Halo 2 Review

Halo 2 is a bigger, more feature filled, and much more polished game than the original Halo. It might seem similar to the original at first glance, but the already great gameplay has been improved and the level designs are much better. This is everything a sequel should be: Bigger and better in every way. Hype is a dangerous thing, and Halo 2 might not live up to the massive expectations placed on it, but it is still a great game that no Xbox owner should miss.

Gameplay

On the surface, Halo 2 doesn’t seem all that different from the original. The controls are identical and the game really does feel just like the original when you play it. This old dog has learned a few new tricks, however. You can now dual wield many of the weapons and actually use more than just one kind for devastating combinations. Also, there are a number of new weapons in Halo 2 including Covenant versions of rocket launchers and sniper rifles, among many other things. With all of the new weapons, along with the new (and awesome) energy sword, the single player game is a lot more exciting because you have lots more ways of dealing out damage. Another big change is that the health meter has gone bye bye. In Halo 2 you only have a rapidly recharging shield and when that is gone, you can only take a couple of hits before you’re dead. Since it recharges so fast, you can duck out of firefights and let it recover before you dive back in. The bottom line is that Halo 2 has improved the already excellent gameplay of the original and the result is the best playing FPS released for a console so far. No other console FPS is a smooth or controls as well as Halo 2 and that is why it is so great.

Level Design

One area of the game that seems to have taken two steps forward and one step back is the level designs. You cover a lot more ground and see a lot of different terrain in Halo 2, but the levels are still very linear. New pathways only open when the game wants you to move and alternate paths are nonexistent. The path you are supposed to take isn’t marked with glowing arrows like in the original, but it isn’t likely that you will ever get lost in Halo 2. One thing that is greatly improved is that, unlike the original, there isn’t very much backtracking. The game constantly is moving forward, and that is a good thing. Even though the level designs give campaign mode the feeling of a typical corridor crawl, the action in Halo 2 is what makes the game stand out. Each room you enter is filled with enemies and taking them all out is a lot of fun. There are also a lot more vehicles to use this time around and there are a lot of stationary turrets to use, which makes the game even more exciting. Also, allies are constantly arriving to assist you which is cool. So, basically, the levels are still linear and kind of boring, but the pure action in combat more than makes up for it.

Campaign Mode

Another area where Halo 2 is a bit of a letdown is in the story. It is good, but I think that the people who have read the Halo books and are well versed in the Halo universe are going to enjoy it a lot more than anyone else. It isn’t what you expected. It isn’t what you dreamed about. Heck, it isn’t even anything like what the marketing has promised. It is still very good, but it isn’t as satisfying as it could have been. There are some twists that will blow your mind, though, and Bungie went in a completely different direction than anyone could have predicted. One big issue with the campaign mode is that it gives you a cliffhanger ending. You expect another level to begin, but instead the credits start rolling. The game just ends abruptly. This brick wall ending is made even worse by the fact that the campaign mode isn’t very long. You’ll zip through it in just a couple of days.

However, despite any issues I have with the story, the gameplay is still absolutely amazing. It isn’t as satisfying and wonderful as it could have been, but the game is still extremely fun to play and that is what counts.

Co-Op Mode

Making its triumphant return in Halo 2 is the co-op mode. My favorite part of the original was the co-op mode, and it is back and every bit as good in Halo 2. There aren’t any Xbox Live or system link co-op options available, but it still works just fine with each player on half of the screen. There is nothing like the feeling of getting through a tough area or being in an intense firefight with your best friend playing right alongside you. Or the satisfaction from one person driving and the other person shooting. Or the evil laughs that come from sticking a plasma grenade to them or smacking them with the butt of your rifle. All of the annoyances with the level design or story are instantly forgotten when you can experience the game with a friend.