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. TimK.
    Mar 22, 2005
    9
    Although i was contemplating giving this game an eight it is a very good game. Its Great Fun online with other people. And even the Campaign is a little lacking in the story department thats ok. You cannot deny this game is a must buy for any Xboxer who is a fan of the shooters but keep in mind that you will think it is great not perfect.
  2. CoryK.
    Apr 27, 2005
    9
    This game is WAY overhyped. It's saving grace is it's amazing multiplayer. However, the campaign is not only short ut also very boring.
  3. MikeA.
    Sep 12, 2005
    9
    At first i didn't really like it that much, but once i got into it, now i think its the best game ever, but there could of been more maps and better weapons.
  4. JimR.
    Sep 17, 2005
    9
    Now I do love halo 2, maybe more than the next guy. But it not even close to being like the first Halo. In the origanal you go through massave areas that are more nature with some buildings once in a while which gave it depth. In the 2nd halo you have it fliped. You get get the feeling that nature is taking over and it feels, dirty I gess is the bast way to explan it. Also in the first Now I do love halo 2, maybe more than the next guy. But it not even close to being like the first Halo. In the origanal you go through massave areas that are more nature with some buildings once in a while which gave it depth. In the 2nd halo you have it fliped. You get get the feeling that nature is taking over and it feels, dirty I gess is the bast way to explan it. Also in the first Halo every one LOVED the pistol. Not any more. The people at bungie tried replacing the pistol with the battle rifle, and it ended coming out not even close. In short you will have a lot of fun in halo 2 but the main game is just too short, and thoughs of us with out Xbox live (tear) will end up sitting, staring at the same levels over and over and over....… Expand
  5. GD
    Nov 11, 2004
    9
    I loved the game. It blew my f..king mind. the only thing that pisses me off is that i beat the story mode in a day. Whatever though its still damn good i'd give it a 9.5. Probably a ten if the ending wasn't so damn pissant.
  6. NedL.
    Nov 11, 2004
    9
    Halo 2 is great, but not perfect, and so not worth 100% or 10. The single-player world that is created is epic and just damn cool, although I agree that the ending leaves you somewhat deflated. Those who unfavourably compare this to PC games like half-life or unreal tournament need to get in a room with one TV, four controllers and three friends. It is just SO EASY to get set up and have Halo 2 is great, but not perfect, and so not worth 100% or 10. The single-player world that is created is epic and just damn cool, although I agree that the ending leaves you somewhat deflated. Those who unfavourably compare this to PC games like half-life or unreal tournament need to get in a room with one TV, four controllers and three friends. It is just SO EASY to get set up and have fun in this game, and THAT is what makes it special. After all, it's good to play together :P… Expand
  7. RaphaelR.
    Nov 11, 2004
    9
    Yes i gave it a nine NOT A TEN why? because its s0o0o overated sometimes the game is not perfect why are you people giving it ten i mean don't get me wrong it is a good game the single player is s0o much fun plus if u have al ot of friends that likes halo multiplayer would be a super fun experience for you. The first time i played this game (i've never played halo 1) my friendYes i gave it a nine NOT A TEN why? because its s0o0o overated sometimes the game is not perfect why are you people giving it ten i mean don't get me wrong it is a good game the single player is s0o much fun plus if u have al ot of friends that likes halo multiplayer would be a super fun experience for you. The first time i played this game (i've never played halo 1) my friend asked me to come over and play because he was talkin bout how great this game is and the graphics are unbelievable i was like ok i'll go to your house and we played for 5 hours straight while i was playing it i was like "is this the kind of graphics u were talkin bout???" because the graphics aren't really all that but it is good i was just disappointed to find out that the game wasn't what i expected form hearing what all of my friends say. This game has plenty of weapons but they should add more weapons more variety of SMG's , and assualt rifles , and so on and how come this game doesn't have light machine guns i mean the turrets are fun to use but would'nt you like a machine gun that you can carry and kill aliens with. There's also one very fun thing about this game its the dual - wielding this thing makes the game really fun especially when you have double SMG's that is my favorite combination its not the most powerful combination but i like using two fully automatic SMG's at the same time. The single player itself is fairly long its about 10 - 15 hours thats how long it took me but it really depends on what difficulty you play it on.overall the games is pretty good it is a must have for your xbox games collection this is one of the best FPS games i've played so far this game is worth $50 or $55 if u got the collectors edition..haha.. but chyeah i guess this ends my review hope i helped you with my review.… Expand
  8. FrankS.
    Nov 12, 2004
    9
    I give Halo 2 a 9 for several reasons. I feel that the game delivered on it's gameplay, but the storyline in my opinion is terrible. You are constantly switching from master chief to the arbitor. They should have had a section where you could pick one character and play through with him to see what happens... then play it all over again with the other character. Graphics are GREAT I give Halo 2 a 9 for several reasons. I feel that the game delivered on it's gameplay, but the storyline in my opinion is terrible. You are constantly switching from master chief to the arbitor. They should have had a section where you could pick one character and play through with him to see what happens... then play it all over again with the other character. Graphics are GREAT and gameplay is AWESOME!!! but the storyline sucks.... I could not follow what was going on because they constantly jump around, and the last level I'm not going to ruin anything, I thought the last level was a drag for one reason and one reason only and you will all know once you beat the game.… Expand
  9. WayneF.
    Nov 14, 2004
    9
    If I had never played the original Halo, this game would be the coolest, toughest, meanest, best game ever. However, I know all the tricks now and this game , in single player mode, isn't too much of a challenge. But its still Halo and even better than the first. Nice vehicles and weapons. I really want that energy sword. Unfortunately, the ending made me want to scream, i've If I had never played the original Halo, this game would be the coolest, toughest, meanest, best game ever. However, I know all the tricks now and this game , in single player mode, isn't too much of a challenge. But its still Halo and even better than the first. Nice vehicles and weapons. I really want that energy sword. Unfortunately, the ending made me want to scream, i've already cursed Bungie via email. When is Halo 3 due??!! Now back to practising on Legendary before inviting the mates around for multiplayer madness.… Expand
  10. MattR.
    Nov 15, 2004
    9
    This game is sooo coool! i would have given it a 10 if bungie didnt lie to us about all that stuff like....the atv, peeking around conors, sprinting, doing combo mele attacks, the 4 different types of warthogs and being able to shoot out lights and hide in the shadows. there was not 1 light that i could shoot out. oo ya and that third granade. that wasnt in it either.
  11. JohnC.
    Nov 16, 2004
    9
    I used to hate halo now I am a big fan of it.
  12. AlexBigbottom
    Nov 16, 2004
    9
    Well, I am a big time halo fan. So you can probbably guess my reaction when I heard the game was coming out. I was thrilled! So the same hour I read the news i pre ordered it. This was in septembER so i started reading the halo novels. I was like i cant wait!! So the big day is here and i have my copy i race home i popped it in and it was great. A few days later when i was really in the Well, I am a big time halo fan. So you can probbably guess my reaction when I heard the game was coming out. I was thrilled! So the same hour I read the news i pre ordered it. This was in septembER so i started reading the halo novels. I was like i cant wait!! So the big day is here and i have my copy i race home i popped it in and it was great. A few days later when i was really in the game, i notiCed great things like graphics new wepons dual weiding vehicals and playing as the Arbiter! (an elite)arbiter is cool but master cheif is still cooler. a few days later i killed taturus the bad guy and a cut scene came and i was like YES THE END CUT SECENE!!!! i watched it and then guess wat? no ending. jut master chief talking to this old fool. hes like (the old guy) were are you going and cheif says to finish off this fight. and there are the credits. i stare at the screen dumb struck. 80 F***ING BUCKS (i bought collecters edition) AND I DONET EVEN GET A FREAKING ENDING?!?!?!? dont get me wrong I love halo and all you guys at bungie but CCCCOME ON! not even a frikin ending?!? this game is great an I highly reccomend buying this game. Thank you. (i would have given this a 9 and a half i cant because it only goes like 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.)… Expand
  13. JamesD.
    Dec 21, 2004
    9
    This is one of the best games ever. there are somethings that i did not like about it which is why i didnt give it a 10 but if some minor changes were made to this game it would be the greatest game ever.
  14. KevinY.
    Nov 14, 2005
    9
    I love this game. The story could've been better, and the pistol has been dumbed down. Other than that great game. And this is coming from a guy who doesn't have X-Box Live. I highly recomend this game.
  15. Incarta
    Feb 10, 2014
    9
    Halo 2 ramps up the drama but manages to stay a good shooter. It gets the balance right. Halo 2 introduces duel wielding for the first time in the series and is unique in story mode for letting you play as both the hero master chief and anti hero arbiter.
  16. TheQuietGamer
    Mar 6, 2011
    9
    Halo 2 did what I thought was impossible it improved upon what Halo: Combat Evolved did, it improved on gameplay, story, sound, and graphics, and created the best multiplayer experience ever that set the pace for games like the Call of Duty and Battlefield series, in my personal opinion this is the best in the Halo series, the only reason this does not get a perfect 10 is that there is noHalo 2 did what I thought was impossible it improved upon what Halo: Combat Evolved did, it improved on gameplay, story, sound, and graphics, and created the best multiplayer experience ever that set the pace for games like the Call of Duty and Battlefield series, in my personal opinion this is the best in the Halo series, the only reason this does not get a perfect 10 is that there is no more multiplayer, but this is still a absolute must play.… Expand
  17. Watermelon789
    Jul 10, 2011
    9
    This is where the multiplayer started getting hype. Thanks to Bungie doing an almost perfect game, no other game have made an addictive multiplayer game. Halo 2 kicked ass back then, and it still does.
  18. CarsonRGB
    Oct 3, 2011
    9
    Story: 7
    Characters: 8
    Graphics: 8
    Setting: 8
    Multiplayer: 10
    Soundtrack: 10
    Audio: 9
    Gameplay: 10
    Re-Playability Value: 9
    Fun Factor: 9

    Score: 8.8/10
  19. HellzAssassin
    Sep 9, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Halo 2 was a gigantic improvement from Halo: Combat Evolved, and that's extremely commendable because Halo: Combat Evolved was a masterpiece in itself. It's difficult to improve something when the original was nearly perfect. (Look at Bioshock 2 for an example of failed improvement.)

    Halo 2 might not have had the best story, but the fun factor the game offered was outstanding. The game was especially fun with couch co-op. It's also good to mention that this is the only Halo game where you play on the Covenant's side. Halo 2 also has the longest Halo campaign to date. Now, every game has it's flaws, and Halo 2 isn't spared from them. As mentioned before, story-wise, you get absolutely nothing done in the game. You discover a Halo ring, and prevent it from firing. That's pretty much the gist of it. Because of that, the 15 chapter campaign (again, longest Halo campaign to date) was pointless. However, it was still interesting. I guess you could say that the entire game was just a lead-up to Halo 3. The ending of the game was also not very great. But let's just put all of that behind and focus on what made Halo 2 such a success: Halo 2 took all of the fun from the first Halo, brought it over and enhanced it. Halo 2 all in all was loads of fun, and in the end isn't that what a game is supposed to be?    … Expand
  20. Mako5
    Feb 26, 2012
    9
    Halo 2 is one of the greatest games ever created. The story was much different than it's superior predecessor, but nonetheless Halo 2 left any other game in its day in its wake. The gameplay was solid, fluid, and realistic. Graphics were good for its day, and the game in its self was extremely addictive and fun! The world of halo explodes into a massive science fiction epic where you neverHalo 2 is one of the greatest games ever created. The story was much different than it's superior predecessor, but nonetheless Halo 2 left any other game in its day in its wake. The gameplay was solid, fluid, and realistic. Graphics were good for its day, and the game in its self was extremely addictive and fun! The world of halo explodes into a massive science fiction epic where you never know what is going to happen, and you are left at the edge of your seat until the final seconds of the game. Level designs were great and very creative! I enjoyed the variety, and the multiplayer is arguably the bar-setter for every other game to date. A great campaign, and a great multiplayer experience. A superior game and a delivering sequel.… Expand
  21. watithink123
    Aug 26, 2012
    9
    This game is the sequel to one of the best game of all time! Great campaign, really fun missions and you can play as the Arbiter in some missions. Multiplayer is just amazing and improved on the multiplayer (BT). And halo 4 will be awesome, HALO FTW!!!!!!! Halo 2 9.6/10
  22. inglorios
    Jun 22, 2012
    9
    A fantastic and welcome addition to the Halo universe. The gameplay has changed in a very positive way with the ability to dual wield and the addition of the sword. For fans of the original, get the sequel.
  23. AOLfloppydisk
    Nov 2, 2012
    9
    Awesome game, improvement over the first in some ways. The only reason I dinged it down a notch was because I hated the missions when you were forced to be an alien, I rushed through them and didn't enjoy them at all. Multiplayer was also awesome, loved the introduction to the BR in this game.
  24. glitchmaster
    Dec 6, 2013
    9
    better then the first one in my view but still have the feeling that the levels arren't changing at all there's not much variety between rooms
    the campaign itzelf is good you play again with masterchief and for the first time with a sanghieli called arbiter now you can explore new dimensions of gameplay with too different story working their way together
    +:cool looking sights +:good    better then the first one in my view but still have the feeling that the levels arren't changing at all there's not much variety between rooms
    the campaign itzelf is good you play again with masterchief and for the first time with a sanghieli called arbiter now you can explore new dimensions of gameplay with too different story working their way together
    +:cool looking sights
    +:good campaign
    +:awesome characters
    +:multiplayer options
    -:dark rooms
    -:no variety in levels    … Expand
  25. JUANPANB
    Sep 2, 2013
    9
    Es un gran juego, después de su primera parte HALO COMBAT ENVOLVED(RECOMENDADO) estuve ansioso por jugar su segunda parte HALO 2, me sorprendió como un gran juego persiste en su gran variabilidad de juegos y sigue aun así siendo un muy buen juego sin des meritar las excelentes gráficas que para ese año eran y son muy buenas.
  26. FreedomFighters
    Jan 24, 2019
    9
    "Halo 2" had me rather excited at first glance. While I had felt that the original game "Halo: Combat Evolved" had aged to at least some degree, I still enjoyed it quite a bit, and pretty much a lot of people had been telling me that "Halo 2" was easily the best one in the franchise. And, well, it's a bit too early to judge because I still have a whole three games left to get through, but"Halo 2" had me rather excited at first glance. While I had felt that the original game "Halo: Combat Evolved" had aged to at least some degree, I still enjoyed it quite a bit, and pretty much a lot of people had been telling me that "Halo 2" was easily the best one in the franchise. And, well, it's a bit too early to judge because I still have a whole three games left to get through, but nonetheless, "Halo 2" definitely improves on the first one.
    "Halo 2" retains the fun gameplay and fluid controls of the first game: it still feels as smooth as ever, and though some of the changes are minuscule, getting to finally use the Energy Sword was neat, and let's not forget how game-changing "Halo 2" was for online multiplayer. If nothing else, it definitely revolutionized in that regard. Also, the game's story even has a cool dynamic by allowing you to switch between controlling Master Chief and the Covenant. Having that ability to switch between the two sides definitely made the story more interesting to me, and while some were frustrated by the cliffhanger ending, I think it was rather satisfying. Beyond that, the presentation has been made so much better: the audio is one again wonderful, but the visual design has been made so much better, and having played the "Halo 2 Anniversary" edition on the Xbox One, the facelift definitely makes the game look better. What's more impressive, though, is that the old visuals still look like they haven't aged a day, and they still look rather good. The cutscenes are also cinematic and wonderful to look at, and all in all, the game packs quite a punch.
    Unfortunately, I'm still not finding "Halo" to be a 10 out of 10 experience with this game, and it's not because the campaign is too short, because I thought it was satisfying enough with its length. I think my big issue that's holding the game back is that, while it was revolutionary for its multiplayer and was still fun to play, I have some qualms with the campaign, ranging from the somewhat repetitive level design (it was sometimes even hard to tell I was playing a different mission or in a different level because some of the maps looked so similar) to the fact that, while it's still a joy to play, "Halo 2" doesn't do a whole lot different from the first game. Where the first game revolutionized in its general gameplay, "Halo 2" merely sticks within the formula and makes only minuscule changes, resulting in a game that is still a blast, but not quite boundary-pushing for a sequel.
    Still, though, "Halo 2" is a pretty amazing adventure, and it's certainly a sequel that improves on the previous title nicely. Sure, it's not an entirely new experience like the first one was, but the extra polish ultimately leads to a very well-made FPS title that certainly has earned its distinction as one of the Xbox's best.
    Final rating: 9 out of 10 "Awesome"    … Expand
  27. BaconConoisseur
    Nov 8, 2013
    9
    Halo 2 succeeds in raising the stakes and pushing further into the human races battle for survival. It has new weapons, new characters, and even gives us more insight into the covenant. Microsoft pushed up the release date for Halo 2 and it shows throughout the game. Characters and textures blink in late in cut scenes, brutes take ridiculous amounts of damage without flinching, and aHalo 2 succeeds in raising the stakes and pushing further into the human races battle for survival. It has new weapons, new characters, and even gives us more insight into the covenant. Microsoft pushed up the release date for Halo 2 and it shows throughout the game. Characters and textures blink in late in cut scenes, brutes take ridiculous amounts of damage without flinching, and a cliffhanger ending tops it off. Even with all that this game still manages to be one heck of an awesome experience.… Expand
  28. Jern
    Sep 9, 2015
    9
    The campaign was good but not perfect. The multiplayer however is 11/10. Matchmaking, teamwork, gameplay are revolutionary. With the release of Halo 2 Anniversary you can see how well ahead of its time it was. All it needed was a graphical tweak.
  29. ReviewScope
    Apr 24, 2017
    9
    While Halo: Combat Evolved changed the landscape of console FPS games, Halo 2 popularised online multiplayer for consoles, and changed the world of gaming forever. Campaign was also pretty good.
  30. jacob4
    Apr 28, 2018
    9
    An incredible epic follow up sequel to the first original game! Halo 2 provides almost the same things from the first game but bigger, better, and with more weapons and vehicles! Halo 2 also has the unique game play of playing the story from two different unique characters point of view. The battles are fun and intense and this game does a good job at immersing you into the awesomeAn incredible epic follow up sequel to the first original game! Halo 2 provides almost the same things from the first game but bigger, better, and with more weapons and vehicles! Halo 2 also has the unique game play of playing the story from two different unique characters point of view. The battles are fun and intense and this game does a good job at immersing you into the awesome cinematic journey Halo takes you on! Despite the game having some what of an anti-climatic ending, Halo 2 is still must play sequel that worth the time and adventure.… Expand
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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

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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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