 STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED |
 Classic
|
 Excellent
|
 Good
|
 Fair
|
 Tragic
|
|
| Packshot |  |
| Game Details | Released
11 November 2004 | | Format
XBox | | Developer
Microsoft |
|
|
Halo 2
 Review
Every new console launches with at least one killer title, but in Halo Microsoft had found one that would not only ensure the future of its fledgling machine, but raise the bar for games on every platform. This now-legendary first-person shooter even converted people who wouldn’t normally look at a gamepad, winning them over with accessible gameplay, an involving story and the xenocidal charms of its protagonist, the enigmatic Master Chief.
Halo 2, then, is a sequel with no small amount of hype to live up to. Picking up very soon after the events in its predecessor, the game begins with humanity’s worst case scenario: religious fanatic alien alliance The Covenant invades Earth. Reprising your role as the bio-engineered supersoldier, you begin by repelling boarders on a planetary defence frigate but soon find yourself on terra firma, skirmishing with invaders amid the ruined cities then pursuing a key Covenant figure back to their neck of the galaxy. Far more polished than the original story, Halo 2’s plotline drives the action well and, thanks to the judicious use of cut-scenes, gives a deeper insight into the Covenant, evolving them beyond faceless cannon fodder and probing the reasons for their galactically jingoistic instincts.
Which brings us to the most significant change in Halo 2. After wading through the first few levels as the Master Chief, the viewpoint switches to that of The Arbiter, a disgraced Covenant Elite. Apart from coming as something of a surprise, playing as The Arbiter is a subtly different experience. Equipping you with the Elite’s deadly force blade and Predator-like cloaking field, the Covenant perspective provides an interesting counterpoint to the human levels — though remembering that the aliens are now your friends and shouldn’t be gutted on sight takes some getting used to. The continuing narrative doesn’t abandon the Master Chief, though, and you’ll alternate from one side to the other as the story progresses, until the two come together in a final, satisfying synthesis.
The graphics, while not leagues ahead, have certainly been given a boost this time around, and the fiendishly addictive multiplayer mode now comes with added bells and whistles in addition to being Xbox Live enabled. Gameplay changes include the ability to wield two weapons simultaneously — a welcome addition that rules out the need to retreat and reload, markedly changing the strategies you’ll employ in the many ranging firefights. New foes, vehicles and weapons have likewise been added to the roster.
Halo 2 isn’t revolutionary by any means, but as the follow-up to such a sublime experience as Halo, it really didn’t need to be. The sequel’s achievement is to give a second helping of the most accomplished title on the Xbox, with just enough tweaks and polishes to make this experience as fresh and enjoyable as the original.
Reviewer: James Dyer
Get this review and thousands more on on your iPhone, download the Empire Movie Guide now!
Write Your Review
To submit your own review and rating please login or register.
Advertisement
Average user rating for Halo 2
| RE: | | yeah i just bought it on amazon, and halo 1 on the xbox arcade. now i have played through all three. ... Read More
| | | bleugh07 About me | | 15:40, 04 August 2009 | Report This Post | |
| | | | | | does anybody know if this works on xbox 360? because i seriously want it. its so awesome ... Read More
| | | IsabelB About me | | 13:49, 22 June 2008 | Report This Post | |
| | | | | | does anybody know if this works on xbox 360? because i seriously want it. its so awesome ... Read More
| | | IsabelB About me | | 13:49, 22 June 2008 | Report This Post | |
| | | | | | amazing ... Read More
| | | alimac About me | | 01:37, 10 October 2007 | Report This Post | |
| | | | Mint game | | | Absolutely awsome, worth buying even if you have a 360, simply for the unbeatable multiplayer. Awsome and long campaign which you can just play again and again, second to none playability and decent graphics. It's all so shiney! ... Read More
| | | coolrex16 About me | | 21:16, 19 May 2006 | Report This Post | |
| | | | RE: Halo 2 | | Black kicks ass though. Better than everything. ... Read More
| | | benny blanco About me | | 04:14, 04 May 2006 | Report This Post | |
| | | | RE: Halo 2 | | Agreed, Halo 2 does improve on 1 in loads of ways, the only thing that used to piss me off about it is the amount of screen space covered when dual weilding. ... Read More
| | | benny blanco About me | | 04:13, 04 May 2006 | Report This Post | |
| | | | RE: Halo 2 | | Having always owned a ps2, when I brought my xbox 360 this was one of the 1st games on my list due. I had heard such good things about this and was bitterly, bitterly disappointed.
I just found it soooo repetative, the background graphics were okay but the rest just didnt look 'right', and the shooting felt unrealistic and unresponsive.
FPS have always been my fav games and maybe I had been spoiled by the medal of honor franchise, but I had turned this off ... Read More
| | | jesseLujack About me | | 10:13, 03 May 2006 | Report This Post | |
| | | | RE: Halo 2 | | Though there's the heavy Halo 1 V. Halo 2 controversy, I thought both games were good for a play. Halo 2's story line was better than Halo 1's, I felt. The online on Halo 2 was also a big step for online gaming, and is now (though I'm not sure how heavily counterstrike and WOW are being played on the computer), it is still the leading multiplayer game for the last year and a half, having never lost it's place, even post Xbox 360 launch.
4/5, though, because I like Half-Life 2 better.
... Read More
| | | Aph About me | | 05:04, 02 May 2006 | Report This Post | |
| | | | RE: Halo 2 | | | 5/5 ... Read More
| | | nickeye About me | | 15:50, 27 March 2006 | Report This Post | |
| | | | Next Page |
|
|
|
