"Halo 2 isn't a perfect game." (9) It "is still a linear series of shootouts," (5) that is "cowboys and Indians from the get-go," (2) and features "annoying graphical hiccups" and "team AI [that] isn't always perfect." (6)
"Some will undoubtedly say that the graphics have come up a bit short." (6) "There are occasionally some graphic hiccups, such as when a far off texture doesn't fill in as you approach it." (1) or when "the ground sometimes has an unrealistic ripple effect and some characters you come across look blurry." (4) One other "noticeable 'problem' is when the graphics mip-map at the beginning of nearly every scene, meaning that you first see a placeholder graphic before the more detailed version pops into place." (2) "Brutes have a very plastic appearance, and one character in particular is sloppily designed." (9)
In addition, "some of the in-engine cutscenes are kind of ugly," and "you'll actually see a little slowdown, pop-in, and LOD issues during cutscenes." (5) In fact, "you'll wonder what's going on in the cutscenes." (7) "It does detract." (8)
Besides the graphics, Halo 2 has "a surprisingly disappointing story." (5) "The first game had a cold sense of mystery and a striking sense of loneliness that shadowed Master Chief wherever he went. This time around... Halo 2 feels a little bit more Hollywood, a little less underdog." (2) "You spent the first game indiscriminately killing these fiends -- yet now you're expected to be sympathetic to them and their hatred for humankind." (5)
"The second half tends to drag on a bit," (3) but "easily the worst part about the story is the way it ends, insofar as it doesn't." (5) "The final battle is neither interesting while you're in the thick of it nor fulfilling once it concludes." (9) "You'll run into this game's cliff-hanger ending like a compact car into a brick wall... There's little satisfaction to be found in the ending here," and "there's a good chance you'll feel emotionally betrayed by the story." (5) "More than a few people will find Bungie's segue to Xbox 2 more than a little irritating." (2)
"I still see a bit of repetitive level design in Halo 2." (7) "Halo 2's campaign... frequently boils down to straight-up run-and-gun corridor crawls, one after another." (5) "Bungie's ship and interior designs are almost as repetitive in both architecture and texturing as before... Given no map, you will find yourself wondering where the hell to go more often than not... More distinct texture work and asymmetrical ornamentation would've helped."(8)
"The AI has a few weaknesses, especially when it's in the driver's seat of a vehicle, where it has trouble steering around obstacles." (5) In addition "many battles turn into strike-and-hide exercises where you take a few shots and then sneak away to let your shield recharge." (6) "It certainly doesn't help that the campaign is "rather short" (5) and that "able-bodied players will probably finish the game on Normal mode in around 15 hours." (2) "I somehow expected it to take much longer." (8)
"There's no... system-link cooperative mode." (3) and "you can't play co-op online." (4) That's right, there's "no co-op play for Xbox Live or through system link." (9) "I'd have loved to see a working online co-op mode." (7) "It would have been great to play co-op online." (8) "My dream of online co-op with the Master Chief has been dashed." (7)
"Halo 2 is not perfect." (4) "You could argue that given all the hype, Halo 2 is disappointingly more of the same." (3) "I can't really say that the engine has been vastly improved for the sequel," (7) "every now and then, the game goes a bit overboard with the technology," (4) "and well, could there have been more maps?" (8) "A surprisingly disappointing story and a fairly short single-player portion are noticeable shortcomings." (5) "After all of the time we spent waiting for this product, the developers owed us something better." (9)
EDITOR'S NOTE: If it's not apparent yet, this "review" is simply an amalgamation of bad points from nine other mass-market reviews of Halo 2. All the words inside quotes were copied directly from the numbered source in parentheses immediately following (links to source material available below.) These quotes were deliberately purged of any positive context or mitigating conditionals through judicious snipping, but it should be made clear that I believe every one of these points was intended as a negative in the original review. I did not just take random words to make it look like the reviewers found flaws that they didn't, but rather I separated out the middling negatives from the overwhelming positives and grouped them into a semi-coherent whole.
Anyone who's still ready to flame me after that should consider that it took the relatively minor nitpicking from nine separate reviews to construct one average-length, overly-repetitive negative review of this game, and the negative review still isn't very convincing. If this doesn't speak to the obvious quality of a game, I don't know what does.
So why do this at all? First, to show that quotes taken out of context can be highly, highly misleading (important to remember the next time you see a quote on the back of a game box). Second, to show that although it might seem like Halo 2 is God's gift to video gaming, it is not perfect. None of the nine reviews I read (some of which were quite lengthy and gave the game their highest score) claimed that it was. Some explicitly said it wasn't. Media frenzies like this tend to encourage hyperbole, so this is my attempt to keep the effusive praise down to a realistic level.
Thus begins what is turning into Halo 2 week at the VGO (what can I say, I was feeling left out). Look for reviews of some Halo 2 reviews tomorrow and an overview of Halo 2 news coverage on Thursday.
Review sources:
(1) http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/halo-2/564301p1.html
(2) http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3136245&did=6
(3) http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=2005815&did=2
(4) http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3136252&did=1
(5) http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/halo2/review.html
(6) http://www.g4techtv.com/halo2day/features/50249/Halo_2_Review.html
(7) http://www.ugo.com/channels/games/features/halo2/review_1.asp
(8) http://xbox.ign.com/articles/557/557509p1.html
(9) http://microsoft.gamerfeed.com/gf/reviews/520/
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I'm still wondering why none of the reviews mentioned that unless you're in a party (which obviously requires at least one friend online), you cannot select a particular map or game type for multiplayer. The relegation to the "playlists" for ranked games, and the horribly minor distinction between QuickMatch and OptiMatch, has been a serious negative for me.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe they did mention it, and it's just buried. *shrug*
Halo 2 sucks lol.
ReplyDeleteThey didn't say anything because they were too busy sucking Bungie's... hyperbole.
ReplyDeleteAnother annoying thing is that you are required to have an Xbox to play the game! How inconsiderate. Plus, the story line is a thinly disguised re-telling of the Nixon-Humphrey election. One dramatic cut-scene where Eugene McCarthy (Cortana) angers President Johnson (343 Guilty Spark) is a dead giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI have no need to play this game until it is ported to a platform that will not crash or bluescreen on me. By that time all the bugs wil have been worked out and I can enjoy a better version on my Mac.
ReplyDeleteTry playing it on legendary you chicken-ass hamster-masturbating covenant-loving liberal commie!
ReplyDeleteNick Holmes
Ahh, another comment by one of Bills robots. Or are they given designations like the borg? Is that you 3 of 9? Mindless drones.
ReplyDeleteWell, I agree with most of those negative points and I do think along with some XBL problems it does relegate Halo 2 to an averagely good game. Halo 1 had the same flaws but at least then it was more original at the time. Playing Halo 2 I get the feeling "there is nothing unique or special about this." I must admit to liking the in the streets urban battling, but I can't really see Halo 2 as getting more than a 9/10 (which is what I gave the original.) It should not be game of the year.
ReplyDeleteNice take on the Halo 2 reviews. This is a refreshing look at quotes in and out of context. I'll wait to pass judgement on Halo 2 until my own experience. However, it is my firm belief that expectations of a game are 90% of the review result. :)
ReplyDelete"Media frenzies like this tend to encourage hyperbole, so this is my attempt to keep the effusive praise down to a realistic level."
ReplyDeleteIt's very refreshing to see this kind of take on media. All too often, I see tons of reviews that score 100/100 or 10/10 or "4 stars all the way!", which definitely exaggerate the greatness of a game. Thanks for putting this up!
Halo 2 is among the best games of all time. you douchebags are all just pissed because you couldnt create a game half as good. So you all can go suck grunt !@#$.
ReplyDeleteMay the fleas of a thousand brutes infest your Genitalia.
I think i have some theories why you dislike this game so much... (a) You have sand in your Vagina.
ReplyDelete(b) You were horribly molested as a child.
(c) Or you couldn't get a copy.
You know what i think about halo 2... well ill tell you when i play it.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have no problems with the game itself, I find the graphic flaws rather distressing, seeing as how I don't recall any of this pop-in and slowdown from the first game.
ReplyDeleteNice experiment. Helps put things on perspective and not just go for whatever you read on the net.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I seem to have problems admitting that a game can be perfect... or a perfect sequel, whatever that means...
I think it's all a matter of scale. Take movies, for example. If you like fantasy/sci-fi then Lord of the Rings gets a 10. It has to -- there's a) a lot of media hyperbole around the movies and b) they are actually really good. But both Halo 2 and LOTR should probably get about a 9.5 or less. The fact that IGN gave San Andreas a 9.9 is just insane. I can think of at least two one problems with that game: outdated graphics (no specular lighting, no normal mapping). So, 9.6 maybe.
ReplyDeleteThis is ridiculous!!!
ReplyDeleteYou have some interesting opinions of the game and the game press and some people are going like “you douchebags are all just pissed because you couldnt create a game half as good”. They are missing the point. Is not because is a good/bad game is because is hyped game.
Let me give you an example: I went to see the movie Batman and Robin and all the movie’s hype make me believe that movie was good then I remember all the bad things… Uma Thurman acting was horrible… Nipples in Batman’s costume… George Clooney… Batgirl was unnecessary… Cheesy lines… Ridiculous Sound effects… It feels less like the dark Batman movies and more like the campy 60’s TV show. Then all the hype was gone and all that’s left was a really crappy movie.
Now I’m not saying that Halo 2 is a bad game because of the hype. I like Halo 1 but it not different from all the FPS I have seen. The only difference is an exclusive game from a console that does not have a lot of big exclusives to begin with. Right now MS is hyping this game as the biggest game in history, but in reality is biggest game for X-box on the holiday season. Tell me another big exclusive game that is coming X-box this season and I mean after the release of Halo 2.
So don’t believe the hype is a sequel. And think for yourself.
Here's the honest-to-God "bad review":
ReplyDeleteHalo 1 sucked. It was horrible. Complete and total garbage. Like going back to Doom 1, after playing Doom 3, and just praying it to be better.
Halo 2 isn't quite as bad as Halo 1.
It's still heading towards "worst popular game ever" though.
And I don't hate everything mainstream.
You nerds have serious issues. It is a game!?!?!
ReplyDeleteIf you've spent anytime thinking about whether or not this is a good/bad game then you've spent more time than what is necessary to critique something that is made for kids and young adults to enjoy.
This game is to be consumed as individuals (free thinking I might add). If you choose to consume it for vendictive reasons because you don't like Microsoft, then fine. But, don't waste your time at the coffee shop trying to get everyone to love/hate this game. It's just a game (I think I already said that). Just so you know the score of the real world:
Game Producers/Developers/Reviewers : 1
Incoherent Followers, Mainstream Critics, and Obsessive Compulsive Nerds : 0
Enjoy the game. If you don't like it just play another game.
I'm sick of all the talk and hype about Halo 2. I think there's something else coming out that deserves more discussion than anything else...the Nintendo DS. Halo 2 may be the most highly polished FPS to date, but it's not really doing anything different or revolutionary. On the other hand, the Nintendo DS is something totally new and innovative. Play your Halo 2 and have fun, but get ready for the Nintendo DS.
ReplyDeleteHalo 2 is fun, so play it or don't. . . Funny review though :)
ReplyDeletelol i remember reading like 50% of the negative comments he strung together from ign gamespot and something else
November 16th is the day when Halo 2 becomes a mere afterthought in quality gaming. Halo 2 is an interactive rail shooter, thanks to aggressive auto-aim. Clearly console gamers think they got it good, but most PC gamers just shrug and go back to playing real FPS.
ReplyDeleteInflated scores at the high end are nothing compared to the low end. Crappy games that should have never been made regularly get 70's. It seems that 50% means "you may find some instant of enjoyment during the utterly boring trip through this crappy mess".
ReplyDeleteSo if someone wants to give a game 100% because he thinks that anyone remotely interested in buying will not regret it, that's fine with me.
I agree with some of the more intellegent people who have posted on this thread: "It is just a game." As with every game there will always be at least a handful of people who dont like it. EVERY GAME. whether or not it is held as "the best game of all time" by the general public. So in my opinion it is rather pointless to continue this thread. Some agree that halo 2 isnt that good, some vehemently disagree, but it is JUST A GAME.
ReplyDelete----
ReplyDeleteThis was fun! And useful.
Only thing that made Halo 1 worth of something was that for change the developement in plot had an affect to developement of interaction. And I don't mean tougher enemies, but that the way of playing changed in the middle. Not just the polygons you were up against.
I always wondered if Halo 2 could reach the same. If the developemet of interaction would be stripped the game would become pretty boring. Despite the cleverly cutted and pasted world.
The pieces of review you pieced are well selected and combined. It's funny though that they concentrate mainly on graphical and performance issues of the game: it porpably indicates that graphics etc. are the only thing people look for in the games nowdays. Too bad the good things in Halo 1 were also overrung by the nonsense about graphics.
Wow I have never seen so many anymous postings on this blog before! It seems bashing Halo 2 is a touchy subject. All the short comeings you mentioned are true, but just that short comeings. My big gripe with the game is the graphics errors. It seems like a throw back to the days of the PS1, you know, graphics detail popping in and out, very anoying. My big dissapointment was with all the developement behind this game a problem that was so noticeable should have been ironed out! It amost seems like the game was headed for another delay and the higher ups said "good enough, lets make some money before the end of the fiscal year." I guess I'll just wait for the patch via Xbox live. Other than that I think the game is fun, and a good challenge. I give it 9 out of 10 just for the co-op. Contra could takes some hints from Halo.
ReplyDeleteby the way, genius work on compileing the bad parts of the reviews!
why does no one mention the BOTS! the utter lack of BOTS! FUCKING BOTS YOU MORONS!!! what if i only have eight people to play and i want sixteen people . . . I NEED SOME FUCKING BOTS TO EVEN IT OUT! goddamn. i think the singleplayers shortcomings would have been solved with a few more multiplayer maps and some GODDAMN BOTS . . . ok enough capyelling . . . killzone rulz
ReplyDeleteWhy use normal mapping??? I've only seen a small bit of H2. In the intro scene the humans look like they have plastic wrap on thier faces.
ReplyDeleteBut I bet its a lot of fun... so I'll stopmy bashing here ;)
Interesting experiment, though I think all the Halo fanboys (and girls) have totally swallowed the load of hype that MS has shot out prior to launch. Nothing will convince them that Halo 2 is not God's gift to gaming.
ReplyDeleteEven if you only look at the negatives, Halo 2 looks like an average game, which isn't bad. It's just average. The above average part comes with multiplayer and XBL.
..cuz registering a login name is a bitch. anyways, halo 2 is fun regardless of the texture glitches (probably the most annoying thing in the game). i didnt expect it to be a godsend, but it is quite entertaining. i think its as good as the first installment. this is a type of game you'd play thru once.. put it away for a couple of days, then start from the beginning at a more difficult level. i can see myself playing it on heroic and legendary after i complete it on normal. of course if you have live, youll probably go into that immediately after sp campaign (but sadly i dont have xbl)
ReplyDeleteI am disappointed to have paid 50 some dollars for an update to Halo. Although everyone comments on graphical hiccups, which every game has, and every most likely every game released hereafter will continue to have, not many actually comment on gameplay. I believe people are upset because they recieved a patch... a version 1.5. I am hopefull that Bungie and MS will continue to release Halo products, including MAP/Weapons Generators, and skin mods. Bungie and affiliates deserve much for their work, but I expect my 50 dollars to purchase a soon to be release update as well. Sorry for the lengthy post, im opinionated.
ReplyDeleteIt's actually pretty fun. But all this time they've had and all they got is.
ReplyDelete#1 Polished up graphics.
#2 3 or 4 new weapons.
#3 10-15 new models
#4 Better AI
#5 Online support.
Honestly this is more of an upgrade.
It's like Halow (Windows 2000 ) SP2
:)
50$ for an upgrade.
Bungie should hire more developers. They obviously aren't putting in 40hr work weeks. more like 12 / 15 hrs.
Most novices and amatures can sling together models and
custom content for the popular games in less than a week.
The game was definately overhyped. Half Life 2 is going to OWN Halo 2. Half Life > Halo 2.
ReplyDeleteHalo 2 Blows biggest dissapointment ever Multiplayer is a friggin joke. They took out so much stuff that made the first one so good I could write a book about it. Bungie screwed us all they screwed us all Frank O Conner is a lying ***** i guess those weekly updates were all full of **** Im goin back to Halo1.
ReplyDeleteyou guys are absolutely retarded. stop being the dorky critics that you are and just enjoy the fucking game, because the fact is, nothing else comes close to it. this game is something to revel in and enjoy, not something to nitpick and bitch about.
ReplyDeleteI read all the comments and then played the game. Though it wasn't what I expected, I enjoyed the hell out of it. I've only reached the third level, but so far, so good.
ReplyDeleteEverything comes with controversy, so the negatives were to be expected, but I pay no attention to those unless I experience them myself. Again, so far, so good.
Btw I'm an older female, which doesn't exactly fit the male sterotype of a gamer. My only beef is having to play as a guy.
halo two is really really nice
ReplyDeletemmm mmm good
ummm.... just how much older are we talking here?
ReplyDeleteIn the scene where Key's daughter gets her metal, is she suffering from Lycanthropy? The Admiral handing out the metals seems to be suffering from some kind of flesh eating disease, because his face is about to fall off.
ReplyDeleteIn reality Halo2 doesn't, "suxors lamorz!!" but is not yet the "OMGWTFHAHAHLOLZ roxorz" we were all waiting for.
Its a continuation of the storyline. Oh, and I believe we all know the names AND faces of the people who sucked it up because they were stupid enough to be in the Halo2 trailers that you can find in Halo1. Beat them at will.
What did you expect from Bungie? C'mon people. They didn't even make the original Halo. They just finished it. The game was originally made for the Apple, of all things. Check on the back of a Voodoo 5 5500 video card box (circa 1997) for information about the original Halo.
Given the brilliant post at the top of this page, I hate to see this thread devolve into off-topic nonsense, so I am going to try to bring it back home.
ReplyDeleteThe point of Kyle’s post is clearly not the quality of Halo 2. The idea is to expose the largest problem with the gaming media, which is that they can rarely escape their own hype and properly score a game. This indicates a serious issue with the integrity of an entity that has a great deal of financial influence, and it should not be disregarded as a simple coffee house talking point.
There is no clearer illustration of this problem than Kyle’s lengthy compilation of negative comments taken from reviews that award perfect or near-perfect scores. What is it about Halo 2 that makes its score impervious to a few complaints? Read the latest EGM, and you will find that Metal Gear Solid 3 and Metroid Prime 2 were given lower scores than Halo 2 despite a comparable number of negative comments in the reviews for each title. Halo 2 emerges unscathed because it was the most hyped, and because the reviewers giddily tore into the advanced copies much the same way as the average Halo nut did on November 9th. These people are too often incapable of stepping back, taking a deep breath, and appropriately scoring a game.
Actually, I think all the off-topic nonsense is in itself a great illustration of how hype and anti-hype affects gamers.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it's hard to say for sure that MGS3 gota lower score than Halo 2 simply beause it has less hype. First off a "comparable number" of negative comments is a very dodgy statistic. Even if the number of comments is exactly the same, their severity might not be. Secondly, it might just be personal preference for a type of straightforward FPS (Halo 2) over a different type of stealh spy thriller that caused the discrepancy. It's highly possible that EGM stepped back, took a deep breath, and gave MGS3 a slightly lower score because they thought it deserved it.
Some people just think its "cool" to bash a good game. Huh....yeah right...
ReplyDeleteI have an idea on the flame war slowly burning through this topic:
ReplyDeleteIt's a matter of enjoyability. If everyone's giving it rave reviews and you happen to not like it, it's not the reviewers, it's not the people who enjoy it, and it's not you for not liking it.
You like what you like. This insulting (going BOTH ways) is absolutely pathetic. If you don't like Halo 2, then fine. Just don't call it the worst damn game you've ever played, because in the grand scale of things, no one who enjoys it will really be listening. And if you did like it, don't jump down people's throats who disagree with you.
As for the all negative review: both negatives and positives are often exaggerated in reviews. A "major" graphical glitch will often be a small pop-in or something even more minor. And honestly, it looks like Bungie at least attempted to use the pop-in to advantage. I know that sounds crazy, but if you look at some scenes, the the more "important" objects to the shot are finished immediately, and the less-focused backgrounds fill in later. A good example of this is the Elite's helmet falling to the ground in the Heretic cutscene.
I'm a huge Halo fan and I have been waiting two years for Halo 2. That having been said I agree with every one of the negative comments. I don't think any of them are off base or simply nit-picky.
ReplyDeleteI like Halo 2 a lot and it was woth the wait. I don't know if it would have been possible to live up to my expectations anyway, but I do wish there had been more variety in the levels. When they mention one area in particular (I won't say it for the sake of spoilers) before you even get there I just about threw up. "Oh great... more of that."
The good definitely outweighs the bad by a fair margin. I appreciate this look at Halo 2, however, because it does highlight the various little things that I have felt as I was playing through. And you have to admit, it took balls to post a review like this. Nice work.
Sure halo 2 is great, but there are some things that can't even be tolerated. I was driving a warthog with a marine in the back and everything was fine, until the marine would just dissapear out of the game. I would go back a checkpoint but it kept on happening. I mean, c'mon now. This wouldn't happen in any other game, and shouldn't for f'n halo 2.
ReplyDeleteHalf life 2 is gonna pwn Halo 2 out of the water.
ReplyDeletepc > Xbox
Bitches.
"Given the brilliant post at the top of this page, I hate to see this thread devolve into off-topic nonsense, so I am going to try to bring it back home.
ReplyDeleteThe point of Kyle’s post is clearly not the quality of Halo 2. The idea is to expose the largest problem with the gaming media, which is that they can rarely escape their own hype and properly score a game. This indicates a serious issue with the integrity of an entity that has a great deal of financial influence, and it should not be disregarded as a simple coffee house talking point.
There is no clearer illustration of this problem than Kyle’s lengthy compilation of negative comments taken from reviews that award perfect or near-perfect scores. What is it about Halo 2 that makes its score impervious to a few complaints? Read the latest EGM, and you will find that Metal Gear Solid 3 and Metroid Prime 2 were given lower scores than Halo 2 despite a comparable number of negative comments in the reviews for each title. Halo 2 emerges unscathed because it was the most hyped, and because the reviewers giddily tore into the advanced copies much the same way as the average Halo nut did on November 9th. These people are too often incapable of stepping back, taking a deep breath, and appropriately scoring a game."
I agree Ron. Only GameSpot gave it a "realistic" score for this game. This post just exposes to us what a crock of shit review sites really are. Mind you, the news media is ten times worse.
You guys are just trying to put halo 2 down. I mean, some of the comments's topics were true, but not big enough to screw up the frickin game! ok, so there was sometimes some graphical problems, SO FRICKIN WHAT! lets see you try to make a game half as good! If you don't like halo 2, then don't play it! let the fans play it, love it, and not have to throw up over your dumb, stupid, and overly exaggerated complaints.
ReplyDeleteMan, you halo 2 haters pi$$ me off so bad!!!
And you wonder why you even bother to try to explain yourself sometimes. Unless I am in the minority and completely missed the point of your blog, I applaud your creativity. I am totally dumbfounded by the amount of people who missed the entire idea of this article. Very scary!
ReplyDeleteGlad to say, after attending another Halo party, this time version deux, I am thoroughly enthrawled(sp?) in multiplayer. Campaign was entertaining for a while, but eh.. ya know. Also i am aware of the blogs target subject, but given the posts by other users i saw no harm in posting my opinion. Although credit is due to Mr. Ombudsman, interesting take on the implication of media hype on the consumer.
ReplyDelete"What did you expect from Bungie? C'mon people. They didn't even make the original Halo. They just finished it. The game was originally made for the Apple, of all things. Check on the back of a Voodoo 5 5500 video card box (circa 1997) for information about the original Halo."
ReplyDeleteI don't know what this guy is talking about, Bungie built Halo from the ground up, originally starting on the Mac, as had all their games (I believe) up until they moved to Microsoft. And oh yeah, since we've all got a Voodoo 5 5500 box (circa 1997) lying around we'll be sure to check it right away.
I was excited for Halo 2, but I didn't buy into the hype, I knew it wasn't going to be the Be-All-End-All of videogames, but being that Bungie has a long history of making enjoyable games (have you played "Pathways into Darkness"?), and based off the experience of Halo, I expected it to be good. And it is.
I found Halo 2 to be exactly what I expected, like Halo, but better. I still fought mostly the same aliens, though new ones were fun, and mostly used the same guns, though the new ones are fun, I enjoyed the levels, they were much better visually and gameplay-wise than Halo. Overall, it's great, and I'll be playing it again and again, I'm sure.
This is a great article, quoting all the negative points in one place do make them come off as small quibbles, but they have to quibble over something so they don't seem completely biased. Of course review magazines and sites are biased, just follow the money train: magazines and websites are mainly funded by ad revenue, and who advertises with them? Why, game companies, of course! So, would it be in the best interest of the review sources to favorably review the games of the companies that effectively pay their salaries?
And another thing, Halo 2 is great and all, but no game will ever step to the Marathon trilogy.
ReplyDeleteHands down, Marathon is the all time greatest ever.
"pc > Xbox
ReplyDeleteBitches."
Too bad the PC gaming industry has been going through a freefall for over a decade now and has zero viability going into the future other than one or two high-visibility FPS and MMO releases each year; oh wait that's where the PC industry already is. God knows what kind of fucking sorry place the PC industry has left to go, but I guess it can somehow find a way to dig through the bottom of the barrel to reach new lows (one game a year? w/ Blizzard, Valve and id alternating years (Valve obviously having to contribute only once out of every six cycles)?
At least you'll always have Microsoft Word, fucktard.
call me crazy.. .xbox is a pc. NOO.. THIS GUY IS CRAZY!! Hmm microsoft releases a gaming platform, gee i wonder what type of network protocol it utilizes, wonder how Xbox live was such a success in so little time. its only a matter of time until someone with too much time creates a user-friendly interface for an xbox. i hope i didnt shatter any false idealogical views of your gaming platform. Dont get me wrong Xbox rocks, theres nothing wrong with personal tech integration, at least it would be nice.
ReplyDeleteHalo 2 is what it is, a game. I personally like the game. It's much better than #1, but not the best thing ever made. Everyone is compaining about the graphics or storylines in halo 2, but why even bother posting anything at all. If you don't the game, don't play it or buy it, but don't be bashing something just because it is not the best thing ever. You are probably like all those people who protest. They do it because they have nothing else to do. Personally, i think that all of you should just shut your mouths and let the people who enjoy the game play it. A bunch of hang out and get games of 4+ people playing against each other, which is a blast. It's just plain fun. Unlike you people out there who spend all their time complaining about the game (probably haven't even played the game, just read an article or saw a couple of screen shots of halo 2), the rest of us are actually playing the game and having fun at it. Eventually, there will be a game out there w/ Virtual Reality like graphics for one hell of a game, but until then, play what you've got. So, for all of you out there who like halo & halo 2, enjoy the games, for all you others, find something creative to do with all of your free time that you have, instead of bashing what others have done. Later.
ReplyDeleteAll I have to say is I was very disappointed, I would be three times as disapointed if I bought the game. It is just marginaly better than the previous, no really cool new weapons, only one new veichle. I wouldn't suggest anyone to buy it. The graphics where about the same besides the fog seens which where pretty killer. It is surely a renter, or a buyer after it drops to 30 dollars. but not worth 50$
ReplyDeleteHalo 2 is a huge disappointment. Makes the first one look so much better. Ghost Recon 2 is a FAR better FSP. If I hadn't of spent $75.00 on the game and strat. guide, I don't think I would have bothered to finish it.
ReplyDeleteLONGER LONGER LONGER!!!!!!!!!!!! This game suck's because it is way to dam short. Game price should have been 10-20 $$ not 50$.
ReplyDeleteI fill i got screwed, If there is a halo 3 ? take it bill and put it you no where.
well give me a dollar and call me spliffy halo2 isnt as godly as everyone thought it would've been but hey look on the bright side, MICROSOFT MADE MILLIONS!
ReplyDeletenow they are rich(ER) drinking scottish whisky on their marble porches, overjoyed that they made so much money in a few weeks
i congratulate the people who bought this game, because you made microsoft richer and now, fully motivated to make xbox2 and halo3
I was really excited about halo 2 comming out like millions of other people. I have been looking at halo 2 articles and drooling over screen shots for over a year. When it finnally came out, I was somewhat dissapointed. Where did all the cool things i'd been hearing go? There were supposed to be 4 different warthogs, includiing a snow mobile type and an ATV. These were not just rummors, I saw them in screen shots at bungie net and simaler web sites.The awsome looking level they showed at New Mombasa at E3 was completely absent. In fact, you hardly play on earth at all because the so called "invasion of earth" is just an accidental assault by a measly 15 ships. No global apocolypse like they showed in the trailer, with the planet surface ablaze with nuclear holocoust. No, the covanant only take one crappy African city and run away. You never play on the moon with low gravity as was hinted at.No covanenant home world, just a space holy city that is no different than a covanent space ship( with colors ever so fruity and gay). You dont have the the flamethrower, and the fuel rod cannon is absent from multiplayer. As for the 15 massisve levels, it's more like 6. One "level" is just a cinamatic, and the next is only a 2 minute tutorial. The rest are really just chapters of the story, with 2 or three "levels" played in one large enviroment. Each "level" is smaller than a halo1 map.This lie was extremly frustrating. The game devolopers also led you to beleive there would be mass battles with hordes of marines and Covanant dukeing it out Starcraft style. There may be lots of marines in one enviroment, but the battels never are more massive than the original halo. Overall Halo 2 is a lot like Halo 1, but stumbling through a hospital zone at 160 pills an hour, being chased by old ladies with walkers and male nurses. Oh, and all the male nurses are hoped up on morphine.
ReplyDeleteI was really excited about halo 2 comming out like millions of other people. I have been looking at halo 2 articles and drooling over screen shots for over a year. When it finnally came out, I was somewhat dissapointed. Where did all the cool things i'd been hearing go? There were supposed to be 4 different warthogs, includiing a snow mobile type and an ATV. These were not just rummors, I saw them in screen shots at bungie net and simaler web sites.The awsome looking level they showed at New Mombasa at E3 was completely absent. In fact, you hardly play on earth at all because the so called "invasion of earth" is just an accidental assault by a measly 15 ships. No global apocolypse like they showed in the trailer, with the planet surface ablaze with nuclear holocoust. No, the covanant only take one crappy African city and run away. You never play on the moon with low gravity as was hinted at.No covanenant home world, just a space holy city that is no different than a covanent space ship( with colors ever so fruity and gay). You dont have the the flamethrower, and the fuel rod cannon is absent from multiplayer. As for the 15 massisve levels, it's more like 6. One "level" is just a cinamatic, and the next is only a 2 minute tutorial. The rest are really just chapters of the story, with 2 or three "levels" played in one large enviroment. Each "level" is smaller than a halo1 map.This lie was extremly frustrating. The game devolopers also led you to beleive there would be mass battles with hordes of marines and Covanant dukeing it out Starcraft style. There may be lots of marines in one enviroment, but the battels never are more massive than the original halo. Overall Halo 2 is a lot like Halo 1, but stumbling through a hospital zone at 160 pills an hour, being chased by old ladies with walkers and male nurses. Oh, and all the male nurses are hoped up on morphine.
ReplyDeleteI sense a lot of tension here. Okay now, all together....GROUP HUG!!!!! But in all seriousness, with all the delays and hype this game had before release it should have brought more to the table. This game is nothing more than a platform for Halo 3. Other than being able to carry two weapons at once. This game brought nothing. If as much time as they spent promoting the game was spent on the game. I should have spent my 50 bucks on GTA-San Andreas. Anyone interested in a barely used copy of Halo 2?? lol.
ReplyDeleteHalo 2... when i play the game i like to think of myself as MasterHart (my ingame name) and sure enough playing Halo 2 i thought at first of all the flaws, and i agree it has got some, but then i realised...its halo, this game revolutinized the game industry and i think you ppl need to give it more credit than you are doing. Sure its too short and then levels can be repetative but its meant to be a Multiplayer game, i didnt expect anything totally new in the first place and to me Halo is a really good FPS. Ive got Half Life 2 and i dont think its better at all.... it has longetivity and cool things, yea sure but i found it too repetative, there wernt enough weapons and they wernt that gud anyway to be honest, and finally although it was great to do most things, e.g. pick up objects and throw em at things :D but it lacked appeal to the first. Half life 2 is gud for a bit of exiting gaming but in the end dont get your hopes up, just like Halo 2 it isnt what youd expect and i found it a bigger disapointment. Back to the subject at hand though Halo 2 is a great game, play it enjoy it and as many ppl have already said, you dont like it then dont play it, thanks for taking the time to read this post if ya do :D. P.S. the ending gave the game suspense! P.P.S. The Arbitor being a playable character made the game have that bit of diffrence.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed halo 2, til i got to the end, which was probably the worst ending ive ever seen and preety much made the rest of the storyline obsolete. there might as well have been no storyline and just endless mindless action. seriously, how can a company spend 100 million making a game, but still fuck up in the first stages of production by using a shitty, unoriginal storyline. One more level would have satisfied the public.
ReplyDeleteThey could have made Halo 2 the same time they were making Halo. It does not really look any better and it is the same format. Run shoot, hide and don't get lost. I really enjoyed Halo 1 on my PC but mostly for the online play. These games are all supposed to be about enjoying the experience. We should not single out graphics (unless they are really bad)as the defining factor of a game's quality. Is Halo 2 fun? Yes but no more than Halo 1. And when you follow up a game like that you should really step it up a notch. As for best game of all time, it is foolish to say so. Games will always get better as time progresses. Look at Street Fighter 2 for the super nintendo. It got solid tens. Nowadays you could not give that game more than a 3. In my personal experience though, the best game I ever played was Metroid Prime. Too bad it was never online.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Halo 2 has some nice new things like dual wielding, i think Halo 1 is still far better. It was a disappointment honestly. In the Bungie.com rendering section, they showed warthog permutations and a new ATV vehicle. I was so excited about those new vehicles, but where are they?!! Not in Halo 2! And also THE MOST DISAPPOINTING: where is the blood when you bash an Covenant on the ground?!! DAMN I ENJOYED BASHING THOSE ELITES UNTIL THE WHOLE GROUND AROUND THEM WAS PURPLE!!! but in Halo 2 you can't do that!!! another thing is, in Halo 2 you don't have a dependable and long-lasting weapon like the assault rifle in Halo 1. The new smgs run out so fricking fast its no fun. I wish the Bungie people would see what i'm saying and make Halo 3 kick ass!
ReplyDeleteLOL hahahahaha okay that comment of half life 2 owning halo 2 is just full of shit man. first off the bugs on the game are stolen looks, i mean the way they look, came from starship troopers, second graphics are just like polygons with just coloring(wtf is that) third, its not scary at all
ReplyDeleteits full of crap, guns suck, and those names they gave to the robots
like man hacker what the fuck that is as cheesy as those old night of the living dead movies (sry i like the movies but its the truth) and last of all half life2 is a crapy game. also i want to include to thatlast dipshit something must be wrong with you if you kill someone and keep bashing them they should stop bleeding, duh, and try shooting theyr dead bodies thats more fun and plus to the comment again the smgs run out fast cause you frieking miss at shooting at what your shooting at you stupid newb.
okay i was talking about half life 2 owning halo 2 one more thing wtf are those thing that stick to your head and take controll of your body, they look like fucking pandas or some stupid racoon or maybe some lemur
ReplyDeleteAlrighty then, Halo has released over five months ago and if any of you guys read this, underrstad this, Halo 2 does not suck entierly. It may have some of the best music in any game and the weapons are really awesome. However... Halo 2 does suck balls... big balls and I must say that I have anticipated this game for many months till its huge release and I play it, only to see huge graphical glithces and extreme pop up in the cutscenes; during gameplay the graphic hiccup and backdrops appear out of nowhere and has the most frustrating affect ever in a video game. I own over three hundred Video games, all for my xbox and none of them, have this problem, to the extent of Halo 2. Just unbelivably annoying. Next, the AI. Who the hell programmed the AI? I mean, I see Brutes running stupidly into walls and obsticles, Jackels fading in and out of the screen. Marine drivers, driving directly into a wall and KEEP DRIVING INTO IT LIKE RETARDS!! The editor is right, obsticles are a huge issue for AI partners and baddies in Halo 2. I'll even go as far to say that the marines, whether or not they shot at you by accident, in Halo 1 were much smarter and more efficant with their weapons. Huh?! Common Bungie, what happened to the great gamplay, graphics and oh yeah that thing called STORY, that we all loved about the first Halo?! Common guys! In all, Halo was much MUCH better that Halo 2, and even I go to say that: You call Halo 2 a game? Being the biggest Halo nerd in the world, what the hell happened to Halo 2? And one more thing... both Halo's are not just games, they are masterpieces, whether or not Halo 2 sucks balls.
ReplyDelete