By Tim Schmelter

Austin360

November 23, 2004

Overview: By this time, rabid gamers all over the planet have already gotten their hands on "Halo 2" and played it through one or two times. They've "0wnz3d" their buds in multiplayer, they've plotted team slayer strategies for every map, and they've spent way too much time in the Bungie.net clan forums.

This review is not for them. They are the people who lined up to purchase "Halo 2" immediately when it was released, thereby generating astronomical sales figures of 2.4 million units sold the first day.

This is the review for the more cautious gamer. The person who looks at the $49.99 suggested retail price tag and says, "Yeah, but is it worth it?"

Halo 2 Platform(s): Xbox Company: Microsoft Type/Genre: Action ESRB Rating: M (Mature -- Violence, Blood) • Official Site • Arcade360 Index

The answer? "Yes. Yes, it is."

The game is not without its faults, to be sure. "Halo 2's" story mode is exceedingly brief, with an abrupt cliffhanger ending that all but announces the ship date for a sequel. The voice acting has a few rough spots — notably in the rather weak delivery by the actor voicing the protagonist, the otherwise-nameless "Master Chief."

But these flaws are easy to overlook in the larger context of the game. Yes, "Halo 2's" single-player campaign is quite short compared to other first person shooters on the market, but it also mostly avoids the unpleasant backtracking and repetitive gameplay that marred the end of its predecessor. Yes, Master Chief sounds a bit stilted, like Solid Snake on a bad hair day, but the Chief prefers to say it with bullets, anyhow. And details like these pale when confronted with the sheer fun of the rest of the experience.

Because in a nutshell, "Halo 2" rocks. The cinematic cutscenes present a compelling story of Earth joined in a fierce battle against the alien Covenant. A more personal story plays alongside, unexpectedly told from the point of view of a Covenant heretic who also comprises the second playable character in the campaign mode. The incidental characters are played for effective comic relief (including a sarcastic Earth Marine voiced by comedian David Cross) and the generally punchy dialogue features the kind of action-hero humor that makes you laugh in spite of yourself.

And when the bullets start flying, your adrenaline pumps and narrows your world to the connection between your television screen, your eyes, and your hands. Disconnect your the higher-order thinking skills; "Halo 2" speaks directly to your lizard brain in staccato bursts of submachine guns and plasma rifles.

Modes: Campaign mode: Single player, split-screen cooperative play. Multiplayer: A gaggle of system link and online options, but alas, no split screen deathmatches this go round. But if you have XBox live, you probably won't miss it. If you don't, consider getting it: you'll certainly miss out on a lot of fun without it, as this is the most finely tuned multiplayer experience we've come across on any console.

Game Play: Much the same as the first "Halo", the sequel features sequences of intense first-person shooter action interspersed with multiple styles of vehicle sequences. The beloved Warthog is back, and features the same easy handling as it did the first game. Also returning are the Covenant ghost (think "hoverscooter with laser cannons") and various tanks and Covenant flying vehicles.

Much has been made of "Halo 2's" dual-wielding feature, and for good reason. Master Chief now has the ability to wield one weapon in each of his armored hands, and that ability makes a significant difference in gameplay. Instead of cowering behind corners waiting for his shields to recharge, you'll more often than not play the Chief as a bullet-spewing juggernaut, and watch in satisfaction as wave after wave of enemies fall beneath the storm of weapons fire. The overall effect is almost too powerful, and the game feels significantly easier on "Normal" mode than the original "Halo." But never fear, "Legendary" difficult is still there to take the mickey out of those players brave enough to challenge it.

After you've finished with the single-player mode (which probably won't take very long), you've still only experienced half of what Halo 2 has to offer. With XBox live, "Halo 2" offers a great multiplayer game featuring a variety of options that make it easy to find a game quickly against players of similar skill level.

I can't emphasize enough what a difference that last phrase makes. I tend to avoid multiplayer components in general, because it's just not that much fun for me — as a gamer with a life outside of the console — to go up against someone who spends countless hours honing his abilities on a game.

"Halo 2" solves the problem by assigning you a skill level based on how well you perform in a particular style of game, then matches you against players of comparable level when you join a game. You'll still have the occasional game against a player of incredible skill, as well as "n00bs" (new players) who are clearly fumbling around trying to find the best weapons and items on a map. But for the most part, the competition feels balanced in a way Fox news could only dream of trademarking.

Technical Presentation: Like most of the rest of the game, "Halo 2" takes what worked in the original "Halo" and improves on it. Character models are more detailed this time around, textures look more organic and natural. The game does suffer from a rather disconcerting "popup" effect as new visual data are loaded into memory. Given that this problem appears even during cutscenes, it can be rather disconcerting to witness, but in general the graphics are gorgeous, and plug along at a steady 30 frames per second.

The game's sound works well, with Dolby 5.1 surround that will keep your subwoofer rumbling as tanks empty mortar shells into enemy units. The orchestral soundtrack is excellent overall, and less repetitive than many action games. The game occasionally abandons its orchestral score for guitar-driven rock, but how you feel about that is largely a matter of taste. Overall, it isn't any more jarring than similar transitions we've heard many times in action movies.

Ease of Use: The tried-and-true Halo control scheme is back, with the left trigger now doing double duty as the control for grenade throwing and firing the left-hand weapon in dual wield mode. The sensitivity of the motion tracking radar feels slightly reduced, but on the plus side, the Master Chief's shields recharge more quickly, allowing you to jump back into the action that much sooner.

Nice Surprise: The overall level of polish in the game is astounding, with the smallest details (wisecracking Marines, and AI that fights each other whether you're watching or not) add up to much more than the sum of their parts. Most of the single-player campaign feels finely-tuned, and you can almost feel the points at which round after round of play testing revealed where the action bogged down or became too intense and difficult. It may result in a product that's too easy for some gamers, but in general, it's a very appealing mix.

Enraging Quirk: Aside from one technical glitch that crashed our game at the same point several times in a row (and was subsequently solved by exchaning our disc for a new one), the game doesn't have any "enraging" moments. A few things that annoy (Master Chief, please drink some coffee or something, you sound bored) or take you out of the moment (the graphical popup issue), but nothing that makes you want to fling your controller across the living room.

Tip: Dual-wielding, baby. Learn it. Use it. Love it.

Bottom Line: A polished, balanced gaming experience that keeps you engaged for hours and reaffirms the best points about console gaming. Hate Microsoft if you must, but give them and developer Bungie credit where it's due: They have made a fantastic game.