Halo 2

 Xbox
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2394 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,035 out of 2394
  2. Mixed: 192 out of 2394
  3. Negative: 167 out of 2394
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  1. StuM.
    Nov 12, 2004
    8
    Fantastic game. But I do feel robbed in terms of visuals. Ramping up the resolution in cut-scenes and then popping back to a medium -low res in actual gameplay doesn't do it for me. Sound design is great but the music is, to be honest, bland, uninspiring and pretty predictable. This will play much better on it's PC release. A great game, but in no way what the Hype Machine predicted.
  2. SnapDragon
    Nov 12, 2004
    8
    I've been a hardcore Halo 1 gamer for some time now, and I was immediately disappointed by the Halo 2 multiplayer experience. What happened to the pistol? Where does skill come in? Now it is almost entirely rapid fire weapons which take little to no skill to use effectively. The maps are asymmetrical and confusing, making CTF games and communication difficult. Not to mention there I've been a hardcore Halo 1 gamer for some time now, and I was immediately disappointed by the Halo 2 multiplayer experience. What happened to the pistol? Where does skill come in? Now it is almost entirely rapid fire weapons which take little to no skill to use effectively. The maps are asymmetrical and confusing, making CTF games and communication difficult. Not to mention there are practically no small maps like Wizard or Longest. And even the game interface lacks its old charm; quickly selecting a game and choosing profiles becomes tedious and time consuming. Halo 1 was simple but it had style. Why not just bring back Halo 1 with x-box live and more maps? The new weapons and enhanced graphics are great for single player, but when you finish the campaign what are you left with?… Expand
  3. TomD.
    Nov 12, 2004
    8
    The game is great but what happened to the game play in the trailers? Seems like they changed a lot, and is Sergeant Johnson alive again? The graphics are great, the sound is great, but the story line and ending have much to be desired.
  4. ChrysL.
    Nov 15, 2004
    8
    Beat the game in a day.....Well, I loved the first Halo so much do to the story. This one doesn't come close to the first game but it's still good...could of been better and should of been a longer game to beat.... And what some of you people dont kknow is that this game was RUSHED... I saw the dvd, they said if they had more time to work for this game it would of been great for Beat the game in a day.....Well, I loved the first Halo so much do to the story. This one doesn't come close to the first game but it's still good...could of been better and should of been a longer game to beat.... And what some of you people dont kknow is that this game was RUSHED... I saw the dvd, they said if they had more time to work for this game it would of been great for them but they had a due date for it. "The fans are screaming for this game to come out" exactly what the people at bungie where saying which is why this game wasn't as good as we all thought it would be. Maybe when they work on Halo 3, they'll take there sweet time like they did with the first Halo which made it one of the best games to ever come out for a system.… Expand
  5. Mr.H-man
    Nov 15, 2004
    8
    [***SPOILERS***] A PC gamer through and through, I went out and bought an Xbox just to play this game. After a couple of hours I had the controller down-pat and was in Halo heaven kicking-ass! The game play is heaps of fun, there are issues as the devoted have pointed out, however the look and feel, as well as the seemless action had me playing for hours on end. Just as I was starting to [***SPOILERS***] A PC gamer through and through, I went out and bought an Xbox just to play this game. After a couple of hours I had the controller down-pat and was in Halo heaven kicking-ass! The game play is heaps of fun, there are issues as the devoted have pointed out, however the look and feel, as well as the seemless action had me playing for hours on end. Just as I was starting to gain some real respect for the folks at Bungie ...the game ended suddenly? At first I thought that the cheeky staff had forced everyone to sit through the game credits before the final onslaught, however, the thing is ...there is no final onslaught!? This has to be a Microsoft decision (who wouldn't they roll for a dollar?) as no self respecting game developer would leave fans sitting there in disbelief! So many fans have expressed this view in the forums and I think Bungie are going to take some damage over this. Con of the year!!!!!!… Expand
  6. AaronL.
    Nov 19, 2004
    8
    I have to say this is the best game of the year for a first person shoot-m up. I loved the fact that you confiscate a vehicle that is being driven by an enemy. I also appreciate that they evened out the weapons (pistol, sword) and you can use them all. What other game allows you to use what the enemy was actually trying to kill you with. I also enjoyed the CO-OP multi-player version. Very I have to say this is the best game of the year for a first person shoot-m up. I loved the fact that you confiscate a vehicle that is being driven by an enemy. I also appreciate that they evened out the weapons (pistol, sword) and you can use them all. What other game allows you to use what the enemy was actually trying to kill you with. I also enjoyed the CO-OP multi-player version. Very smooth and the action never ends. I liked the fact that I was able to use the arbiter. Switch of senory and great commentary from the foot soldiers. The only real problem that I had was the game was to short with a blah ending (compared to the first). I need more hours of game play to rank this game any higher. For those who ranked this game anything lower need to get off their high horse and admit that this is the best 1st person shoot-m up game of the year (except for Halo 1 but that was 3 yrs ago so it doesn't count, so get over it.)… Expand
  7. JAYU.
    Dec 5, 2004
    8
    In HALO 2 you have no health meter. Thats bogus! the fuel rod gun was lacking too. i have no room to complain because i got it for $20.oo. but for all you who don't, there is no way you should pay more than $30.oo. And yes, the human pistol stinks!!!
  8. KennyH.
    Dec 9, 2004
    8
    It's a good game, but the single player is boring as hell, and the multiplayer maps are worse than the first game (fun, nevertheless)
  9. AnthonyR.
    Feb 24, 2005
    8
    Like all xbox users, i believe that halo is a must have for anyone. But their are some things in this game that really annoyed me. First off, when you get to a cut scene u see the outlines then the textures later, also legendary is practically impossible to beat, and i was really dissapointed that it just a fight to save earth, and thats all you did was stay on earth and try to destroy Like all xbox users, i believe that halo is a must have for anyone. But their are some things in this game that really annoyed me. First off, when you get to a cut scene u see the outlines then the textures later, also legendary is practically impossible to beat, and i was really dissapointed that it just a fight to save earth, and thats all you did was stay on earth and try to destroy the covenient from taking it over. Another thing that got me upset was taking the roles of two people, to me that was just flat out stupid and not well thought, but the xbox live is very solid. Its fun for anyone who loves halo, but dont get me wrong i love halo & halo 2 but to me it doesnt desirve a 10, and the people that say it does are getting the game way too much credit, get a life… Expand
  10. Adrian
    Sep 18, 2007
    8
    While the presentation, gameplay, and graphics technology definitely make Halo 2 a quality product, its poor storyline's execution and repetitive nature stop it from being truly outstanding.
  11. Jelly_Bean_Man
    Nov 15, 2004
    8
    Come on people. This is not the super super super super...(you get the point) game you all think it is. It's like Microsoft got so high off it's power that it ignored the people that claimed there was something wrong with the first game and just continued making Halo 2. It's makes me wonder if they made them both straight after the other without listening to people's Come on people. This is not the super super super super...(you get the point) game you all think it is. It's like Microsoft got so high off it's power that it ignored the people that claimed there was something wrong with the first game and just continued making Halo 2. It's makes me wonder if they made them both straight after the other without listening to people's complaints. Now, you're probably wondering, why did I give this game an 8. Well, I didn't say it was a bad game. On the contrary, the multiplayer is excellent, and the use of vehicles is very smart thoroughout the game, so is the A.I. However, the same problems emerge from the last game. Balance issues: you can murder someone by hitting them with a pistol but not die after being shot with an machine gun 3000000 times. Level layout: the same repetitiveness and not enough freedom in the single player mode suffer even more in the second game. Also, the story ending is crap, I'm sure even the most addicted Halo fan will agree to that. It makes people not want to replay the single player mode ever again. For multiplayer though, Halo 2 stands with the biggest of them. However, I believe Unreal and Half Life just handle things better, not like the big-headed people at Microsoft, who believed the first people who said it was the greatest game ever and never listened to anyone else afterward. However, if it is storyline and single player you're looking for, get Unreal 2, not Halo. All in all, the Halo brainwashed people will enjoy this indefinitely, but for the people who actually think, rent this before you get it, see if you can overlook the giangantic gripes some people have.… Expand
  12. Dbl90
    Dec 11, 2004
    8
    So far, reading all the reviews, I've seen three things. The first, is that it is a perfect game, the second it is a terrible game, and the third that it doesn't matter how good it is, the developers tried. I'd like to inform you that they are all wrong. To walk down memory lane, the original Halo was a great game, even the non-FPS lover would probably eventually have to So far, reading all the reviews, I've seen three things. The first, is that it is a perfect game, the second it is a terrible game, and the third that it doesn't matter how good it is, the developers tried. I'd like to inform you that they are all wrong. To walk down memory lane, the original Halo was a great game, even the non-FPS lover would probably eventually have to admit its brilliance. I had high expectations for Halo 2...along with the dread of a long time gaming tradition...the bad sequel. The fact that it is a sequel, and most people know the original, I shall point out what has changed. Halo 2 has some pretty intresting new features, the most novel of which is playing as an elite, with cloaking. I quite enjoyed dual weilding, especially needlers, and brought a good deal of variation to the game, even though one could not melee while not dual weilding. Also, I quite liked the intoduction of of the plasma sword, and the brute shot, which made melee combat somthing that was a possibility. The vehicles now start taking visual physical damage when shot. The sound and graphics are pretty nice, and the companion marines you take with you can be funny, although I have to admit one of the voices really ended up getting to me. Where this game really comes through, is in the multiplayer, and although I think perfer the levels in the original halo, the fact that Halo 2 is live enabled makes it great. No more having to call everyone I know to see if they could drop by to play multiplayer. The only downside is that Halo multiplay is definately not geared twoard a small group, and some levels are just too rediculously big and unweildy for two, three, or even four. Apart from these small innvations I can't really say there is too much going for this game. I really don't like how the weapons were redone, maybe it is just personal taste, but my whole style of gameplay from the original Halo was really messed up with my favorite weapons becoming quite useless. The story line, while starting off pretty intrestingly, end up bieng a bit stale, and it is the typical lrun and gun style game. The highest incentive for replay is the differant difficulty modes, which unlike in most games, make quite a big deal of differance. Go from easy to legendary....and you'll probably throw your controller down cursing when you try to melee that elite to death. The removal of any proof that one beat the game on legendary removes any bragging rights, which, is somwhat of a loss. The game shines through, but it isn't a revultion in the FPS , it isn't a classic like the orginal halo, and maybe it is a bit worse , but this is by all means not a bad game. Definately worth a rental, this is one of those games everyone else has, and probably would serve somone much better to go to play a friends copy. This deserves to be recognized as one of the better consol FPSs of the year, but does it deserve a us to serenade it with praises night and day? I think not. Dbl90… Expand
  13. JosephC.
    Dec 17, 2004
    8
    Halo 2 is an awesome game. While it is a bit too short, and not as good as Halo: Combat Evolved, it still delivers as a game.
  14. Aznkyd
    Dec 25, 2004
    8
    This game is extremely fun in split screen, system link or online...but the story campaign wasn't that excitting. I got soo fustrated that grunts seem to have fully-automatic plasma pistols....they shoot at u like crazy in every lvl..the storyline wasn't that good either..but it was a great experience...
  15. drlowdon
    Jun 8, 2013
    8
    Upon its release Halo quickly established itself as the original Xbox's killer exclusive and this highly anticipated sequel arrived three years later amongst huge fanfare. Fortunately, while it did not exactly reinvent the FPS genre, it more than lived up to the hype providing an excellent evolution of the close to flawless original. Single player, co-op play and online Vs modes are allUpon its release Halo quickly established itself as the original Xbox's killer exclusive and this highly anticipated sequel arrived three years later amongst huge fanfare. Fortunately, while it did not exactly reinvent the FPS genre, it more than lived up to the hype providing an excellent evolution of the close to flawless original. Single player, co-op play and online Vs modes are all accounted for and anyone that enjoys the FPS genre won't be disappointed with what they find here.… Expand
  16. potatoes351
    Aug 13, 2012
    8
    Halo: Combat Evolved was always going to hard to follow up and Halo 2 almost manages it. The sprawling environments return, so do the covenant, so does the flood in fact so does everything. It feels like a copy and paste at times with very few gameplay changes and very few variations in environment. However what it does well is it brings the intergalactic war well and truly home and turnsHalo: Combat Evolved was always going to hard to follow up and Halo 2 almost manages it. The sprawling environments return, so do the covenant, so does the flood in fact so does everything. It feels like a copy and paste at times with very few gameplay changes and very few variations in environment. However what it does well is it brings the intergalactic war well and truly home and turns up the epicness to 11. Invading giant mobile covenant bases, assaulting a hanging city before it falls into the depths below and a story to bonkers that you get far too in over your head and it feels right! Halo 2 is by no means as good as Halo:CE but it damn well comes close.… Expand
  17. TheSquirrel
    May 5, 2012
    8
    Halo 2 adds several mechanical achievements over Halo:CE, as well as continues the incredible story arc the first began. What is loses is the originality of the first without introducing enough new elements to feel completely fresh. This is understandable, considering what a feat the first game was and how soon after this game was released. Again, graphics and controls stand up well,Halo 2 adds several mechanical achievements over Halo:CE, as well as continues the incredible story arc the first began. What is loses is the originality of the first without introducing enough new elements to feel completely fresh. This is understandable, considering what a feat the first game was and how soon after this game was released. Again, graphics and controls stand up well, even after a considerable amount of time. The Soundtrack from any Halo game is incredible, and this one is no different. For the completionist, this game on Legendary is, in my opinion, the hardest of all the Halo games, CE to Reach. Overall, a great continuation that just failed to deliver enough new material to be the greatest.… Expand
  18. MarkyB
    Aug 17, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An improvement on the first game. I enjoyed the Covenant parts of the game and I had no problem with the cliff-hanger ending. Needless to say that fans of the first game will enjoy this.… Expand
  19. Iky009
    Jan 4, 2019
    8
    Só não supera o primeiro, como também vai expandindo mais, e mais seu universo assustadoramente incrível, um salto gigante em uma trama que só melhora a cada novo capitulo.
  20. flametail23
    Dec 9, 2014
    8
    While not quite as good as the first one, Halo 2 does a great job at continuing the story of Master Chief. This time around though you play as two characters in their own stories. Arbiter and Chief.
    The only problem I have with the game is that the cliffhanger at the end annoyed me a bit.

    Verdict:
    A great game which continues the legacy of the Chief and introduces a new character
    8/10
  21. Termin8ter
    Feb 7, 2016
    8
    Halo 2 is an excellent game, a worthy sequel to CE. The graphics have been improved massively, and the gameplay is much better too. There is a heap of new weapons, and Master Chief moves around quicker than he did in CE. The online multiplayer is an absolute blast too. Buy this game on the MCC if you have not already.
  22. njja02
    May 15, 2018
    8
    The ending was annoying, and playing as the Covenant was not as engaging as I was hoping, but it's still a great game. The combat and visuals are improved, but overall I didn't like it as much as CE.
  23. Untitled94
    Jul 15, 2021
    8
    A fantastic sequel that improved many things from the first game. It's not my favorite Halo game, but it's up there and still very fun to play to this day.
  24. Petethepig123
    Jun 28, 2018
    8
    Aside from the graphics, which are pretty dated by today's standards but were incredible for the time, Halo 2 is a FANTASTIC game! The story is one of my favorite Halo stories, and although it is hard on higher difficulties, if you are playing on easy or normal, pretty much anyone can play it and enjoy. I played the original Xbox version on a 360 via backwards compatibility, but if theAside from the graphics, which are pretty dated by today's standards but were incredible for the time, Halo 2 is a FANTASTIC game! The story is one of my favorite Halo stories, and although it is hard on higher difficulties, if you are playing on easy or normal, pretty much anyone can play it and enjoy. I played the original Xbox version on a 360 via backwards compatibility, but if the graphics are a problem, there is always the remastered version included with Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One. All the enemies are fun to fight, although personally, I thought the Brutes were more annoying than Jackal snipers. The Flood are in this game, but on the lower difficulties they are not THAT bad, and to me are pretty fun. The characters are all pretty likeable (Sergeant Johnson is my favorite), and it is cool that you do not just play as Master Chief, but also the Arbiter, a Covenant Elite. Both characters' storylines do intersect towards the end. The new weapons are also very fun. Although the assault rifle was removed, new weapons such as the battle rifle, the energy sword, the Carbine, the beam rifle, and the SMGs. Dual wielding of smaller weapons is a thing now, and it allows you to play around with cool weapon combos. The story is incredible, with many more characters and locations introduced, and it is probably my favorite Halo story. The new enemies are the Brutes and they are pretty cool, albeit frustrating at times. The biggest downfall is the cliffhanger ending, which will probably convince you to buy the equally awesome Halo 3. It has so much more of everything that was great about Halo: Combat Evolved. I could not recommend Halo 2 more.… Expand
  25. SkeletonBones
    Aug 9, 2017
    8
    Halo 2 is the best part in the series in my opinion. She changed a lot in the multiplayer series of the Call Of Duty and this game has a great company for both one and two people, which is its chip and multiplayer for 4 players for a split screen
  26. DibbleChud
    Oct 19, 2017
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. TL;DR at the bottom for those with little time to spare :)

    Halo 2 is a weird game for me to talk about. Probably my least favourite out of the Bungie Halo games, it still has a lot going for it, even if it's disappointments are greater than that of the last game.
    I'd like to set off covering the one thing I never covered on the previous review that I feel needs to be talked about. Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori I'd kiss you if I didn't live 3000+ miles away. The soundtracks to ALL of the Bungie Halo games is incredible but the stand out ensemble of songs across all the Halo games has to be Halo 2. Be it the sombre but heroic 'The Last Spartan' or the insanely good 'Halo Theme Mjolnir Mix', the emotional 'Unforgotten' or Breaking Benjamin's utterly badass 'Blow Me Away' Halo 2's soundtrack is the soundtrack you'd want playing when you go save the human race from mass extinction, and this game really does make you feel like a badass whilst doing it. The people over at Bungie must've been watching one too many an action movie because they added a few new mechanics that would make you feel like king of the battlefield.
    Introducing: Dual Wielding and Vehicle Hi-jacking. These two new, revolutionary features will make you feel like the star of Die Hard IN SPACE. Running around wielding two SMG's and kicking people out of Ghost's and then running them over with said Ghosts feels better than anything from any game prior. In addition to these two criminally fun features comes a whole host of new weapons and vehicles for you to get your virtual hands on. 14 weapons, almost double that of the original games arsenal (and a heavily nerfed Magnum....a little too nerfed) and an additional 2 vehicles have been added to the roster bringing the total up to 6. Another feature added was more in-depth customisation. Whilst Halo CE featured the ability to change your armour colour, Halo 2 boasts the ability to change armour primary and secondary colours, edit emblems and even change race to an Elite! Something else I didn't cover in Halo CE mainly because I'm unfamiliar with Halo CE's multiplayer was its maps. The majority of Halo CE's maps were basic and symmetrical, however Halo 2 features more interesting, well designed maps as well as the return of the ever-famous Blood Gulch. This made it easier for people like the lovely folks over at Rooster Teeth to make more convincing settings for their hit machinima series Red vs. Blue. The final heavy hitter in terms of multiplayer was of course the ground-breaking implementation of XBox Live. Halo 2 proved to be one of the most popular online games ever made and still had an active online community AFTER the release of Halo 3 on the next generation consoles. Some die-hard fans even managed to keep Halo 2 matchmaking alive after the servers were shut off for a short amount of time. This die-hard dedication is what led other developers such as those behind the Call of Duty games to take heavy inspiration from Halo's matchmaking system and implement very similar systems into their own games. The multiplayer is arguably the best part of Halo 2 due too all of these boundary breaking features, however the story, whilst having it's issues, still manages to impress in some areas. Halo 2's story was built solely to make you fell like a hero. You'd survived lost and often times alone on an alien ring. You're now back on Earth (for the first few missions anyways) and saving humanity. There are many a moment where you feel like the most badass soldier since DOOM. Punching a Prophet in the face, taking down a scarab and my favourite feature, being the f***ing Arbiter! Taking control of everyone's favourite Elite is satisfying as all hell. Cutting flood into pieces with your energy sword alongside your covenant troops. It's all insanely fun. The story arc of the Brutes usurping the Elites was also a very good set up for Halo 3 and the Elite rebellion; and Tartarus, the best 'main villain' in a Halo game to date was always fun to hate.

    However, Halo 2's campaign is also where the weaker points begin to show. Halo 2 was infamously unfinished. It's E3 demos showed off features that simply weren't there, and it's ending will go down in history as one of the most rage inducing endings of all time, ending on that cliff-hanger that nearly had many a person throwing down their controller in rage. Halo 2 is also plagued with rendering issues. Textures take several seconds to load in rather than right away and in soame cases (at least in my experience) not at all. However, as I wasn't familiar with Halo 2 on its release, I didn't experience the disappointment and so that is where my problems with the game end.

    TL;DR
    Stunning Soundtrack
    Amazing Multiplayer that makes you feel like a badass
    Good maps
    Additional armour customization is welcome
    Fun but disappointing put together campaign
    Texture glitches
    Magnum now doesn't even have the capacity to kill a fly...

    Final Score: 8/10    … Expand
  27. PopeTheDope909
    May 14, 2019
    8
    Halo 2 like its predecessor innovated not only the franchise but the gaming industry as a whole. Halo 2 made big strides to the Halo franchise that had a long lasting effect(Online multiplayer that set the foundation for matchmaking systems in other Halo games and other games in general, expanding the Halo universe through its story, and having more features than Halo 1). Halo 2 also tookHalo 2 like its predecessor innovated not only the franchise but the gaming industry as a whole. Halo 2 made big strides to the Halo franchise that had a long lasting effect(Online multiplayer that set the foundation for matchmaking systems in other Halo games and other games in general, expanding the Halo universe through its story, and having more features than Halo 1). Halo 2 also took a few missteps that i and other people don't like(More linear missions than before, unfair legendary difficulty, slow pacing during some missions, jackel snipers, OP sword w/ unlimited ammo in multiplayer). As a whole Halo 2 is great, it may have some obvious flaws but you can look past those and enjoy this game Bungie crafted for us.… Expand
  28. Co-Odyssey
    Jul 7, 2018
    8
    Halo 2 is a major improvement from Halo: CE in a lot of ways, yet it is a step backwards in a number of ways. The graphics have improved, but at the cost of smaller and more linear levels. The weapon balancing is better, yet some weapons and features feel redundant. The multiplayer was amazing and still is for local play, but very few of the multiplayer maps properly utilize the gamesHalo 2 is a major improvement from Halo: CE in a lot of ways, yet it is a step backwards in a number of ways. The graphics have improved, but at the cost of smaller and more linear levels. The weapon balancing is better, yet some weapons and features feel redundant. The multiplayer was amazing and still is for local play, but very few of the multiplayer maps properly utilize the games vehicles. The story of Halo 2 has a higher focus on character development and world building yet it suffers from middle chapter syndrome. As a result Halo 2 stands with Halo 5 as one of the only two Halo games that really can't be enjoyed on its own. Halo 2 is still a major part of local competitive multiplayer scene, which is evidential of the impact this game has had on the multiplayer shooter through out the years.… Expand
  29. AshleyJames
    Nov 17, 2018
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A sequel to the 97 rated Xbox Exclusive, the game is a brilliant continuation of the Halo game before it. While Halo CE holds an amazing and captivating grasp on the player, Halo 2 releases that grasp and lets the player truly experience the Halo universe. The strong points of Halo 2 are the story, the gameplay, and the music.

    The story is phenomenal due to the expansion of the already in-depth universe established by Halo CE and its books released at the time. It manages to keep the plot interesting, while exploring new perspectives considered controversial by the player. Characters like Johnson are a pleasent re-introduction to the game, while Tartarus, Commander Keyes and The Prophets are refreshing, and help the game expand on character development even further. The missions seen from the angles of Master Chief and The Arbiter are both enjoyable, and they both manage to keep a different atmosphere throughout the story development. The perspective of Master Chief feels empowering, and provides the player with a sense of alarm and heroism throughout the game, while the perspective of The Arbiter gives the player a change in moral compass. The player will disagree with Arbiter's actions until they begin to explore the truth of the Halo ring's functions as the campaign goes on, giving the player a similar feel of power and heroism as the perspective of Master Chief does. This is a unique aspect which was rarely explored before Halo 2's lifetime. The story leaves you feeling either disappointed, or very excited, due to its controversial ending. The ending to some may be seen as a perfect set up to the next game, however others may see it as a lame cop out to entice the player in buying the sequel, Halo 3. While some points of the story do feel irrelevant to the task at hand, they don't feel irrelevant enough for the player to be angry or annoyed about.

    The Music Score, developed and composed by Martin O'Donnell, left me speechless and giddy, like a child at a candy factory. The music fits in well with its visual game cues, and it sets the atmosphere for how the game should be played. When the score 'Peril' began on the mission Delta Halo, I thought the game's ambiance couldn't get any better, however I was severely mistaken when the final mission, 'The Great Journey' cues the finale music mixed with aspects from the OST. It sounds nice, it feels right, not much else to comment on there.

    The gameplay leaves me with a bland taste in my mouth, but the aftertaste somehow gives me a more pleasant experience. Anyone who is playing this as their first Halo game will see the gameplay as a new experience and worthy of praise, however anyone playing from Halo: CE will see that the gameplay didn't innovate much in terms of its core mechanics. The introduction of duel-wield in a halo game was exciting, and still is, and there are points that the duel wield feature makes you feel like a super-soldier killing machine. Couple this with the removal of fall damage, and you can expect an unstoppable killing fest like no other.

    The multiplayer is a hit or miss experience, especially with the hit-area based shooting mechanic, instead of the use of actual projectiles. Going back to halo 2 from a newer title may be a frustrating experience for a lot of players because of this. The pace of multiplayer sometimes feels too slow, which I feel is something that other Halo games never managed to mistake.

    The level and map design is admittedly linear, and on rare occasions, disappointing. Some missions, such as Outskirts, Delta Halo and Regret don't feel linear. Unfortunately this does not make up for the lack of exploration possibilities in the rest of the game. The maps all have the same concept to them, leaving them with a dire need of re-design for good replayability. Overall, this is where Halo 2 loses a lot of its boy scout points.

    The sandbox of weapons and vehicles is bigger than that of Halo CE's, but more is not always better. Some weapons, like the Plasma Pistol and magnum, feel useless on lower difficulties, and only become useful when players are using the 'noob combo' for the legendary runthroughs of the game. Other weapons feel too powerful, with the large lunge distance supplied by the energy sword and the spamming capabilities of the fuel-rod cannon. These weapons can create an imbalance in multiplayer (or too easy of a gunfight in the campaign). The vehicles don't have as nice of a feel as the CE vehicles, and they either feel too responsive or not responsive enough. There is no in between.

    To finish, Halo 2 is a must-play experience and a brilliant Halo game, but it might leave some people expecting more as they play, which provides a large pool of disappointment and alien blood.    … Expand
  30. yangfanhong
    Sep 17, 2020
    8
    As wonderful as the first game, and even with a far more intriguing story, Halo 2 made a great start of the following Halo series.
  31. Kio22
    Sep 25, 2022
    8
    A good game that was obviously rushed and put out before it was ready, this is evident by how unbalanced the combat is with enemies, the abrupt ending, and shorter cut up levels compared to Halo: CE. That being said it has great music, amazing characters, good story, and solid level design. My only other gripe with this game is the weapons don't feel as hefty when you shoot them like Halo:A good game that was obviously rushed and put out before it was ready, this is evident by how unbalanced the combat is with enemies, the abrupt ending, and shorter cut up levels compared to Halo: CE. That being said it has great music, amazing characters, good story, and solid level design. My only other gripe with this game is the weapons don't feel as hefty when you shoot them like Halo: CE and they got rid of the assault rifle, but dual wielding is nice, overall felt it was a step down from Halo: CE.… Expand
  32. JohnnArmstrong
    Feb 14, 2022
    8
    Halo 2 is a great advance on Combat Evolved, it expands the universe of the saga with new species, enemies and allies, it introduces the story of the Inquisitor very well and has much more lore than its predecessor. Sadly the ending feels incomplete and it's just making way for an even bigger story in Halo 3.
  33. Ryousei29
    Aug 20, 2020
    8
    Ignore this, i just wrote this in all my reviews to have in somewhere a list of all cottent thats
    i've saw or played in my life. Just that, sorry if you see this and you are looking for something seious.
  34. Ale_Ackerman206
    Jun 9, 2021
    8
    Compared to the first Halo, this game was disappointing as it had a choppy campaign and marketing that promised things that were not shown in the game in the end.
  35. DonldTrump_45Th
    Jan 26, 2023
    8
    Hello, this is a default review because i'm forced to use 75 characters. I'll edit this review in the future talking about the game, don't worry ;)

    My final rate is: 9
  36. Comunistaman
    Dec 8, 2021
    8
    Un juego muy divertido que aunque no envejeció a la perfección es muy disfrutable y adictivo sin contar su gran Lore y historia
  37. KIrillooss
    Dec 9, 2021
    8
    Хороший шутер, но из за того как я горел в нём для меня он стал худшей частью, хоть и очень классной
  38. AdrianOst077
    Feb 6, 2023
    8
    Halo 2 is a really great sequel. Halo: Combat Evolved set a high bar when it released in 2001, 3 years later it exceeded the bar. A lot of positive changed were made in Halo 2: Shields recharge quicker, enemies (at least on normal difficulty) are easier and more fairer to fight, especially the flood. Lot of new fun weapons such as the Covenant Carbine or the Brute Shot. Speaking of Brutes,Halo 2 is a really great sequel. Halo: Combat Evolved set a high bar when it released in 2001, 3 years later it exceeded the bar. A lot of positive changed were made in Halo 2: Shields recharge quicker, enemies (at least on normal difficulty) are easier and more fairer to fight, especially the flood. Lot of new fun weapons such as the Covenant Carbine or the Brute Shot. Speaking of Brutes, as tough as the flood were in the previous game, the brutes take the cake in this game but they're nowhere near as bad and annoying as the flood were in Combat Evolved. Mission design and the story blows Combat Evolved out of the water. Halo 2 allows the player to play from the perspective of Master Chief, a spartan, and now as The Arbiter, part of the Covenant. This feature alone is what makes Halo 2 one of my favourite games in the franchise, I loved playing as The Arbiter and following the story of the elites. Overall, the single-player experience was really really good and I recommend playing this game if you have played Combat Evolved.

    Halo 2 also introduced the first matchmaking online servers through Xbox Live, something Combat Evolved didn't implement in time. Co-op split-screen is still available and it's a nice feature being able to choose between playing as a Spartan or an Elite in multiplayer. Unfortunately, Xbox Live servers were shut down by the time I got around to playing this game :(    … Expand
  39. DontBeAJinx
    Aug 18, 2023
    8
    HALO 2 was about as good as Halo CE... nothing much to hate about it. currently playing Halo 3
  40. M1sfiT
    Sep 3, 2023
    8
    Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees! halo
  41. JesseS.
    Jun 19, 2005
    7
    A good game, but highly overrated. The graphics are nice, with some nice character models and environments. However, they tend to repeat themselves. The gameplay is that great, addictive Halo that we all remember. However, the Arbiter missions are quite boring and disappointing, and you end up feeling like you're doing the same mission you were doing some time earlier. The thing that A good game, but highly overrated. The graphics are nice, with some nice character models and environments. However, they tend to repeat themselves. The gameplay is that great, addictive Halo that we all remember. However, the Arbiter missions are quite boring and disappointing, and you end up feeling like you're doing the same mission you were doing some time earlier. The thing that really shines in this game is the multiplayer. Expect it to be a great experience, but its not the giant God that everyone makes it out to be.… Expand
  42. ApocalypseBrown
    Jun 9, 2007
    7
    After years of hype finally people can see this game is massively over-rated. The single player is shite. No bones about saying it either. Terrible in fact, with only the humor keeping you interested. Multi player is where it's at. I think in future this game should only be an multi player title. Single player score: 4. Multi player score: 10. Average 7.
  43. JeroenVR
    Nov 16, 2004
    7
    Just like Doom 3 , this game was too heavily anticipated. I didn't like the first Halo, and I barely like Halo 2. The graphics are nice, story is rather good but man, Halo doesn't suck me into the game, like Burnout 3 or Medal Of Honor : PA. Its seems that all most-wanted games are disappointing: Doom 3, Halo 2, GTA San Andreas, NFS Underground 2 ( don't even get me started Just like Doom 3 , this game was too heavily anticipated. I didn't like the first Halo, and I barely like Halo 2. The graphics are nice, story is rather good but man, Halo doesn't suck me into the game, like Burnout 3 or Medal Of Honor : PA. Its seems that all most-wanted games are disappointing: Doom 3, Halo 2, GTA San Andreas, NFS Underground 2 ( don't even get me started on this amazingly stupid game, and yes I am a race fan). I hope it will not be the same for Half Life 2.… Expand
  44. MattP.
    Nov 21, 2004
    7
    Very overrated. I expected tight action with frantic spinning and alot of "oh jesus!" and I got it. But the fights were either way too long or way too short and the ending was the most bitter slap in the face I've experienced in gaming.
  45. AdamL.
    Nov 29, 2005
    7
    Online is awsome, but the 1 player lacks intrest, as well as the maps. belive me, if you don't have live, don't get it
  46. MarkW.
    Feb 7, 2005
    7
    Its amazing how many people call this game nearly flawless, then give it a 100% rating. It's honestly less than average. It has some decent movie clips that bring interest to an otherwise dull playing experience. If your not playing online there is no reason to buy this game.
  47. FtzPronoMatser
    Jul 29, 2005
    7
    This game is fun for some time, but not to special. The enemies are not very diverse and I have to push a lot of buttons. Maybe it goes better with an extra hand. My thumbs hurt also. The multiplayer is ok and configurable enough. Coagulation Ctf is very fun. I don't like the alien weapons very much, but you can take them out. They should've put an communicator with the game, so This game is fun for some time, but not to special. The enemies are not very diverse and I have to push a lot of buttons. Maybe it goes better with an extra hand. My thumbs hurt also. The multiplayer is ok and configurable enough. Coagulation Ctf is very fun. I don't like the alien weapons very much, but you can take them out. They should've put an communicator with the game, so everybody has one and can talk. Please more models and alien weapons that are less silly. Warthog and tank are nice. But I still rather play another world on the amiga. On the xbox I like the last Splinter cell and Ninja gaiden best. Maybe Ninja Gaiden is the best game on xbox, but mileage may vary.… Expand
  48. Haloloser
    Oct 7, 2006
    7
    The reason this game got a seven is because its single player is so bad the mulltipler is great the best ever but the single is just so bad that I would give this game a 7, multiplayer 10, single 5, and thats being generous.
  49. Kaim
    Nov 14, 2004
    7
    After playing Metroid Prime.. its hard not to see the game's shortcomings. Somewhat basic gameplay, frustrating weapon pick up system (slooow).. Fantastic atmosphere though. 'King of the Hill' mode in multiplayer is top fun. As is 'Juggernaught'
  50. LordVader
    Nov 29, 2004
    7
    This was a hard one to call, I have been waiting for this game since completing the first one but having completed this one, have found Halo 2 somewhat...lacking. I'm not sure what it is but it just doesn't have that 'Halo Spark'. The ending is a disgrace, it really does feel like the game has been halved and I cannot help but wonder if Microsoft are going to do a This was a hard one to call, I have been waiting for this game since completing the first one but having completed this one, have found Halo 2 somewhat...lacking. I'm not sure what it is but it just doesn't have that 'Halo Spark'. The ending is a disgrace, it really does feel like the game has been halved and I cannot help but wonder if Microsoft are going to do a surprise announcement in early 2005 to say "Good news Halo 2 fans!!! We have another 15 levels of Halo 2 coming out in Feb 2005, yea for us!. Well, you'll excuse me if I don't applaud, shame on you MS and shame on you Bungie for allowing this to happen, the single player was incredibly short (50% short in fact). But it's not all bad news, the graphics are the best on the box and Multiplayer is fantastic. it's for this alone that the game gets 7/10 from me. I may be wrong about the extra 15 levels in Feb but wait and see. Hey Bill, what's next? Halo 3 - Home and Pro editions? The Pro version having ALL the single players levels???… Expand
  51. BitBurn
    Nov 9, 2004
    7
    A little repetitive. Some improvement graphically. Solid multiplayer support. But overall it's pretty good.
  52. AlistairF.
    Jan 21, 2005
    7
    Halo 2 - The biggest let down in gaming history? Probably. Halo 2 is not a bad game as such, its just that nothing stands out and their are better FPS games on the Xbox including Halo and Chronicles of Riddick to name a couple. So whats wrong with the game? Well the graphics do look better close up, but the texture pop-up is quite bad and you can see the texture change to a more basic one Halo 2 - The biggest let down in gaming history? Probably. Halo 2 is not a bad game as such, its just that nothing stands out and their are better FPS games on the Xbox including Halo and Chronicles of Riddick to name a couple. So whats wrong with the game? Well the graphics do look better close up, but the texture pop-up is quite bad and you can see the texture change to a more basic one after just a few steps back from the object. So they are not really pushing the graphics in any way. They have addedd better models and more detailed textures at the expense of having quite a lot of pop-up to keep the frame rate up. The story is pretty poor also, it does not feel as epic as the first game, they could have had a massive struggle on Earth between Humans and Covenant but they took the story in other directions, which I feel was to the detrement of the game. They should have kept the story simple, it worked with the first game, why change it? I dont want to give anything away but the ending feels like a cop out too and that their is a few levels missing from the end. The multiplayer system is a good idea and the match up system works quite well in matching you with equal players, the only problem is that the actual multiplayer gameplay is not as good as Halo 1. Its basically just a "spray-a-thon" first one to pull the trigger wins. The lack of health has taken all strategy away from the games. The CTF and other team modes should have been quite good but most people who play online seem to completely misunderstand the idea of team play so its a frustrating waste of time. The level design with exception of two or three is quite uninspiring. On the plus side the game controls are great and the AI has improved a bit. It also sounds quite good. Its an average game that really doesnt justify the Hype that surrounded it.… Expand
  53. TravisM.
    Apr 13, 2005
    7
    Overall Halo 2's single player campaign played through pretty well, although the abrubt ending was a shock the storyline was well written. They took a risk with have diverging storylines with the Covenant and Elite forces, and I for one would have rather just have played as the first Halo did from one side. But where this game is severely lacking is in actual Multiplayer difficulty. Overall Halo 2's single player campaign played through pretty well, although the abrubt ending was a shock the storyline was well written. They took a risk with have diverging storylines with the Covenant and Elite forces, and I for one would have rather just have played as the first Halo did from one side. But where this game is severely lacking is in actual Multiplayer difficulty. Halo 1 I played for nearly 3 years and competed on various State and National level tournaments (iGames, MLG, and AGP) and was an avid supporter of the evolving Halo community. Although Halo 2 did bring forth an entire new wave of potentional gamers about 90% of the best players are still Halo 1 pros. The downfall of the multiplayer component is where I have to rank this game as low as I did. Bungie switched graphics engines and while Halo 1 felt smooth and "just right." Halo 2's graphics engine is far to "busy" and makes me feel like I'm playing a slowed down Unreal game. If I wanted Quake or Unreal I would have purchased those games, but Halo 1 was different and almost "perfect." The pistol while a little to powerful but it was the equalizer against all other weapons. If you did not get a head shot with the sniper rifle or get the kill with the rocket launcher you had a good chance of being "3 shot" and killed by a decent player before you had a chance to get that second shot off. Secondly how can you release a game following the blockbuster caliber of Halo with less maps than the original ?? Especially when 2 are just remakes of the originals (Battle Creek and Blood Gulch). All in all Halo 2 is not a bad game, but it just doesn't have the replayability of the original. If Bungie would release a Halo 1 with Xbox Live capabilities and some new maps it would easily sell for $75 or more. And you know what we'd buy it. But then again this is a business and Bungie did make $125 million dollars in the first 24 hours of releasing Halo 2. That was inherently due to the fact that the overhyped advertising and Halo 1 die hard fans. I for one will wait to rent Halo 2.5 or 3 before I waste anymore of my money on a less than the original game.… Expand
  54. ChrisC.
    May 24, 2005
    7
    Average shooter.
  55. EricS.
    Jul 29, 2005
    7
    If this was just a review of the multiplayer, I would give it a 10/10. However, since there is also a singleplayer component, it really brings down the quality of the entire product. The story, while not as good overall as the first game, had some moments that were superior. For example, I really liked how things were seen from the Covenant perspective. The Arbiter is a much more If this was just a review of the multiplayer, I would give it a 10/10. However, since there is also a singleplayer component, it really brings down the quality of the entire product. The story, while not as good overall as the first game, had some moments that were superior. For example, I really liked how things were seen from the Covenant perspective. The Arbiter is a much more interesting and deep character than the master chief, who people just like for being "kewl." He is your stereotypical heroic super-soldier whose dialogue consists of un-original one-liners. I also agree with those who thought the ending was disappointing. Bungie doesn… Expand
  56. Itsy
    Oct 9, 2006
    7
    Halo 1 was a blast, Halo 2 finished in a blink of an eye, I luv playin co-op campaign mode, it was a thrill in halo 1 but in Halo 2 it finished in a blink of an eye, plus u were used 2 it b4, da same aliens, nuthin new apart from 2 guns ability, also dey left out sum great halo 1 weapons!
  57. SamF.
    Apr 25, 2006
    7
    After waiting 2 years for this game to come out on the PC, I finally bought an XBOX and Halo2 . The game itself is not bad, it's gameplay is exactly like halo with the ability to Jack vehicles and duel wield weapons which are both pluses. Where the game fails is the story and the constant switching from Master chief to the covenant. Bungie could have made an easy nice story After waiting 2 years for this game to come out on the PC, I finally bought an XBOX and Halo2 . The game itself is not bad, it's gameplay is exactly like halo with the ability to Jack vehicles and duel wield weapons which are both pluses. Where the game fails is the story and the constant switching from Master chief to the covenant. Bungie could have made an easy nice story concerning Master Chief coming back to earth getting medals and having covenant attack earth after tracking him from halos destruction The game would focus on Fighting the covenant on the streets back on earth. With covenant taking hostages etc... and threatening cities with destruction. [***SPOILERS***] Instead you get a lame story that really makes no sense telling of the covenant problems back on another halo. I personally did not like the energy sword but the rest of the weapons were ok. As for graphics, some rooms are dark...took dark. it seems the complaints of the glowing rooms in halo made Bungie go too much the other way. In the sound area...there are really no complaints, Explosions and musics are great. So in the end this game is a shiny coated HALO With a few extras and a mixed up confusing story line.… Expand
  58. AamirM.
    Jun 12, 2006
    7
    halo is an alright dunno why the hell its really popular even if its boring for the first half hour of playing because all you do is shoot shoot shoot and thats it. if you like half life 2 then dont play this.
  59. JoshuaM.
    Nov 13, 2004
    7
    First off, let's be clear: the multiplayer in Halo 1 was great, and it's even better in Halo 2. Lots of people were willing to get 6 or 8 people together at a friends house with 2 Xbox
  60. DinoF.
    Nov 16, 2004
    7
    [***SPOILERS***] Great game with fantastic scenery and set pieces, however I thought the plot was no where near as good as the first, with the biggest plot twist being the unexpected ending just 10 hours into the game as things were beginning to heat up! Unlike the first game there where no massive and unexpected plot twists (who can forget the unexpected appearance of the flood in the[***SPOILERS***] Great game with fantastic scenery and set pieces, however I thought the plot was no where near as good as the first, with the biggest plot twist being the unexpected ending just 10 hours into the game as things were beginning to heat up! Unlike the first game there where no massive and unexpected plot twists (who can forget the unexpected appearance of the flood in the first game), or dramatic ending as the Halo explodes and the covanent and humans drop their weopans and make up that made the game feel like it was a complete story.... Although visually stunning and with the incredibly high production values, the game really delivered more of the same with some extra weopans, vehicles and enemies. I was a bit disapointed to find that the flood storyline was re used, and if it were not for the online part of the game, I would question what exactly Bungie have been doing all this time ? When this game ended I was absolutely stunned. The game just ended leaving me in a state of disbelief and like other reviewers I was actually expecting the game to continue after the credits as I could not believe that was it !! … Expand
  61. TheSoup
    Nov 24, 2004
    7
    Overrated, the campaign is incredibly repetitive. Does anyone else remember when the plot was supposed to be Master Chief defending Earth form the covenant? That lasted about two levels then back to another halo. Also the legendary difficulty has changed form challenging to virtually impossible. Furthermore the dual wielding has completely unbalanced the weapons.
  62. Propchecy15
    Dec 11, 2004
    7
    It is sad i never thought halo 2, would be so depressing after the 2years and a half of waiting for halo 2 to come out and beat it on the 11th pissed me off i found it way to short, and the storyline sometimes pisses me off they count one level as 4 in the beggining menu and the first level is actually a movie i was really ticked at bungie the dual wielding is cool, new vehicles, but the It is sad i never thought halo 2, would be so depressing after the 2years and a half of waiting for halo 2 to come out and beat it on the 11th pissed me off i found it way to short, and the storyline sometimes pisses me off they count one level as 4 in the beggining menu and the first level is actually a movie i was really ticked at bungie the dual wielding is cool, new vehicles, but the glitched movies really got to me. in all i thought this game wasnt as good as it could have been but the multiplayer is fun. too bad no bots.… Expand
  63. JonathanZ.
    Feb 14, 2005
    7
    You can tell right off the bat that Halo 2 is going to be different from it
  64. Wongit
    Apr 11, 2005
    7
    It's good...but i seriously SERIOUSLY think this game is way overhyped
  65. ChrisK.
    May 31, 2006
    7
    Halo 2 action is nothing more than just like the original Halo. Constantly fighting and poorly told stories, but that's not what all the good ratings come in. Players who enjoy a good bashing will like this game. The feel for the weapons are amazing and that's pretty much it. Getting a sticky grenade onto your opponent from fifty feet away is a pretty damn good feeling. The Halo 2 action is nothing more than just like the original Halo. Constantly fighting and poorly told stories, but that's not what all the good ratings come in. Players who enjoy a good bashing will like this game. The feel for the weapons are amazing and that's pretty much it. Getting a sticky grenade onto your opponent from fifty feet away is a pretty damn good feeling. The reason for all those good ratings you see, aren't because the players overrate the game. It is because they enjoy it and Halo is quite fun. I do recommend this game to anyone who is not up to date and spoiled by next-generation graphics and visual effects.… Expand
  66. MikeW.
    Nov 11, 2004
    7
    This is by far the most overhyped game ever. First of all I wasn't a huge fan of the first game, it was bogged down by weak multiplayer, mediocre campaign mode, and an overall lack of style. It was a game that had so much potential but in the end fell flat on its face. Halo 2 is better, but only in little tiny technical ways. Graphics, sound, and enemy A.I. But the game has this if This is by far the most overhyped game ever. First of all I wasn't a huge fan of the first game, it was bogged down by weak multiplayer, mediocre campaign mode, and an overall lack of style. It was a game that had so much potential but in the end fell flat on its face. Halo 2 is better, but only in little tiny technical ways. Graphics, sound, and enemy A.I. But the game has this if it ain't broke don't fix it mentality to it. Only problem is it just blatantly overlooks problems from the first game. Though it isn't a complete waste, it has good enough core gameplay to make it worth buy. But if you want a mind blowing gaming experience go someplace else.… Expand
  67. AramisG.
    Nov 15, 2004
    7
    [***SPOILERS***] I own just about every system and I would say am only a fan-boy of good games not of systems. This game was good and I enjoyed it, but I also think it is down right negligent to give any game you can beat in 6 hrs (while literally walking through the last levels) a 10 out of 10. I really, really wish gaming magazines would address the overly short gaming problem for what[***SPOILERS***] I own just about every system and I would say am only a fan-boy of good games not of systems. This game was good and I enjoyed it, but I also think it is down right negligent to give any game you can beat in 6 hrs (while literally walking through the last levels) a 10 out of 10. I really, really wish gaming magazines would address the overly short gaming problem for what it is no matter what franchise they are reviewing. Here is my review: Pros 1. A really solid story (except for the ending and some plot holes). 2. Great addictive gameplay augmented by cool weapons. 3. I really enjoyed being the arbiter, even more than being Master Chief. 4. Some of the vistas in this game are really breath-taking and add a feeling of urgency to the mission at hand. 5. Minimized combat with the Flood (they are really just annoying gun fodder compared to the Covenant). Cons 1. Way to short. I am really done with games that are over just when you are beginning to enjoy them. 2. This game looked way better in pictures. It still looks good, but I was expecting better. (What is up with the Brutes looking like overweight country bears instead of their original gorilla-esque design?) 3. Not much else to do except shoot at enemies or drive. Other than a few new enemy types (snipers & drones) it is the same as Halo 1. 4. The AI is over-hyped (In order for my AI comrades to be smart enough not to walk out into sniper fire I have to sacrifice my own shield strength?). 5. This game still has incredibly repetitive level design. There are still millions of pointless corridors and long drawn out chases. … Expand
  68. Guardian
    Nov 19, 2004
    7
    This is a awesome game. The dual guns the energy sword. Awesome. But the game is just to short. This game is pretty much only good when you have X-box live.
  69. SteveB.
    Nov 21, 2004
    7
    [*** SPOILER***] Good action, great story, cool weapons, great characters... but... TOO D*MN SHORT !!! When MC says he's here to "finish the fight" but then the credits roll, I was INSULTED.
  70. BigD
    Nov 29, 2004
    7
    Good Game. Didn't live up to the hype as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't go as far as some people to say that I'm trading my X-box for a PS2, but it's not as good as I hoped. A few things that come to mind that were disappointing to me were: 1.) I was hoping there would be more battling on earth. I thougth the main plot of the game was going to be the Covenant Good Game. Didn't live up to the hype as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't go as far as some people to say that I'm trading my X-box for a PS2, but it's not as good as I hoped. A few things that come to mind that were disappointing to me were: 1.) I was hoping there would be more battling on earth. I thougth the main plot of the game was going to be the Covenant invading earth. So I figured there would be more action on the city streets and buildings of earth cities. Instead we are back on alien planets and mother ships like the original Halo. 2.) When I play Halo, whether it's the first Halo or Halo 2, I am playing to kick ass with Master Chief, not to spend half the game playing as a character that is an enemy of the humans. This was a major disappointment for me. Some people I know weren't bothered by that, but it rubbed me wrong. The game is still a good entertaining game and worth the money to me, but I was definitely expecting a little more.… Expand
  71. zotune
    Feb 3, 2012
    7
    Halo 2 is a more versatile journey than the first game, and it comes with brand new characters, gameplay elements and weapons that improve upon the original. I encountered some bugs with a frozen image over the display when emulating the Original Xbox version on Xbox 360, but other than that the game performed very well. Although not up to par with the likes of Half-Life 2 technically, itHalo 2 is a more versatile journey than the first game, and it comes with brand new characters, gameplay elements and weapons that improve upon the original. I encountered some bugs with a frozen image over the display when emulating the Original Xbox version on Xbox 360, but other than that the game performed very well. Although not up to par with the likes of Half-Life 2 technically, it is still quite an impressive game in regards to the art design, pacing and music. The story has some interesting elements here and there as well, and the characters are more relatable than ever before. However, the narrative felt a bit stretched out, and went back and forth a lot. The gameplay also lacked something to look forward to after a while, and became very repetitive. And it didn't help that the developers, similarly to the first, rehashed a lot of the level design, in addition to tossing the same enemies at you over and over again. And although I didn't need a walkthrough, I wouldn't mind being given better directions, especially in areas where you are supposed to pass by enemy fire and trying to figure out where to go. Similarly to Halo: Combat Evolved, I didn't appreciate the flying and driving as much either, since the controls are quite clunky and getting through enemy fire alive in this particular type of combat can often be more of a coincidence than determined by skill. Furthermore, the enemy AI is not very impressive, and basically runs towards you or shots at you while waiting from a distance. In the end though, this is arguably one of the richest experiences on the original Xbox, but not a giant leap forward from an already remarkable game.… Expand
  72. williamwiggles
    Nov 13, 2010
    7
    Worst Halo. Multiplayer is OK, but it has the worst campaign, and a weird place balance. For the real Halo's, check out Halo: Combat Evolved, or Halo Reach. For something different, try out MW2 or Black Ops.
  73. TheGamer31
    Sep 18, 2013
    7
    For me this was a massive disappointment from the original Halo coming out a few years earlier. But don't ignore this epic AAA title, it is still worth a purchase. But again I recommend the PC version over the Xbox version.
  74. TatsMcGee
    Sep 8, 2018
    7
    Halo is an iconic series that I want to play them all and I will play them all. I played the first one a couple months ago, now I just played 2 and I plan on playing Halo 3 next month. I don’t want to burn out and play all of them back to back but I do want to play Halo 2, 3, ODST, 4 and 5 this year so I need to get busy.

    In case you don’t know what the Halo series is, it’s a    Halo is an iconic series that I want to play them all and I will play them all. I played the first one a couple months ago, now I just played 2 and I plan on playing Halo 3 next month. I don’t want to burn out and play all of them back to back but I do want to play Halo 2, 3, ODST, 4 and 5 this year so I need to get busy.

    In case you don’t know what the Halo series is, it’s a First-Person Shooter. The multiplayer is very popular but I have no interest in that, I care about the campaign which is very well done. I can confidently say that the Halo series is one of the best shooters that I have ever played.

    The First Halo didn’t have an overly interesting story but the 2nd one, they definitely took the time to come up with an interesting story to go along with the game. I played this on the Master Cheif Collection and it’s seems like a good port but I didn’t play the original so I don’t know.    … Expand
  75. frederik1478
    Mar 27, 2020
    7
    It has it's good moment but there is just too much bad levels you can really feel that they didn't have enough time
  76. Peter19
    Sep 16, 2019
    7
    Probably my favorite war shooter multiplayer game, i can't tell you how great the moment i got this game and looking at the graphics
  77. Torment3837
    Jul 12, 2021
    7
    While Halo 2 did improve some of the stuff from Combat Evolved and avoided the same gameplay mistakes like unbalanced weapons or repetitive level design; Halo 2 has its own kind of flaws. The multiplayer shines the most, it's slick, fun and various. The maps are memorable and so fun to play, the gameplay is a lot more balanced than the first game. Gameplay modes are great too and myWhile Halo 2 did improve some of the stuff from Combat Evolved and avoided the same gameplay mistakes like unbalanced weapons or repetitive level design; Halo 2 has its own kind of flaws. The multiplayer shines the most, it's slick, fun and various. The maps are memorable and so fun to play, the gameplay is a lot more balanced than the first game. Gameplay modes are great too and my favorite one is Zombies.
    Halo 2 had a somewhat disjointed campaign that felt rushed in every scene and moment but it did the job really well, but for me Halo 2's single greatest aspect is its fantastic multiplayer.    … Expand
  78. Rai-N
    Jun 29, 2022
    7
    Story was great. I loved how they gave us more info on the the Covenant and how I got to play as the Arbiter. The level design was good. With snow areas, grassy areas, and levels that are on space ships, there is a great variety.
  79. turbo_dweeb
    Aug 24, 2023
    7
    this game is good but not as good as the first or third ones. that beind said it is definitely better than forespoken
  80. SariD.
    Dec 22, 2004
    6
    Yes yes and yes we know this game suffered mostly by way of hype-bomb syndrome. Essentially the creative marrow of Bungie's Mac based jumped ship halfway through this project and the Microsoft bigwigs stepped in and said that this is going to be the game that will serve as the ramp to get consumer kids onto Xbox Live. Because of that chapters of the game that would have made the game Yes yes and yes we know this game suffered mostly by way of hype-bomb syndrome. Essentially the creative marrow of Bungie's Mac based jumped ship halfway through this project and the Microsoft bigwigs stepped in and said that this is going to be the game that will serve as the ramp to get consumer kids onto Xbox Live. Because of that chapters of the game that would have made the game more substantial and meaningful in a Star Wars operatic way were lobotomized. The most dissapointing thing of all is that this is going to be the last Halo release on Xbox 1 and yes you will need to buy xbox2 to see how the trilogy ends in Halo3. … Expand
  81. ChrisB.
    Jan 9, 2005
    6
    With all the praise that was being dumped on this game, I thought I'd pick it up for my Xbox. Wow. I feel sorry for people who only play FPS games on a console. This is supposed to be the best game ever made? Please. When judged against it's genre peers on the PC, Halo 2 is very average. The gameplay is linear, repetitive and the much-vaunted story seems incredibly superficial. With all the praise that was being dumped on this game, I thought I'd pick it up for my Xbox. Wow. I feel sorry for people who only play FPS games on a console. This is supposed to be the best game ever made? Please. When judged against it's genre peers on the PC, Halo 2 is very average. The gameplay is linear, repetitive and the much-vaunted story seems incredibly superficial. The graphics are nowhere near as good as this year's PC shooters such as Half-Life 2, Far Cry, or Doom 3. And the online play is very run-of-the-mill. Still, I can see why console gamers think this is an amazing game - it's easily one of the best shooters ever made FOR A CONSOLE. But best game ever? Not even close. Halo 2 isn't even in the top 5 for best game of the year, if all platforms are taken into account, and when judged against it's shooter-peers on the PC, it's no better than average.… Expand
  82. HenryN.
    May 20, 2008
    6
    I'm really a fan of the first halo, and this game starts out delivering good gameplay, but after the first few levels the level designs become extremely repetitive (think library). The multiplayer is redeeming but many of the levels don't really feel balanced like halo1. This is a solid shooter but the first halo was superior. i would only check this out if you are a huge fan of I'm really a fan of the first halo, and this game starts out delivering good gameplay, but after the first few levels the level designs become extremely repetitive (think library). The multiplayer is redeeming but many of the levels don't really feel balanced like halo1. This is a solid shooter but the first halo was superior. i would only check this out if you are a huge fan of the series. Just don't go in expecting greatness.… Expand
  83. RichardC.
    Nov 20, 2004
    6
    It goes without saying that, after the majesty of the original, I was twisted with anticipation waiting for what I thought would be an experience to savour. Surely the time between games would have been spent bettering the original...surely? All I can say is that the Halo 2 experience is distinctly underwhelming. Graphically, and I really hope it's just me, but is it really, really It goes without saying that, after the majesty of the original, I was twisted with anticipation waiting for what I thought would be an experience to savour. Surely the time between games would have been spent bettering the original...surely? All I can say is that the Halo 2 experience is distinctly underwhelming. Graphically, and I really hope it's just me, but is it really, really patchy and poor? The cutscene quality is appalling at times. I could hardly believe seeing it at first. Was there so much of a rush and pressure to meet deadlines that they cut corners and left rough edges unpolished? Why else would the game look and feel as clunky as it does? Has anyone tried playing the original after a few hours of the newer? How does it feel? The audio is sad as well. 5.1? I'd settle for simple effects being audible and defined. I'd love to gush about how amazing this game is but sadly, as a simple game player, my disappointment has proven more telling and truthful than all the hype Chairman Bill can throw at me. Halo 2: a parasitic doppelganger that imitates poorly the radiance of the original host.… Expand
  84. GaryB.
    Dec 8, 2004
    6
    Okay, so what we have here is a fairly decent game with not bad graphics and fun multiplayer. But to be brief, this is why the game isn't a masterpiece or anywhere near it: 1) awful single player which I was bored of by the 4th level 2) plot confusing because of emotionless master chief and pointless Arbiter. 3) Graphics pretty square and Master Cheif is still a polygon block. 4) Okay, so what we have here is a fairly decent game with not bad graphics and fun multiplayer. But to be brief, this is why the game isn't a masterpiece or anywhere near it: 1) awful single player which I was bored of by the 4th level 2) plot confusing because of emotionless master chief and pointless Arbiter. 3) Graphics pretty square and Master Cheif is still a polygon block. 4) Downgraded weapons 5) Awful level design 6) Poor enemy A.I. 7) multiplayer only effective when connected to a Network hub 8) No destructive enviroment 9) No peeking round corners 10) No running twice as fast Just go rent this one, or better yet save your money and get Half-Life 2, which is a lot better.… Expand
  85. BillD.
    Mar 28, 2006
    6
    I'm going to rate this the same way I rated Halo (6 this time though because at least it has Live capabilities). Overrated and actually just straight up boring. Good AI is the only saving grace because multiplayer is nowhere near as fun as everyone says. Play a PC shooter instead.
  86. GarryH.
    May 11, 2006
    6
    Halo is just a cheap ripoff of half life the flood are just like the zombies and the game play trys to imitate half life but fails misarably. and halo 2 is just a quick rehash of halo 1 with litereally no additions.
  87. AlexA.
    Mar 16, 2007
    6
    Overall halo 2 was not as good as halo 1. the addition of ther sword was cool and the brute shot was nice but other than that all ther other covanant weapons were rip-offs of human ones. they also dithched the assault riffle and turned it into two useless weapons the battle riffle and the smg. the smg is weak it's only effective when dual wielded with a plasma pistal or plasma Overall halo 2 was not as good as halo 1. the addition of ther sword was cool and the brute shot was nice but other than that all ther other covanant weapons were rip-offs of human ones. they also dithched the assault riffle and turned it into two useless weapons the battle riffle and the smg. the smg is weak it's only effective when dual wielded with a plasma pistal or plasma riffle. compared to the assault riffle which could carry 660 shots the smg carries half that. the battle riffle is a 3 shot burst weapon with a scope it is pretty useless. the postol wich was god in halo 1 stinks now they got rid of the scope and it deos not do that much damage. dual wielding was cool but it's kind of annoying to use nades you have to drop one gun then throw the nade then find the gun again and pick it up. as for campaign i liked how you swithched between the master chief and the arbiter. liked how the elites unlike the marines had sheild generators and could carry swords. the story for halo 2 was ok except for the ending wich left me staring at the tv about 3 minutes after it ended expeciting some other cut scene to pop up, but in comparison to halo 1's story it was not as good. in halo 2 the sniper does not have the night vision scope it did in halo 1 and it carries a lot less ammo. the plasma riffles shoot faster in halo 2. in the levels you play as the arbiter you only fought other covanent and the flood, i thought you would fight marines but no. as for the rooms in pretty much the whole game one looks exactly like the other there is no vaiety within a level. also the vehicles explode a lot faster in halo 2 but you can hijack them. they also added the specter (the covanant warhog) and the wraith (the covonant tank). also in halo 2 your oversheild goes down over time regardless of if you've been shot or not so you opponent can just avoid you till it goes down. in comparison to halo 1 halo 2 was bad, but as a game on it's own not as a sequel it was pretty good. most people who play online can't except defeat if they lose they will make up bs exuses like oh i was taking a dump while playing thats the only reason you won. also on line the battle riffle and sniper are overused and once you get really high in rank they are pretty much the only waepons used. as for the super bounces which are really cheap people do it all the time and get places that let them snipe everyone on the level with ease. online play is fun the lower the rank you are. my final point about campaign is taking your allies weapons (or as I call them homies) you can take your allies weapons and give them yours. this gives you choices you can either give your homies good guns so they kick but or you can take the good weapons for yourself and your homeis will probobly get owned. the good thing is homeis don't use amo so you could give them a sniper with one shot and they could use it for the rest of the level. all in all halo 2 was a good game but not nearly as good as halo 1.… Expand
  88. PeterW.
    Nov 11, 2004
    6
    Honestly i think this is a decent game for the x-box. It has some unique AI elements, some interesting encounters, and some really nicely detailed skymaps...character quality goes up in cinemas, and the customizing ability of the multiplayer is really cool. ...But, the controls are still clunky, very slow multiplay, does not compare to PC games like Unreal Tournament, and the single Honestly i think this is a decent game for the x-box. It has some unique AI elements, some interesting encounters, and some really nicely detailed skymaps...character quality goes up in cinemas, and the customizing ability of the multiplayer is really cool. ...But, the controls are still clunky, very slow multiplay, does not compare to PC games like Unreal Tournament, and the single player graphical glitches are unforgivable for this age. Horrible textures, bad inconsistent lighting, overused ugly bump and normal maps, unbelievable amounts of lod popping, lighting popping, normal map popping and popping popping, exists everywhere throughout the game. Graphically it is very boring, and the setups for characters don't compare to half life ethics. Design for the suits are boring, voice acting is terrible, check out other games like metal gear or metroid prime for better design first.… Expand
  89. ElZilcho
    Nov 12, 2004
    6
    Halo 2 is missing the freedom and epic battles of the first game. It still has the annoying parts from the first game too, like repeating corridors, etc. The worst part is the story, which is like a dodgy fan-fiction compared to Halo 1 and the books. Great combat and graphics though.
  90. S.Harv
    Nov 13, 2004
    6
    I mean, hell, it's Halo, so the gameplay and action rock. The sound is some of the best I've ever heard. However, it's just too damn short! There was no "Flood Moment" in this game, where your expectations suddenly turned upside-down. I'm shockingly disappointed.
  91. JamesW.
    Nov 21, 2004
    6
    Umm well. wot the helll was that. i like fps games , and u can find me playing pretty poor games until i complete them, but. i couldn't wait to play halo 2, although i wasn't the biggest fan of halo. i still thought halo 2 would be fantastic. but it was just repetitive and boring. there is always the feel that the game has been rushed just to make deadlines. a game that had soUmm well. wot the helll was that. i like fps games , and u can find me playing pretty poor games until i complete them, but. i couldn't wait to play halo 2, although i wasn't the biggest fan of halo. i still thought halo 2 would be fantastic. but it was just repetitive and boring. there is always the feel that the game has been rushed just to make deadlines. a game that had so much potential, has become an almost exact copy of number 1. and if you want a game that really deserves 10/10. check out half life 2 on pc.… Expand
  92. TerryB.
    Nov 8, 2004
    6
    Same as the first one. New levels. 6 on 10
  93. M.S.
    Dec 22, 2005
    6
    After playing this game on all of the difficulties (Yes even Heroic and Legendary level stuff) I felt absolutely abbandoned. This was one of the most non-thrilling, straight-foward, technically underwhelming, and totally monotanous games I have ever played! I am sorry but there was simply no gameplay variation, there was no logic in the level design waht's so ever, the weapons were After playing this game on all of the difficulties (Yes even Heroic and Legendary level stuff) I felt absolutely abbandoned. This was one of the most non-thrilling, straight-foward, technically underwhelming, and totally monotanous games I have ever played! I am sorry but there was simply no gameplay variation, there was no logic in the level design waht's so ever, the weapons were boring and all felt very much the same when I used them (Except the sword which was kick ass), the sound track bugged the hell out of me (Although Incubus was perfect), the story-let's face it-is perhaps the most worthless piece of game motivation I have ever seen, and may I mention that Halo 3 better improve upon this..this was high level crap. Compaired to games such as Half-Life 2 (10), Far Cry (7), Doom 3 (9), and Quake 4 (7), it pails and shivers. I already stated exactly why I disliked this indulgent crap...sub par graphics, atrocious story, unexciting level design, tedium...but why a six? Well because the mutli-player is the best thing to happen to FPS games...if you have a bunch of friends with Xbox's and cables..throw a party and play this game! It is the most fun you will have with a group of friends on the Xbox. It elevates on so many levels here. The extention of Maps is also a fine purchase for those who really don't give two shits about the single player...like me after I played through it.… Expand
  94. GordonU.
    Apr 19, 2005
    6
    In attitudes(relations) to campaign, levels are ridiculously long, plot (site) is soft, and is sincere in some parts a history would be more provided, if the huge aperture of plot (site) only admitted, instead of some awfully invented case. Recurrence (copy) - opinion - numbing. I find myself visiting rooms (place) of looking 20 minutes for a silly output(exit), it or is latent, behind of In attitudes(relations) to campaign, levels are ridiculously long, plot (site) is soft, and is sincere in some parts a history would be more provided, if the huge aperture of plot (site) only admitted, instead of some awfully invented case. Recurrence (copy) - opinion - numbing. I find myself visiting rooms (place) of looking 20 minutes for a silly output(exit), it or is latent, behind of a cautious corner, or in a stable (labyrinth) of tunnels, shoots also ladders, doing(making) the game more upsetting (more sad) both intense than entertainment and a relaxation. As soon as I really leave, I have returned with my exclusive (preferable) weapon, shooting the same guys who are many times not changing. Similarly to display on the green screen, the background changes, and it - about it. My account receives all his(its) items(points) (points) from a way of the multiplayer which I still feel, wonderful and... Anyhow more senseless than the halo 1. As a whole, rather unfavourable.… Expand
  95. JimmyT.
    May 28, 2005
    6
    This is a decent FPS and nothing more. It has good graphics and audio, but it does not make up for the mediocre gameplay. It is a decent game smothered in tons of hype.
  96. JohnnyC.
    Dec 26, 2004
    6
    Omfg...this game is not all dat good.the ending was horrific,and the multiplayer is so noobish!the only thing that is ok on here is mayb xboxlive.and another thing.WTF WHERE THE ATV'S?!
  97. TheChiefOfCOD
    Dec 22, 2010
    6
    I think Halo 2 lost some of its score when they deactivated Xbox Original Live. The campaign still delivers, its epic but sometimes there are those "Where do i go?!?!" moments. Graphics are really good for Xbox, and the voice recording is good too. I think that they still could of worked on the graphics.
  98. steven14329
    Jun 12, 2011
    6
    Slightly better graphics and some online... almost the same game as Halo 1. I don't need more vehicles, and dual wielding on weapons I'm not going to use... I prefer the first game over this hyped fps.
  99. spadenx
    Jan 13, 2012
    6
    A disapointing sequel. I didnt like the new look that the game had and it didnt really fit well with me. The story was a little too similar to the first game. It was interesting playing on the covenant side and it was easily the best part of the campaign. Multiplayer was fun but besides an updated look, It didnt really have much different from the first game's multiplayer.

    It was an ok    A disapointing sequel. I didnt like the new look that the game had and it didnt really fit well with me. The story was a little too similar to the first game. It was interesting playing on the covenant side and it was easily the best part of the campaign. Multiplayer was fun but besides an updated look, It didnt really have much different from the first game's multiplayer.

    It was an ok game but very disapointing.    … Expand
  100. shprea
    Jun 27, 2013
    6
    This is probably the weakest of the main series Halo games. It's not bad, it just doesn't do much. The story is far weaker than the first Halo, the combat isn't much different, and the graphics are only a little better. The only improvement here is the multiplayer, however that alone can't make a game good. All around, it was disappointing.
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Xbox Game of 2004
1
#1 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2004
2
#2 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2004

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
95

Universal acclaim - based on 91 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 89 out of 91
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 91
  3. Negative: 0 out of 91
  1. Xbox Nation Magazine
    100
    Microsoft and Bungie have created a gigantic bell that sounds like thunder and reverberates with a fury worthy of a gale-force hurricane. It's not perfect, but get in front of it, and wonderful things - wonderful destructive things - are bound to happen. [Dec 2004, p.72]
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  2. GMR Magazine
    100
    The digital surround sound is phenomenal (and the voice-acting peerless), and players with a good A/V system will enjoy hearing enemies approach from all sides due to the sharp positional sound.
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  3. Gamestyle
    100
    One of Halo 2 Online's best features - if not the best - is the statistics tracking system. [Online review]
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