Halo 2

Can Bungie make lightning strike twice? We take one of the most anticipated games of the year through its paces.
Version
 Xbox		Developer
Bungie		Publisher
Microsoft		Genre
FPS



Update - Nov 18th: Multiplayer segment of review added (at time of original publication, we were not allowed to review multiplayer).

By Alex Wollenschlaeger

Not many consoles can claim to have got it right straight from the start. But when newcomer Microsoft launched the Xbox in 2001, it had a slice of perfection on hand to ensure that its new hardware got a leg up. That Halo is still one of the top selling games on the Xbox three years after launch is testament to the quality of the game. In it, Bungie redefined what a console shooter could be. The game was gorgeous, meticulous and methodical, but, most of all, it was just a whole lot of fun to play.

"Chief's individual actions are the language of videogames, and Halo 2 is its prose."

Of course, everyone knew that a sequel was coming. Halo 2 arrives a year late, with expectations high and demand out of control. Microsoft has helped that. Much like Konami revelled in its power over the press around the launch of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Microsoft has been coy with details regarding the single-player Campaign Mode. Sure, the company was out at every opportunity waving the multiplayer about, but most people wanted to know what's going to be happening with Master Chief next.

Whereas Halo was a fantastic shooter ensconced in a solid story, Halo 2 feels very much like a good sci-fi flick with magnificent gameplay. It's a subtle difference, to be sure, but a real one. There's a definite emphasis on storyline here and the plot is sure to take you places you never thought you'd be going. More than once I found myself getting mired in the dense script unfolding before me, but not once did I want to skip through the cut scenes. The story doesn't just accompany gameplay, it enhances it, making you more alert to the minor happenings within the game.

If anything, the story is a little too complicated. The plot twists and denouements are suitably satisfying, but with no record of what's come before, you might just find yourself getting lost from time to time, as I did. It's the sort of story where you want to glean as much from each conversation as you can, which is not always possible. It's good incentive to replay the levels though.

"Environments carry nuance and attention to detail bordering on psychologically concerning."

As in its predecessor, the story is again mission based, but it's more seamless. There are the requisite cut scenes that introduce chapters, but the story unfolds during the stages too, requiring extra vigilance. The movie sequences are also the predominant source of the game's sole graphical blemish, as Bungie's aspirations thrust in your face in the form of high resolution textures that frequently pop in disconcertingly and the occasional bout of slowdown.

Along with the emphasised storyline comes a wealth of new characters. All your favourites are back, with the Brutes coming in as a new enemy race. They're gorilla-like in appearance and attack patterns and pose a healthy intermediate to the granite Hunters and acrobatic Elites. Through the course of the game, you'll get to become more intimately associated with several of the races, as the story takes increasingly unexpected avenues.

But once again, the marquee attraction is the pin-point action. Controlling Master Chief is one of the joys of videogames. There's a constant debate about whether games constitute art, and many people tend to wheel out the same arguments associated with movies. But games aren't movies, they're games, and perfectly executing a strafe followed by a realistically captured leap and a slice to the face of your would-be opponent is what makes games art. These individual actions are the language of videogames, and Halo 2 is its prose.

Bungie's series is not as fast paced as some of its shooter counterparts, and it's the better for it. The action is methodical. You don't whip around, you gracefully pivot. You don't send out a hail of bullets, you pick your spot and gently squeeze the trigger. Character movement is not much improved over Halo, but considering where that game left the watermark, that's no mean feat. What is greatly altered are the weapons.

"The more challenging difficulty settings are a true barometer of mettle."

Many hailed Halo for its excellent balance in weaponry. Halo 2 expands upon this by allowing you to use even more Covenant weapons. For each human weapon, there's a Covenant counterpart, with some notable exceptions. The Energy Sword that so mercilessly eviscerated you in the first are now yours for the wielding in the second. It's one of the best weapons in the game, with each swipe leaving behind a satisfying feeling. Conversely, the pistol finds itself unfairly neutered. The zoom is gone, which reduces its usefulness considerably.

And then there's the dual-weapon skill. You can combine any of the light weapons in whichever way you see fit. Don't think you can combine a sniper rifle and a rocket launcher though. There are logical constraints to what you can do and you're limited to weapons you could realistically hold together. The decision to use dual-wielding is very much a strategic one, as you no longer have access to grenades should you lean in that direction. Like the armoury itself, it's all about balance and what you want to achieve.

Level design mirrors that of the original, though taken to the logical next step. There's still a balance of outdoor and indoor terrain, but it all seems better this time. Navigating the world isn't as frustrating as it sometimes was, and getting to your destination is less labour intensive, but the game could still use a map of some sort. There's nothing worse that entering a symmetrical room filled with enemies, clearing the room and making your way through the stage only to find yourself right at the beginning again. This is a minor annoyance, though, as the tightened level design allows you to quickly see - for the most part - whether you're going in the right direction.

Paralleling this omnipresent upscaling is the quality of the art design. The game takes place in disparate locales with radically different environments, each of which carries nuance and an attention to detail bordering on psychologically concerning. The landscapes are painted with rich palettes and an eye for realism while the indoor environs mirror those of the best that movies have to offer, and each is accessorised by the more pronounced soundtrack.

Halo 2 is something else besides gorgeous to behold and thrilling to play though - it's demanding. While you'll be able to navigate the easiest difficult level with little effort in barely more than a dozen hours, the more challenging options are a true barometer of mettle. The occasional AI glitches are negated by the sheer tenacity of enemies and extracting a victory from their clutches is anything but straightforward.

Multiplayer!

And as if the campaign mode wasn't enough, there's still the delicious multiplayer - online or off - to contend with. From the first second I stepped onto the tight, polarized field of Battle Creek in Halo, I knew that online would be the only remedy for my neverending craving. To now finally have access to network play emphasizes how fun online play can be, reinforcing the mantra Microsoft has been muttering all along. But there is also a sense of disappointment as reality sets in and you realize that it's all based on technology, which is itself never without problems.

Given that there are - presumably, if message boards are any sort of barometer - thousands of gamers playing Halo 2 online all the time, quite why I couldn't reliably access a game is a complete mystery. Perhaps it's because I wasn't a member of a clan - an element that is given quite a push in Halo 2 - and I had to wait to be matched up with the rest of the loners out there. Perhaps I was just playing at the wrong time of day. Or perhaps it is Bungie's matchmaking service, which seems to make accessing a game that bit harder.

Whatever, though. Once you do get inside the technical obstructions dissolve and Halo 2 online becomes everything you wanted it to be and more. There are match types to suit everyone, from one-on-one tests of skill to full-scale, 16-person battles that see you bonding instantly with that cloaked voice out there in the ether. When your team mate asks you to wait with the Warthog while he brings over a bomb bound for the enemy base, you'll do the right thing, because you want to and it rewards you both. The action is as flitting as it was offline, only now you have the added benefit of not having to lug around 100 pounds of equipment for a night of fun. Or a weekend, if you're not careful.

Gameplay is smooth, but there are still episodes of lag frequent enough to leave you howling in frustration as you fail to cap the enemy Elite standing not ten yards from you. This is the reality of modern day networking realized. My trusty 3MB connection withstood most assaults, though, with everything up to and including the mammoth 16-player battles running smoothly save for the odd bout of delay. This will, of course, be highly dependant on when you're playing, who you're playing with, and how much you're paying your service provider.

The multiplayer levels themselves are diverse enough to cater to the variety of online game types present in the game. From expansive city structures to more outdoor orientated terrain, the maps lend themselves perfectly to the bedlam. The build quality is just as good as with the singleplayer levels, though the overambitious aspirations once again rear their malformed visage in the form of some rather disconcerting pop-up of both textures and full models. Halo veterans will get a kick out of finally being able to take to long-cherished maps without having to resort to cumbersome unofficial workarounds.

At present, just less than a week after the game's global release, the people populating Halo 2 online seem to make the experience generally enjoyable. It is often the case that a game's foibles are uncovered and exploited by ne'er-do-wells, but it seems that, at least for the moment, most people are online just to have fun. While it's not the first to get it right on consoles, Microsoft is to be commended for largely delivering on its promises. As technology and development march off into the future, online play will undoubtedly improve, but in the here and now, Halo 2 provides an excellent online experience sure to ruin the less frowned upon social aspects of people's lives.

"Halo 2 is already one of the undeniable high-points for the current generation."

It's not every day that you're witness to the arrival of the next big thing. While Halo 2 is not perfect, the few niggling defects are so minimal as to be ignored. Much like its predecessor, Halo 2 is an experience to be relished. But it's not just more of the same. It provides a more detailed story and lustrous presentation that will have you caring about what's happening in each level and not just how many enemies you've killed. Without having touched the multiplayer options in the final game, Halo 2 is already one of the undeniable high-points for the current generation.











Graphics Sound Gameplay Depth Presentation OVERALL
9.0 9.0 10.0 9.0 10.0 9.5


THE VERDICT: I've never been much of a fan of first-person shooters, but Halo made me a believer. Like everyone, I hoped that Halo 2 would be able to improve upon its forebear, but it always lingered that this might be asking too much. Bungie were clearly up for the challenge. From the new weapons and characters to the intriguing (albeit occasionally convoluted) story, every aspect of the game speaks of quality and attention. The online modes are the realization of my dearest aspirations from 2001, even though the experience is not always perfect. In online games, there's no such thing. Is there room for improvement? Of course there is. But Halo 2 is here - so you know what to do.













Video Coverage
(See Latest Videos & Video FAQ Here)
PLEASE DO NOT DIRECT LINK TO ANY MEDIA FILE ON KIKIZO
DescriptionDur.SizeDetails

Gameplay videos should be considered as mild spoilers.
Halo 2
Direct feed gameplay - Incredible opening movie, Covenant (640x480, 1.5Mbps)		 3.13m 32.7 MB WMV
Halo 2
Direct feed gameplay - first glimpse of Earth (640x480, 1.5Mbps)		 1.15m 30.2 MB WMV
Halo 2
Direct feed gameplay - more stunning cinema - humans & Covenant (640x480, 1.5Mbps)		 3.38m 36.4 MB WMV
Halo 2
Direct feed gameplay - opening gameplay (640x480, 1.5Mbps)		 3.11m 31.7 MB WMV
Halo 2
Direct feed gameplay - shooting stuff (640x480, 1.5Mbps)		 3.03m 31.0 MB WMV
Halo 2
Direct feed gameplay - more gameplay (640x480, 1.5Mbps)		 2.36m 25.7 MB WMV
Halo 2
Direct feed theatrical trailer (800x600, 2Mbps)		 0.48m 9.81 MB WMV
Halo 2
E3 2004: Conference Zanzibar presentation, direct feed audio (640x480, 1Mbps)		 9.11m 70.08 MB WMV
Halo 2
E3 2004: The presentation again - widescreen version from demo booth (640x480, 1Mbps)		 8.55m 68.01 MB WMV
Halo 2
E3 2004: Direct feed multiplayer CTF gameplay footage (640x480, 1Mbps)		 0.23m 2.95 MB WMV
Halo 2
E3 2004: Shakycam gameplay from demo booth (640x480, 1Mbps)		 0.25m 3.12 MB WMV
Halo 2
Cam-captured, hi-res video snippets from X03. (480x360, 1Mbps)		 0.38min 3.54MB WMV
Halo 2
Direct Feed Gameplay - Full Quality
(5.1 surround)		 9.04m 158 MB WMV
Halo 2
Direct Feed Gameplay - High Quality
(Stereo sound)		 9.04m 71.4 MB WMV
Halo 2
Nine minutes of stunning E3 2003 gameplay.		 8.51m 66.99 MB WMV
Halo 2
First ever direct-feed video showing a mix of in-game action and cut-scenes.		 0.50m 6.90 MB WMV
Halo 2
The amusing pre-demo warmup from E3 2003's Halo 2 booth. Yo, demo biyatch!		 1.03m 7.18 MB MPG
Halo 2
The Announcement Trailer (Direct)		 2.40min 23.5MB MPG