Halo 2 "Post your initial thoughts" thread!
 

This game is fucking awesome! I just beat the first level and am part of the way through the second. AWESOME. GO BUY IT!

There were 500 people at Gamestop in the mall......me and Lasereth were about 80 people back in line, got the game in about 15 minutes......


So far it is fucking GREAT :thumbsup:

I like how when you shoot the controller moves up as your arm does in real life when you shoot.

I'm loving it, a good friend and I are going through the campaign together on Co-Op and are loooooving it!!!! Enjoying it more than Halo 1 at this stage, after the city missions you get thrown into the whole Arbitor situation, I was completely taken by surprise when the cutscene went into the game...

LOVING IT!

rock/10 so far.

Played a few multi-player before heading to bed:

Game moves faster now= good
the new guns are on the most part cool, still trying to figure out purpose/usefullness on a few (when the hell in multi would you think to whip out your whipping sword?)- gonna take some practice..
Duel wield is gonna take a little practice to perfect, but is awesome. Just figured out after playing how to fire both guns at the same time :P
Biggest plus: All the levels we played were awesome.

Well, my friend got his copy today. We're going to wait until later today though (it's midnight-ish here) for THE INSANE HALO 2 BASH! WOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our town is kinda small and yet there was about 300 people waiting in line, which is literally insane. I'd like to see Half-Life 2 create this kind of insanity. In this repsect, can Half-Life 2 step? Nope! I'll post back later today, hopefully high on lots of soda and pizza and general adrenaline from some massive Halo 2 LAN-party INSANITY! ^^

Not bad at all....

It's a lot like Halo, but it has a couple of new things, such as dual wielding and vehicle damage.... They are neat :)

I played for about an hour this evening, but wasn't all that impressed... but I wasn't a big fan of Halo either... I think it's cause I suck at it. :)

Don't underestimate the power of the sword in multiplayer. Unlike single player, it doesn't run out of energy. The charging attack covers a lot of ground very quickly and usually kills in one hit. It's one of my favorite weapons although it's usually a bit hard to find in the level.

The shiny case is in my hands right now. It's so shiny. I will keep it forever, my precious.

Damn you work, Damn you.

This game is INSANE. The Covanent sword rocks the house for tight Juggernaut battles. Racked up 9 kills using just the sword in one game alone..

This game is worth the wait. Bungie did it right.

Initial thoughts: Single player- just great. It has a little looser feel than the original, a slight disappointment for me. The best part of the first one was the tightness of it.

Multiplayer- I fell like I'm out of place. I feel I'm starting from scratch again. Most of the kills at this point are pretty reckless. The learning curve is steeper than expected.

Now that being said, I'm STILL a Halo fanboy. It is a great, awe-inspiring game.

Best so far this year.

Bungie just released an internal report saying they have done over 100 million in sales so far.

This game is hot.

I love the dual-wielding and am a big fan of either the Magnum or plasma pistol with any automatic gun.

My only real gripe with the game is that after you finish an online game you can't just play again, but have to quit out to OptiMatch again.

I know there are ways around this (Party invites, and private games), but it seems odd you can just play another game with the same guys you just played with..

I also really like how when the game times out and temporarily loses connection, it reconnects and doesn't crash. That's very nice, especially considering the amount of stress the servers are going to be seeing over the next few days/weeks.

I turned my look sensitivity a little higher so that I can spin around faster, but this is also makes aiming an adjustment due to the faster moving reticule.

Also, I am a little frustrated about the vehicles and how deadly they are.. Specifically, how if they hit you, it's instant death. The vehicles are a lot of fun, and definitely add to the game, but on the open maps I think it definitely lowers the skill level to get kills and instead turns into a race for the bigger vehicles. Again, this is my initial take on it. After I learn to take over vehicles and avoid them better, this could turn out to be a non-issue.

I haven't touched the single player game yet, but online is superb. I've experienced little to no lag, and have a blast playing the game. The clan system, group system, and player customization (colors and symbols), is really nice and takes the whole team experience to a new level IMO.

Lastly, the game is solid. You can tell based on the framerate, online crash "recovery" and just everything in general. This game took a long time to come out, but it's definitely a superb product and well worth the price of admission. I also see that there is an option for downloadable content (Maps, and more?), which should really extend the game even more.

If you're on the fence about this game, I think it definitely lives up to the hype. I have no complaints and have a ton of fun playing it, even though I am not that great, and have a lot of learning to do.

And lastly, I just want to provide a heads up. If you want to talk to your entire team, you need to press the White button or up on the D-Pad. If you just talk into the mic without pressing either, you will just be talking to those in earshot. The white button/D-Pad acts as a sort of radio that allows you to talk to your entire team, and I think there are quite a few players that are talking into their mics and not being heard.

Jimellow.. Good call on the white button. I love using the proximity voice though, cause you can scare people you are coming up on. I was playing Ninjanaut with the adaptive camo, and snuck up on a buddy. As I got closer I would say "here's Johnny!" and shit like that. It was HILARIOUS watching him turn and whip around looking for me, only to hear me talk again.

Haha nice!

I remember hearing about people running around in Splinter Cell 2 and saying, "I'm Rick James, bitch!" before killing their victim, and I think that has the potential to be taken to a whole new level here.

I actually didn't realize that proximity talk is heard by enemies until you mentioned it, and it certainly does open up a ton of possibilities, like your example. :)

I'm playing as Jimplication online, and I don't think there is a way to change a XBox gamertag, but I do have you on my friends list. We should play some time.

Take care.

Played co-op with my friend for 4 hours last night, fucking awesome.

Classic moment: Grabbing on to a Covenant vehicle, punching the shit out of the driver, then throwing a grenade in and watching it explode. Pure genius!

(had very little sleep, spelling might have suffered)

I saw this in the penny-arcade forum and thought I should share:

The multiplayer is as amusing as ever. Even more so with random n00bs to plug on live.

Voice comms is the shiznitch, especially with two other mates and a warthog. More fun than you can shake a stick at: on offence, CTF, Zanzibar:

me: goddammit hold still so I can toast these guys
driver: I'm getting shot. Shit dammit
me: godammn they're coming, I can't hold them. run flag dude run!
flag dude: (storming out of base with flag) aaaaaahahhaaa
driver: get in the car... get in the damn car
(enemies pouring out of the base after the flag dude, shooting and throwing grenades)
flag dude: slow down dammit
me: drive! drive!
driver: get in the fucking car aaaahahaa
flag dude: aaaahahh
(rocket launcher smoke trails all over the show)
me: aaaahhahahaaa
flag dude: I'm in! go go go!
(manic driving ensues, all of us getting shot and grenaded, me hosing the general area with the autocannon, before we finally escape the vicinity)
all: woooohoooo!!

Guess you had to be there... but you just can't get that funny shit with counterstrike when you have to type everything.

Meh... It's not as good as Halo 1, imo.

Bah... it's WAY better than Halo 1.

My Live gamertag is Xepherys. Hook me up with an invite if you want to get fragged :)

Know that my review is of X-Box Live only, in the last 18 hours I haven't touched the Campaign.

Some spoiler maybe . . . I don't know what you might consider a spoiler.


When you boot up the game, and attempt to go Live, the first thing you have to do is download some new patches or whatever. I'm thinking ok, I've been waiting 2 years for this game, patches are good. They don't take long at all to download. Finally I get all booted up and get into the "choose your path" type screen. I check my friends list and see like five people online. Ok . . . Cool. I'll just join one of thier games. I get in seemlessly. Without a hitch.

We're playing CTF, and it is AWESOME. This is the most fun LIVE game, (except the original Ghost Recon/(when no one is glitching)) to date.

I went to bed at about 6 o'clock this morning, slept about 4 hours and have been playing it ever since. (6 pm. CST) The graphics and gameplay are amazing.

Now, I do have a few complaints. The biggest one is this. In EVERY OTHER LIVE GAME . . . you can join a room, and then become a member of what they call in H2 their party. Meaning when the game is over, who ever sets up the room, can change the settings and such. Not H2.

In order to join a game, it has to be either 1. (One of your friends has created a room) or 2. Join a room with complete strangers.

With option 2 you can take your party with you, (If you have created one.) You may even be able to invite friends in, (not sure). However once the game you join is over, everyone gets booted from the room. You can't keep playing with the same people. Sure it doesn't take any time to find another room, but when you are playing with no friends, you don't get a chance to become aquainted with the people you are playing. That is one of the "selling points" of Live.

That having been said, I have a ton of friends and we are having a BLAST, being in a party and moving from room to room, but if you get Live because of H2, you might be disappointed due to lack of "established friends". Well, there's my rant . . . I'm done.

Peace.

The only fault I can find with this game is the inability to just keep playing with the same non-party group of people.

I LOVE the new weapons... much more balanced than the initial Halo. The magnum(Pistol) is much better without zoom - no more half-map 3 headshot kills. The sword is a really nice addition also.

I really like the new Covenent Carbine too - so nice to finally have a balanced midrange weapon.

The Banshee is also nice, as is the new Warthog with the railgun-thing on the back. Overall, I'm reallyhappy with the quality of the multiplayer environment.

Haven't played much campaign, so I can't really comment on that.

Also, has anyone noticed how "Coagulation" is really similar to Blood Gulch? Anyone else think that's an easter egg (Coagulate = thickening of blood after death... maybe a "thicker" blood gulch after the "death" of Halo 1)?

It and Battle (something or another) is the same as (or at least close) To battle creek.

Uh... yeah Coagulation = Blood Gulch and Beaver Creek = Battle Creek

I love it. I only played the first 2 levels so far, and partly through the third. Amazing. Graphics especially. Some of the cut scenes look like a movie or something. I love the Halo storylines too - they're so deep and real. And it's awesome how it adapts to you and how you play. I wish more games were like that.

Well, theres too many things I love to list, so i'll just bring up a few things I don't like. (Conserning campaign)
-Vehicle handling. The ghost and Warthogs seem real heavy. They don't seem near as agile as they did in the first Halo. I loved getting all kinds of air in the Warthog even on some smaller bumps, but now it seems stuck to the ground 90% of the time. Ghost too. Also, the Warthog approach angle seems real shallow. It has a hard time driving over a lot of things, which doesn't make sense, as the front tires stick out the furthest (I felt this was a problem in the first Halo too though).
-Sometimes the Marines have TOO good of AI. I have a tendancy to have my Warthog stolen... I'll jump out to shoot some covenant, then I turn around and my Warthog is speeding off in the opposite direction with no way to stop it. This was especially annoying in the middle of the huge tunnel on level 2. I later found the wreckage (accompanied by some corpses) of what used to be my Warthog.
-The duel wield controls will take some getting used to. I love running up and bashing an enemy. But when I do this, my 2nd weapon gets thrown away, making me have to go hunting for it. I also have a tendency to get buttons confused when dropping/switching/throwing/doing-what-ever-else to weapons in a panic.

I haven't fired up Live yet, so I can't comment on that.

Thats my 2 cents.

Multiplayer is incredible...then again the original was incredible...this one is just more polished...with dual weapon insanity :). However, Half-Life 2 single player (I won't even compare it with Counterstrike: Source) already wipes the floor with it...sorry Halo lovers...the incomplete beta looked better then it. Why do the cut scene sequences jerk like bad claymation? optimization problems? i dunno, nontheless it is solid and i love it...but its not going to ruin my grades...HL2 is a different story. :)

During the initial load I thought oh crap if the load times are this long I'll never play this piece of poo. Then it started and it was awesome. Fighting in the city was just too damn cool. The Arbitor mission is where I am now, I think towards the end of it and it has been great. Using the sword is awesome.

The multi options are tremendous...

The campaign is awesome...

The special edition is definately worth the extra $5.

Go get it now...

I have no idea how far into the single player campaign I am right now.
Spoiler: I'm trying to find the heretic right now if that tells anyone anything.

My only complaints with the game so far have been cosmetic. The switch from low-res to high-res textures is very jumpy. One second the Master Chief looks like a big green gumby and the next, voila nice and bump-mapped. It's pretty distracting because it happens all the time in the cut scenes and the game. Some parts at the start are pretty hokey and it seems like they are reaching just to make a "big moment", IMO. But if you just sit back, smile, and wait until you get the controls again it's all good.

There have been a couple of times where I ran out of ammo and had to slug my way through an area. Probably just poor marksmenship/ammo conservation on my part. But it's pretty satisfying to wander through turning the grunts and jackels into wall smears. hehe

Can't wait to try out multiplayer even though I'm going to SUCK.

I haven't had a chance to look at the multi-player stuff, but the campaign is fantastic so far.

I like how there are so many new cutscenes to check out. Halo wasn't big on talking or explaining much of anything, but Halo 2 seems to be heading the other direction.

I'm not sure what the hell to think about the Covenent side of things. I had a hell of a time trying to figure out who the bad guys were in that mission. I was so confused that I started to running up to everyone to see if the targeting reticle turned red before I'd fire.

I've only played a bit of it, but overall I'm very pleased with the new improvements and the fine tuning. I especially like jumping on tanks and tossing grenades down the hole. Good times, good times. The marine AI is dramatically improved as well and you can trade guns with them. So much more humane than gunning them down for their weapon.

My only bitch is that some of the levels are so big. That's not really the problem, but in the original if you got lost, a beacon would pop up and help you get to point B. It doesn't seem to be like that in the second game. I must have spent 20 minutes doing circles around some ruins on the second Halo world before I accidentally stumbled into one of "my" marines.

That's only about Mission 5 out of 13, according to the strategy guide, I only got the guide because it has bad ass maps of all the multiplayer levels.

The part on the bump-mapping, jumping back and forth during cut-scenes is true, its very annoying.

I thought the first mission in the campaign was boring, kinda like the first mission from Halo, Spoiler: Where basically the base you're at, gets attacked. Until I got to the level where you're Spoiler: On the highway in a Warthog in one section, then driving a Scorpion tank taking out Covenant Ghosts, Banshees, and Wraiths on a long, open bridge in the other, and near the conclusion of the level you jump off a huge ledge onto this giant walking robotic "scarab", to take out the Covenant on board, and the machine itsself, is so awesome, that has to be one of my favorite levels in any video game.

Multiplayer for the most part, is the same from Halo, but with new additions. There is only one weapon that's extremely cheap (like the noob cannon, pistol, from Halo), which is the Energy blade. You can't really block or dodge attacks when you're going up against a guy that has one, and it basically takes you out in one hit (especially when they use the special lock-on lunge attack). Multiplayer is also pretty laggy, I don't think its my connection, because I was playing on a 64 player Counter Strike: Source game with no lag at all, I think its because there are huge amounts of people playing the game at once, hopefully, Microsoft will upgrade the servers/bandwidth soon. Its not terrible lag, as long as you are in a small room full of people, it should run fine.

Xbox-Live was more fun then I thought it would be. I like all the new vehicles and weapons so far. Just getting into the single player but from what I have seen so far, it'll be spectacular!

Halo 2 definetly kicks ass! Dual-wielding is a great idea. The Assault Rifle is much better.

I was a little thrown off by the Elites speaking English. It's pretty cool, because now they, as well as the grunts, talk about you.

-BD

just reading that i am already imagining every moment of that scene. dammit why must i work for a living...i want some halo2 now!!!!

ok i didnt want to look in this thread until after i played it for a little while.

Everything is way better than the original. wow i haven't even played it on XBL yet....
however Spoiler: i was a bit upset that we didn't get to remain on earth for a little longer than the one level of Zanzibar.

This really is an amazing game. I stayed up way too late last night playing. I just played the campaign but I am loving it. It's so easy to just pick up and play and get right into it. I'm only at the Arbitor level now, but it is hella fun. The dual wielding took some getting used to, but the additional firepower is incredible in certain situations! All in all I'm having a blast!

played a bit more online today. I gotta say the hi-jacking of vehicles is the funniest thing.

Great music and storyline...that's about it :D

--jaded

I am on stage 4, played for 3 hours, got dizzy (yes, I know I'm weak, it's like this with every first person shooting game for me :( ) so I stopped. I'll continue some other timewhen i'm not dizzy. It's kicking ass so far, enjoy every single aspect of the game. Can't wait to duke it out with my friends this weekend. :D

Storyline is cool...but the ending kind of bites. Wasn't impressed with the graphics, they were the same (maybe a little worse) than Halo 1.

Dual wielding is kind of neat, but doesn't seem to make a big difference. Just the looks of it is kind of cool though. Didn't really seem like the new vehicles were as great as I expected....there wasn't many chances to use them.

Multiplayer seems to be promising, but it seems an awful lot like Unreal Championship to me...doesn't take much skill just running around shooting. Maybe I just need to learn to play better.

Overall - I'm a bit disappointed. Probably a victim of "overhype".

this all sounds great...i didn't like halo 1 very much,but i think halo 2 really could be great.

Damn. Halo2 seems like it will be even shorter than Halo1 if the Arbitor level is 5 of 13 :(

Day one: Single Player Game - Wow this game is the best ever! Online Game - Wow, online is so much fun...
Day two: SIngle Player Game - What?!? I don't want to play as that guy?!? Online Game - What a bunch of dicks online!! How can I be a noob when the game is only 24 hours old?!?!
Day three: I think I'll play Rainbow 6 BA...

The ending is dissapointing... But looks like theres a chance there will be a halo 3.

Well I have to say that the single player is good, very short, but good. I'd have to say that I liked the ending, it pretty much says "Halo 3- Coming Soon" (BTW anyone beaten it on legenday- is there a different ending?) Best multiplayer I have ever seen, great new levels. I think it met my expectations.

New weapons are taking time to get used to. I love the energy sword. I hate that you have to get closer to the enemy to punch them and sometimes it doesn't kill them. The campaign's way to short in my opinion.

So far though - Once I get some guys to Halo on the weekends with me it's going to be badass.

How long to halo 3? Also, the graphics don't seem quite as crisp, and I miss having the marines around. They were all over the place in halo. Oh well, time to get the neighbor over for some coop and for me to work through on legendary.

You miss the Marines?? They've been in every level I've played so far.

This game is freakin AWESOME. I just played the first Arbiter mission...damn that was awesome.

-Lasereth

Amazing!!!!
I Love it!
Thank God it was worth the wait :D

As someone who considers themself a die-hard halo fan, attended a midnight launch, and played till the wee hours of the first night of owning this game, I have very mixed feelings. I definately feel like halo2 was overhyped; the campaign is pretty boring to me thus far (2/3rds done with it), and I'd finished it by now if it had been more interesting. The multi is fun, the new maps are nice, but I'm still not entirely sure what my verdict will be.

Overall, I feel the weapons (new and old) are underpowered, with the notable exception of the Energy Sword.

buddy of mine got his on Tuesday and him and another mututal friend went at it on cmpaign for about 3 hours, and I came over after work the next day about 9 hours later we had reached the end.

I had never played Halo1 but this game is a blast, he is bringing the system over here to hookup and try it out online sometime in the next couple weeks. I am all for SONY and PS2 but this game would make me want an Xbox and has me looking for one used as we speak from the local GameStop and EBgames.

I'm getting a "Matrix Reloaded" vibe from this game. Like Halo3 is going to be very disappointing.

First, I'll echo the "What? I don't want to play as that guy" sentiment from above. Next;
Spoiler: Another Halo? uhmmm, OK. Hey, look it's our old friend "repeat the same map two or three times". We've even got a Captain named Keyes along.

About the only thing I haven't been able to kill in one hit with the energy sword has been the hunters, Bleh, I hate finding those things. Usually when I find them I have two grenades and a needler. wheee. The marines have gotten dumber? I'm trying to sneak into a room and the two that are with me go running in and start firing at the wall? So now, if I want to sneak, I take out the marines first. Or I hang back until the marines either take out the baddies or get taken out.

I guess all the good Marines died on the first Halo so now Master Chief has to deal with all the rookies....

I've never played Halo.

Is it a traditional FPS, or is it more in the style of, say, Metroid Prime... where it LOOKS like an FPS, but really isn't?

Traditional. Very traditional. It pioneered the heavy use of vehicles, but other than that, it was nothing much to cry hom about, especially the single-player.

Just finished the single player and now wished I'd paid more attention to the movie cuts so I would know what exactly I did... heh. I feel like I kinda coasted through the last couple of stages, but that might have been my imagination. The Brutes were supposed to be the most badass, but I had a harder time earlier in the game against the flood when I didn't have swords lying around. I like double fistin' the SMG's against the flood, but I will agree with everyone else here who has praised the sword. Awesome stuff.

Multiplayer against three other buds on Tuesday night was fun if for no other reason than we were all on equal footing when it came to navigating the boards.

All of this should be taken with a grain of salt as I won't play the game on Legendary. I'll never be that good.

Most of my feelings about the game have already be expressed so I'll add something different.

You have to see this game in HD!! It looks so much better. When I first started playing it I realized that I was playing in regular mode for an hour. I had remembered that I had seen better screen shots on the internets so I reconfigured my video for my HDTV and WOW!! It's like going from 800x600 to 1280x1024. Simply amazing. Only problem: it seems to take a little longer to draw textures and models at this setting but worth it.

And remember guys, Xbox2 needs a killer app like the first one so of course you'll have a Halo3!!

/me thinks about a day off for HL2

Awesome. The single player is extremely intense, theres alot less walking around. I like how they have upgraded versions of the multiplayer levls, but I'm kinda dissapointed that they dont have a Hang Em' High type level. This game i sheer awesomeness.

Well I just finished singleplayer, and I feel like I got ripped off. Halo2 is just slightly upgraded Halo1 with new online multiplayer. It felt like a Halo3 teaser. Not to mention that the ending BLEW.

However, I have to admit that I didn't buy Halo2 for the singleplayer, so I am not all that disappointed. It is still the best FPS on Xbox. Fun as fuck when you have 16 people going at each other online. Or when you have 4 people on the same Xbox playing online. Multiplayer is badass. I just hope they get some new levels out pretty soon.

First though was that, I like the multiplayer maps for Halo 1 better. The ones in Halo 2 are way to big. They dont have any small ones like wizard or chill out anymore. And I dont like the pistol or the machine gun as much. But the rocket launcher is much better and using banchies.

After playing it for a while though I think that I like it alot though. I think that this game will be like how I feel about Goldeye and Perfect Dark. At first I like goldeye better but after a little I felt that Perfect Dark had just so many more options. They are almost the same game in many respects but you just get used to the update and when you play to origonal Its like i miss this and that.

So I think Halo 2 will go the way that Perfect dark did for me.

I played the multiplayer for about 7 hours yesterday. I'm a little disappointed.
roguehunter65 made most of the major points. I expected a bigger change in multiplayer, the levels were disappointing, and the new weapons aren't great. I like the new stats system, though.

CTF sucks.

King of the Hill was the most fun I had.

i love the game the graphics the music are great
a true master piece again
these guys at bungie know how to make a perfect game and than make it even better

halo3 on xbox2
hope not hope they will bring it faster this time
can't wait though

fred

I hope they come out with a patch to remove the energy sword in online play...

its really too easy to whack people with it, I find myself using it too much and it's disappointing.

After just coming off playing through a good chunk of the game in cooperative campaign, I'd say it was really fun. The Arbitor level was a bit strange, though.

Took me a bit to get used to the controls, but then again I don't play console games, so that's an unrelated personal problem with the game.

I think the game is overrated. It was more of the same. No innovation. Here are some things I liked and didn't like.

+ Better graphics than Halo 1. They're gorgeous.
+ Smoother improved controls both for your player and driving vehicles.
+ Awesome soundtrack except for the crappy bands.
+ Great voice acting.
+ Master Chief can jump higher :p

- No online or system link co-op play. I can understand not being able to do it online but no system link co-op? Lame.
- Split screen gaming still sucks.
- Multiplayer maps are too big. Unless you're playing with more than 8 people, it takes forever to find people.
- No running why? I think it would improve the flow and speed of the game.
- Why do I have to drop a weapon(instead of putting it away) to throw gernades when I'm wielding dual-weapons? Lame.
- Convulated story.
- Lame ending.

I love playing online, but I have one big problem with it - from far away, its hard for me to tell who is on my team and who isn't. Why wouldn't they make red's names in red and blue's in blue instead of everyones in blue?

I'm a total n00b, and really have a hard time with distinguishing my team mates from across a map. What am I missing? :/

Just looking on GameRankings, and I'm absolutely astounded by how many perfect scores this game got, especially when you consider

a) It does nothing new
b) Apart from X-Box Live, it's basically an expansion to the first
c) It's a great game, but not perfect by any means.

What gives? I thought these guys were professional.

Compare Halo 2 to every other game on the console market. It does what it does the best out of them all with ease. That's why it got perfect scores...it's the best of the best concerning console FPS. A "10" doesn't mean the game is perfect...it means the game is the definition of the genre.

-Lasereth

This game keeps getting better and better. You guys are crazy that say this game is disappointing...Halo 2 is way better than the first (and that's saying a lot) if ya ask me. All of the guns are freakin awesome, the control scheme somehow got better, and the graphics are unbelievable for a console. When I shoot it actually feels like I'm using two guns with Master Chief. Bungie really got the feel of the game downpat.

I haven't played multiplayer yet but the reason I liked the first Halo was the single player experience (not saying I wasn't obsessed with the multiplayer). Halo 2's story is crazy, the characters are awesome and playing as Master Chief never felt so good. This game is getting superb reviews and it deserves every bit of it. Anyone who says this game is disapppointing needs to take a look at the other console FPS out there. All of a sudden it makes sense why Halo is so popular...it's simply the best at what it does.

-Lasereth

Check out these guys review

http://www.somethingawful.com/articles.php?a=2481

Forgive me, but that sounds like blatant fanboy talk. From what I've played, the SP is more of the same. With two guns at once. The thing that gets me is, in most reviews, the authors point out things in the game that could have been better, yet give it a 10 seeming just for the hell of it. Now, I don't know about you lot, but if something is awarded a 10 it better be either so damn close to perfect that it is unthinkable to better, or so groundbreaking that nothing like it has been seen before. Halo 2 is neither, hell, it's a rehash of the first (as sequels generally are) and the MP plays a damn sight like UT2k4.

Honestly, after all these years, how can you be happy with the amazing lack of length in the SP scenario, especially with the ending purely designed to make you buy the sequal? If you've ever played _any_ of Bungie's older games, Halo 2 is the worst single-player experience they've ever done. Which isn't saying it's a bad thing, not by a long shot, it's just not as flawless and perfect and so damn amazing that it rates a 10.

I enjoy the single player because it's fun. I can't remember the last time I played a single player console FPS that was purely enjoyable. Halo 2 is a masterpiece of game making despite how long it is. Metal Gear Solid can be finished in four hours yet many still claim it's the best game ever made. Game length means nothing, it's the experience that matters.

Like I said before, a 10 doesn't mean the game is perfect and it doesn't mean it's the best game of all time. It means it does its job better than the other games in the genre. If anyone thinks they can point out a better console FPS than Halo 2, be my guest.

-Lasereth

Something Awful is an Irony site. They make mock-up reviews of movies, games, and music just to make fun of reviewers. It's blatantly obvious that in their Halo 2 review they're making fun of all of the bitching fanboys who say Halo 2 sux because they like Half-Life 2 better. Forget the fact the game is fun...forget that it has beautiful graphics and perfect controls. Forget that it has an awesome main character, great voice acting, and a cool plot. Forget it all and concentrate on one thing: WHERE'S THE INNOVATION!!! MY GOD IT'S A LOT LIKE HALO 1!!! JESUS THIS GAME SUXX!!!!

Some folks know how to review games and some don't. You don't rate videogames completely on innovation, you rate them on their experience and fun factor. I applaud Something Awful for making fun of those out there that do the former.

-Lasereth

Well, don't get too used to playing as the Master Chief.

Spoiler: My gripe about the story is that I *don't* get to play as the master chief all the time. Plus playing as the Arbiter is exactly the same as playing as the master chief. No extra powers, no new guns, nothing. In fact in most of the Arbiter levels I end up using the earth weapons. I'm mostly playing through the levels so I can say I finished it. In Halo one I finished it because I wanted to know what would happen next. Big difference.

I've only played in the rumble pit online. Matchmaking takes too long. But it's pretty smooth once you get into a game. I was expecting it to be faster paced too, guess I'm used to Quake1/2/3 and counterstrike. I think that the perfect scores could be based more on the online play rather than the overall game. I think they are treating the single player game like Trent Dilfer on the Baltimore Ravens super bowl team. As long as it didn't screw up, the multiplayer wins the game.

I'm far enough into the game to know the spoiler. And there's actually a completely different set of guns to use the first time you play as the Arbiter. I like playing as the Arbiter as much as Master Chief if not more. This isn't Raiden from MGS2...the Arbiter is actually awesome and I personally care about his character. I think it's a great touch to the game.

-Lasereth

Minor correction: Spoiler: Do not ignore the cloak. I found it to be one of the most useful things about the Arbiter. In both single player and co-op, it allows you to take out the most dangerous enemy in a single blow, or it allows you to gain a positional advantage.

I just finished last night, and wow, was that a ride. I enjoyed this game thoroughly, and a combination of co-op through the first few levels and single through the last took me longer than I thought it would. No, I don't suck.

Spoiler: So when do ya'll think the Master Chief (Spartan 117?) is going to rescue Kerrigan. Oh wait, that's Cortana. Does anyone else see the possibility of a rogue AI?

Actually, that would tie in with a lot of what I heard in the "I love Bees" game.

totally awesome! i am having alot of fun playing..

Halo 2 is a great game. The role switching is an interesting addition.

Spoiler: Near the end of the game, while you are infultrating the Covinant installation, I found it better to just high-tail it thorugh the area, or let the Brutes and Elites battle it out and clean up the stragglers. Those brutes can really kick your ass, and with their ability to quietly charge at you -- even when you are driving a vehicle -- I was kept on edge for the remainder of the game.

It was definitely worth the wait. Go Bungie!

Played it. Thought it was so-so. Don't play shooters on consoles, too hard to get used to the dual sticks for movement/looking. Good game options for multiplayer though. Glad it wasn't merely simple deathmatch.

Like I said before, a 10 doesn't mean the game is perfect and it doesn't mean it's the best game of all time. It means it does its job better than the other games in the genre. If anyone thinks they can point out a better console FPS than Halo 2, be my guest.

-Lasereth[/QUOTE]

hello,

there is no better fps out there period
at least someone who knows what he is talking about
halo was the best fps out there halo 2 gets the new spot
the story is great the music grabs you the graphics are freaking amazing the weapons are cool masterchief rules and the other characters also amazing
and the single-player mode is actually longer than halo i guess you just run through it quicker cause it's so freaking awesome
you just can't put the pad down at least i couldn't
a shame there is only one game that grabs me so much cause simply put there is no competition those ugly looking heads in half-life come on ...
doesn't grab me like halo(2) at all ...

just my opinion

fred :thumbsup:

Thing little detail you're missing is that your teammates have a HUGE box displaying their logo above their heads. You can even see the boxes through walls. Seriously, you can't miss it (or maybe you can??).

The box is extremely obvious.

I think that I have had more fun playing Halo 2 than of all the games that I have played over the years in recent memory. Having a good time is my number one criteria for a video game. I think how Bungie put together the multiplayer experience is really awesome. I love being able to call up all of friends from college and play with them in a party all night. Xbox live makes it really easy to keep the party together. I like the new multiplayer level designs. I think that they are very well thought out (especially Zanzibar). Also, I think that the games weapons are extremely well balanced. Not being able to throw grenades when dual wielding was attempt to add depth to the gameplay.
I played through the campaign mode in under 15 hours on normal, and I plan on playing it again on Heroic and Legendary to provide more of a challenge. I think the level design has immensely improved from the original Halo. I agree that the story ends rather abruptly, it would have been nice if there was more resolution.
Having said all that, the games graphics are good, but not great. The cinematic scenes look awful, and I wish there was co-op play on Xbox Live. But, when it comes to having a blast with all of my friends, nothing quite fits the bill for me than Halo 2.

I've played the fuck out of it and here's my review...
http://www.nzgamer.com/index.php?type=2&id=67

I have to say its one of the prettyest games ive ever seen :D
The grahpics are nice and the effects they added where definently a sweet touch.

Uhm, I thought all those points you mentioned where what made the original Halo good? :P

In all seriousness, I think one game, ever, deserved a perfect ten, and that was Mario 64, simply because, even to this day, it's stood up as the pinnacle of it's genre.

While it'd be acceptable if it had a rediculously high score, like 9.8 or 9.9, giving it a perfect ten in every category IS NOT GOOD FORM. Especially when in the review they mention where it could go with some improvement. Case in point, as lpj8 mentioned, the cutscene graphics are sub-par. In any other game, that'd knock .5 or so off the score. Why should Halo be any exception? My guess it's publications wanting to keep in good standing with Microsoft, or they're just plain bad reviewers.

Upon release, nearly every review on GameRankings, bar GameSpot's, was a perfect ten. Now, once people have received the game after release and are not risking any backlash, it's dropped from the second best title do down, just underneath the original. Where it, in my (and quite a few others) belongs.

I like playing as the Arbiter. The strategy is slightly different for me as his shield isn't as strong as the Master Chief's, so I can't just ignore the little Flood spores (or whatever they are called). MC's shield can withstand a flurry of them, but the Arbiter can't rely on shields alone. Minor point from an amateur player, but something that I noticed that made the new character interesting.

Plus Laura Prepon and David Cross did voices as Marines.

Mmmmm... Laura Prepon....

this game is devine
absolutely devine

This game is awesome but i only wish the crappy thompson drive that i have would work cause i can't load 2 levels after gravemind (don't know what the one after gravemind was called)

You're forgetting what I said two or three times earlier. A 10 doesn't mean the game is perfect, it means it's the best of the genre. I asked if anyone could suggest a console FPS better than Halo 2...no answers yet. :) There's no such thing as a perfect videogame, only games that define the genre and go leaps and bounds above others in style, quality, polish, and gameplay. Halo 2 does that and it definitely deserves a 10.

I just beat it by the way...holy hell. This game is freakin amazing. I liked the single-player way better than the original.

-Lasereth

In that vein, though, can anyone mention a better FPA than Metroid Prime 2? I doubt it, seeing as it pretty much invented the genre. But, alas, no tens in sight for that piece of work.

Metroid Prime? :) It has dozens and dozens of 10's. It's hard going up against your sequel.

-Lasereth

Well, again, going by GameRankings, MP2 has two 100% ratings, and these are only 5 out of 5. Halo 2 has 6, most of them ten out of ten. Game reviewers generally don't think the same way as you do, Las.

I find that most reviewers do think the same way as me. :) I tend to agree with most reviewers and never trust the word of a friend or anyone who's not trained to critique professionally. That's besides the point!

I think you missed the point of what I said -- you asked if I could name a better FPA than Metroid Prime 2 and I did. Metroid Prime! The first one was oustanding in every conceivable category. Metroid Prime 2 has a few flaws by what the reviewers said...mainly some convulated level design. You're right -- MP2 has fewer 100% ratings while Halo 2 has more. Halo 2 triumphed over its prequel in every manner while MP2 had a few flaws that the first one prevailed in. That's why Halo 2 has a higher meta score!

This doesn't mean that I dislike any of the series, I'm simply explaining why some games get high scores from professional critics. I LOVED Metroid Prime and am extremely excited about MP2. I'm gonna start it ASAP.

-Lasereth

In closing, Metroid Prime is greater than any game, including Halo 2.

Settled.

Excuse me if I'm mistaken, Las, but aren't the cutscenes in Halo 2 rather, well, crap? Abrupt pop-up and all that? Also, a lack of detail textures? That's certainly not an improvement....

Also, I'm yet to read one review that knocks MP2's level design, other than the prevailant purple colour scheme of the dark overword. Which was a deliberate design choice, unlike Halo's cutscene shenanigans.

Oh, and word to that, Mr Deflok.

Edit: I think this review nails Halo 2 dead-on.

Halo 2's cutscenes are most certainly not crap. That's nitpicking, especially the texture draw-in. It didn't affect the game at all and anyone who says it did is just LOOKING to berate the game. There wasn't a lack of detailed textures, the XBox just has a hard time drawing them in on a short-basis. I'm talking about factors of a game that takes away from the overall experience, not little nitpicks here and there.

I refuse to argue about a game that is more than anyone could have asked for. Halo 2 is a modern masterpeice on consoles and anyone who doesn't feel that way simply baffles me. I compare videogames to the overall experience and other games on the system/genre. Videogame rating systems are NOT a perfection meter (which 90% of people believe). They're simply a rating of experience and gameplay.

I'm never going to agree with the aforementioned people that believe videogame ratings are crap if a game gets a 10 and isn't perfect. The fundamental reasoning behind their ratings beliefs is inherently wrong and there's nothing I can do to change that.

-Lasereth

I don't really trust alot of rating systems. I think that games should be marked next to what they could of achieved, so if they blatently missed out something, it would lose marks. But then, scores would need to go down over time otherwise they get misleading. For example, take the Gamespot scores: Halo 9.7, Halo 2 9.4 even though that Halo 2 is a better game. Really, Halos mark should of dropped to 9.ish over the time, letting Halo 2 slot in above it and therefore making more sense. Otherwise, what's the point? Theres no point giving games scores if the scores don't properly relate to each other.

Of course, you need to factor in the originality of a game. But if the game is just the same as the prequel, it should get the same score as the prequel, but then the reviewer can express in words how it was different. Maybe the idea would be alot harder to maintain, but in the end it would give a far greater view for gamers when trying to buy games.

Ummm, frankly that's just dumb. If everything were rated that way, only the newest games would have high scores. Games that were masterpieces of their times would all have 1.0 ratings.

Halo 2 wasn't rated against Halo 1. It was rated according to today's standards.

i just finished it... and let me say, the ending was totally lame. but i'll definately be looking forward to halo3. cause i really enjoyed halo2!

i think the arbitor was a great idea to incorperate into the game... cause i often wondered how they were going to improve on halo1. that was great!

And I refuse to debate with someone that can't see the flaws in a game ;) Note I said DETAIL textures, not DETAILED textures. Different things.

Anyway, before we get nastier, let's just call it a difference of opinion and leave it at that.