Love It or Hate It, You Can't Deny Halo 2

Enter any person's home and if you find an X-box, you're likely to find a copy of Halo. If you don't, those people are really human imposters. Report them, please. So I just finished beating the game for a third time, and have played multiplayer for hours upon hours (both LAN and Live, against people of varying skills). Indeed this is a great game. I've heard a few people talk about how they don't think "it's all that great.. I'm gonna play something better" and have read posts about how "it sux!!!" and they just makes me smile. Why? Because I know that they're probably still playing it anyway, since ALL of their friends are playing it and loving it. And no one likes to be left out of the fun, even if they claim they're not partial to it. If you don't own Halo 2, you're depriving yourself of a lot of fun and enhancements from Halo 1. If you say you don't like Halo 2 and think Halo 1 is better, then you've just played Halo 1 too much and haven't given the sequel a chance. So what's the skinny? Here's the lowdown on the fuss and excitement of this awesome FPS game:


WHAT'S NEW?!
Many of the weapons can be dual-wielded, so you can have one in each hand and fire at the same time. It's basically giving you a third weapon, since you have your initial two weapons, then when you wish to dual wield you just pick up another weapon from the ground to hold in your offhand. The drawback is that you cannot throw grenades, cannot melee without dropping the second weapon, and your accuracy is decreased while firing simultaniously. This allows for many weapon combinations and preferences toward different combat styles. People can choose to fire at the same time to deal damage faster, but will have a moment of vulnerability when they have to reload since it takes a bit longer. They can choose to fire one weapon and then fire the other one when the first is reloading, maintaining a steady attack the entire time. When dual wielding, you can switch out either hand for a new weapon that's on the ground, and it doesn't take long to get used to doing it either. One other noticeable change is that you don't need to pick up health packs anymore (campaign mode, multiplayer still has health packs). Instead you just have your shield, but your shield works as if you have health like in the original Halo. When your shield takes enough damage you'll hear the noise that it's low, and this is equivalent to having your shield dropped in Halo 1. When you hear the critical zero-shield sound in Halo 2, that's equivalent to no shields and one bar of life in Halo 1. Essentially, Halo 2 makes it more fun to play since you don't have to worry about picking up health, you just have to monitor your shield and let it recharge. Halo 2 gives the same amount of damage able to be absorbed like Halo 1, except that everything replenishes, instead of being stuck at one life-bar and full shields. Weapons that don't have a scope will use your helmet's binocular zoom instead, which gives better zoom than a 2x scope. This is useful when you're scouting for enemies up ahead and don't have a high zoom weapon. You can zoom even when dual wielding. Another new feature is that vehicles will take damage and show it appropriately, and that this damage does affect the driving performance. Instead of just destroying vehicles, players can opt to hijack one and used for your own fun. Holding down the X button when you're close to a vehicle will have you mount the chassis, and then a melee hit will knock the driver out as you jump in the seat and take over. In Halo 2, you jump much higher than before (so rocketjumping is less a necessity). There are many little things that have been changed or added to weapons, vehicles, and enemies that I'm just going to make an easy to read list to go over.

*** Human Weapons ***
- The Pistol is no longer the uber-weapon of choice. The 2x scope on the pistol has been (replaced by a bunch of whiners who have to get their scoped-headshots with a different weapon, or just re-learn the pistol) taken out. I believe that this was a proper balance move, because since when should a pistol be picked to outperform a rifle at range? The pistol can be dual-wielded and is effective at close to medium range. The pistol can be used well against every enemy except Elites and Brutes. This is still a good weapon for multiplayer since it packs a punch when aimed right and heatshots are still viable with some skill and practice.
- The SMG is a new weapon that halfway replaces the assault rifle from the original Halo. The SMG can be dual-wielded and is effective at close range due to it's fast rate of fire, medium damage, but poor accuracy. The accuracy isn't made any better from the recoil when using the gun. Wielding two SMGs increases the ammo that you can hold for them but also doubles the recoil. The SMG can be used well against every enemy except Elites, Brutes, and Jackals. This weapon is particularly effective in multiplayer when dual-wielded. Dual SMGs in the hands of an experienced player can take out two other players before having to reload.
- The Shotgun has been nerfed some, but is still the close-combat cannon of choice. The damage feels reduced from original Halo, and the reload time has been increased. If not the damage being reduced, possibly the effective range has been reduced, I'm not sure which. Regardless this weapon can be used well against everything, as long as it's close up. You cannot dual-wield a shotgun (awww man) and it's devastating in multiplayer where one shot or two will take down your opponent. I've seen a couple of good players be able to take out a team doing the shotgun dance (moving so the person you're attacking is in the way from his teamates from shooting you, like a shield, and taking them down one by one like that).
- The Battle Rifle is the other half-replacement for the assault rifle from the original Halo. This weapon deals 3-burst shots and is effective at any range. The 2x scope lets you zoom in for those desired headshots, and a well-placed 3-shot burst usually does the trick. The Battle Rifle is quite versatile in multiplayer for the damage output and effectiveness from close to long range. This weapon cannot be dual-wielded but can be used well against every enemy except Elites and Brutes.
- The Sniper Rifle hasn't changed from the first game, except the reload time feels it's been shortened. It's awesome at extreme ranges with it's 10x zoom and is very powerful, though it has a small clip and will leave a contrail. In multiplayer, the contrail will give your position away so it's definitely best when you're out of range of the battle rifle or a similar long-range weapon. Be wary that if you're zooming in looking for a target, you're likely to miss someone sneaking behind to thump you on the head. This weapon cannot be dual-wielded but can be used well against every enemy except the flood.
- The Rocket Launcher has been enhanced with a homing option. You can target your enemy, hold the fire button to lock-on, then when the button is released the missile will home-in on the target. It's not a perfect homing, but will track vehicles with ease, and any enemies in medium range. This weapon cannot be dual-wielded (dang!) and is effective at close to medium ranges. Due to it's slow movement, most enemies will dodge the rocket from long ranges. Due to it's splash damage, close range combat with the rocket launcher can lead to your death as well. This weapon can be used well against every enemy. This weapon is popular and effective in multiplayer since the explosion blast is sufficient to eliminate an enemy (or group of).
- The Frag Grenade is used exactly the same but feels a little bit weaker in Halo 2. Best used from medium to long range. This weapon can be used well against everything, except it's not powerful enough alone. Any grenade is a basic staple in multiplayer.

*** Covenant Weapons ***
- The Energy Sword is a new addition and is the most lethal close combat weapon in the entire game. Players can strike with the weapon, but if they hover over their target for a second, the reticle will change red. An attack performed with a red reticle will result in a lunge which is pretty much a one-hit kill. This weapon cannot be dual wielded, but can be used well against everything except Hunters. You will find this weapon being contested over in multiplayer due to it's homing'esque lunge and one-hit kills. It doesn't take any skill to use this weapon and often-times enough whomever gets the first attack is the one that survives. Any multiplayer squad should have at least one or two of these in hand.
- The Plasma Pistol hasn't been changed from the original Halo, it seems. This weapon can be dual-wielded and is great for taking down shields with it's charge-shot. It is most effective at close to medium range, but not as the main weapon since the damage output is relatively low. This weapon can be used well against every shielded enemy. This weapon is very underrated in multiplayer. A skilled player with quick trigger fingers can take down an opponent with ease since the plasma pistol will slow down the enemies it hits. All your actions from running, firing, turning, and reloading will be slowed down while you're being assaulted with this gun. I've been able to shoot people in the back and keep going until they're dead. They didn't get the chance to turn all the way around to fire back. Or another great way to use it is with the charge shot to drop the shields followed by a well placed bullet for the kill.
- The Needler has been improved with a faster rate of fire and projectile flight. This weapon is effective at close to medium range, and is especially devastating when dual-wielded. The needles will track the target (better at closer ranges), and a greater number of needles stuck in the enemy will cause more damage to the target from the resulting explosion. The individual needle damage doesn't do much. The ammo able to be stored is increased when holding two at the same time. This weapon can be used well against every enemy except Hunters, Jackals, and Vehicles. This weapon is decent in multiplayer, but due to the damage delay your enemy can still kill you before the explosion gets them. I find this a good support weapon to force opponents to take cover until the hail of needles pass. In the meantime, it lets my teammates reposition themselves without the enemy knowing until it's too late.
- The Plasma Rifle is the same as in Halo, but also has a new addition, the Brute Plasma Rifle. The plasma rifle has a fast rate of fire, does excellent damage, and is effective from close to medium range. The gun doesn't need to reload, but will overheat if fired for too long without a reprieve. The brute plasma rifle has the same damage output, is effective at close to long ranges, but will overheat faster than it's blue counterpart. Both of these weapons can be dual-wielded and can be used well against every enemy except the flood. This is a great weapon for multiplayer due to it's damage, accuracy, and rate of fire. Experienced players can handle it and fire without overheating.
- The Covenant Carbine is the convenant version of the battle rifle. It has a 2x scope and is effective at close to long ranges. It has a fast rate of fire, faster than the battle rifle, and does pretty good damage. This versatile weapon cannot be dual wielded but can be used well against every enemy. Shots fired from this weapon will leave a trail and give away your position to the enemy in multiplayer. It's great for headshots.
- The Beam Rifle is the convenant version of the sniper rifle and is best at extreme ranges due to the 10x zoom. Since this weapon runs off a battery, ammo is plentiful and as long as the shots are paced there will never be any overheating. This weapon cannot be dual wielded but can be used well against everything except the flood and vehicles. This rifle is popular in multiplayer for it's ammo and no need for reloading, but since it leaves a trail your opponents will be able to pinpoint your location quickly. If paced, you can fire once per second for 20 seconds (20 shots, less if you overheat).
- The Fuel Rod Gun is the convenant version of the rocket launcher with some minor differences. The fuel rod gun has a 5-round clip and a fast rate of fire, but the projectiles have no homing option and don't have the flight range of the rocket launcher. This weapon cannot be dual wielded and is best from close to medium ranges. Just like the rocket launcher, close-quarter combat with this weapon is warned due to the splash damage. This weapon can be used well against every enemy. I haven't seen this used as much in multiplayer, though it can be preferred over the human rocket launcher due to it's larger clip. I know I prefer it more. It's great when playing king of the hill and you know they're waiting around the corner for you. Corner and wall blasts will take them out, and you still have a couple rounds left to shoot before reloading.
- The Brute Shot is a new convenant weapon which is essentially a grenade launcher. It has a good rate of fire and is best used around medium range. This weapon cannot be dual wielded, but has a devastating melee attack. The projectiles fired will have a slight arc and can be bounced off walls before it's explosion. This weapon can be used well against everything. This is a good weapon for multiplayer, an option for a rocket launcher, since the projectiles move fast and do good damage. It's great for snagging people under cover, or people holed up in a room around a corner.
- The Sentinel Beam is a new weapon which is just like the beam that the sentinels use against you. You can blow them up and then pick up the weapon and use it. Hold the fire button down the maintain a powerful beam that can tear through enemies pretty quick. It can't be dual wielded, but is effective at close to medium range and doesn't need to reload, though it will overheat. This weapon can be used well against everything, but better if they're not moving much. It's difficult to use this weapon in multiplayer since everyone is moving and it's harder to keep targeted and kill them before overheating.
- The Plasma Grenade is exactly the same. Best used from close to medium range and best when stuck on an enemy since it's 3 second timer and small splash damage allow for quick escapes. This weapon can be used well against everything. Any grenade is a basic staple in multiplayer.

*** Vehicles ***
- The Warthog has been upgraded so that you can find either a machine gun or a rocket launcher on it's turret. Handling feels the same and it's the fastest vehicle in the game. The driver drives, the passenger can fire from the side, and the gunner gets to rip everything up from his turret.
- The Scorpion Tank is a little bit slower and a little bit beefier. It can hold four other buddies on it, which is recommended since this vehicle is easy enough to jack since it's so slow. When jacking, the hatch has to be bashed open, then the enemy can be bashed or a grenade can be tossed in the cockpit to eliminate the driver. The tank has it's semi-accurate machine gun, and it's powerful cannon. The cannon reload time seems to have been decreased from Halo 1.
- The Ghost is the same as before though it has been upgraded with a turbo boost and (I think) better damaging cannons. This vehicle is fast and maneuverable, though it's lighter armor makes it easier to blow up compared to the other vehicles. But as a whole, all the Halo 2 vehicles are harder to blow up than from the original game. You cannot fire when boosting.
- The Banshee is the only flying vehicle in the game with some welcome additions. It has been given a turbo boost, and can do air rolls and tricks. It's a one-man ship, has decent armor, and excellent damage. It's hard to jack one of these from another player unless they're flying low. You cannot fire when boosting.
- The Wraith is the new, playable, covenant tank. This vehicle can't hold passengers like the human tank, but it has a boost and is faster and more maneuverable. The cannon shots have a faster rate of fire compared to the scorpion, but the projectiles are slower and don't have as good a range. This has a hatch that must be busted open for any jackers to take the tank.
- The Spectre is the convenant version of the warthog. The driver can have a gunner and two passengers. While the vehicle is slower than the warthog, it's much more maneuverable like the ghost. The turret on the spectre is great against infantry, but not quite as good against other vehicles.
- New Mounted Turrets are available throughout the game, both covenant and human turrets. Aside from the large, stationary ones that you hop into there are also smaller mounted "guns" that you can fire in a wide arc. These new, smaller guns leave you vulnerable to fire since they don't offer cover and can also be blown up.

*** Enemies ***
- All of the enemies have different levels of skill, based on their color. When you see a new color enemy, you're going to be guaranteed a tougher fight since that's what they're there for. Yellows and whites especially, should be approached with caution. You will also find Honor Guards (Elites and Brutes) which have additional decor/body armor and are tougher as well.
- Jetpack Elites are elites equipped with a jetpack which makes them quite mobile and harder to hit. They're likely to hover above you and flank you as you're trying to shoot them or other ground units.
- Brutes are new enemies introduced in Halo 2. They look ape-like and wield the Brute Plasma Rifle and Brute Shot usually. They don't have shields so you don't have to worry about them recharging, but they have deadly accuracy. If you damage one enough, it will go berzerk and charge you for a melee attack. They are VERY fast when they're charging and their melee attack usually results in a one-hit kill.
- Hunters will now strike behind them after they do a charge. Players used to side-stepping and shooting them in the back will find a swift swack to their heads if they don't keep moving. These strikes are usually one-hit kills too. Hunters will do better at keeping close together and applying teamwork against you.
- The Enforcer is another new enemy unit. This flying mechanical unit has two shields in the front protecting it's mostly vulnerable body. It's pretty aggressive and will keep shooting at you with either it's red energy bolts or yellow missile fire. If you get an angle on this enemy, you can hit the main body without having to plow through the shield first.


MULTIPLAYER OPTIONS
There are so many things that can be customized in multiplayer that I'm sure it addressed everything that we wanted to have in Halo. You can customize your character with a wider variety of colors and get choose your own badge design from a selection of badges, colors, and backgrounds. You can now have up to four teams playing against each other in a multiplayer game and this time around you can change multiplayer options without having to back all the way out of the menus and start over again, which kicks all the other boxes out of multiplayer. You can change the map, change the game rules, or just tweak existing game rules (which sets it for that round and doesn't save it permanently) all on the fly right before game-start. This is a time-saver in a 16-player game so you don't have to wait all over again for 16 people to rejoin the system-link game and then choose their profile. How cool are the multiplayer game options? Check it out:

Match Options: # Rounds, Win Score, Time Limit, Rounds Reset Map, Resolve Ties
Player Options: Max Players, Lives, Respawn Time, Suicide Penalty, Shields, Motion Sensor, Active Camo, Extra Damage, Damage Resistance
Team Options: Team Play, Team Scoring, Team Changing, Friendly Fire, Respawn Time Modifier, Betrayal Penalty, Force Even Teams
Vehicle Options: Vehicle Respawn Time, Primary/Secondary Light Vehicles, Primary Heavy Vehicle, Banshee, Primary/Secondary Turret
Equipment Options: Start Weapon, Second Weapon, Start Grenades, Weapons on Map, Weapon Respawn, Grenades on Map, Overshields, Active Camo
Game Types: King of The Hill, Oddball, Juggernaut, Capture the Flag, Assault, Territories

People can pretty much custom anything they want about the multiplayer games, which lets you get creative and doesn't really let you think, "man.. I really wish we could do..". At the same time it lets you eliminate those options that make you think, "man.. I really hate games with.." so you can configure to your heart's content. You get a dozen new maps and a couple of familiar ones, all of which have great and unique level designs. The maps offer a handful of ways to approach the enemy base, so good teamwork and communication will definitely pay off for those players who understand that no position is completely secure. When playing on X-Box Live, your rank can determine the players that you will be up against. So while you can find some games with easy targets, you're likely to find games with people who'll be a better match for your abilities. This goes for clans too.


BRAGGING RIGHTS
Now in Halo 2, you get to know exactly where you stand. The end-game stats will show how the players rank against each other. No more arguing is needed to decide who is the badass since everyone is graded by:

Place
Average Lifespan
Best Killing Spree
Total Score
# Kills
# Assists
# Deaths
# Suicides
People You Killed (# Times)
People Who Killed You (# Times)
Total Medals Achieved
Medals
Shots Hit
Shots Fired
Hit %
Head Shots

This is good enough to settle any scores or doubts of skills. Medals are awarded for certain kills or scores: Killing Sprees, Double/Triple/More Kills, Melee Kill, Assassination, Sniper Kill, Vehicular Kill, Carjacking, Taking Flag, Returning Flag, Scoring Flag, and a few more. The score lists will highlight the best numbers in each category in yellow so you can see what you were (or weren't) good at. Maybe you died the most, but maybe you had the best aim compared to everyone else? Maybe you got the least kills, but you had the most number of assists (suggesting that you're a great teamplayer)? Instead of people getting ranked as "good" or "suck", we're offered a glimpse into areas of strength our potential areas of improvement. Players who want to improve their multiplayer game will definitely scrutinize their stats compared to better players' stats and learn from those better players.


GRAPHICS & SOUND
The graphics have definitely been improved, yet don't drag the game down in intense and complex situations. The X-box hardware is the same, the graphics are better and there was only one or two times during the entire campaign that I experienced a bit of slowdown. The detail of the units is amazing and makes the original Halo look bland. The cutscenes are plentiful since there has been much more content added toward the storyline, though the cutscenes are subject to delays with the rendering and images popping up after the fact. Example would be hearing a character talk in a cutscene, and then their image appears seconds after you've already heard them start. Otherwise the cutscenes look great. Things are a bit different when it comes to split-screen multiplayer. The graphics will take a slight drop to be able to handle all the action going on, which leaves want for 1 or 2 people to a screen maximum.

The gun sounds feel a little weak (in power), but it does make it a bit easier on the ears when playing a multiplayer game. I particularly like the sounds of the covenant weapons, such as the enforcer's red energy bolts and especially the plasma rifle with it's slightly metallic-sounding ring in the middle of the "energy" sound, or however you describe it. The ambient sounds, such as footsteps/hoof clops, are a nice touch during quiet parts of the game (no action). I like the rock songs and choirs that start playing during certain parts of the campaign game to ramp up an upcoming, intense firefight. There was one background song that threw me off in one of the later stages; I thought that someone else in the house turned on the radio and I was looking around to turn it off. I didn't realize that it was coming from Halo 2 until I got shot (while I was looking around no less) and then the music stopped. The voiceovers for the covenant are very human-esque. While the voice acting is good, I wish that they put a little alien-esque distortion just to make the enemy sound like an enemy or something. You gotta try playing this game with surround sound speakers. Even with an inexpensive set, it's a huge difference to play dolby surround compared to the weak peeps that come from the front of your TV.


GAMEPLAY
Halo 2 has implemented a greater amount of destructive environments, though it's nothing to really scream about. Vehicles are much tougher to blow up and they take battle damage in the areas they're shot in. So if you shoot out the tires on the warthog, you'll see it and it will affect the driving performance of the vehicle. Then there are random vehicles and walls that you can shoot at and blow up, but all of those animations are all the same and doesn't give that feel of a totally interactive environment as much as just something you can destroy. There are other objects that you can manipulate, such as boxes and crates, but they don't really offer much toward the gameplay except maybe bashing one into a position that you can use for cover. The maps in Halo 2 are gorgeous, spacious, and much more varied compared to those in the original game. The developers did a great job in bringing us into new environments from terran soil to new covenant ships. Even though lots of the game is in wide open spaces, there are more than enough areas which offer claustrophobic close-combat possibilities. The AI is much smarter now too. Elites will be sure to side-step your attacks, roll away from your grenades, flank you in different directions simultaniously when you're preoccupied, and duck for cover to recharge their shields. The game difficulty settings feel similar to that in Halo 1, with the exception of legendary which is definitely tougher than before. Those trying out the legendary difficulty will be quick to learn the benefits of patience, cover, plasma pistols, and the art of sticking plasma grenades (and also learn that the pistol, SMG, and battle rifle are almost useless against the majority of the covenant). Co-op legendary will punish the players who don't work well as a team since when a player dies, all players get reverted to the last save/checkpoint.

One fun aspect of the game (which some people undoubtedly found irritating) is that the campaign will have players fight as one of the covenant elites for a number of levels. You will mostly fight against other covenant forces, but you get to have bursts of active-camo as an ability to help you sneak around and kill enemies from behind. Not just that, but you get to fight alongside covenant forces and in one level you get to have two covenant hunters assisting you. It's pretty cool to have them on your side for once. The NPCs are much more durable and helpful in Halo 2. No longer are they just the cannon-fodder so you can rearm yourself with more ammo. They can take more damage before dying and they're actually pretty good at killing and staying alive. Even in legendary difficulty I found that the NPCs survived a lot longer than I thought they would. Instead of having to kill one of them to get their nifty weapon, you have the option of swapping your current weapon with theirs. Not only does this keep them alive by taking away their short range guns, but you can equip them with weapons that would make them more useful to you. If you see a couple of marines with pistols and SMGs, find some rocket launchers or sniper rifles to hand them instead. They don't run out of ammo, they're pretty accurate, and if they keep their distances (like with those weapons specified) you'll get a lot more use out of them than if they tried to charge in with a dinky pistol. And when they do die, they will have brought that rocket launcher or brute shot with them for you to pick up and use, instead of having left it back 10 minutes ago when you didn't really need it.


COMPLAINTS
My complaints about the game would be the short campaign and the way they delivered the story. You get a lot more storyline this time, which is pretty good, but it doesn't feel real fluid. My guess is since the game isn't as long and since the story is progressed from two perspectives, that they had to cram more info in a shorter period (since there aren't as many levels as hoped). The ending is indeed a cliffhanger.. and not much of a surprise either. With the success of Halo 1, and the guaranteed success of Halo 2, why not set up for a third one right? Especially with all the sissy crying that's going on about Halo 2 I guess they can go and give it one last shot to please the entire masses with an end-all finale. I am very satisfied with this game, but for those who have been reading forums or talking to some X-Box Live gamers you're probably hearing otherwise. In my opinion, I think that Bungee gave us what we would want from a sequel: better graphics, new maps, new enemies, new weapons, more options, rankings, etc. Halo 2 delivers all that, so everyone should be happy, right? Well lets address the major issues:

"The pistol SUX now that they took the scope off! They completely ruined the game how could they do that?!?!!!"
It's called "balancing". In the original game, the pistol is the number one weapon of choice since it excels from close to long range, especially with it's 2x zoom scope. One well-placed headshot will take down any opponent, even from halfway across the map. People who wanted to use other weapons found themselves at the mercy of pistols and eventually you're left playing games where everyone is using a pistol as their primary weapon. Skilled players would nail a headshot in one try. Lesser players would fire continuously and nail a headshot under half a clip. People whining about the pistol are just upset because Halo 2 has no "best gun" to that they'll have to learn how the weapons excel in different situations. You can still do headshots with the pistol in Halo 2, it just takes more skill.

"Dual weildeing is CHEAP CRAP. It takes NO SKILLZ for any of the NOOBS to DW SMGs and run around and kill people. im an elite player from [insert clan name] and i shouldnt be getting killed by these fools! Halo 2 makes it too easy for these noobz!!!"
It's funny that the people who complain about their pistol being nerfed are the same ones who are complaining that dual-wielding kills too fast. It's a new game mechanic. If "noobs" are really getting an advantage over others from being able to dual wield, that means anyone else can use that same dual-wielding advantage against them. Truly skilled players know how to utilize the potential of dual-wielding and those same players understand the advantages that grenades have over two guns. One plasma grenade stuck on an enemy is a guaranteed kill, even if your two SMGs kills me before you blow up. In many cases plasma grenades will make opponents flinch which gives that extra second to evade their fire.

"All these people are being sword-h0re$ and think their all bad-a$$ because they get 1 hit killz. Their stupid idiots and i hate them and i hate noobs and i hate this stupid overhyped game and im gonna return it and F you MICROSOFT and F you BUNGEE your company SUX and i hope halo2 FAILS because it SUX and im only gunna play halo1 and get all my friends to do it too so F-YOOOOUUU"
One-hit kills are frustrating? But not when you're using the Halo 1 pistol, right? [smirk]. At least the plasma sword has an instant-kill range of about 10 feet instead of half a map like with the Halo 1 pistol. And no one complains much about the shotgun with it's fast-fire close-range slaughter (even though it's nerfed a bit, two solid shots is enough to kill). Granted that the sword lunge has better range for the insta kill, the lunge only works if the attacker's crosshair is red. I'll give a hint: try jumping over the attacker. Most of the time they'll lose their lock and you can fire at them on your descent, maybe even hit them with a melee or even a.. plasma grenade! If they still track you when you jump and kill you anyway, then you know you're dealing with someone who knows how to play well, so you'll die one way or another. Remember that grenades are very useful, so learn to use them wisely.

The people acting like "cry-babies" are doing so because they've yet to be weaned off the tit of Halo 1. We have been playing the original game for about 3 years so there are many who are going to have to understand that Halo 2 is still a different game from it's predecessor. There is no more best gun. All of the guns have a proper use and often enough I find myself picking up whatever I can get and using it to the best of my skills, until another gun suits my situation better. Any good player can take any weapon and use it with skill. Any player can get a Halo 1 pistol and get a lucky headshot. The new gameplay mechanics will force you to learn new tactics, new strategies, and make you break old habits.. at least if you want to get good against other human players. You may have been used to playing against easy newbies before, but the ranking system enabled in Halo 2 (X-Box Live) will put you up against people who are more of a match for your skills. Multiplayer Halo 2 relies on good teamwork and communication to be successful, moreso than Halo 1 with it's "teams" of 1-man-pistol-armies.


SUMMARY
Halo 2 gives more of everything we pretty much wanted (mostly). While the campaign is somewhat short and the ending is definitely screaming for a sequel, the production is excellent, the gameplay is solid, and the legendary difficulty is enough to occupy players for a solid week. Halo 2 definitely caters more towards the multiplayer aspect of the game, which was also the weakest part of Halo 1. Some people see it as a way for Microsoft to sell Live accounts, sell the communicators, headsets, accessories, etc.. but the multiplayer lets us play with friends and foes anywhere and anytime, while the accessories let us communicate or trash-talk with them as well. Some don't like how you can play as a covenant elite in the campaign mode, but I think it's a twist that helped the story along and prevented the game from feeling mundane. Halo 2 is a great, balanced game that adds challenges to players new and old. People who don't have it and love FPS games (or Halo 1) should get it. People who are still angry at Halo 2 should calm down, reassess their skills, understand that they're going to have to adapt to a new game, and give it one more genuine shot for enjoyment. If you're seething over the improvements made from Halo 1 to Halo 2, you're likely to commit suicide when Halo 3 comes out. No one needs to lose a good gamer.