Comparing Halo 2 to its Predecessor
The sequel to Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 was released on the Xbox in 2004 to much excitement from fans of the original game. It became a hugely successful game because it was purchased by so many new and old fans of the Halo name. Halo 2 introduces some new characters, weapons and vehicles as well as an extended level of intelligence from the enemies.
The game itself is like the original except improved in a number of ways including a supportable online multiplayer mode that can be played on Xbox live. This was a significant plus to the game especially because of the popularity of the rankings and it held the top spot of most played game on Xbox Live for a long time.
Although some fans believed that nothing compared to the original, most agree that Halo 2 is an extremely good game because even when the story mode has been completed, there are still other modes to discover and master. Featuring the game on Xbox Live makes the possibilities endless as there is always someone new to defeat.
Does Halo 2 Continue the Legacy
The fear about Halo 2 was would it continue on with the high standards set by the original game. Halo 2 was and is a highly entertaining game both as part of the series and standing alone. It could have a longer or more complex story behind it but it still manages to pull off the impossible and improve upon the success of the original Halo.
Single player modes ease the player into new weapons, vehicles and opponents while the enemies themselves are smarter and less predictable. Allies behave more naturally and perform the actions that the player really needs. Cooperative play allows friends to team up together while multiplayer still allows up to 16 players but this time they can play against people from all over the world.
The Xbox Live multiplayer options for Halo 2 are by far its greatest achievement as they allow the game to continue past the average length of game play and yet still have something new to offer by way of rankings, clans, teams and personalized armor. It is a good way to get to know other Halo fans and gives the game a truly competitive edge. After all, every fan wants to be the number one player as seen by the rest of the world. The graphics, animation, sounds, maps and game interactions make Halo 2 seem like an original battle every time and leave fans of Halo drooling for the next installment.
