Returning favorite multiplayer modes include Slayer, Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, Oddball and Juggernaut. About the only multiplayer mode from Halo that did not make it was Race, but it is a small loss because I never found anyone who actually liked it anyway. Losing Race is more than compensated for with the additions of Assault (plant a bomb in your enemy’s base) and Territories (take and control points on the map) to the mix. Within each multiplayer category are numerous sub-categories to experience. It is also possible to edit games and save them. The possible combinations are astronomical.

Levels for multiplayer games are quite varied. They range from very tight maps that will have you bumping into fellow players with frightening regularity to wide-open maps where the vehicles and sniper weapons rule. And with Live support, we can hope that even more maps will be available in the future.

Whether split-screen, link or Live, the multiplayer component will add hundreds of hours to the life of Halo 2. As with the original Halo, Bungie has once again set the standard by which all other multiplayer games must be measured.



When creating a profile for your character, it is now possible to do a little more customization to set your character apart in the multiplayer games. In Halo the only choice was armor color. In Halo 2 the player may choose primary armor color, secondary armor color, shoulder emblem with two colors and, best of all, whether to appear as a human Spartan or Covenant Elite.

The weapons have been tweaked a bit for Halo 2. The full-automatic assault rifle has been replaced with a burst-fire battle rifle that sports a 2X zoom feature. The human pistol has been toned down a bit with less punch and no zoom. Replacing the needler as the obligatory useless weapon in the game is the human sub-machine gun. Underpowered even when dual wielded, the SMG seems to only serve as a morale booster when you have no other weapon.

It is on the Covenant side that most new weapons show up and the most dramatic improvement occurred. The needler is now a viable weapon that is particularly wicked when used as a pair. A beam sniper rifle, grenade launcher, heavy fuel-rod gun and carbine similar to the human battle rifle have been added.

Vehicles saw additions too. In the human sphere there is a new light anti-armor variant of the Warthog that sports a 25mm gauss cannon for taking out Covenant vehicles. On the Covenant side the player can now operate the Wraith tank and the brand new Spectre, a vehicle that is the rough equivalent of the Warthog. The Covenant also has a new, heavy, ground troop transporter called the Shadow and a super walking tank called the Scarab.

Graphically Halo 2 is only an incremental improvement. Bungie did manage to give everything a little more finished look, but let’s face it, the first game already looked pretty damned good. There are a few graphical anomalies, but nothing that is going to ruin the playing experience.

On the other hand, the audio took a big leap forward. The music is just outstanding. I want to lay my hands on the soundtrack ASAP. There seem to be hundreds of quips from the Master Chief, fellow marines and even the enemy. Hundreds may be an exaggeration, but it certainly feels that way. The voice talent is great. My personal favorite is the drop-dead hot Julie Benz as Miranda Keyes, the daughter of Halo’s Captain Keyes. All of the weapons and vehicle sounds have been vastly improved too. It is just amazing how much the audio adds to the experience of Halo 2. Pump it through your 5.1 channel home theater system for a real treat.

If you’re lucky enough get your hands on the limited edition of Halo 2, there are some terrific extras. The limited edition comes in a metal box with a plastic protective sleeve. Inside, in addition to the game disc, is a second disc that has the story of the game’s development, deleted cutscenes, weapons and vehicle, and more. The manual is a reverse of the regular-edition manual. Where the regular-edition manual is written from the Earth Marine point of view, the limited edition manual is written from the Covenant point of view. If you are an experienced Halo player, think what you might say about the Covenant Grunts versus what the Covenant might say about them. The different assessments are very entertaining. Also included is a secondary manual called “Conversations from the Universe.” There are some intriguing things in this little document. Perhaps even the answer to what comes next in the story.

While Halo 2 may not be absolutely perfect, it is my firm belief that it is about as close to a perfect game as we are going to get in this generation of consoles and is definitely the best Xbox game ever. The combination of a great campaign mode along with a goldmine of multiplayer options makes for an unbeatable gaming experience.



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