Codex Gamicus
Register
Advertisement

Template:RelevantLinks


Halo 2
File:Halo2boxart.jpg
Developer(s) Bungie Studios
Publisher(s) Microsoft Game Studios
Release date November 9, 2004 (NA)

November 11, 2004 (EU & JP)

PC:

May 22, 2007

Genre FPS
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer, Xbox Live
Age rating(s) ESRB: M
PEGI: 16+
Platform(s) Xbox, PC

Template:Infobox/media Template:Infobox/input

Credits | Soundtrack | Codes | Walkthrough


The sequel to Halo, a First-person shooter on the Xbox. It features a continuation of the story, as well as the addition of the Covenant Elite soldier "Arbiter". It also has online play over Xbox Live as well as a varied array of other weapons and vehicles not found in Halo. Leading up to the release was an alternate reality game.

Story

As the Master Chief returns from Installation 04, he is welcomed with the new MJOLNIR Mark VI armor, as well as a ceremony in honor of him, the surprisingly alive Sergeant Johnson, and the dead Captain Keyes. Accepting the medal of honor for Captain Keyes is none other than his daughter—Commander Miranda Keyes.

Enemies

Covenant

  • Grunt
  • Jackal
  • Drone
  • Elite
  • Brute
  • Hunter
  • Prophet

The Flood

  • Infection Form
  • Human Combat Form
  • Elite Combat Form
  • Carrier Form

Weapons

Human

  • M9 HE-DP Fragmentation Grenade
  • M6C Magnum Pistol
  • M7 Sub-Machine Gun (SMG)
  • BR55 Battle Rifle
  • M90 Shotgun
  • S2 AM Sniper Rifle
  • M19 SSM Rocket Launcher
  • Machine Gun Turret

Covenant

  • Plasma Grenade
  • Plasma Pistol
  • Plasma Rifle
  • Needler
  • Brute Plasma Rifle
  • Carbine
  • Beam Rifle
  • Energy Sword
  • Brute Shot
  • Fuel Rod Gun
  • Plasma Turret

Vehicles

Human

  • M12 Warthog LRV w/M41 LAAG minigun
  • M12G1 Warthog LAAV w/M68 gauss cannon
  • M808B Scorpion Tank
  • Pelican Dropship

Covenant

  • Ghost
  • Spectre
  • Banshee
  • Wraith
  • Shadow
  • Phantom

Campaign

  • Insert levels and brief descriptions here

Cooperative

Halo 2's entire campaign can be played co-operatively on one Xbox.

Split Screen

The game can be played splitscreen with up to 4 players on one Xbox. These four players can also join games being played over System Link and Xbox Live.

System Link

-16 Person Multi player
-YOU CAN NOT SYSTEM LINK CAMPAIGN

Xbox Live

  • Interface
  • Matchmaking
  • Customs
  • Friends List
  • Games
  • Playlists

Maps

First Maps

  • Lockout
  • Ascension
  • Midship
  • Ivory Tower
  • Beaver Creek
  • Burial Mounds
  • Colossus
  • Zanzibar
  • Coagulation
  • Headlong
  • Waterworks
  • Foundation

Bonus Map Pack

  • Warlock
  • Containment

Killtacular Pack

  • Sanctuary
  • Turf

Maptacular Pack

  • Elongation
  • Terminal
  • Relic
  • Backwash
  • Gemini

Blastacular Pack

  • Tombstone
  • Desolation

Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack

Halo 2 multi pack

On July 5, 2005 Bungie Studios released the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack which is downloadable content collection (not an expansion pack) to Halo 2 on Xbox Live. It was also on sale 20 USD so non-Xbox Lives individuals can get new maps and updates. It contained nine additional maps, three Auto-Updates and a few other features.

Features In-game content:

  • Xbox live Auto-Update 1, Auto-Update 2 and Auto-Update 3
  • New multiplayer maps: Containment, Warlock, Sanctuary, Turf, Backwash, Elongation, Gemini, Relic, and Terminal

Other content:

  • Another Day at the Beach - A three minute Halo 2 side-story cutscene. It shows what happened to the second Pelican after being shot down by the Scarab in the cinematic before the level Outskirts.
  • Halo 2: Killtacular - A documentary on how Bungie Studios made the nine maps included on this disc.
  • Halo: Combat Evolved E3 2000 trailer
  • Halo 2 August 2002 announcement trailer
  • An audio test video used for testing your surround sound set-up (This video was also in Halo 2 Limited Collector's Edition.)

Praise

Some of the nice features provided in Halo 2 were the excellent gameplay and sound. Most of the gameplay features from the original Halo made a return, such having faster recharging shields and no health meter to worry about, hold an offhand weapon, and go into 3rd person riding vehicles. There were also some new features added to improve gameplay. The ability of dual-wielding some weapons was brought into Halo 2, creating a more broad range of available strategies to use. The two Covenant vehicles, the Banshee and Ghost, received afterburners that allowed them to travel at higher speeds, but not shoot. The banshee could also do rolls in the air. One more interesting feature was the ability to hijack vehicles. It gave a major twist to the gameplay as a driver could be pulled out of a vehicle, human or AI. Seeing Master Chief bash through the hull of a tank and grenading the crew was also a nice sight. The audio still retained some good music as it did in the original. Some music still plays at proper times to add a kick in the game. Also, it kept the sounds for low/regenerating shields. The sound quality is good enough that the player almost never needs to look at the HUD for a second and can instead concentrate on the game. The graphics are not too bad and load time in between stages have been eliminated. The AI is praised since they do not always do the same thing over and over. Replaying a level can almost always guarantee different results and reactions from the AI.

Criticism

Concerning the single player campaign, fans of the Halo series have voiced their disappointment at the introduction of a second playable character, the Arbiter. Many feel that too much focus was given to this new character and not enough to Master Chief, the series protagonist since many wanted to hear more about the humans and not the Covenant. Gamers also criticize the technique imployed by Bungie to render textures and models in game causing ugly and distracting pop in during cutscenes and (rarely) during gameplay. Bungie has said that this rendering technique was used so that, unlike the original Halo there would be no load times betweens stages. Enemies are also very similar to the originals, and there are only a few new additions, leaving the game very repetitive and boring at times. Criticism has also been lobbed at the game for having such an abrupt ending and a somewhat brief campaign. Also, co-operative play could not be done over Xbox live. The AI is a bit boring when they are in vehicles. They tend to hit objects a lot and stay relatively predictable while inside one.

Advertisement