Halo 2 Beta Love -- Page 4
- September 10, 2004 09:26 AM PST
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No matter what game types are in the game, none would be any good if the controls weren?t spot-on and it is safe to say that they are and very much so. Movement in Halo 2 is extremely precise with strafing and targeting feeling even more natural than in the original game. Weapon selection is nearly instantaneous and the double fisted pistols allow you to go John Woo on your enemies.
The only real complaint we had with the beta was the viewing perspective. It felt a bit forced in the game as if the view was restricted unnecessarily -- almost as if we were playing with blinders on. When asked, Bungie told us that the development team had been playing around with different viewing angles during the course of the beta and was tracking them to see which one worked best for players.
Running around on foot may be perfectly smooth, but hopping into a vehicle takes some practice. The concept is certainly sound and running over an opponent can be satisfying, however in the beta the vehicle controls could best be described as ?loose.? This is another aspect of the game that Bungie is tweaking so what we saw is not likely to be in the final game.
We played five different maps in the beta, each with a different look and feel, as well as overall design. The aforementioned Zanzibar is probably well known to Halo 2 fans thanks to appearing in a number of demos. This beach map places one team in a fortified base while the other has to launch an attack from the coast. Because it is the most played map, it also felt the most polished. No doubt Zanzibar will be a player favorite when the game ships.
Lockout is set on a series of walkways suspended high above the air. Well suited for precision players, there are a number of shortcuts that can be taken by simply jumping from one walkway to another, but be warned -- one missed jump and you will be falling to your doom.
The Waterworks map is ideal for Assault mode as it places two bases at opposite ends of a large cavern with numerous pathways connecting the two. The size of the cavern gives plenty of room for vehicles to maneuver and the connecting paths ensure that there is always a need for defense lest an enemy sneak into your base unannounced.
Ivory Tower is a circular map that played best in Slayer mode. While there is an interesting center area with a raised platform that allows you to rain down death from above, the rest of the map felt rather bland. It?s not a bad map by any means, it just didn?t stand out from the pack in any way.
The last map we played is Midship. The smallest of all the maps, Midship is set on a Covenant ship so there is plenty of neon all around. The biggest draw here is the small size. When playing Midship you will constantly have bullets flying and an enemy is always in your sights. Hectic to be sure.
Waiting for November 9
Having spent a few hours with the Halo 2 beta, we are chomping at the bit to get a look at more. No one outside of Bungie has seen the single player game yet, nor has there been any revelation about the additional multiplayer maps. Rest assured, the final game will have more than five, but Bungie would not give up a specific number when pressed.
As to the question of a demo, don?t count on it. Bungie is currently hard at work polishing the game in order to get it out the door on November 9. A demo may happen at some point down the road, but according to both Microsoft and Bungie there will be no Halo 2 demo before launch.
While the unanswered questions are many -- we still have no word on clan support -- what we have seen is enough to assuage our fears and really look forward to this game. Barring any unforeseen issues, Halo 2 will no doubt be a huge bestseller this holiday season.
