of the Year, yet not quite perfect.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: March 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Wow. This is the best game of the year, with little competition. GTA got nothing on this!!!

Graphics: 9.5/10 Awesome graphics, but some of the environments may look a little washed out at times.

Sound: 10/10 Probably the best voice acting I've heard in a game, with the possible exception of GTA's Samuel L. Jackson. The guns sound incredible as well.

Gameplay: 9.5/10 Short but sweet. Very sweet. The only thing keeping me from giving this a 10 is that the main campaign is a little too short. I beat it in a total of about 7-8 hours. Do yourself a favor and get Xbox Live. It will double the game's replay value.

Overall: 9.5/10 The best game of the year, the only rival in my opinion is Ratchet and Clank. Pick it up, you won't be disappointed.

Good for about 6 hrs.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: November 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I own just about every system and I would say am only a fan-boy of good games not of systems. This game was good and I enjoyed it, but I also think it is just down right negligent to give any game you can beat in 6 hrs (while literally walking through the last levels) a 10 out of 10. I really, really wish gaming magazines would address the overly short gaming problem for what it is no matter what franchise they are reviewing. Here is my review:
Pros
1. A really solid story (except for the ending and some plot holes).
2. Great addictive gameplay augmented by cool weapons.
3. I really enjoyed being the arbiter, even more than being Master Chief.
4. Some of the vistas in this game are really breath-taking and add a feeling of urgency to the mission at hand.
5. Minimized combat with the Flood (they are really just annoying gun fodder compared to the Covenant).
Cons
1. Way to short. I am really done with games that are over just when you are beginning to enjoy them.
2. This game looked way better in pictures. It still looks good, but I was expecting better. (What is up with the Brutes looking like overweight country bears instead of their original gorilla-esque design?)
3. Not much else to do except shoot at enemies or drive. Other than a few new enemy types (snipers & drones) it is the same as Halo 1.
4. The AI is over-hyped (In order for my AI comrades to be smart enough not to walk out into sniper fire I have to sacrifice my own shield strength?).
5. This game still has incredibly repetitive level design. There are still millions of pointless corridors and long drawn out chases.

I am truly disappointed

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 12 / 19
Date: November 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

We played the first Halo as often as possible-- easily logging thousands of hours since the first release. Every weekend, at night during the week through system link-- I know everyone gets the picture. We were so amped up about Halo 2 because of the thought of new maps, some new guns, vehicles. We so eagerly anticipated the game, we pre-ordered it through a gaming company in Austin and waited in line at Midnight to get it.
My best friend is an engineer and I am a builder- we dont play any other games on XBox, nintendo, PS2-- nothing- We would NEVER consider ourselves gamers excpet for this game. we decided to take off work on Tuesday (Nov 9) and play it late and the next day. we got home and popped it in and to be honest, it didn't take long to realize that Microsoft Kiddie-ized the game. The guns took a huge dive for the worse. You can't hit your opponent in the back of the head to kill him like you could in the first, the maps are cluttered. The new game engine takes away from the what Made Halo 1 so awesome.

To put it in nutshell-- it is not any different than the other shooter games. Halo was technical, and required strategic planning and skill-- this is more like a Star Wars video game. Way too many stupid weapons that dont kill anyone-- the pistol is still here, but its worthiness is gone. Over all, It is a huge disappointment-- we actually went and ran errands today instead of playing it all day like we planned. We even looked to see if anyone was still playing Halo 1 online. We both agree the game is neat, but it Ain't Halo-worthy. It is not a total loss-- My 8 year old will love it. I don't think I will find myself wanting to Play Halo2 like I do Halo1. It is too Hollywood for us.

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