There are two Halo 2-s I will talk about here. First Halo 2 as an artistic product and second Halo 2 as continuation of Halo 1.
Let's start with the first Halo 2 - assets and visual production of Halo 2. This is by far the most visually stunning console game I have played. The vastness of the levels, the visual enormity, the majestic feel of the entire experience are second to none. This game feels like a two-way movie, it's epic and big, and it adds the dimension of playing as the covenant. I think this is huge step upwards from Halo 1.
In Halo 1, the Master Chief found these grunting soul-less creatures known as the covenant. In Halo 2 the covenant gets a soul and the game is played mostly through their eyes. It sort of feels like the Empire Strikes Back sequel regarding the difference in viewpoints and style.
Halo 2 on Xbox Live is a masterpiece, there is no other game that comes even close. The matchmaking, breadth, scope and fun playing on LIVE are unparalleled. I'm sure there will be praises sung to Halo 2 multiplayer from others so I will stop here.
There are several gameplay points in Halo 2 that are astounding - playing with two guns at once, fighting on top of the scarab, being invisible as the arbiter, waging epic aerial fights with banshees. Halo 2 delivers on a large portion of the hype, and brings up the level of console gaming to unseen heights.
Now let me talk about the special sauce of Halo 2 - the second Halo 2 i referred to in the beginning.
I gave Halo 1 a ten, because of the revolution it stands for in gaming. Halo 2 didnt have the same umph as the first Halo, other than several breakthrough moments of brilliance, Halo 2 didnt explode my imagination the way Halo 1 did. Certainly Halo 2 was bigger and more epic, but not as special, breathtaking, surprising, terrorizing and purely blissful as Halo 1.
Halo 1 was revolutionary, Halo 2 is evolutionary.
If you care to know anything at all about games, you must play this title. And pray that Halo 3 brings the old rebel spirit back to continue the Halo 1 revolution.
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