So, I had the chance to play the multiplayer of "Halo 2" thanks to a lock-in from our church. All I can say is.....STICK TO REACH, MY ****

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 all accounted for and anyone that enjoys the FPS genre won't be disappointed with what they find here.… Expand

wow this was and maybe one of the biggest dissapointments in a sequel ive ever had the misfortune of playing. the good of this game can be sumed up very fast .controls are tight and graphics where great in there day and that would be it. every thing els about this game falls flat on its face . the story starts out kinda intresting then you start playing as the arbator which was like WTF!!!! i dont wana play as this **** i want to play as the master chief . i wouldnt have minded if it was a seperate campahn mode i could pick from the start but no it jumps back and forth and its HORRABLY annoying. then there is the wepons balance OMG! they just took a huge dump on that all the wepons ammo got cut by 1/2 or 2/3 of what they use to hold on top of that they gimped alot of the old guns. remember how sweet the pistol was? yeah now you might as well shoot spitballs as the enimy. the old machine gun use to be a pretty solid wepon to use now they tossed that for the gimp little smg which is like shooting a FKin BB gun. the enimy AI has takin a major dump . the brutes are complete idiots they just charge you over and over and over and never stop . so you eather get cheap killed up against a wall or you jump up on some thing high and laugh at them as they run into the object over and over again like a retard tryin to hump a door knob on speed. the ending is one of the worst in gaming history . it pretty much sets you up to what you think will be the final mission only to give you a big F U wait 3 damn years to play the next one HAHA dumbass . now you would think ok well the online will be awsome right i mean that was one of the coolest things about Halo 1 was how bad ass a multiplayer game it was . well WROOOOONG!!!! another Epic fail by bunjie . first off im not sure how many maps there are but i can say this much i played the same 2 FKin maps for 10 hours and thoose 2 maps sucked. this games search set up SUCKS and suck HARD! now toss in how the wepons where all gimped and you have a piss poor pathetic waste of a online game . people giving this any thing higher then a 7 ... try to defend that . you cant . this game sucks end of story.… Expand

This is where the multiplayer started getting hype. Thanks to Bungie doing an almost perfect game, no other game have made an addictive multiplayer game. Halo 2 kicked ass back then, and it still does.

Probably my favorite war shooter multiplayer game. Had so much fun with this one. One of the best multiplayers ever.

A disapointing sequel. I didnt like the new look that the game had and it didnt really fit well with me. The story was a little too similar to the first game. It was interesting playing on the covenant side and it was easily the best part of the campaign. Multiplayer was fun but besides an updated look, It didnt really have much different from the first game's multiplayer.

It was an ok game but very disapointing.… Expand

Complete and total trash. This is a good example of companies milking good games for money. The story is crap, the graphics did not improve and it's just one incredibly repetitive FPS with nothing special. Only thing that stands out is the incredible overhype this game recieved.

This game is the sequel to one of the best game of all time! Great campaign, really fun missions and you can play as the Arbiter in some missions. Multiplayer is just amazing and improved on the multiplayer (BT). And halo 4 will be awesome, HALO FTW!!!!!!! Halo 2 9.6/10

Following up Halo: Combat Evolved is no small feat. Luckily, Halo 2 was open to the challenge and succeeded in every way. The multiplayer speaks for itself. The only nitpick is the brevity of the campaign and the cliffhanger ending. Still, the campaign, while short, is incredibly original containing a twist you will never see coming.

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 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

This jaw dropping sequel lives up to all of the hype of its never-forgotten predecessor!!!Halo 2 revisits everything that made the first game so amazing and adds a fresh new continuing of the story of Halo.Not only does it improve in that department,but we are introduced to the amazing side hero of the series,Arbiter,a Covenant traitor.And Bungie didn't stop there!Arbiter is playable in campaign and whether it's Chief or Arbiter's point of view,the game feels just as fresh and breathtaking as Combat Evolved.Don't miss this exciting sequel!!!… Expand

A top 5 game of all time for me. I could play this for hours and I would never get tired of it. Even if I got hungry and weak, I wouldn't find a faullt with this game. It's revolutionary. It's just one of those "perfect" games.

This was the first Halo game Iv'e played on the Xbox when I was young and this one will always be the best Halo game in the franchise! Dual wielding weapons in this game was exciting, especially with SMG's, which were my favorite weapons in the entire game. Just to bad that Halo 3 didn't have the same spark this one had.

Halo 2 is one of the greatest games ever created. The story was much different than it's superior predecessor, but nonetheless Halo 2 left any other game in its day in its wake. The gameplay was solid, fluid, and realistic. Graphics were good for its day, and the game in its self was extremely addictive and fun! The world of halo explodes into a massive science fiction epic where you never know what is going to happen, and you are left at the edge of your seat until the final seconds of the game. Level designs were great and very creative! I enjoyed the variety, and the multiplayer is arguably the bar-setter for every other game to date. A great campaign, and a great multiplayer experience. A superior game and a delivering sequel.… Expand

This game will make your dick hard and thats not a lie. You can debate on weather this halo or halo 3 being the best halo. The gameplay was insane. Did I mention it makes your dick hard?

Story: 7
Characters: 8
Graphics: 8
Setting: 8
Multiplayer: 10
Soundtrack: 10
Audio: 9
Gameplay: 10
Re-Playability Value: 9
Fun Factor: 9

Score: 8.8/10

This is the best of the Halo games. It's addicting, it's not repetitive, and it doesn't have bad writing. The graphics are awesome for 2004, and the level design is beautiful. It also includes a large variety of weapons, and added the ability to duel wield weapons. I always go for a Magnum, and a Plasma Rifle.

Halo 2 is a more versatile journey than the first game, and it comes with brand new characters, gameplay elements and weapons that improve upon the original. I encountered some bugs with a frozen image over the display when emulating the Original Xbox version on Xbox 360, but other than that the game performed very well. Although not up to par with the likes of Half-Life 2 technically, it is still quite an impressive game in regards to the art design, pacing and music. The story has some interesting elements here and there as well, and the characters are more relatable than ever before. However, the narrative felt a bit stretched out, and went back and forth a lot. The gameplay also lacked something to look forward to after a while, and became very repetitive. And it didn't help that the developers, similarly to the first, rehashed a lot of the level design, in addition to tossing the same enemies at you over and over again. And although I didn't need a walkthrough, I wouldn't mind being given better directions, especially in areas where you are supposed to pass by enemy fire and trying to figure out where to go. Similarly to Halo: Combat Evolved, I didn't appreciate the flying and driving as much either, since the controls are quite clunky and getting through enemy fire alive in this particular type of combat can often be more of a coincidence than determined by skill. Furthermore, the enemy AI is not very impressive, and basically runs towards you or shots at you while waiting from a distance. In the end though, this is arguably one of the richest experiences on the original Xbox, but not a giant leap forward from an already remarkable game.… Expand

This is a great game. It is bigger and better than the original. There are several more weapons, enemies and vehicles. The multiplayer is spectacular. The campaign is fun but the story is not the best in my opinion. Also this game was rushed so the graphics were not up to the expectation of the e3 demo. It still deserves a 10.

OMG I miss this game, this was the first game I modded in which so I can fly the Pelican. I love this game with a passion can really hoping they could bring the Dual make into the Halo Series.

It's hard to believe you could improve in anyway on the first, but they did! recommend playing this one after playing the first though. The game continues on the story of the original game and adds cool key things in the game like new weapons and the feature of dual wielding which was a great feature added in. Definitely a BUY.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the one of the best shooter games of all time, and the best game in the Halo series. Halo 2 is kind of the filler game between halo:CE and Halo 3. Halo 2 has the player play was Master chief (The main character from all of the good halo games) and as the Arbiter. I really liked how they allowed you to experience both sides of the game lore. You saw the struggle to save humanity, and the insanity behind the prophets great journey. Fight along side elites and grunt and riding in phantoms was awesome. My favorite part about Halo 2 was high charity. The city is huge and looked awesome. Oh, and you cannot forget about the amazing soundtrack.... Was just great..… Expand

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

Worst Halo. Multiplayer is OK, but it has the worst campaign, and a weird place balance. For the real Halo's, check out Halo: Combat Evolved, or Halo Reach. For something different, try out MW2 or Black Ops.

Slightly better graphics and some online... almost the same game as Halo 1. I don't need more vehicles, and dual wielding on weapons I'm not going to use... I prefer the first game over this hyped fps.

I have done my halo 1 review and now it is time to move onto the best of the series. It is important to point out that I am only basing this review on the singleplayer as I didn't manage to play the multiplayer before it was shut down, shame because I heard it was the best in the series :/. Anyway onto the review, the games plot is great with some good voice acting and cutscenes added into it, the gameplay is still as great as always and (again) the music and sound effects are where it is at, they went for an electric guitar in the music this time as opposed to the choir in the original and it pays off as it makes for great action music. 10/10 (I have redeemed myself for the halo 1 review)… Expand

Awesome game, improvement over the first in some ways. The only reason I dinged it down a notch was because I hated the missions when you were forced to be an alien, I rushed through them and didn't enjoy them at all. Multiplayer was also awesome, loved the introduction to the BR in this game.

Greatest game i have ever played. Matchmaking in this game was so much fun, plus I would play hours on end with friends in private games. The campaign was awesome, you get to drive around in a tank, drop in a pod from space, survive a flood onslaught, basically anything you could want to do in a Halo game. NO game has had better multiplayer, and NO sequel has lived up to its name period. We wouldn't have GOW, COD, or any modern first person shooter without this game happening. Game summed up by emoney "This game will make your dick hard." Microsoft can GO TO HELL for taking off this games multiplayer and ruining the series with Halo 3 and 4. 3 wasn't bad but 4 is unplayable.… Expand

Halo 2 is an excellent game. It's not quite as good as the first one, but what is? This game has a great campaign and awesome multiplayer. I got this game as a Christmas present back in 2005 and I'm still playing it! You know a game is good when it doesn't grow old even after 5 years.

I think Halo 2 lost some of its score when they deactivated Xbox Original Live. The campaign still delivers, its epic but sometimes there are those "Where do i go?!?!" moments. Graphics are really good for Xbox, and the voice recording is good too. I think that they still could of worked on the graphics.

This is just about the best Halo ever made. I mean seriously, there have been Halos after this, Halo 3, Halo ODST, and Reach. But from all of the Halos I've played, (which are Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo: Reach) this one is the best.

This is my favorite Halo out there. Not the best graphics, but the funnest campaign of them all. Not to mention the only Halo where you take the covenant's side. I love the civil war they have in the game as well. Not the best ending either, but still a wonderful game. It's funner than hell to play it couch co-op.

This game is hands the down the best game ever. I don't care about Zelda, Call of Duty, or even the other Halos when this game is brought up. It is so good it is at it's own level of phenomenal. One of the best stories I have ever played. The multiplayer is great and Bungie is the GOD of video games and Microsoft is amazing. People can disagree with me but I know right now a ton of people who agree with exactly everything I have said in this post.… Expand

A fantastic and welcome addition to the Halo universe. The gameplay has changed in a very positive way with the ability to dual wield and the addition of the sword. For fans of the original, get the sequel.

Halo CE came out and it was awesome and I couldn't think it could get better. But it did, Halo 2 will forever be in my mind the greatest FPS of all time. The campaign was well thought out and a great continuation of the first. And the multiplayer was so addicting. Its the one game I have played until that sad day when the shut down the servers. I will miss you Halo 2 MP.

After nine years and counting, Halo 2 still remains one of the best (If not the best) first person shooters of all time. The sequel to the 2001 hit "Halo: Combat Evolved" not only keeps all of the characteristics that made the first game great, but also adds new exciting features including the ability of hijacking vehicles, dual wielding, and multiplayer. Halo 2 looks pretty good for a 2004 game, but Halo is best known for its gameplay, not its graphics. To no surprise, Halo 2 is an amazing game that deserves to sit in every nerds collection.… Expand

Rarely does a game come along and absolutely blow our wildest expectations away. Well this game is one of them. And boy did it blow them away into the darkest voids of our universe, never to be seen again. Good god, what happened? Let me emphasis one inherent flaw plaguing the Halo 2 Single-Player campaign: the level design. Good grief. You'd think the most acclaimed console game of just about all-time would demonstrate aptitude in level design prowess. But no. Every stinking dirt-ridden, crap-spewing level I was forced to endure not only had the gall to be LONG but also unnecessarily repetitive. If you can survive the SP, then you are either brain-dead or a devout Halo fanboy. Or both. I guess one implies the other, doesn't it? As for the graphics. Screenshots don't do the graphics in this game as much justice as they should. The screenshots look amazing. The in-game graphics look like they were constructed by soggy non-fat milk cartons straight from the dumpster. And did I mention they were melded together using fecal matter? And that they were constructed by traumatized children without hands, covered in bloodthirsty bees and screaming in absolute pain? I should have. Music is equivalent to the vilest blasphemy from the 80's. Halo 1, despite it's mediocrity in the gameplay department, had an excellent soundtrack. Halo 2 doesn't. Multiplayer. From a person who's used to the convenienve of online PC gaming, Xbox Live was a catastrophe of monumental proportions. No server browser? *croak* NO SERVER BROWSER?! Dual-wielding, in my opinion, was utterly useless (how could you sacrifice the use of grenades?). Melee attacks are oddly awkward in this iteration. And the new shield system encourages cowardice. Ladies and gentlemen, if you haven't realized by now, I hate Halo 2 with all my heart. I absolutely hate how such an overrated game with virtually no talent behind can get so much more recognition and support than other VERY deserving games. The Halo fanboys reading this and going "OMG WTF BBQ U IZ TOTALL LIEING L0LZ." Seriously. Step back from your ignorant delusion, and begin to look at this game that you've been blindly and fanatically supporting for so long.… Expand

Ok people... i mean really was it that great. Ok to let you know my history... I bought the Xbox only to play halo back when it first came out, yes I admit it was one of the better first person shooters out there well considers consoles only I would say it was the best. so yes I was anticipating Halo 2, I couldn

Craig's Review 4U: The Guns are to damn big and in your face obstructing most of the visible area, especially in dual equipt mode. There is to much flashing to see what you are doing. Sets are to dark due to the new eviromental shaders. Story is awsome though but once again it takes a lot to get used to the interface. They should have left well alone.

Too Bad this game was ugly rubbish. No where near at Killzone.

Absolute perfection!

This game is so tight.

In terms of console FPS games, it can't be beat, particularly in terms of multiplayer. However, if you're like me and are also a PC gamer, you'll likely find UT 2004's multiplayer to be far more satisfying in almost every way. So good game, but extraordinarily overrated due to most of its base being console only players.

It is awesome.

The game was very repetitive and dull, although it had some interesting features like taking control of ghosts and wraiths, etc.. the overall gameplay was repetitive and many of the map designs were similar and dull. No real challenges or obstacles single player mode = 3 rating. The online play is much better, it is random maps and random the game and map selection is lacking. But once you get in the game and play it is fun. Sometimes in team battles part of your team will leave and it makes the teams so unfair you can't win and takes the fun out of the online experience. Overall online experience nothing really new or exciting Online play is definately better than single player mode. Online rating = 7, however it gets old and repetitive quick as well.… Expand

I would like to state that this game is not broken. You H2-haters are. You are broken because you are blind, and comfortable in being that way. I hate people that are ignorant because they want to be. Any real Halo fan would know this. I lost many hours of my life at lan-parties for years because of the first game, and many things that made me say: "bullsh.t" were taken out. Face it. The pistol took too little skill to be effective. I could kill you in 2-3 shot all the time, everytime. Even noobs could kill you in 5-7 shots. Were's the skill in that old-school fans? Hell, you could snipe a Spartan from a Scorpion tank. Yeah right. They fixed the Devil-pistol. In Multiplayer you cannot go Lone-Ranger as much anymore. You can be good, but any team that works well together will make short work of you. They will hunt you in packs. Have all the weapons. They will own you. I owned people by myself in the first game. I can't do that as much now. I need tactics, not just brawn to win. As for match making, it's good. You play against people of your lv. They system works. People also complain about online problems, like swearing and glitching. Bungie fixes these problems. People can also report you if you are bad! YOU WILL BE EXPLELLED OR WORSE! Trust me, I see it everyday. I also haven't had much problems with lag, which surprised me. Also old-school fan's bitch about duel weilding. Old-school fans can be idiots and not try things, because they are afraid of change. Besides, duel-weilding isn't that effective! I own people that do that! A well place nad' and a single smg clean house all the time, everytime. You guys could also try a battle rifle with a plasm gun. So deadly it's scary! Owns the duel-weilding freaks so much it's scary! I don't understand people hatred for the single player mode. Halo had me going "holy shit" everytime. Halo 2 did that for me and more. I love the Arbiter too. I guess people expected a different game. I feel sorry for these pathetic masses of rage and hatred. They are broken relics. Note: Pc games and console are like judging fresh water from salt water. That's why I don't mention Half-Life 2 or World of Warcraft.… Expand

The game is an exellent sequel to halo, and both multiplayer modes are amazing.

Halo2 has the best multiplayer features. there is one thing that absolutley sucks about it. th laziness put into the videos and the single player levels. If you are looking for a perfect campain mode in a shooting game then don't buy halo 2. if you are looking for probally the best multiplayer and xbox live game on the market then definitely buy halo2.

This is the best game ever. The graphics are some of the best ever on X-Box. I see that Nathan complained about plants? Who cares about plants materializing 5 feet in front of you when every other part of the game looks simply amazing? Nathan didn't like the multi-player because he got his ass handed to him. If he won he would say it was great. I dont know how you could say something is wrong with the maps when they are beautiful. The gameplay sucked? The gameplay definitely doesn't suck. It is action packed and fluent. Even on x-box live there aren't problems with framerate or anything. Shoaib complained about not really saving earth. You saved earth by forcing the covenant to leave earth. Then you followed them to stop them from ever coming back to earth. Yes, being the arbiter sucked, but the gameplay with the arbiter was awesome. Being invisible was freaking sweet! When the arbiter talked then it was stupid, because i agree with you. I just want to kill elites, but you barely notice them when you are playing as the arbiter. in first person as along as you dont look straight down you dont even notice. To wrap it all up Halo 2 is the best game ever and everyone who doesn't agree with me and complains about the game are ...… Expand

A good game, but highly overrated. The graphics are nice, with some nice character models and environments. However, they tend to repeat themselves. The gameplay is that great, addictive Halo that we all remember. However, the Arbiter missions are quite boring and disappointing, and you end up feeling like you're doing the same mission you were doing some time earlier. The thing that really shines in this game is the multiplayer. Expect it to be a great experience, but its not the giant God that everyone makes it out to be.… Expand

Halo 2 is the best multiplayer game ever.

Good game but one was the most original.

This game is a great, quality shooter that easily captures the attention of all gamers.

I really don't see how this game got so overrated in the first place. Graphics aren't bad, but with a stupid, repetitive, and predictable story line it isn't even comparable to Half-life 2. Also, gameplay offers nothing new, everything is been there done that. MUultiplayer isn't bad, but with an online community filled with immature 12 year olds it isn't worth it, especially since you can get the same online experience buy getting HL2 and dling mods with the same multiplayer modes as Halo 2.… Expand

After years of hype finally people can see this game is massively over-rated. The single player is shite. No bones about saying it either. Terrible in fact, with only the humor keeping you interested. Multi player is where it's at. I think in future this game should only be an multi player title. Single player score: 4. Multi player score: 10. Average 7.

Easily the best FPS on the xbox. Great story, even with the cliffhanger ending. Great enemies and weapons. A little too short, but multiplayer adds a hell of alot of life to this game.

I can't tell you how great the moment i got this game and looking at the graphics. After playing NOTHING but Halo 1 for three years, seeing this games graphics stuned me. I spent hours just looking at the games graphics in awe. a great game in everyway

I despise halo for all of is bribed reviews and garbage game play. But the story of the Arbiter is actually epic. He is sent on suicide missions and they still cant kill him. This one is the best of the series, which isn't saying much. The 5 I give it is 5 points higher than what i gave the other two.

Multiplayer perfection.

Its great fun to pick up and play. What more do you want?

As most of you know, HALO 2 was changed to adapt to the NEW story line with the New Halo Ring. HALO2 was SOOOO kick ass...the only problem with it was that thye cut it short. Rumors have it that it was cut short for the XBOX2 platform (yeah right) but in any case, the XBOX live is amazing. So far, i have not have had more fun then jumping on top of a banshee, firing a rocket into an enemy, kicking the guy off the banshe, then running his ass over in midair … Expand

Just like Doom 3 , this game was too heavily anticipated. I didn't like the first Halo, and I barely like Halo 2. The graphics are nice, story is rather good but man, Halo doesn't suck me into the game, like Burnout 3 or Medal Of Honor : PA. Its seems that all most-wanted games are disappointing: Doom 3, Halo 2, GTA San Andreas, NFS Underground 2 ( don't even get me started on this amazingly stupid game, and yes I am a race fan). I hope it will not be the same for Half Life 2.… Expand

What is wrong with people and this game. Was it the gameplay? The special effects? Sound? Presentation? The rankings for this game are some what adequate because yes it does have some flaws. For those who wanted to play it on online you will be disappointed with the online play because, and I stress on this, a lot and a lot of people will be playing online and your connection will be very poor, although it may be better than other games. Second the coop play is extordinary. What people are lacking in their reviews is subtance. They really don't know understand how to critize a game because one they are bias towards other games. Two many people do not play a variety of games. they play one game or juse one genre. People are naive when it comes down to the pure reality of video games. This game deserves the score no less than a 9.8. IGN gave it the best review than any other because it seemed to be the most involved with the true aspect of it. other game sites and magazines are bias. Please don't take the view of other games take your own and play the game advidly on your own. Don't rent a game and judge it without the time it takes to review a game.… Expand

HYPE!!! HYPE!!! HYPE!!! lots of HYPE. HYPO 2 oh I mean HALO 2 was the biggest Video Game Hype in forever. HALO the first one was a better game, for the simple fact that it was the first of it's kind. Part 2, yeah may have more things in it but was it really worth people standing in line in the freezing cold for hours HEEEEEECK NO!!!! The Master Chief should get a name change to Super Master Cheif because he is Unbreakable. He can jump on top of almost anything, fall from the sky and all this with out a scratch. Glitching is a problem to, empty chairs one second, then bam the whole Marine Core the next. Why was it pushed back is the question of the year or should I say three years. I gave the game a 5 because of XBOX Live, THATS ALSOME. My last words are HYPE!!! HYPE!!! HYPE!!!. Can't wait for Underground 2.… Expand

Halo 2 was a great game but not as good as most expected. To start off the campaign isn't any better than the first one which i didnt think was good. It is repetitive and just boring. If you are a die hard single player gamer this game is not worth it. Now on the other hand if you have XBOX live or just love playing multiplayer you should get this game. The maps, artilery, guns and variety of game types are outstanding. Though i think the multiplayer is great they made a few mistakes. On XBOX live you cant even pick your own game type you are randomly put in a game. WHICH SUCKS. Also 16 player halo isnt as good as people would think its more like you respawn you shoot you die. So if you like halo you will like Halo2.… Expand

Very overrated. I expected tight action with frantic spinning and alot of "oh jesus!" and I got it. But the fights were either way too long or way too short and the ending was the most bitter slap in the face I've experienced in gaming.

as the xbox official will agree this is quite possibly the best first person shooter game ever to be released on this generation of consoles.

Easily the most immersive multiplayer experience in existence on any platform.

Got this game one hour ago. This is better than Halo 1, and is one of the Xbox's very best.

AMAZING!!!!!

Fantastic only people who dislike it have never played it.

What a waste of 3 years, we now have a new version of Unreal Tournament 2004, that's about it. The look and feel has now changed, and the first thing I can think of is...where's my Halo ONE disk!

It's HALO. Enough said.

I am extremely disappointed with this game as is most of the fraternity I live in. I gave it a low rating b/c of the high expectations I had for it. The game resembles too much a computer game first of all and though XBOX is basically a computer, none of the previous games have resembled comp. games. The fact that pistol zoom is gone and that everything feels 10x smaller is already a problem. Also, the fact that everything moves at the speed of light is another problem. The game feels like it was only built for xbox live. The fact that we had to wait three years for this is pretty sad in my opinion as the improvements are extremely minimal.... an extra few weapons and options... really nothing spectacular.… Expand

If I could score it higher, I would. This game is so great it could be a reason to keep on living when you've had enough of life. Graphics, control, A.I. and atmoshere are just too good to put into words. If you are disappointed, you don't like games.

The game delivered on so many levels, and did an excellent job, the only downfall, is some comic humor,or awkardness in the weapons, but besides that,it tops the first in every area.

Superb, just what i was expecting. best game ever made.

Halo 2 is so unfairly rated by everyone else it's not even funny. In order to give a game 100%, there has to be new, innovative things that make you want to play it again and again. I felt this with a couple games like Vice City and Tribes Vengeance, but not here. There's little changed from Halo 1. Certainly not enough to scream about. The new additions are nice, but they don't really improve the game. Some of the weapons are a big step backwards. Too much hype, not enough substance. And for those of you who disagree - The single player campaign sucks! Admit it!… Expand

Yes yes and yes we know this game suffered mostly by way of hype-bomb syndrome. Essentially the creative marrow of Bungie's Mac based jumped ship halfway through this project and the Microsoft bigwigs stepped in and said that this is going to be the game that will serve as the ramp to get consumer kids onto Xbox Live. Because of that chapters of the game that would have made the game more substantial and meaningful in a Star Wars operatic way were lobotomized. The most dissapointing thing of all is that this is going to be the last Halo release on Xbox 1 and yes you will need to buy xbox2 to see how the trilogy ends in Halo3. … Expand

This game is godly, and woulda been better if some of the multiplayer levels woulda been left in. coagulation is a way better upgrade, mostly because you can hide better from alotta snipers now. I love this game, and everybody who cant at least appreciate it... a mushroom slap to the face.

I enjoyed playing the new version but not worth the hype. The ending a shameless setup for HALO 3 on X-Box 2. The game was just getting intresting when it quit and ended. It was like microsoft pulled the plug on development and rushed it to market in time for christmas. They would have been better served to develop it fully.

bob g.df? camera angles? mmmm, i thought this was a first person shooter

this game is the most kick ass ive ever played, and i cant get over the graphics. way to go bungie! Dont give my email to anyone!

November 9th is the most important date in gaming in 2004 and beyond, letalong being the most important date for the xbox. Halo 2 is strong on so many levels. It's single player campaign promises to deliver a powerful story and great gameplay. It's multiplayer component will be the best of the best. With people still avidly playing Halo, Halo 2 will drive people insane with its abundant capapbilities. Clan Support, Online Stats, Decals, and XBL guests only tip the iceberg. New features such as dual wielding, destructible environments, new weapons, new enemies will also make Halo 2 obsessively fun to play.… Expand

I played this up in brisbane at electronic boutique on a demo, it is awesome, everything about it. This will get score 99 i think.

Hype can make or break a game, from a marketing perspective Microsoft did everything right with this title, but unfortunately the same cannot be said about the final product, which by an measure is no where near breathtaking. Quite simply, I feel conned into buying a game which can only be enjoyed by a minimum of 4 people at a time, and needs a Broadband connection or regular visitors. As has been said by many others, the single player mode is totally underwhelming. Poor game design, recycled levels, slightly polished graphics and incredibly short, this game is a black mark when compared to the good effort that was Halo 1. Regardless, the multi player is better than most; only if you can manage 3 people to come over at a minimum. Some of the weapons are too powerful while others are remarkably weak. There seems to be no justice to anyone in this game: Sales have been too much, the public has been conned, and finally all the reviewers have been overrating, this is not the messiah of all games, oh no, its simply the snake which tempted all and ended up doing nothing but ill.… Expand

Online is awsome, but the 1 player lacks intrest, as well as the maps. belive me, if you don't have live, don't get it

The first Halo game was a wonderful challenge in Legendary and a well crafted, choreographed, knitted, and even operatic experience in Easy mode. A well made 'chapter' in the Masterchief saga. I was drawn in emotionally and intellectually. Weapons and abilities were consequential to the expanding and evolving story and not for their own qualities. It became 'necessary' to use a charged Plasma pistol to take down an Elites' shielding in Legendary, for example. The game had that crucial beginning, middle, end in good storytelling with 'subtle' hints to something more. It ended with satisfaction and at the same time enticed furture adventures. Time constraints in the first games release perhaps put restraints on the 'intellectual' and more emphasis (as most 'artists' will testify) on the perceptual and heart. I am confident that the qualities inherent in the team that crafted the first game are still there. But these were not allowed to shine forth in Halo 2. Fame and success carry with it that malignant quality 'arrogance'. If unaddressed and not checked and within a 'closed' setting, can lead to an intellectual incest. A reactionary condition arises. And grandiosity. Was Halo 2 more about Microsoft and Bungies relations to it? Certainly the next installment of Halo is being tied to the next Microsoft console. Was it really about Bungies relationship with all the interested players who enjoyed Halo 1 and continuing that relationship? This game was fragmented with a hard and open ending. I did enjoy the dramatic device of juxtaoposing the hero and the fallen of the opposing races as a way of dovetailing and weaving the two games together and I was excited and hopefull. But from there the story never really 'fleshed out'. I was anticipating the Online experince until trusted people who are 'gamers' and spend a good amount of time on Xbox Live suddenly quit. One was disgusted by the behaviors and attitudes of players in other Clans, which means not enough monitoring. "Art" is the outward manifestation of loving, giving, caring. Not sensationalistic pushing of the envelope. It doesn't seek ulterior motives or hidden agendas. That's for advertisers, auto designers, and charlatans. Bungie first has a responsibility to themselves in the best possible way, their vision in 'making', to those who spend their time and money seeking an enveloping game experience and story, and not in 'trying to rule the world"(from the back of the instruction manuals of both games). Halo1 was a captivating and multifaceted gaming experience. Halo2, while retaining good game mechanics, overall had the feel and tone of self-indulgence and doubt. Can you at Bungie not afford to break from Microsoft? Time to grow!… Expand

I don't usually buy into the hype of games, and Halo 2 was no exception. I enjoyed the first installment, but I have to admit I was a little suspicious of all the 100s the gaming magazines were giving it. Let me say this much: this is the best game on the Xbox. Many people trashed on the story and particularly the ending. I must disagree. I think the game definitely had an epic feel to it and even the ending left you pumped up for the third installment. In short, Halo 2 is the "Empire Strikes Back" of the Halo legacy. The graphics are amazing, the levels are cool and the ability to dual wield brings a whole new dimension to the game. Buy it, and you will never regret it.… Expand

WARNING: this game is not for the occasional gamer or less and definitely not for those nausiated by FPS games. I found this game to be a "sit at the edge of your seat while blasting your opponents away, then getting smacked from behind and cursing your head off!" kind of game. Then again, that's more like what happened to me earlier while I was playing. The fact is that this game is for those who want to play, enjoy playing, and look forward to palying it some more. If this doesn't suit your style of gaming, then let it be.… Expand

This is truly the one of the best first person shooters ever.It has great gameplay, an interesting story continuation from the original, although the ending was fairly disappointing.

This was the best game of the year, according to gamestop. I am tired of little n00bs, like half of you people, who don't know how to properly rate games.

Dis game rocks! I play it every day wether im shootin up those tiny grunts or tearin the monkey people to pieces.

Multi-player Gold.

Halo 2. There is not another game that gives you chills down your spine when you say the title. This was the most anticipated game ever in the videogame industrie. This game definatley lived up to its hype, and in my opion it passed that hype. Many people believe that GTA: St. Andraes is a much better game. I say GTA made 115 million dollars in a week......not bad. Halo 2 on the other hand sold 125 million dollars in a day.........amazing. I think the thing that attracts people most to Halo 2 and Halo 1 is not just the great guns, storyline, vechiles, enimes, online play,etc. It is the amazing entertainment of throwing a plasma grenade into a bunch of covenet then continuing to flank the others while your soliders are cleaning up the stragliers. Also there is no other game that can give "chills" down your spine while entering a battle, and there is no other noise like "oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh" The thing I love most about Halo 2 is that it brings all of the fun from Halo 1, but it times it by 10. There are also new features for Halo 2 such as duel wielding, the ability to steal a ghost or any other veichale from your enimes or your friends, heat seaking missiles, just to name a few. After you finish the campian mode (which really is amazing, but i dont want to say anything because it might spoil the game) there is a bunch of other things to do. Such as, the online play, it really is amazing, the fun of you and your buddies getting in warthogs, ghosts, and banshees and atacking your friends base then when you finally get there flag the challenge of running away while rockets and bullets are zooming by your head is pricless. Even if you dont have Xbox live you can play split screen with up to 4 players. Now while this is not as entertaing as Xbox live it still does have its advantages. They are, being able to see the person you are playing and knowing them personally, the ablillty to braging rights around the people you see everyday, but my personal favorite is the victory dance you can do when you end your friends killing spree with a rocket demolishing the wartghog hes been in for 3 hours. So, in conclusion me and the other 100 million people would probally agree that this is the greatest game to ever be made. There once was a line in the Offical Xbox Magazine that stated that Rockstar had said that Halo 2 will "never come" and "if the game does come out it will be the greatest game to ever be seen, but of course no such thing can be done" they also were stated saying that "Even if Halo 2 does come out Bungie could never put all of the things they say will be in the game by November 9" In Halo 2's comerical they show everything in the game and then at the end of the comerical they say "To all those that said this day would never come what are they to say now"… Collapse

With all the praise that was being dumped on this game, I thought I'd pick it up for my Xbox. Wow. I feel sorry for people who only play FPS games on a console. This is supposed to be the best game ever made? Please. When judged against it's genre peers on the PC, Halo 2 is very average. The gameplay is linear, repetitive and the much-vaunted story seems incredibly superficial. The graphics are nowhere near as good as this year's PC shooters such as Half-Life 2, Far Cry, or Doom 3. And the online play is very run-of-the-mill. Still, I can see why console gamers think this is an amazing game - it's easily one of the best shooters ever made FOR A CONSOLE. But best game ever? Not even close. Halo 2 isn't even in the top 5 for best game of the year, if all platforms are taken into account, and when judged against it's shooter-peers on the PC, it's no better than average.… Expand

I would almost think Half-Life 2 was a better FPS, until I played Halo 2's X-Live. The mutiplayer is hands-down the best! I have never seen a better competetive feel/edge to a game ! The lan-parties of old are obsolete, since you can meet your friends online, and have the old beat down quests of old! The imbalances of old were fixed too. The pistol cannot kill you from across the level now. Also vehicle sniping w/ the pistol doesn't work too. You can also destroy vechiles, so no one can go forever in the ghost. No more health packs. The shotgun got a needed reduction, since it was used as a medium range weapon in the first game. Also, the Legendary mode in the old game was kinda weak. In Halo 2, you will get your ass-handed to you! Be prepared to sream in rage at the tv for hours on the new Legendary mode! More customizable options for multiplayer games. I could go on. Point is, it's not broken. Any style of weaponry can be countered with another! The only thing people bitched about was the story mode. People are weird, since nothing was broken about it, but then again this is Halo 2, and so much was expected from this game. People expected their own "fantisy" version of the game. A lot of people's complaints were directed towards playing as the Arbiter. Kinda ironic, since people bitched about not being able to play as Covies in the first game. And people are wrong about campaign too, it has the most EPIC feel of any game i've played. Halo was EPIC. Halo 2 delivers. Hands down the best console game this year! I'd almost say best game ever, but PC has World of Warcraft.… Expand

Has any other game been more the victim of its own hype? For me, one of the beauties of the first Halo was that I expected nothing from it and it delivered so much. (I only bought an xbox as an after thought shortly after getting a Gamecube but as soon as I booted up Halo the 'Cube didn't get touched for months). Halo 2 on the other hand carried such enormous weight of expectation that disappointment was probably inevitable on some levels. That said, contrary to the very misguided or plain daft people who give it scores of 1 (?) Halo 2 is an undeniably first class video game. In almost all respects it is head and shoulders above almost every other xbox action game. However, its key failing is that it is too similar to the first game and for this reason it doesn't have the "wow" factor that Halo engendered. The storyline is more intrusive than Halo's but paradoxically less coherent and engaging. Basic gameplay is very sound and the production values are as high as expected but there are just too many times when the whole thing feels like a slightly glossier retread of the original (which would be fine of course if the original had never existed!). Overall for me Halo 2 lacked the spark of brilliance that made Halo my favourite game in 20 years of gaming but it is nevertheless a very fine game.… Expand