|
 The
Xbox community has endured lengthy delays waiting
for the most anticipated game of 2004 and all
of them want to know if it was worth the wait.
Receiving the actual, final build of this game
for review was as terrifying a prospect as I
had ever encountered during my years as a game
journalist. The worst fear being "What
if I just didn't like it?"
A
game that is surrounded by incredible amounts
of buzz, hype and anticipation by journalists,
fanboys and casual gamers alike, isn't an easy
thing to critique. If you're too hard on it,
your fellow journalists will brand you a moron
and work will cease to come your way. If you're
too easy on it, others will call you a lightweight
fanboy with no critical barometer and if you
decide the game is so-so, both sides will think
you're a complete dumbass. So what is a game
journalist to do when faced with reviewing a
game that could literally change your employment
status? You just dive in and let your raw instincts
and emotions kick in, as if you had never heard
of Halo before. While that sounds great in theory,
let me tell you that it doesn't really work
all that well.
I'm
what you might call a Halo fanboy because I
kind of, sort of, read the Halo novel that filled
in the holes of the first game and actually
bridges a gap between the first Halo and Halo
2. It's not a prerequisite but it's nice to
see Bungie's commitment to creating a living
breathing Halo universe, not unlike George Lucas'
Star Wars.
Single
Player Campaign
 With
my love of Halo out in the open, inserting the
Halo 2 disc into the Xbox was like a religious
experience quite truthfully. Like many of you
I was dying to get into the multiplayer experience
but I was told that the single player campaign
was my first stop on the map. Since I have been
a regular on Gamespy's Halo multiplayer arenas
since the inception of that genius inspired
little exploit, I figured I could wait a couple
more days before I took the game online. Little
did I know then, that a dozen hours later I'd
be finished the Halo 2 campaign mode on Normal.
A
lot has been written about the multiplayer aspects
of Halo 2, but the single player campaign was
virgin territory, hence my excitement to sink
my teeth in. Everything you loved about the
Halo can be found within the walls of the second
game and that also goes for everything you didn't
care for. The worst moments in the original
Halo involved wandering through identical areas,
completely lost and wondering how the heck to
advance. Halo 2 continues the tradition set
forth in the first game which consisted of explore
the area, battle a wave of enemies, explore,
get lost, battle a wave of enemies, repeat.
In my heart of hearts I found that to be disappointing
as I was hoping for a little more creativity,
and I level this criticism mostly at the interior
settings of Halo 2. They are even more confusing
than in the original. The game itself throws
enough surprises at the player to make up for
it, including some strange plot twists that
reminded me of Hideo Kojima's decision to introduce
Raiden as a playable character in Metal Gear
Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty, therefore relegating
Snake to a secondary role. As some of you may
remember, that wasn't the most popular move
in gaming history. Don't take this as doom and
gloom; some of you may love what's coming. Personally
I felt that Bungie did a masterful job at the
pacing and plot of Halo 2. It is the perfect
mix of story and action, without getting heavy
handed or too complicated (but you will have
to pay attention). It is because of this incredible
sense of pacing and evolution of the story that
I found the ending right out of left field.
Don't get me wrong, I understand the need to
set up the next chapter, just don't do it at
the expense of your fan base. Note to those
pissed at me now: I didn't like the cliffhanger
ending in The Empire Strikes Back either.
Weapons
& Vehicles
 In
terms of gameplay advances, dual wielding weapons
seems to the be biggest improvement to have
an adverse effect on the action. Often times
playing with two entirely different weapons
will yield much more devastating results than
you'd think and experimentation is key. One
slight drawback to dual wielding is the inability
to lob plasma grenades or other projectiles
while doing so. Changing the tides to your favor
with a well timed grenade toss can sometimes
be the equation between failiure and success
and I found myself missing this feature more
than I liked the dual weapon feature. But to
each their own.
Forget
everything you thought you knew about the original
weapons as well. Some have changed for the better,
some have been removed and some take on a new
life when combined with another weapon during
dual wielding. A cool new trick is the ability
to take someone elses weapon during the game
which often results in a funny exchange between
the Master Chief and the team member who had
no choice but to give up his boomstick. One
of the most devastating weapons in Halo 2 just
happens to be the plasma sword, which functions
differently when compared to online and offline
play. During the single player campaign its
great for slightly longer than melee distance
attacks, but functions much the same as the
other covenant weapons in that it can run out
of energy. Take that weapon online and you'll
notice it just doesn't drain. I assume that
is due to the fact that any one crazy enough
to bring a sword to a gunfight deserves to have
unlimited energy. Good luck taking it into cyberspace.
You'll definitely need it.
Melee
attacks are back and some diehard Halo players
will notice some animations have changed, and
it's not the end of the world, but why fix what
wasn't broken Bungie? Anyway a well placed smash
to the face with the butt of a rifle can't be
beat. Saves ammo and gets the job done 98% of
the time.
Another
visual advance that might have some gamers questioning,
is the absence of a health bar. Bungie decided
that it was no longer needed and they were right;
the game provides more than enough visual heads
up to let you know when you're being hit, recharging
your shields or making contact with the enemy.
I thought I would miss this feature to be honest,
but after an hour it was like I had broken up
with it and gave it the old "it's not you,
it's me" routine and happily moved on with
my life.
 Vehicles....ah
the vehicles. There is nothing more satisfying
than kicking some covenant jerkwad out of his
Ghost while he's cruising by and taking over
the controls. That has been one of the most
talked about features since it was made known
and it really makes Halo 2 that much more interesting.
The controls of the vehicles have been tweaked
to perfection with some receiving boosts that
make all the difference, both in single and
online player.
Co-Op
Co-op
play has returned to the party in Halo 2 and
I along with my colleagues were very dismayed
to discover that co-op mode is not available
online nor with system link, but only via split
screen. Split screen just doesn't cut it for
a game of this stature and I find it a terrible
oversight that it's the only option available
to those who want to play the campaign mode
with a friend. I did play co-op mode with the
guys here and it was fun, but only because we
were playing on a very large TV in the lounge
area. If I had to suffer through this on anything
under 36" I wouldn't even show up to play.
I know some of you don't care about split screen
and I will say that Legendary Halo 2 in co-op
mode is as addictive as anything could possibly
be. It does help to know the level maps and
play with a friend who is equally as bas ass
as you are, but that's like preaching to the
converted. Had co-op mode been available online
or via system link, my score of this game would
have been over 5.0.
Campaign
Round Up
Now
that I've looked at all of the peices of the
campaign mode, let me put it all together for
you. Halo 2 is an epic on par with The Lord
of the Rings in terms of sheer scope. The locales
you will visit, the numerous ways in which you
can turn the tide in your favor and the enhanced
intelligence of your teammates and enemies will
captivate you for weeks. Although the campaign
is short, each level is brimming with enough
imagination and open ended playability to ensure
that you'll visit your favorite levels often.
When you do return you'll be surprised to find
that the enemy decided to adlib the script.
No longer can you count on the same ambushes,
attacks and enemy placement, which earns Halo
2 a 10 out of a possible 5 in terms of replay
value.
Xbox
Live
 Of
course the online mode is nothing to sneeze
at and is what people will be playing long after
they finish Campaign mode. 16 players can go
at it in any number of modes online and you'll
quickly discover that some maps are geared for
larger groups and some for small groups. The
functionality of Halo 2 online is unequaled
and there is something here for everyone. Before
you even step into a Live arena, the amount
of configuration options, both cosmetic and
mechanic are almost overwhelming. You'll spend
quite awhile simply selecting what you would
like your character to look like, even though
you'll never see him. From there you can start
or join a Halo 2 clan and Bungie has pulled
out ALL of the stops in terms of sheer options
and control.
Games
online are separated into two categoies: Ranked
and Unranked. This is a godsend to anyone who
has ever played online before. It simply means
that if you are new to the Halo 2 experience
or online FPS in general, you won't have to
suffer constant defeat and humiliation at the
hands of Halo 2 beta testers who live sheltered
lives and want to kill you, to make themselves
appear more powerful. As well, Halo vets will
love playing with those of equal ability and
will not have to listen to questions from the
peanut gallery like "What's a halo?"
and "What does FPS stand for?". Thank
you Bungie!
The
sheer number of contests available online will
satisfy any purveyor of Xbox Live. I've always
been a CTF man, and I will most likely remain
a CTF man. Playing CTF on Zanzibar is a great
way to spend the rest of my life. In the space
of this review I can't name all of the game
modes, but you'll find many of the usual suspects
such as King of the Hill, CTF and also some
interesting new games.
I
never noticed any bad lag during my time online
so far, nor have I experienced any framerate
drops worth mentioning. Uncharacteristically
my DSL provider has been more than fulfilling
its promise of decent service lately and that
might account for spotless online experience
lately.
Visuals
& Sound
It's
been three long years since Halo: Combat Evolved
arrived on store shelves along side the Xbox
system. In that time it has been no secret that
the system has serious muscle when you compare
it to other consoles and even other PC games.
Recent surprises such as Chronicles of Riddick
and the upcoming Doom 3 for the Xbox have managed
to further distance itself from the PS2 in terms
of graphic prowess and Halo 2 draws another
line in the sand. Halo 2 could not appear on
the PS2 without some serious visual impairments
and framerate handicaps. Gamers will notice
that while the environments are lush and beautifully
detailed, nothing really jumps out in Halo 2
as being completely awe inspiring, aside from
some large scale...oh that would be telling.
Having said that, Halo 2 IS a gorgeous looking
game which when taken altogether makes a fantastic
work of art. Each level on it's own is visually
appealing especially in terms of scope; these
levels are not only large but chockfilled with
details that dwarf the original in so many ways.
As I mentioned earlier, the indoor levels are
the most frustrating due to the repetition of
textures and symmetry. You'll be wandering aimlessly
through these areas hoping for a clue as how
to move on. The lighting, reflective and particle
effects are astounding however and coupled with
the fantastic sound effects, war has never sounded
so good in Dolby 5.1. If you don't have your
Xbox going through your stereo (not to mention
hooked up via progressive scan HDTV) then you're
missing out on an even better visceral gaming
experience. Halo 2's visuals and sounds will
put your lucid dreams to shame.
 The
soundtrack alone is pure orhcestral epic, providing
a backdrop of music that harnesses the energy
of the events and battles while the voicework
is dramatic without being cheesy or puffed up.
Halo 2 is much too classy a production to feature
the latest in indi-techno crapola or aging metal
stars, even though I'm sure somewhere along
the way some corporate suit suggested that Rob
Zombie, Snoop Dogg, Hillary Duff or all three
would be perfect to perform the Halo 2 theme
song. Some things in life are just better left
alone as I'm sure you'll agree when the ****
hits the fan in Halo 2.
Closing
Arguments
The
FPS console shooter was once thought technically
impossible due to the control method. Rare's
GoldenEye changed perceptions in 1997 and advances
have been made since then in furthering the
genre on the home consoles. Games like Red Faction,
Time Splitters, Rainbow Six and the original
Halo have proven that it is not only possible
to create a compelling FPS for the home (and
online console) market, but that in many ways
these pioneers can revolutize what is taking
place on the PC. Halo 2 continues that process
with it's tight control, excellent plot and
fantastic compelling action sequences. There
is a lot to be gained from reverse engineering
the Halo 2 development process that future games
would benefit from. As well there are mistakes
to be learned from as well, although they in
no way impede the playability of this stellar
title. Xbox owners have waited a long time to
play Halo 2 and it's extremely doubtful many
will find that it wasn't worth every painstaking
moment that they couldn't play it. It's a fantastic
effort that will far outshine other sequels
appearing in 2004 whose developers perhaps haven't
learned the same lessons Bungie has.
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Imagine
a world where your enemies actively seek out
weaknesses in the architecture and exploit them,
knocking down pillars, blowing out windows,
knocking down doors in a decidely offensive
fashion. Unfortunately for you, they aren't
trying to hide; they're trying to get closer
to you. Welcome to the world of Halo 2 which
Bungie promises will be more interactive, more
visually impacting and a helluva lot more violent.
Another
wonderful addition to the gameplay is the ability
to dual wield weapons. Now MC can take the fight
into John Woo territory and sport two killing
machines on his arms. The new weapons we can
tell you about include the Battle Rifle, which
is an evolved version of the original assault
rifle and features increased accuracy, a scope,
and a slower rate of fire. The SMG (Sub Machine
Gun) is a rapid-fire gun that trades a high
volume of bullets for decreased accuracy. This
time around players will even be able to use
Covenant weapons (commence drooling). This includes
the Covenant Carbine - an energy based sniper
weapon and the almightly Covenant energy sword.
Other weapons are promised but Bungie is very
hush hush about them.
While
most normal people have never played the original
Halo online - something it wasn't intended to
do, but possible with GamesSpy Arcade (and quite
fun too!) - those who bring Halo 2 home won't
have to worry about going to such lengths as
Halo 2 will support Xbox Live. Expectations
for the multiplayer gameplay is indeed, high
and from what we've heard, gamers won't be disappointed,
even those who just want to play the game via
a LAN or split screen.
Bungie
and Microsoft are hedging their bets on this
one. Halo is still the best selling Xbox game
to date and continues to appear on best selling
lists almost 3 years since it was released.
Needless to say the expectations for Halo 2
are quite high on both sides of the fence. Microsoft
has officially announced Halo 2 LE (Limited
Edition) which will be released at the same
time and retail at apprx. $54.95. Halo 2 LE
will consist of:
One
of the most anticipated previews of E3 is the
sequel to Halo, imaginatley titled, Halo 2.
The demo we saw shows a powerful battle taking
place between the marines and the Covenant alien
forces. The game is loaded with action and amazing
graphics. Fans of Halo have every right to be
excited as long as the quality of what we've
seen here is maintained. 
