Video Games : Halo 2

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from: Microsoft

: Halo 2

Amazon.com's Price: $19.99
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Amazon Maximum Age: 20 years
Amazon Minimum Age: 204 months
Binding: Video Game
Brand: Microsoft
EAN: 0805529792234
ESRB Age Rating: Mature
Label: Microsoft
Manufacturer: Microsoft
Model: XBMSFT 805529792234
Platform: Xbox
Publisher: Microsoft
Release Date: November 09, 2004
Sales Rank: 230
Studio: Microsoft

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Editorial Review:

Amazon.com:
Halo 2 is one of those rare video games that garnishes attention from regular folk who wouldn't know which direction to point a game controller. With more than 1.5 million pre-orders and a massive release party in Times Square, the game enjoys the sort of buzz, and sales, generally reserved for boy wizards. But does it merit the hype?

Opening Scene


Halo 2 opens with a cut scene in the Covenant Holy City of High Charity. Much has happened since Master Chief (that's you) created so much havoc for the Covenant in the first Halo, and the Arbiter has much atoning to do for his failures. This first cut scene is long, but the lush graphics, orchestral sound, and polished voice talent for both this and other cut scenes as well as the game itself put most animated television shows to shame.

Much has happened since Master Chief created so much havoc for the Covenant in the first Halo, and the Arbiter has much atoning to do.


In the end, though, Halo 2 is unabashedly a first-person shooter. It has a Mature rating and is not meant for kids. Gameplay is constant and intense. No sooner is one bunch of aliens taken care of than another descends. The controls are identical to the first game so those familiar with it will be up and blasting in no time. And the sound and graphics have been beefed up so that Halo 2 is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful console games available.

Opening Fire


Most of the weapons from the first game return, although strangely the MA5B Assault Rifle (the default weapon in the first game) is not available. There is a single melee weapon known as the Covenant Sword, but the controls for it are the same as that for all the shooter weapons, making it difficult to direct. Also, for a new twist, you can hold two of the smaller guns at the same time and shoot double-fisted.



As for vehicles, the old favorites are back and joined by a few new, mostly Covenant wheeled monsters. Some improvements have been made to the AI so that the nonplayer characters can drive without running into too many obstacles while you man the turret. This improved AI also has enemies ducking for cover, and the banter from both the Marines and the bad guys has undergone massive improvements so that it no longer sounds quite so repetitive.



On Your Own


The most significant change in the single-player game is with Master Chief's much-touted defensive suit. At the beginning of the game, he is told that the suit has been upgraded, but it's really undergone a severe downgrade. In Halo 2, the player has only one lifeline. Unlike in the first game, there is basically no defensive shield on the suit, making gameplay tougher. It can often take multiple--sometimes a maddening number--attempts to make it through thorny parts of the game.


Or with a Friend


Finally, no review of a Halo game is complete without mentioning multiplayer. One of the main reasons to buy Halo 2 is the ability to play through Xbox Live, a feature not included in the first game, which was among the original releases for the Xbox. Multiplayer for Halo 2 uses all of the same weapons and vehicles as in the single-player game, and the types of games available in Halo (King of the Hill, Slayer, Capture the Flag) return with a host of new maps. Multiplayer Halo 2 offers customizable profiles, control layout, and screens as well as a voice proximity feature, where you can talk with other players via an Xbox Communicator so that those closer to you sound louder than those farther away. Players can also create both permanent clans and temporary parties in the Xbox Live world. Undoubtedly, this multiplayer feature alone ensures that Halo 2 will remain a top-selling game for years to come. --David Morel

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Product Description:
Halo 2 continues the story of Master Chief, the heroic super-soldier who defied the invading alien Covenant and survived. The Covenant leaders within Halo are angry at this unheard of event. To save face, they launch an invasion of our planet. Earth's defenses are breached, and we're all in danger -- unless Master Chief can lead a small military squad to victory against Covenant forces, in all-out guerilla warfare!



Customer Reviews
Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - live
if you don't have xbox live, it is still a great game.... but xbox live is the best way to play.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - BETTER than the first !!
PEOPLE are so stipid when they try to tell you how stipid this is!BECAUSE its not!IT bets the first one 10 times over.SO awsome I just want to cry!best game I ever played!BUT it gets boring if you don`t have friends to play it with.


Rating: 2 out of 5 stars - Decent, at best
This game is a matter of comparison. It's SP, compared with its predecessor, is complete garbage. You get about two levels in, and you start to wonder why you are still holding the controller. If you want to keep up with the story, then play the SP game, and pay close attention, as it is rather complex. If you don't plan to get H3 and finish out the story line, then you probably won't have the patience to finish the game.

As for the MP, it is better than the first one. Which is not to say it is good, as the balance factor is terrible (battle rifle, plasma pistol, rocket launcher, and sniper rifle - thats it, the only worthwhile guns in the game, roughly in order of importance). The only more unbalanced online shooter I have played in recent memory was . . . well . . . Halo 1.

Overall, it is only valuable as a segue between Halos 1&3. Otherwise, avoid it, its not worth the time.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Just recently...
Halo 2 I just recently purchased HALO: Combat Evolved and HALO 2 from Amazon. Just yesterday I received both in the mail =). I was extremely pleased with the graphics, I am saving up to buy a XBOX 360 and HALO 3 ($[...] refurbished by Gamestop ,) I am so ready to pass the insolent levels of covanent! I am playing non stop everyday =)!!!
GOOD GAME!!


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Great Halo
This was purchased as a gift for my son and he loves it. He completed the first one and is on his way to completing this one. Halo 2 is a little shorter than the first one but is still worth it if you liked the first Halo. I have played it a few times with him and it's not bad. I think this one may be better than the first, but it's a hard choice because they are both good. This plays fine on the Xbox 360, by the way, just as the first one does.

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