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.
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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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