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Xbox | Action | Halo 2

Boxart for Halo 2
Halo 2 131 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 4.5
  • SOUND: 5.0
  • CONTROL: 4.0
  • FUN FACTOR 5.0
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.7
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.8
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Review: Halo 2

Review by Wes Nihei | 12/20/2004 | 12:22:56 PM PST

Halo 2's a winner, but it's also a set-up for Halo 3. Compelling online gameplay may well be its ultimate legacy.

Halo 2 is finally here, so let the fun commence. It's hard to imagine that any Halo fan is not going to be thrilled with this next chapter in the adventure. No doubt every one of them will be compelled to play through the game at all four skill levels. How many games can make that claim? Halo 2 takes a formidable action legacy and adds a new arsenal, extended storylines, and a multiplayer online challenge.

Armed and Ready

Halo 2 picks up more or less where Halo left off. The Master Chief is onboard a battlestation in orbit around Earth and being outfitted for duty. When Covenant capitol ships materialize in the vicinity, the fireworks begin and do not let up!

The gameplay carries over the spot-on console first-person-shooter action from the first version. What's fresh is the firepower of the new weaponry, and the fact that you can wield two weapons at once. Now you can lay down a devastating firestorm with any number of weapon combos. The new submachine gun (SMG) is particularly effective in combination with old favorites like the plasma pistol or the Elite pulse rifle.

Snipers can continue to wreak long-range havoc with the standard issue sniper rifle, but they're going to love the Covenant beam rifle (99 shots) and the 2X scope on the standard issue Marine battle rifle, an improvement over the old assault rifle. Handgunners will find the new Magnum sidearm powerful and effective, but less prevalent that the pistol from the first game.

The Covenant gives up plenty of new weapons, too. The Plasma Sword, the Brute Shot grenade launcher, and bunch of other lethal hardware are all there for the taking, and part of the fun is learning how to master them and when to use them.

Vehicles have had a trip to the garage. The all-purpose Warthog hasn't changed much in the way of handling, but now one of your AI-controlled squad mates can drive while you man the chain gun. Also, the Scorpion tank reloads its gun much more quickly, which makes it one of the most lethal weapons in the game and an effective one-on-one weapon versus the Covenant Ghosts and Banshee flying vehicles. Additionally, up to four Marines can ride shotgun on the outside of the tank, and if they're armed with rocket launchers you're almost unstoppable at the easier skill levels.

The Xbox controls continue to display dominating mastery of the FPS console genre. And that's great because you need all the help you get, too; since the skill levels particularly at the Heroic and Legendary settings are murderous, much tougher than in the original game.

According to Microsoft, the idea was to make Normal mode a little easier than that of the first Halo game, but then to ratchet up Heroic and Legendary another notch or two. Halo vets ought to find Normal a good warm-up. At the higher skill settings the A.I. displays bloodthirsty aggressiveness and the enemy has a much thicker hide, too.


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