Halo 2 Limited Edition

Review by Augie Bettencourt

The Story

Halo 2 (Bugie) is the long-awaited sequel to Halo (Bungie), which was arguably the best first-person shooter game in history. With the original Halo as one of the most widely praised, most influential first-person shooters ever created, Halo 2 had a hard act to follow. After playing Halo 2 for countless hours, it's hard to imagine that any Halo fan is not going to be thrilled with this next chapter in the adventure. Halo 2 picks up where Halo left off and the Master Chief is onboard a battle station in orbit around Earth and being outfitted for duty. A great deal of attention is paid this time around not to the humans struggling for survival, but to the Covenant and what turns out to be a major political upheaval within their ranks. 

Better Weapons!

The gameplay carries over the spot-on console first-person-shooter action from the first version. What's fresh is the firepower of the new weaponry, and the fact that you can wield two weapons at once. Now you can lay down a devastating firestorm with any number of weapon combos. The new submachine gun (SMG) is particularly effective in combination with old favorites like the plasma pistol or the Elite pulse rifle. Snipers can continue to wreak long-range havoc with the standard issue sniper rifle, but they're going to love the Covenant beam rifle (99 shots) and the 2X scope on the standard issue Marine battle rifle, an improvement over the old assault rifle. Hand gunners will find the new Magnum sidearm powerful and effective, but less prevalent that the pistol from the first game. Vehicles have also improved. The all-purpose Warthog hasn't changed much in the way of handling, but now one of your AI-controlled squad buddies can drive while you man the gun. Also, the Scorpion tank reloads its gun much more quickly, which makes it one of the most lethal weapons in the game and an effective one-on-one weapon versus the Covenant Ghosts and Banshee flying vehicles. Additionally, up to four Marines can ride shotgun on the outside of the tank, and if they're armed with rocket launchers you're almost unstoppable.

Better Graphics!

The graphics are much improved in Halo 2. The generous use of extended cinema sequences punctuates the game's gorgeous graphics and glorious sounds. The environments look particularly lush and otherworldly and the character graphics are sharp. It also seems that the lighting and shadows are better and there is much more detail in the reflections seen. By turning on the flashlight and looking at how the light reflects off objects and enemies, you can see a noticeable difference from the original game. Water is more fluid and realistic and there's much more detail in the faces of characters.

Better Sound!

For us home theater enthusiasts, the Xbox has always been the console of choice, because the audio has always been in the Dolby Digital 5.1 format. The musical score is unforgettable and the Xbox's sound separation is distinct and clear for a complete, immerse experience. You always know when something or someone is behind you, to your left, right, in front, or even passing overhead and tremendous audio effects drop you right into the thick of battle. Battle segments often had my Velodyne DD-18 subwoofers pounding. The voice acting is appropriately dramatic and it's funny to hear the various Covenant characters speaking English with accents. 

Extras

In celebration of the long-awaited release of the sequel to the premier Xbox shooter, Microsoft commissioned this special edition version of Halo 2, encased in a collector's metal box and including the entire game plus a bonus DVD featuring: The Making of Halo 2 (with a behind-the-scenes look at Bungie Studios); featurettes on game design, music, animation and more; outtakes of cinematics and character goofs; art galleries of concept art and in-game imagery; commentary from the development team; and more.

Reviewer's Reference Equipment List
Marantz VP-12S3 Projector
Dalite 120 HDTV, High Power Screen
Definitive Technology BP7000SC Speakers
Definitive Technology C/L/R Center Speaker
4 Definitive Technology BPVX Surround Speakers
2 Velodyne DD-18 Subwoofers
Denon 3910 DVD Player
Sony NS999ES DVD Player
LG LST-4200A HDTV Tuner
Sunfire Theater Grand IV A/V Processor
Sunfire 400 Seven Amplifier
Cardas Golden Reference Audio Cables
Monster Cable Monster M Silver Video Cables
Acoustic Smart Murano Electric Theater Seating
Cable Organizer.com Cable Organizing Products