Halo 2's "Ending"

1. Kyle said:

I agree. I think if there was no original Halo this would have been a good (8/10) game. If I had to pick, I’d still go with the original based on a better single player story.

I do like the multiplayer, it’s really fun, but you’re right, they didn’t improve on much as far as gameplay and they really, really screwed up what seemed to be a fun campaign story.

Let’s face it, aside from everything it didn’t live up to the hype. Not even close. I’m like you, I’ll be renting Halo 3.

Posted on November 15, 2004 10:24 PM | #

3. Michael said:

Not being interested in Live either, also found Halo 2 to be very very disappointing :(

Posted on November 15, 2004 10:44 PM | #

5. Brady White said:

Try it on legendary my friend, try it on legendary. There’s plenty of levels to unlock, and secrets to find.

The joy of Halo is going up to your buddies and saying that you’ve beaten it solo on Legendary, not the crappy Ending on the easiest setting.

Sell it to me if you’re the desparate of giving it out. I’ll find a home that wants it ;)

Posted on November 15, 2004 11:40 PM | #

7. Robbert Broersma said:

IMHO the largest negative point of consoles is that you can’t upgrade them. That’s why the graphics don’t really improve over time. So I bought myself a laptop with a ATi Radeon 9600 that even enables me to play Doom 3. (Installing the demo was as simple as typing ‘emerge doom3_demo’ on this Gentoo system – now that’s easy!)

Posted on November 16, 2004 01:34 AM | #

9. Aleksandar said:

I was also playing games in single player for years, until the Age of Empires came out and later on Age of Kings.
I was playing on Zone.com and after 5 years I still do occasionaly. It is unexplainably more fun than single player, to the point that I did not even touched the campaigns in AoK (and its Conquerors expansion) for the first three years.

You owe it your self to try it sometimes. I never liked FPS games too much, but you never know.

Posted on November 16, 2004 03:38 AM | #

11. Jason G said:

Makes me feel better about not having an XBOX and missing out. I actually found the first Halo disappointing. I just don’t get into first person shooters the way I used to.

Funny you mentioned THUG2 in you list, I actually felt very similar about that game in relation to THUG to the way you feel about HALO/HALO2. I thought THUG2 was easier and much shorter than THUG. I beat THUG2 on sick in far less time than it took me to beat THUG on sick mode. I still have to finish up classic mode on sick in THUG2, but classic mode has not kept my interest (GTA: San Andreas came out, and, well …). The story mode in THUG is far better than the one in THUG2.

Posted on November 16, 2004 05:23 AM | #

13. Callum Alden said:

5 hours. Well, it’s all okay now because Half-Life 2 is here. I expect it was as bad an ending as Opposing Force. Which I’ve strolled through over the weekend, the game (if your not familiar) ends with ‘The Administrator’ telling you you’re going to be detained, until further merchan- i mean notice. HL2, they had better got a good story down for this baby. Right?

Posted on November 16, 2004 05:44 AM | #

15. Joshua said:

A whopping 5 hours of gameplay? I suppose that would at least provide for an evening of entertainment. I did enjoy the campaign of the original Halo, but tended to avoid the repetitive Capture the Flag multiplayer madcap. Not enthralled with the multiplayer demo, I am waiting for your review of Men of Valor before I make any committment. Kindly have that ready by Friday morning!

Posted on November 16, 2004 07:04 AM | #

17. ColdForged said:

Oh please don’t tell me that. I’m some part of the way through the game on Heroic – it has already been longer than five hours for me, probably close on nine – at the Orbital Drop Assault level and having fun. Now you have me exceedingly concerned.

Please Bungie, don’t forsake us!

Posted on November 16, 2004 07:27 AM | #

19. Josh Dura said:

Halo 1 was a genious video game. It would be EXTREMELY hard to top it. I didn’t play either series, but the few times I played it, I thought it was really well thought out, and the graphics were amazing, even for a game that is 2 years old. It would be really hard for Halo 2 to out-do Halo 1.

When I played Halo 2, the first thing I thought, was “Whats different?”. Sure, the vehicles, and the levels, but does that REALLY justify all this hype? I couldn’t agree with you more Keith.

Posted on November 16, 2004 07:49 AM | #

21. Dave P said:

Come on folks… I thought we were kids of the cynical age. Halo 2:

Sequel: Check
Massive Marketing Machine: Check
Limited Preview Potential: Check
Platform tie in: Check
Video game Launch Events: Check

=

Overhyped Average Experience.

Remember that conversation on brands the other day? Yeah, this is a perfect example of why I’ve got some serious issues with them

(Sorry Kieth, Thanks for letting me rant.)

Posted on November 16, 2004 09:03 AM | #

23. Keith said:

Dave – this has nothing to do with branding…the game itself is very good, and most folks would really like it. For me, the story part isn’t there…

jimmyd – Call of Duty is not my type of game…Oh and I don’t have a PC. I’m sure it’s great though.

Posted on November 16, 2004 09:17 AM | #

25. Roger Johansson said:

Thanks for the info. I was really close to buying an Xbox just to get my hands on Halo 2. Now I don’t have to. I’ll have a look at the game when/if it comes to the Mac or PS2.

Posted on November 16, 2004 09:34 AM | #

27. Taco John said:

While I believe that San Andreas is the greatest video game ever, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Insanely violent, vulgar lanaguage, crude sexual references. I recommend the GTA series to people, but I expect some of them to come back and either a) say they just couldn’t handle it or b) tell me they were insulted I would even suggest they play that “piece of lowball, obscene trash.” So I understand how it is not the end-all be-all of video games for many people like it is for me.

Secondly, even fanboys like me will admit that sometimes the game just gets frustrating. Like the dating. Or right before you arrive at the point for the next mission, a gang territory comes under attack. After you get a warning telling you CJ needs to eat at an incredibly inoppertune moment for the 10th time, it starts to wear a bit. The next GTA really needs options to choose the level of immersiveness of the game play.

All that being said, I offer this: The first thing I did when I got the game was check to see if cheat codes worked. They did, and worked “better” than before ($250,000 every time you did a now-combined health/armor cheat). Even with copious amounts of cheating it took me 49 hours of gameplay to finish the main story line missions, which ended up at less than 70% completion. Now I’m starting all over again and am determined to finish the game without cheating, although certain missions seemed like daunting tasks even when I was regenerating health about every 30 seconds. And yes, I’m sorry I’m a cheater. It really ruined the game.

Posted on November 16, 2004 10:18 AM | #

29. Dave Woodward said:

I’ve played Halo 1 multiplayer a few times and although it was fun, I couldn’t really see what all the hype was about. Then Halo 2 is announced, and I really wondered what all the fuss was about. Ever since Quake 3, all the FPS games have seemed the same to me with just the addition of one or two little gimmicks. And although I really like GTA:SA, it still is just more of the same. Now the game I’m really looking forward to wasting my time with is Gran-Turismo 4. I spent months playing Gran-Turismo 3.

On the topic of consoles, I think some of the most original games have been released for the Nintendo Gamecube. Thats just my observation, and I’m not going to qualify it because I don’t have enough room.

Posted on November 16, 2004 11:30 AM | #

31. Allen said:

Whatever all of you——legendary IS worth playing through again, 5 hours is ridiculous unless you just ran through on an easyish difficulty, and with the exception of the cliffhanger ending, this is the best game I’ve ever seen. (Yeah, I’ve played the GTA series, including SA) Sorry if you “aren’t into” multiplayer, but it’s unbelievable and the matchmaking system is amazing. Having beaten it on Heroic and working on Legendary, I’d shell out $100+ for Halo2.

Posted on November 16, 2004 02:29 PM | #

33. Chris Vincent said:

I only played the original for the multiplayer, and only when it came out on the Mac.

If I’m pissed over Halo about one thing, it’s the fact that an exchange of money changed it from a Mac exclusive to an XBOX exclusive and Mac 2-year-delay.

And some of the guns in the original. Come on, a 30 degree cone of fire on an assault rifle of the future? And why are our future sniper rifles *slower* than the ones we have today?

Meh.

Posted on November 16, 2004 04:23 PM | #

35. paul b said:

I agree with Brady White. If you dont like halo 2 because of the ending then so be it try it on legandary.

I like the ending of halo 2, it just lets me no that there will be a halo 3.Also if you watch the entire credits you’ll find out something better.

Posted on November 16, 2004 04:53 PM | #

37. Joshua said:

I was a little shocked about the ending as well. However, if I remember right, I beat Halo 1 in about the same amount of time - and the ending was just the same - leaving you wondering what the heck is going to happen next. I also remember setting it on legendary and then Halo 1 quickly became my favorite game with much more then 5 hours of game play on the hardest level. Likely to happen with Halo 2 as well.

What kind of game would Halo 2 be if it did not leave you anticipating for Halo 3… it really makes you wonder what is in for Master Chief and our new hero - the Orbital. If everyone is disapointed because of the ending - what did you expect - don’t you remember the first Halo.

I think the big misconception is that Halo 1 came out with Xbox, so there was no waiting…. we waited 3 years for part two…. so many of us are left somewhat damper because we realize it could be another 3 years to find out what happens next.

Does anyone remember waiting for xBox to come out back even 6 years ago. Heck … Fable has been in works for about 5 years (previously known as Project Ego). Halo 1 was being worked on long before Xbox came out. Almost the same amount of time.

My 2 cents - incredible game - I don’t care what people say, I have been playing both Halo 1 and 2 - back to back - much better graphics…. and thank god game play was the same. I now have lot of fun left by setting it to Legendary. Plus tha AI is much improved and really gives me a challeng on Legendary.

Posted on November 16, 2004 08:24 PM | #

39. Kev said:

Warning: contains spoilers.

Well, I haven’t got to the end yet (playing on ‘normal’) but so far I’m really enjoying it. I thought the idea of playing as an Elite was inspired and in fact that whole section has been my favourite section so far. The power sword cuts through The Flood like a hot knife trhough butter ;o)

I am concerned about the ending as I know its sudden but what the hell. Taken in isolation, this is a great game. Looking forward to Halo 3 :o) and now awaiting HL2 to complete the trifecta of brilliant FPS sequels this year.

Posted on November 17, 2004 08:06 AM | #

41. ColdForged said:

Being the consummate Bungie whore I am, I do have to say that I’m still enjoying the single-player portion. Multi is a whole other ball game and – to me – is the quintessential Xbox Live experience to date.

That said, from the brief time I’ve had with it, I’d have to say I’m enjoying Half-Life 2’s single-player game over that of Halo 2. I cringe to even admit it to myself.

It is definitely worth checking out.

Posted on November 17, 2004 09:55 AM | #

43. Steve_0 said:

Halo 2 kicks ass as a multiplayer game, I think we all agree with that. I’m kinda dissapointed with the ending so far.

I beat the game in heroic with a friend of mine cuz legendary mode is extremely difficult(even for 2 halo semi-pro’s i’d say). But know that i have the last level opened I’ll definatley try it on legendary to see what the other ending is all about. Plus I also wanna check out the other map.

I guess for halo fans Halo 2 does deserves the 10 out of 10 just as the first one did. I don’t regret getting the xbox just to have the halo games.

Posted on November 17, 2004 09:38 PM | #

45. Keith said:

Robert – I did see it, but I didn’t read anything BIG into it.

***SPOILER***

It just shows Cortana being interrogated by the “tenticle” thing and it looks like she is going to spill some beans…it’s pretty vague if you ask me.

Posted on November 18, 2004 10:37 AM | #

47. u kno me said:

halo 2 has to be the best game in the worl (along wiht SAN ANDREAS) but u people ranting about how much the stryline sucks is stuoid. i mena seriously if u honestly think that u bought this game for the storyline is dumb. and whoever said that they are not gonna replay the game is stupid. i mena ya the ending may suck but just because of that doesnt mena u should tell people not to buy the game

“THE VERDICT
GRAPHICS:
Spectactular scenes, deep unbeleivable textures, and powerful use of bloom effects for explosions and impacts.
IMMERSION:
Unless nature calls, my guess is that you’ll be glued to the screen from start to finish (12-16 hours on normal) without a break. Now that’s immersive!
SOUND:
The ambient effects are incredible in 5.1, but the underlying score adds a layer of intensity to every scene that’s simply incredible. The soundtrack album will win awards, and will hopefully transcend the videogame industry to bigger mainstream appreciation.
DESIGN:
Perfectly paced, the story gets a little rushed, and you definately feel like you’ve played bits of this before…only it never looked or sounded this good, or had so many fun options.
(+)GOOD
(-)BAD
(?)PERPLEXING

+ Can’t rave enough about the music.
+ Incredible replay value packed in with multiplayer.
+ Incredible attention to all details.
- The end.
? Any chance we’ll get any single-player downloadable content? that’d be sweet but highly unlikely.

OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE VERDICT:
9.7/10.00
EDITORS CHOICE!”

anybody that askes if the game is good or not must have been born yesterday and that game is the sick-nastyest game in the whole world

i doubt there will be any other game that will veer beat it untill halo 3 comes out
which (hopefully it will cause that would be sick-nasty) and so we can see allex freak out again

and i have notheing else to say except for that ALO IS THE BEST GAME IN THE WORLD AND ITS SO SICK-NASTY

I appreciate your opinions, but I would have to say it is a baised one. First off, I don’t understand your opinion that the first halo was a better game. Halo 2 is far superior, especially in the story department. I don’t know how much you actually played halo’s campaign, or how much you accurately remember, but most of the cutscenes were limited in action and setting, with most all of the dialog delivered by 2-3 characters……………Keyes, Cortana…….and sometimes the chief. another major revelation in halo 2’s story is all of the covenant political backstory. It alone double’s the game’s authenticy by giving the enemies a realistic atmosphere and feel. Most of the Covenant themed cutscenes and levels answer hundreds of plot questions once speculated on by halo 1 owners. How does the Covenant hierarchy function, where do the covenant originate? How do they operate? and countless other interesting points.
The campaign itself is much more expansive and overall….fun. the presentation through double storylines works very well, and it gives two different sides to the story, along with giving the player a better understanding of the conflict.

“I was kind of disappointed about the direction that the campaign went sure there was some awesome cool cutscenes and there were some cool game play times but overall as one of the creators said ” you have to capture those thirty second moments where the game play is awesome” well I’m sorry but there weren’t enough of those moments for the amount of time that they spent on the game.”-birdman

I can count on one hand the truly awesome sequences from the first halo….well, maybe two. but when looking at halo 2, I can think of 3-5 awesome battles or sequences per level (30 seconds of awesomeness…………except they all lasted a couple of minutes in Halo 2 ), areas that really impressed me and were really enjoyable.
So far I have beat the game on normal and heroic, no co-op, and I think it’s a really great story, and it leads to a great experience and game. Their is so much to take in and understand, if you don’t know what I mean, go back and watch a cutscene again, or listen to one of the covenant transmissions again, and you will see what I mean. When I played the game through again on heroic, I noticed quite a lot of plot points I had missed the first time around. Even in the levels themselves the detail on certain objects and terrain is incredible. Did you even stop by one of those hologram prophets and listen to what they say, or look around at the environments at all? Most of them have little touches, here and there, that help push the story on, or help explain something you might not understand.

As for replayability, every time you load up an area, especially on different diffuculties, enemies act differently, with different force dispositions. It leads to a more fluid gameplay experience than one is accostomed to in shooters (I know it did this in halo 1, but the A.I. is far superior this time around). And, as I said, every time I play an area again, I notice something different, or hear a character say something cool, or board something new, or get boarded…..or….yeah, long list of fun things that change from scenario to scenario. If you think gameplay gets stale after one or two play-throughs, try going at each area from an entirely new angle, whether that means using diferent weapons, different vehicles, or taking another route, so be it. It will play out much different than it did with your other strategy.

Overall, I think you are passing judgement much too quickly, seeing as you’ve only played it through once. And I know that you think that I have more reason to appreciate the game because I have Xbox Live, but realize that I have played as much campaign as multiplayer, if not more….

The story is what separates great games from the mediocre. It’s one of the driving forces behing innovative game design: to tell a story. In fact the single player of any game is bbuilt around that theme. look att a game that was built to be fun……say Quake. Now, look at a game made to tell a story….say Halo or Half-life. Which do you think is more enjoyable? The main reason I don’t like Quake or unreal tournaments isn’t because they are unrealistic twitchy shooters, it’s that they seem pointless to me……I mean, come on no story, no interesting plot? what is that?

I’d suggest you think about that a while, and then go read some interviews with bungie staff, you’ll see that they are dedicated to creating a story for people to experience, not just agame that is fun. It’s the whole point of an awesome game.

and now im done thanks

consder all of that…

Posted on November 18, 2004 11:27 AM | #

49. john tilley said:

the game was awesome, yet when I beat it, I didn’t even get any credits…wtf. I’m an extreme fan of the story line, and I was left hanging. Just cause you can make the best game ever doesn’t give you the right to make us wait another 3-5 years to find out whats next.

Posted on November 18, 2004 01:05 PM | #

51. mcf said:

Dudes,

The ending of this game makes me feel like my parents walking in in the middle of a below average chicken choke. Why! Basically the original Halo was so good because of the story and orchestrated ending. If I want a great skin I’ll just play Chronicles of Riddick, which by the way is my new favorite game. Fhruck Halo 2 man!

Peace,

Posted on November 19, 2004 07:10 AM | #

53. Pimpson said:

yeah i aint gonna lie i didn’t see much of a difference in halo2,and the graphics did look the same…BUT! i like the halo xbox live! and u would 2…so stop hatin on halo damn it

Posted on November 20, 2004 10:45 AM | #

55. Normary said:

Halo 2 had a very sucky ending but it still was a great game! The characters features are better,your allies are realistic(like the latino guy that starts yelling “Diablo” at the top of lungs) and it leaves you wanting more which is what a game should do. And we have to consider most of us didn’t stop playing the game until we passed it not that many enjoyed the ride.

Posted on November 20, 2004 08:20 PM | #

57. siguro_7 said:

d*rn it!!!! in every game i play, id get very happy finishing that… after all the hard work and stuffs like that, but when i got to the end of halo 2.. i got very very very very very disappointed… as i was reading the credits, i was still hoping that there will be another chapter or so… my brother was laughing at me telling me dont expect too much bro… hahahhahahhahhahaha.. but, dam**t… thats all??? im not freakin’ satisfied… what happen to the HALO 2 E3 2003 TRAILER in xbox.com???? where is it.. i was expecting to play that one… but i never even saw it in halo 2.. yes it was a good one, and new stuffs where included… but im really freakin about the ending…. thought i could consider halo an extra ordinary game but not it was just a really ORDINARY game that there would be no meaning of owning one…. well.. that would be it… i really feel bad..

Posted on November 21, 2004 06:29 PM | #

59. u kno me said:

appreciate your opinion, but I would have to say it is a baised one. First off, I don’t understand your opinion that the first halo was a better game. Halo 2 is far superior, especially in the story department. I don’t know how much you actually played halo’s campaign, or how much you accurately remember, but most of the cutscenes were limited in action and setting, with most all of the dialog delivered by 2-3 characters……………Keyes, Cortana…….and sometimes the chief. another major revelation in halo 2’s story is all of the covenant political backstory. It alone double’s the game’s authenticy by giving the enemies a realistic atmosphere and feel. Most of the Covenant themed cutscenes and levels answer hundreds of plot questions once speculated on by halo 1 owners. How does the Covenant hierarchy function, where do the covenant originate? How do they operate? and countless other interesting points.
The campaign itself is much more expansive and overall….fun. the presentation through double storylines works very well, and it gives two different sides to the story, along with giving the player a better understanding of the conflict.

“I was kind of disappointed about the direction that the campaign went sure there was some awesome cool cutscenes and there were some cool game play times but overall as one of the creators said ” you have to capture those thirty second moments where the game play is awesome” well I’m sorry but there weren’t enough of those moments for the amount of time that they spent on the game.”-birdman

I can count on one hand the truly awesome sequences from the first halo….well, maybe two. but when looking at halo 2, I can think of 3-5 awesome battles or sequences per level (30 seconds of awesomeness…………except they all lasted a couple of minutes in Halo 2 ), areas that really impressed me and were really enjoyable.
So far I have beat the game on normal and heroic, no co-op, and I think it’s a really great story, and it leads to a great experience and game. Their is so much to take in and understand, if you don’t know what I mean, go back and watch a cutscene again, or listen to one of the covenant transmissions again, and you will see what I mean. When I played the game through again on heroic, I noticed quite a lot of plot points I had missed the first time around. Even in the levels themselves the detail on certain objects and terrain is incredible. Did you even stop by one of those hologram prophets and listen to what they say, or look around at the environments at all? Most of them have little touches, here and there, that help push the story on, or help explain something you might not understand.

As for replayability, every time you load up an area, especially on different diffuculties, enemies act differently, with different force dispositions. It leads to a more fluid gameplay experience than one is accostomed to in shooters (I know it did this in halo 1, but the A.I. is far superior this time around). And, as I said, every time I play an area again, I notice something different, or hear a character say something cool, or board something new, or get boarded…..or….yeah, long list of fun things that change from scenario to scenario. If you think gameplay gets stale after one or two play-throughs, try going at each area from an entirely new angle, whether that means using diferent weapons, different vehicles, or taking another route, so be it. It will play out much different than it did with your other strategy.

Overall, I think you are passing judgement much too quickly, seeing as you’ve only played it through once. And I know that you think that I have more reason to appreciate the game because I have Xbox Live, but realize that I have played as much campaign as multiplayer, if not more….

The story is what separates great games from the mediocre. It’s one of the driving forces behing innovative game design: to tell a story. In fact the single player of any game is bbuilt around that theme. look att a game that was built to be fun……say Quake. Now, look at a game made to tell a story….say Halo or Half-life. Which do you think is more enjoyable? The main reason I don’t like Quake or unreal tournaments isn’t because they are unrealistic twitchy shooters, it’s that they seem pointless to me……I mean, come on no story, no interesting plot? what is that?

I’d suggest you think about that a while, and then go read some interviews with bungie staff, you’ll see that they are dedicated to creating a story for people to experience, not just agame that is fun. It’s the whole point of an awesome game.

“THE VERDICT
GRAPHICS:
Spectactular scenes, deep unbeleivable textures, and powerful use of bloom effects for explosions and impacts.
IMMERSION:
Unless nature calls, my guess is that you’ll be glued to the screen from start to finish (12-16 hours on normal) without a break. Now that’s immersive!
SOUND:
The ambient effects are incredible in 5.1, but the underlying score adds a layer of intensity to every scene that’s simply incredible. The soundtrack album will win awards, and will hopefully transcend the videogame industry to bigger mainstream appreciation.
DESIGN:
Perfectly paced, the story gets a little rushed, and you definately feel like you’ve played bits of this before…only it never looked or sounded this good, or had so many fun options.
(+)GOOD
(-)BAD
(?)PERPLEXING

+ Can’t rave enough about the music.
+ Incredible replay value packed in with multiplayer.
+ Incredible attention to all details.
- The end.
? Any chance we’ll get any single-player downloadable content? that’d be sweet but highly unlikely.

OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE VERDICT:
9.7/10.00
EDITORS CHOICE!”

Yes, with the release of Halo 2 comes the Halo 3 release date and how fast it’s coming will suprise even you. *WARNING - SPOILERS INSIDE*

*PLEASE NOTE THAT SPOILERS ARE CONTAINED INSIDE THIS ARTICLE FROM HALO 2 (most notably the legendary ending)*

After beating Halo 2 on legendary, at first you may seem disappointed. There’s no different ending, no extras to be seen, and no true unlockables (the level you unlock can also be unlocked on Heroic). Yet, if you pay close enough attention to the credits, you may find what will be an important easter egg that’ll blow you’re mind… On the bottom of the credits, at the very end, you’ll find an interesting tid-bit of information… “Coming February 9th”. Now, what could this mean?

This may mean a 2005 release date, but with just 3 months left this seems doubtful (but definitely in the realms of possibility). This is more likely a release date for 2006.

Other possibilities include that February 9th could be the official announcement of Bungie’s next project or the first wave of downloadable content for Halo 2. Bungie has expressed that Halo 3 will not be its next project yet this released date does leave some speculation…

Also, more hints of a sequel come from the Halo 2 soundtrack, titled “Vol. 1”. You would expect another volume to come out but with all the music from Halo 2 already on the disc this hints at the Halo 3 soundtrack.

Will Halo 3 come out in a mere 3 months, or possibly another year? What does the date mean, is Halo 3 finally here? One thing is for sure, the only way you’ll know is on February 9th, when something special from Bungie is sure to come.
http://www.utopiangamer.com/features/halo3release/index.php?

——————–

Posted on November 24, 2004 11:09 AM | #

61. Mark said:

The halo 2 ending is a cliffhanger because the game was too big to make on one disc. so they are almost definitely coming out with halo 3. which will just be the continuation of halo 2. and if you think about it, they were totally braggin about how its all gunna be sweet because its gunna be on earth…and then look at the game, theres not that many levels on earth. so Halo 3 will probably be almost all on earth. and i have to make a argree with a rumor i heard. that they already have it made and are going to release it when ps3 comes out to compete. thats good thinking but i wish that they would just let halo 3 come out earlier.

Posted on November 24, 2004 05:08 PM | #

63. digitalrage said:

Super Mario Brothers totally Sucks! It’s repetative and the ending is bad. Come on!!! My princess is in another castle for 8 worlds and all I get is a bigger version of the same castle and bowser is just like the other koopas but with two hammers and flame breath?!? Where’s the big ending?!?! The huge cinematics?!? That’s what video games are all about right? A huge storyline with lots of eye candy!! Who cares about immersive gameplay if I can’t see something blow up at the end! And talk about repetative game play. All you do is jump and run and shoot fireballs and swim! And who programmed the Goomba’s AI?!? Come on people. I beat this game in ONLY 5 HOURS and I didn’t even use the warps. What a crappy stupid dumb game. Nintendo should be ashamed to put out this tripe. I want my money back!!!!!

That’s what ya’ll sound like. How can you judge this game based on a quick run through normal? Did any of you even play the first game? If you did, you’d realize how drastically different the experience is if you bump the notch up to legendary. Every hallway is a battle, every grunt stands in the way of you and victory. You must be cunning, patient and intuitive if you wat to succede. Compare that to running into a room
and holding down the fire button until everyting is dead. Woo-hoo much fun! Please, you sound like my five year old brother who won’t bump it past easy cause he doesn’t like to die. It’s like dissin a Harley cause you can only ride a tricycle and it’s boring you. Baldur’s Gate had a dumb ending and it was unforgivable because the gameplay was boring and repetative. Bump up the difficulty and the game is just as boring….but with stronger bad guys. no change in gameplay formula. Compare this to Halo 2. Sure the ending cuts you off (I was just getting psyched for the final battle where I was sure MC and Arbiter would join forces when the credits started rolling) but hit reset and put the difficulty up to legendary and it’ll be 5 hours before you pas the first landing bay with covenant boarding your ship from little purple tubes (you’ll know the part when you get there, and no co-oping, i’m talking solo carnage baby.) All I’m saying is that Halo 2 was made assuming you played Halo 1. You are expected to play on heroic or legendary. You are expected not to be a puss. You are expected to play throug the same freakin checkpoint 50 freakin times cause these elites are impossible to kill with this battle rifle and love it cause it’s damn hard. And last time I checked, challenge was a good thing…
Don’t even get me started on how fun the system link is… I don’t have LIVE and I dont care, I have FRIENDS. Guess what? It’s really really satisfying to shoot your homie in the face with a shotgun just as he’s talking his shi* about how good he is. Team play is easy to set up, and go get indicators that flash when your teammate is under fire and when they die. the power of the vehicles is balanced by the fact that you can steal them now (no more tank domination in multiplayer) MASTER CHIEF CAN TAKE A FALL NOW!!!!, so it’s a lot harder to suicide and you don’t lose your shields when you’re running away.
link cables and a router and three friends with Halo 2 and you are set for any party you go to. Try Drinking Halo 2! 1 drink per kill 3 for suicides 3 for head shot 5 for killing spree 10 for running riot double drinks for double kills!

I just have to wonder if you all are talking about the same game as me.

Posted on November 27, 2004 03:38 PM | #

65. 3ggPl4nt w1z4rd said:

Okay, first off… the game IS easy… if you play it on the little kid difficulty level. Play the damn game on HEROIC to start, punks.

Reviewers who punk their way through should be shot.

As for all you rental whores and “I’m not gunna buy me an Xbox”ers out there… why don’t you give it a go for yourselves, rather than letting a punk tell you different?

Halo 2 was great… and took quite a good deal longer to beat on a proper difficulty level than people gave it cred for. The only way you can get through the game in 5 hours is if you avoid every fight and run to the ends of each level, like a punk.

Legendary is probably the most grueling experience I’ve been through, but of course the end result was worth it. If you bothered, you’d see why it ended the way it did… and the date of yer next fix. PUNKS!

Now sit yer happy ass down and play… no more whining or I pull out the hickory stick! ^_-

Posted on November 28, 2004 04:14 PM | #

67. Dante said:

o and 1 more thing, to all you peeps that hate the ending, this is a lead to a sequal, (durr) and so the conclusion will happen there, bungie aint that stupid to make a fourth, but holding it off, it can only get better, and face the facts, halo 2 was 10 TIMES Better than the first, think about it. it looks, sounds, plays and you can feel the storyline. Thats the reason yer pissed, because it didnt conclude and yer thirsting for it.

so stop yer blubberin and play multiplayer, youll like it….

Posted on November 28, 2004 09:01 PM | #

69. dan Johnson said:

I DK WHAT U GUYS ARE TALKIN ABOUT!!!

halo 2 is i think, 25% better then the 1st, the new vehicals are a lil wierd, but come on!!!
its a great game
maybe the 1st one was a lil better, because of the ending nd such, but.. come on, ITS HALO 2!!!

but hey, w.e, if u guys want a great game, besides shooting

get project gothem racing 2
its on 20 bux now!

(baught it for 50 :()

Posted on November 30, 2004 06:33 PM | #

71. Zac Man said:

I think you guys are all crazy!! I would give HALO 2 a 20 out of 10. This one exceeds the first game in every single aspect possible. Sure, the ending might be retarded, but the overall story is way cooler than the first one’s. HALO 2 is psycho tight because of it’s stunning graphics, perfect gameplay, kickass weapons, perfectly mapped out levels, and what was the last thing, oh yeah, freakin X BOX Live!!!!! Online play alone puts this game on top of any other game available today. HALO 2 succeeds HALO 1 by like, ———————————————————————————–, that much!!! I mean, the game is freakin perfect! Heck yeah! I love this game and my grades are starting to be affected. Oh well, at least it’s my senior year. HALO 2 Rocks! Peace out. -Z MAN

Posted on November 30, 2004 07:26 PM | #

73. Jon Doe said:

Where the FUCK is your post button?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
GOD DAMN took me an hour to find the damn button!!!!! Now I forgot what i was going to type.

Posted on December 3, 2004 09:37 AM | #

75. Cindy said:

Hey, whats a halo 2????

Posted on December 3, 2004 09:46 AM | #

77. ColdForged said:

Wow, is this what happens when seemingly normal weblogs delve into the morass that is console fanboyism? Might want to close comments on this entry, it’s only getting worse :). When you get four posts in a row from the same dolt (no “dude/Cindy/Undertaker/Jon”, you’re not fooling anyone) you know the thread has deteriorated beyond hope of salvation.

Posted on December 3, 2004 11:24 AM | #

79. hacynth said:

Just beat Halo 2 myself and I have to say - after watching the collector’s edition “making of” - that bungie ran out of time on this one. Too bad they had to get it out before Christmas else this could have been as good as the first.

I will say that online mode slays though and is definitely worth $50 if you like multiplayer games.

And, regarding Half Life 2 .. Halo has nothing on this game, and never will because of the system really. Halo 2 didn’t impress me enough to have no story. Half Life on the other hand doesn’t even need a story, IMO. That game is so pretty and the pyshics engine is incredible. Nothing like it out there right now. Plus deathmatch just got released by Valve last weak and it is astounding. Do yourself a favor and pick it up (PC for sure, xbox prolly won’t be very good when it comes out next year)

xbox gamertag: hacynth

Posted on December 4, 2004 01:53 PM | #

81. Dustin said:

I heard that in a few month on X-Box live you will be able to get this download which will have 10 new levels and a bunch of new guns for Halo 2 to finish it off. It’s just a big thing to promote x-box live… But for all those people who want play how it really end…. I think they’ll get x-box live. I know I am.

Posted on December 5, 2004 10:27 PM | #

83. 100 Kill Bill said:

…… Halo 2’s greatness is only in the true form of the Multiplayer. Campaigns are pretty much just the Big Tutorial for the big “what’s to come” in the Multiplayer. Yeah, play campaign before multiplayer, or prepare to get yo ass kicked.

Posted on December 7, 2004 08:58 PM | #

85. L said:

I´m from Brazil and just ended the Halo 2 game. But I did not understand the ending becauses its a too fast and confuse english. Could someone explain, please the story ?

Posted on December 7, 2004 10:02 PM | #

87. Dante said:

guess what?

XBM rated Halo 2: 10/ 10
EGM rated Halo 2: 10/ 10

And I dunno what OXM or play or any other magazines rated it, I just know that if EGM rated it good, u better shut yer fuckin mouths and face the facts.

It doesnt get much better than this…

Posted on December 12, 2004 06:26 AM | #

89. Nylus said:

Halo 2 was an ok game……for the first two levels. when you play as the arbitor its ok i mean everyone wanted to defened earth and kick ass as the master cheif.

Posted on December 12, 2004 05:28 PM | #

91. sampsonG said:

Any retard that says this game can be beat in 5 hours is CORRECT. If this retard plays Halo 2 on Easy and is too weak to try it on legendary or even heroic. You will not beat this game in 5 hours on legendary and I would seriously doubt you could beat it on Heroic in 5 hours.

It took me and a friend 2.5 hours to beat the FIRST level on Halo 2 on legendary so nock it and say it is short until you play it on something other than normal or easy.

Posted on December 13, 2004 11:28 AM | #

93. gunwright_shuttlecock said:

Bah, Halo2 Legendary + obsessiveness in gaming = early stress related death. I made it as far as the 2nd or 3rd checkpoint which places you above a bay full of boarding covenant. A Red Elite bearing two plasma rifles each will drop you in about 0.20 seconds if they get a line of sight on you. Also, on 2 player mode, you can’t just respawn if you die while your partner fights on. You are both kicked back to the previous checkpoint. I just don’t see how anyone can take this game on legendary without using a neutron bomb. I tried all the plasma grenades. Unless you get a stick-on it won’t kill them. My friend claims to have actually stuck one to an elite and the elite survived and killed him from the front with a single blow. Is there anywhere you can get the scorpion tank when you first start the game? Being this difficult I imagine there must be some hidden superweapon somewhere.

Posted on December 16, 2004 12:29 AM | #

95. Easy ST said:

I’m glad I’m not the only one who was bitchslapped back to Earth when those credits rolled. It was scary to find out that so many of you have the time to complete H2 on Legendary (still working on Heroic). Then I read the posting from digitalrage. It is really scary that you know so much about Super Mario (assuming that was all acurate). Funny as hell though. I’m not into the capture the flag stuff either but I would like to try Live. I like the fact that there is a ranking so maybe I can have some fun and not get raped by someone that is spending too much time in front of the wrong “box”. Side note: The slang typing some use here just looks stupid. What…that wasn’t slang typing? Oh, well good luck there junior.

Posted on December 19, 2004 03:59 AM | #