Halo 2

Halo 2

Binding : Video Game
ProductGroup : Video Games
Manufacturer : Microsoft
Brand : Microsoft
Label : Microsoft
Publisher : Microsoft
Model : XBMSFT 805529792234
Platform : Xbox
Studio : Microsoft
ReleaseDate : 2004-11-09

List Price: USD $19.99
Lowest Used Price: USD $4.99
Lowest New Price: USD $18.58

Price is accurate as of the date/time indicated. Prices and product availability are subject to change. Any price displayed on the Amazon website at the time of purchase will govern the sale of this product.

Features:

• Master Chief can now wield two weapons at once, board Covenant vehicles and steal Covenant weapons like the incredible double energy sword
• Lead an all-new unit of super-soldiers, the ODST -- tougher, badder and deadlier versions of your old comrades
• New enemies, allies and surprises around every corner - intense combat action with enhanced AI and real-time lighting
• Immense single-player action with maassive landscapes and huge cities to explore and defend - destructible and interactive environments
• Take the action online with your Xbox Live and switch sides, to become a Covenant Elite!

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!
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

Pros:

• Lush graphics and orchestral sound
• Constant, thumping shoot-'em-up action
• Multiplayer available through Xbox live

Cons:

• Suit downgrade makes single-player often overly difficult
• Get ready for some bleary-eyed mornings

Customer Reviews

Super fast shipping! (2009-06-10)
Item arrived within a couple days of ordering. Item was in condition promised. Great seller. Thanks!

Fine if you care more about multiplayer games (2009-06-03)
Halo 2 is a game that really starts well, but piddles out in the final acts of its single-player campaign. The story of this game falls into clichés and doesn't really try to surprise the gamer; most of the game is just predictable and offers far less replay value than its predecessor.

The game just goes on, and on, and on without getting much done for its story, and aside from two levels taking place on Earth there aren't many levels that offer much in the ways of entertainment and replay value. Also, the feeling of the game feels very cheap, and light compared to its predecessor, which offered some legitimately intense gaming moments (such as the introduction of the Flood). This game offers little worth remembering, aside from cool things you do on Xbox Live. The game's single-player is just weak compared to the original game. If this was the game we got in 2001 Xbox would have certainly been sunk.

The character designs are a downgrade, I'm afraid to say. The Marines units have been reduced to what I'd expect soldiers to be wearing in CNN newsreel footage and they do not look like they are from the future in any way. This is just one of my many complaints about the feel of this game. The first game you felt like you actually were serving a purpose and providing help (key word being "help") for the human forces. Everything about this game can be summed up by "Run in. Shoot stuff. Cut scene. Repeat." There never is really anything to challenge the gamer, other than whether or not he/she can shoot something enough that it dies, and then they have a cliché plot revolving around this concept (Serious, most of the missions you're goal is "You must kill this dude/thing").

Halo 2 does offer some positive things. The graphics are top notch, really improving upon the engines used in the previous game. Visually a lot of work obviously went into making this game look good, and visually Halo 2 has little in the way of flaws. It is probably one of the best games to look at in the original Xbox's inventory. The main aspect of Halo 2 that makes it worth playing is the online multiplayer, and I do believe Bungie put more effort into this aspect of the game than the actual game's campaign. However, if you're like me and seldom have access to Xbox Live you're gonna care more for the single-player campaign.

It's a fun game especially for people who enjoy co-op and online multiplayer matches, but for someone looking for a thrilling 1st person experience such as that provided in the original game you'd best steer away from this game or lower your expectations. That being said this game is 50x better than the rip-off that was Halo 3.

Wrong Cover (2009-06-01)
Next time please show the correct cover of the video game and not a fake one to lure buyers. I received the platinum edition and it states that this is the standard which is not. If I knew this was the one I was getting I would of never bought it.

BAD GAME; RENT IT DON'T BUY IT (2009-05-24)
This is a horrible sequel to the first Halo game. The screen is pitch black 99% of the time and doesn't offer any real challenges.

Don't buy it, you've been warned.

The Best Game Ever (2009-05-16)
It's the best game I have ever played, this is per my 12 year old grandson. I purchased it for him as he has all the Halo games and is waiting for the next one to come out. He loves playing Halo as they are exciting and challenging.

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Product Information and Prices stored: June 12 , 2009, 23:21