The original Halo become a benchmark title in the console world of the first person shooter genre, it was and to some still is the jewel in the crown for the Microsoft’s Xbox console, some could argue the original Halo has single single-handedly helped sales of the machine ever since its release in way back November 2001.

Telling the tale of Spartan, a human super soldier called Master Chief and utilizing all the latest technology as he saved the galaxy from potential destruction by Covenant forces who were attempting to take control of the ultimate weapon of destruction “Halo”.

What Halo brought to the table was many features previously not fully optimised for console play and were more akin to PC first person shooters. With a mixture of awesome combat using a wide variety of alien and futuristic human type weapons, combined with commandeering land and air based vehicles, simply set Halo way above other games of a similar nature. What also captivated games players the World over was the excellent characterisation and story, which although a little cliché was presented in a way to evoke a real emotion and passion within those that played the game.

Halo also supported excellent graphics and a killer soundtrack that really showed off what Xbox could accomplish compared to its peers setting the console as a real challenger to Sony and Nintendo who already dominated the market. What is more the multiplayer portion of the game received cult status as it built its own community via system link games and LAN events. So you can imagine the sheer anticipation for the sequel with single players and the wide online community.

Well it’s been a near unbearable 3 years wait but finally the sequel is amongst us, and for many the realisation that “it’s finally here” will perhaps make November 9th better than Christmas Day itself. Halo 2 has arrived. Are you ready? As it’s that time again for you to assume the role and become Master Chief and save the galaxy once more, game on soldier!

Gameplay:

The game play is where Halo really shined and Halo 2 continues that trend. For those who don’t know or have lived under a rock for the last 3 years the game play in Halo 2 is pure first person action mixed with some nifty third person driving of vehicles. The combat itself is basically your character verses an onslaught of ground and vehicular based opponents both land and air. Throughout the campaign you will often fight alongside marines and other troops, although their effectiveness depends on the games difficulty and how skilled of a player you are in protecting them; saying that, on the default setting the marines do a pretty decent job of holding their own in most fire fights.

What is new to Halo and works well in Halo 2 is a new improved interaction with these units who will now take cover more effectively and also drive vehicles with a much more determined AI. This time marines can and will take control of Warthogs (4WDs) whilst you mount the rear turret or sit in the passenger seat firing volley after volley. The AI does a fairly decent job here whilst being in the driving seat, although at times displays some erratic driving, especially when up against difficult terrain or objects blocking pathways. At one point I simply took control of the warthog to bypass the tricky terrain for the marine then let him resume control the other side.

Another new addition to your arsenal is the ability to switch weapons with your fellow marines which lends itself to a more tactical flavour during some of the games early levels. Want that sniper rifle? Then you can simply swap it for the weapon you are holding. Need a Battle rifle and cant find one? Then simply take one from your fellow marine. This also works in other ways where you could opt to equip marines with a preferred weapon especially as certain enemies are weak to certain weapons.

Talking of weapons the whole set up has been changed as now you are able to dual wield the one handed weapons (with a simple hold of the Y button) for some devastating results, duel wielding does come at a cost, in order to duel wield you must sacrifice you ability to use either of the available grenades, you now need to approach each situation and make decisions accordingly, do I go in duel wielding and go in guns blazing or do I use a steady and tactical approach using a combination of grenades and weapons?

Plasma rifles, a revised needler and pistol all make a welcome return alongside some new additions such as the aforementioned battled riffle and replacement SMGs (replacing the assault rifle from the first game). Some new alien weapons have been added such as the Covenant carbine and sniper rifle, both offering a different technique of their use and being deadly against certain foes

Going back to the dual wielding the possibilities are pretty diverse as each weapon is suited to a particular situation. Do you combo up with a plasma pistol and needlers or perhaps a plasma rifle and SMG? Well after a bit of experimentation you will begin to see what works best in any given situation but as an example use a fully charged plasma pistol to take down an opponents shield leaving them undefended for you to cut down with say your SMG. On a side note its good to see that your aiming reflects your selected weapons recoil and will automatically raise accordingly during prolonged bursts, this is especially evident when using dual SMGs a minor detail maybe, but one we are pleased was not overlooked by Bungie.

The two types of grenade make a return with a slightly different method of aiming which requires perhaps a little more arch for longer ranged placements. The grenades effectiveness are as destructive as ever including when they detonate dormant grenades dropped by the fallen resulting in mass bodies flying through the air due to the chained blast.

The enemies themselves have had an overhaul and generally seem far more intent on success than in the original Halo. The distinctive AI from the original returns as the ranked Covenant forces react according to who’s around and the terrain, for example the lower grunts will run and hide should their group leader bite the bullet rather than stand and fight. What is great here is simply messing with these fleeing, cowering individuals. Chasing them around the terrain and listening to them squeal in fear followed by a short sharp smack with the butt of a weapon is pretty sweet and a cool way of exacting punishment on those that wish to do you harm.

Elites are as deadly as ever and have been granted new climbing moves which enable them to gain vantage points by climbing crates, boxes etc. Imagine my horror when on the first level I was hiding behind a large crate recharging my shield when suddenly an Elite climbed the crate and started shooting me from above. Ouch!

Playing the game on normal will probably give you the very basics when it comes to the comprehensive AI systems that the game uses. Now crank the difficulty to Legendary and you almost have an entirely different game. No longer will you be able to wade through masses of enemies barely receiving a scratch, hell no these guys are no joke and are every bit as cunning and deadly as you are, even the grunts damn it!! Hide behind a crate for too long or too obviously and enemies will flank you or simply toss grenades to flush you out. This lends itself to a very tactical game especially if you attempt this alone and will take quite a long time to beat even the simplest of levels.

Halo 2 also boasts some cosmetic features which simply boost the existing game-play. Things like Turbo boosts whilst driving Ghosts (a hover vehicle) and barrel rolls for Banshees (air based small craft) are welcome additions.

Master Chief himself has been remodelled and upgraded, along with the all new duel wielding weapons. He now boasts the ability to hijack enemy vehicles even whilst the occupants are still driving them, again this has been taken care of with the minimum of fuss, approach an enemy vehicle and with the tap of X button you can mount and take control. In later levels other options become available like planting a grenade within the vehicle. These new moves add very little to the overall game play and are not a necessary skill to master but are welcome additions all the same. Some cool in game moments can be had knocking Elites from Ghosts, then utilising your newly obtained vehicles weapons to gun them down. The lack of medi-kits may annoy some or perhaps enlighten others but means that players can focus on what’s at hand rather than aimlessly backtracking for items. The HUD has changed significantly as marines that are in your unit no longer display life bars as do the piloted vehicles. Whether this is to make things easier for more players is hard to tell, but the bottom line is when you hear the beeping of damaged and depleted shields you better take cover fast.

The story in Halo 2 is every bit as epic as the original however this time features quite a few plot twists along the way that give a deeper insight into the Halo world, which from a gamers point of view is an excellent move. I’m not sure that all gamers will “get it” and wonder why events happen as they do but overall in my opinion I think the contrast and balancing is unexpected, fantastic and tremendously brave. I won’t spoil it for you as you will discover yourselves when you finally play the game.

Graphics:

The graphics in Halo 2 are definitely an improvement over the original although these differences become less apparent the more you become engrossed into the game. What is noticeable is the use of normal mapping techniques being employed to great effect, especially on the enemy characters that you’ll be gunning down amidst the splattering of blue blood and such. The environments all look grand and splendid offering some great vistas on occasion and really help convey an atmosphere that throws the player into the situations that present themselves.

This time round there are more varied environments to do battle, although the corridor based level design returns albeit less intrusive and repetitive than the original. What is on offer generally remains varied and offers a mix of wide open areas combined with the traditional corridor and rooms interiors.

Weapons as with the original all display a distinct look and feel as do their varied effects that each have on your enemies when fired, made especially with all the potential dual wielding possibilities. During combat, especially on Legendary there are loads of effects simultaneously flying all over the place which makes for an impressive display of colour and lighting. What is more is there is no noticeable slowdown during these intense gun battles with multiple enemies and assisting marines all moving and shooting appropriately.

To be a little negative there were some issues of graphics updating their detail as one got closer to them and during cut scenes but this tended to be more noticeable when viewing the masses of dead bodies that litter the floors after furious gun battles. This however did not detract from the overall polish of the games graphics in any way. Also I noticed a lack of any real shadowing which I experimented with by using the game’s torch.

Each location is actually not as full of detail as you would perhaps expect with some sections having plenty of atmosphere but remaining sparse with unnecessary detail all the same. The inclusion of more destructible objects including vehicles not only looks great and suitably dramatic it also helps in creating a small part of the atmosphere that pulls the player into the game rather than merely just playing the game. Overall the general level of polish applied to the graphics in Halo 2 makes it a wonderfully atmospheric and beautiful looking game.

Sound:

One of the impressive features of Halo was its excellent cinematic soundtrack. Well the same soundtrack returns with remixed themes from the original. Whether it be the angelic Gregorian sounding choir during a crucial cut scene or the beating drums during an intense battle, the music is right on cue every time. Perfectly fitting the situation you are in and stirring pure emotion as you play and listen. Some more up tempo themes have been added during certain sections of the game which work reasonably and add that little bit more urgency to those moments.

The in game cut scenes also demonstrate the raw power of the games musical score, as with the game play music it really brings to life the characters on screen as they talk amidst the accompaniment of stringed instruments offering sad and melancholic tones at times.

The Characters themselves are all suitably voiced and remain at the same level of quality as the rest of the game. The marines with their battle cries and general remarks make a welcome return and seem to have more phrases than before again adding to that all important atmosphere. Your enemies are also more vocal this time with some genuinely menacing and highly amusing phrases being spoken during combat.

Halo had some great sound and Halo2 seems to follow in the same manner. Highly engaging and spot on when the action or cut scenes dictate. Awesome.

Longevity:

Overall the length of the single player experience was just a little bit of a let down, comprising of just 15 levels 2 of which amount to nothing more than basic training and collecting your weapons, the game is over all too quickly, in the easier settings around 5-6 hours especially if you just want to blast your way through skipping the cut scenes but again as with the original it’s the Heroic and Legendary settings which bring this Bungie master piece to life and truly reflect the challenge worthy of the Master Chief.

It was sad news when we recently learned that Bungie had elected to not offer Co-op play via either system link or Xbox LIVE, it’s a feature that many fans of the original Halo game have been crying out for, although with the addition of Xbox LIVE multiplayer options such as Slayer, King of the Hill, Oddball, Juggernaut, Capture the Flag, Assault and territories maybe Bungie decided it was just too much to include the Co-op options, who knows but I do know I for one would have loved to play Co-op via system link or especially via Xbox LIVE.

That said for those with Live or access to system link games will have a blast as there is enough content and features here to keep most players entertained for quite some time. Not only does halo 2 offer full clan support and leader boards but also offers comprehensive stat tracking at Bungie’s own website. Here players can view their own or other people’s stats and game play moments. Its all pretty remarkable and whether its just a gimmick or a useful tool will be seen in the coming months as players start using the service. The bottom line is for the single player there is the campaign and the four difficulties to mess around with which in all honesty is no easy task to complete and will take ages. The multiplayer options really do propel the game into the stratosphere although the non inclusion of bots is almost criminal and a shame for single players.

Overall:

Halo 2 is an excellent game albeit not much of a departure from the 3 year old original. Boasting stunning set pieces, new locations and of course an excellent story/ soundtrack makes Halo 2 another must have title for Xbox owners. For those without Live or access to Lan events or internet then one could argue that there is very little to do once the main campaign has been beaten (around 10 hours on default difficulty), especially for casual players who will opt out of playing on Legendary. Although I assume that most players will enjoy playing certain levels over and over simply to try a different method than before plus the fact that they are fun enough to play again and again. The non inclusion of Bots has suffered the game in this respect; you’ve got to remember that not all players have loads of TVs, Xboxes and friends to come over all the time to play split screen, system link or co-op modes. That said if you do have Live or at least a few friends that come over to play then Halo 2 definitely offers a very comprehensive package that’s fun and challenging for all comers.

Looking at the overall package that is Halo 2 Bungie has delivered an excellent blend of Action, story and multiplayer madness. Perhaps not as groundbreaking as we were led to believe or even hoped for prior to release but an immense and masterful game all the same, as they say if it’s not broken don’t fix it!