XBox Xtravaganza: Bungie's Halo 2

By Jonathan Berohn

When Halo came out, it took the first person shooter to new heights. Now, with Halo 2, Bungie has done it again.  For those of you who don’t know, the Halo series takes place in the distant future, where space travel and super-powered are a reality.  In short, Halo 2 is a sci-fi shoot-em-up.  Where Halo 2 shines, though, is in its graphics and game engine.  The 3D models are beautiful to behold, and the game engine keeps things running smoothly and seamlessly.  It’s easy to get immersed in Halo 2, and quite a fun experience when you do.

Playability

Like most first person shooters, Halo 2 is 2 games in one.  There’s a story-driven campaign game and multi-player action.  The campaign game is fun enough in single player, and it does give you good introduction to the game, gradually ramping up the difficulty as your skills progress along with the plot.  Where Halo 2 really shines, though, is in its multi-player offerings.

Multi-Player

There are 2 main types of multiplayer action: cooperative and competitive.  In the cooperative mode, two to four players work together to complete the campaign game.  You can play this kind of game over Xbox live, through linked Xboxes, or all on one Xbox using a split screen—a little confusing but very fun.  One of the great touches in Halo 2 is that, even though you are working as a team, your weapons can still hurt your partners.  There is no room for sloppy play.

Then there are the competitive games.  Hunting aliens is one thing.  Knowing there’s another player out there hunting you is far more of a rush (and provides far more opportunities for taunting—not that I would ever stoop to such lows).  Parents should be warned about Halo 2, though.  It’s pretty deserving of its M (Mature) rating.  The combat is pretty gory.  I would say, though, that 17+ is a bit much.  Halo 2 is nothing most teenagers couldn’t handle—and certainly much different than what you get in a lot of the T (Teen) games.