Halo 2 Review

By Jim Rossignol Published 9 June, 2007

Missing Windows of opportunity.

Version tested: PC

The music in Halo 2 is bad. I recently mentioned this to someone and he was incredulous: Really? Wasn't the Halo music excellent throughout? Yes, the music in Halo was superb, but listen again to the music of its sequel. Halo 2 rapidly enters rock opera territory, with some of the most awesome ponce-metal orchestral posing I've ever heard. It's embarrassingly crappy, and a clear lapse in judgement.

In fact the same could be said of most of Halo 2, particularly this PC conversion. It was all a lapse of judgement. It's not utterly, damnably awful, but nevertheless I couldn't recommend that anyone spend their money on it. Let's just be clear: yes, it's Halo. There's some interesting things in that only Halo can do - and you even get to be a sneaky, cloaky Covenant beastie during the alternating story. We do love the Chief and his cast of friends, we roll around in the multiplayer like a dog in something stinky, but nevertheless, this sequel is Halo done badly.

The fighting itself is much the same, only now you can dual-wield. This ups the amount of damage you can put out, but that's balanced against the fact that there are quite a lot of enemies thrown at you. Ultimately there's not a huge amount of difference - other than you can see less of what is going on. The tactical actions of your enemies and the recharging shield dynamic are still as robust as ever, but I think they're let down by the overall design. There are too many straight corridors or moving platforms that must be defended. Only a few of the fights - a few of the 'arenas' in which the major actions take place - are anything like as good as the original game. There are no interesting defences, and nothing that reaches the heights of the Silent Cartographer. Remember that Library bit in the original Halo? I think the guy who made that had a bit too much say over Halo 2. Even when the Flood turn up they lack any drama. "Oh, them," you think, reaching for the shotgun.

'Halo 2' Screenshot 1

Master Chief should tell a few more jokes, I reckon.

Worse than the on-foot sequences are the vehicular sequences. How on Earth did Bungie manage to make these so awkward and dull? I think I know: the fact that the Warthog etcetera can be blown up means you can even find yourself without a ride, trudging across huge expanses of featureless highway. Then there's the enemies who arrive, as if on a conveyor belt, into your gun sights. It's like you've taken the scorpion to a funfare - cuddly toys to be won if you pop enough banshee-shaped balloons. The first Covenant vehicle section is so lifelessly on-rails that I could barely believe it was happening. Boom, boom, bored. Eventually I realised that vehicular sequences in Halo 2 are actually there to be skipped through. There's no point slogging your way through the fighting since nothing will chase you. Drive through and get back to the close combat before you die of tedium.

This underwhelming feeling is backed up by the lack of interesting visuals. It's bland, bland, bland. Great brown walls, blank grey city, boring old crumbly temples. Much of this will be because of the sheer age of the game, but I can't remember being impressed by the Xbox version the first time around. There's only one level that actually stands out in its design and that's the orbital structure that plunges through the atmosphere of a gas-giant at terminal velocity. The idea is a superb leap of writing and architecture, and the execution of the whole thing feels professional and exciting. If the entire game had been sewn up with that kind of imagination and vision then it would have been a resplendent beast. As it is that level is a brief glimmer in an ongoing sequence of stodge.

All the problems I mention are ultimately compounded by the faltering pacing. It's weird - in just the way that the first game managed to keep the pressure up, and knew just how to drop the dramatic hammer for those perfect scripted moments, Halo 2 seems to falter. There are long, silent pauses, as if the game is having a bit of a think about what should be happening next. A hush falls across the audience and there's probably something going on backstage. Eventually the whole thing starts up again, eventually (thankfully).

'Halo 2' Screenshot 2

The ringworld was such a good idea - why leave it behind?

One thing I did enjoy is the Covenant Elite chap. He gets to turn invisible for a few seconds so that you can stride up and stab people with an energy sword. (Oi, you, Stab!) It's remarkably satisfying, and comes with a challenging limit. I wished I could have made more of it, and I hope this turns up in a few other games - it's a kind of action-friendly stealth approach that I would enjoy seeing in other games. It's just a shame you have to slog through the half-baked sci-fi story to get to it. And I'm serious about just how poor that story is by comparison to its predecessor: even the nuclear destruction of a human city seems flaccid and unimportant. What's wrong with some fanfare and bombast, folks? This is a science fiction epic ferchrissakes!

Perhaps the main reason why I'm so critical of Halo 2 is that there are just so many highly accomplished first-person games on the PC these days. Visually almost anything since Far Cry kicks it to the curb (not to mention what we're about to get from the DirectX 10 cleverness of Crysis).

And sure, you can use an Xbox-type gamepad to change your basic PC FPS experience - but do you really want that? I'm quite happy using my PC to play FPS games designed for mouse and keyboard.

'Halo 2' Screenshot 3

Play PC games on the Internet! Amazing!

Then there's the multiplayer. It has the same pace and balance as the Xbox version. We love its vehicular craziness and a proven arsenal of weaponry. I can't see anyone not enjoying themselves playing it, but then again I have to contrast it against what we're already playing on the PC. I'm always going to choose a Battlefield game, Unreal Tournament, or any number of Half-Life mods over Halo 2. (Hell, even Quake 4's rejig of Quake 3 is more likely to hold my attention these days.) I totally accept that loads of gamers will get a big fat kick out of Halo 2 multiplayer, I just can't hold up my hands and honestly recommend it. It simply doesn't do enough.

Finally, there's "Games for Windows", which you're going to have to navigate to get to your online games. You probably know all about this already - it's the Xbox Live stuff all rejigged to work with Windows, complete with bells, whistles and "Achievements". Having played games on the PC for years it all seems rather like an extra layer of unnecessary faffing to me. It's another screenful of stuff before I get to that server-browser and jump into a game. The PC doesn't need it, and I can't say I'm happy about the prospect of Microsoft mediating what I play, or what mods are support for the GFW service.

So yeah. This is a sequel that definitely does not do what the original did, only better. It's too old, and too dull. Did I mention the bad music? Right. Let's just hope it's all just a temporary lapse of judgement. Oh God, please make sure Halo 3 really pushes the boat out...

6 / 10

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About Jim Rossignol

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Comments (174) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • kissthestick #1 5 years ago

    meh, overrated franchise anyways

  • Gl3n #2 5 years ago

    good review, at release i loved halo 2.. but deep down i knew that it was pretty naff compared to the first.

  • Shadar #3 5 years ago

    I said this so many years ago. No-one listened.

    Thank you for making everyone see clearly.

  • TotalBB #4 5 years ago

    Worse than Halo then.

  • spongebob #5 5 years ago

    I didn't like Halo 2 on Xbox either.

  • justsomeone #6 5 years ago

    and there i was thinking that MS were doing such a sterling job, hyping up that tired old franchise so much that people were actually falling over themselves to get to halo 3. despite the fact that the first two weren't that great.

    so why screw the whole excercise in viral marketing by releasing halo 2 on PC, thereby reminding everyone, forcefully, just how shite and outdated the whole thing is? joined up thinking, it ain't.

  • Haloboy #7 5 years ago

    Halo > Halo 2 by a country mile.

    Halo 2 Vista will no doubt be cracked/made playable for Win Xp soon enough anyway, or maybe MS will be the ones to do it themselves?

  • Killerbee #8 5 years ago

    What annoys me most about this (not that I actually want to play it, but still...) is Windows Vista.

    The system requirements on the back of the box are pretty modest, but then they go and slap a Vista required sticker on it and immediately close the game off to the vast bulk of PC owners.

    Frankly it deserves not to sell.

  • morriss #9 5 years ago

    I like Halo.
    I don't like Halo.
    It's overrated.
    It's the best game ever.
    Halo 2 was great.
    I hated the ending of Halo 2.
    The multilpayer in Halo 2 was and still is fantastic.
    Multiplayer-schmultiplayer - the single player is where it's at and it's rubbish.
    n00b!
    Idiot!
    Halol

  • the_sas_man #10 5 years ago

    OH DEAR GOD!

    THE INTERNET IS GONNA IMPLODE!

  • Verwandlung #11 5 years ago

    still generic fps?!

  • silentbob #12 5 years ago

    Halolpwntroffle

  • evilboo #13 5 years ago

    This morning when i woke up i liked Halo2. Now I've read your review I realise i din't really like it all that much. I am gullible.

  • JayPee #14 5 years ago

    Yeah, I think it's fair to say that this release is probably 2 years too late and no one really cares anymore.

    In today's gaming environment, not a huge amount of people are gonna really care about this,

    I was never a massive fan of this on the xbox, but that it by-the-by really. Today's news is Halo 3, not Halo 2.

  • BrokenSymmetry #15 5 years ago

    Wow, this review reads like Jim is out to tear down Halo and everything that it stands for. The music is bad, the multiplayer is boring, and only the arbiter part is fun? Wow...

  • Steroyd #16 5 years ago

    Vista only, come on their maybe enough people falling over to get this game on Xbox but can they seriously expect that Halo hype to channel into 3 year old Vista only PC port?

  • morriss #17 5 years ago

    The only thing I'll comment on is what he says about the music. Many 'non-Halo' fans will admit that the soundtrack is fantastic to the games.

    In fact, I'd like to hear what the reviewer thinks a better one is.

    EDIT: I'll admit the 'rock' element was pishy but there was so much more mthan just that.
    Edited by 1 at 09/06/07 @ 10:00

  • Pachinko #18 5 years ago

    A horrifyingly bad review that screams 'blog post!'. I, I, I, I. I don't like this, I don't like that, I think. Story is half-baked and unspectacular? How about the impending destruction of all sentient life in the galaxy, the struggle within the Covenant society and the element of elder life forms? And the metaphorical value of it all? OMG, it's not the most original piece of SF ever written! Let's destroy it! Puh-lease. And the vehicular combat is bad because the jeep can be blown up and you must walk? That is just plain lazy. The music is "a lapse of judgment"? LOL. There is basically no mention of the AI. "The Covenant chap"? "Oi, stab". Yes, very funny. Not to mention appropriate in regards to a game that is based on very serious propositions. And so on. There's so many black holes in there it boggles the mind.

    EG, most of the time even if I don't agree with you, I can at least see that the reviews are well written and properly argumented. This review is neither.

  • magicpanda #19 5 years ago

    fanbwais. bless.

  • UncleLou #20 5 years ago

    I am gullible.

    No, believe me, you aren't.

    /disappears in paradox

  • Aurifex. #21 5 years ago

    Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Nice one. Putting it on Vista is just taking the piss and trying to rip people off. Ain't gonna bite on bit for this. Keep it.

  • Introspectre #22 5 years ago

    "I preferred Halo 2 to Halo"

    :o

    :s

  • paul_haine #23 5 years ago

    I've never played any Halo game, I just wanted to be part of this conversation.

  • nachohat #24 5 years ago

    "I like rocks"
    Yeah, but the music was much better in the prequel.

  • Hughes. #25 5 years ago

    As good as Resistance: Fall of Man then!

  • Santino #26 5 years ago

    well said ulov3, but you could have fit the 'garbage' in there somewhere to sum up just how shit it is and always was.

  • FooAtari #27 5 years ago

    The reviews its getting on the PC now are what it should have got on Xbox when it was released.

    I quite enjoyed Halo, it was an alright FPS. Halo 2 was just terrible.

    But the whole Halo franchise suffers from a generic and boring sci-fi story. Generic characters and boring game play. I forced myself through Halo 2 just to see the end everyone was talking about. But there was nothing that really made me want to play on through the game, story progression, exciting game play, impressive environments. All missing from Halo 2.

    Halo 1 multi player was much more enjoyable than Halo 2 shame it wasn't live enabled....

    I recently played through Half-life again. A game that is nearly a decade old, and betters the Halo franchise in every way, except graphically of course...

  • evilboo #28 5 years ago


    I might have to stop reading Eurogamer if they keep making me not like my favourite games anymore.

    The first Halo had that nice piano music.

    The guy didn't mention the Earth level which is actually really good and gears of warish. Well, a bit..

  • bumgut #29 5 years ago

    "ponce-metal"

    Genius.

    Oh and I might add that since this is Vista only, there's going to be a rush on illegal downloads when this game gets cracked for XP. These people would otherwise be happy to pay for the game. But you're making criminals of them. GG Microsoft!
    Edited by 2 at 09/06/07 @ 11:06

  • justsomeone #30 5 years ago

    the reason it's vista-only is the same reason halo 3 is 360-only - MS are pinning their hopes on this undercooked mess to sell some copies vista. much the same goes for halo 3, except luckily there appear to be other, better reasons for buying a 360.

  • Overlush #31 5 years ago

    To be fair, the criticisms levelled at this game are spot on (and I loved Halo offline and Halo 2 online). The single player was poorly paced and peppered with some poor design decisions (sniper corridoors anyone?) but the multiplayer rocked...three years ago.

    Times change. This is a shameless pile of Vista tripe that deserves to bomb.

    Roll on Halo 3.

  • Overlush #32 5 years ago

    "But the whole Halo franchise suffers from a generic and boring sci-fi story."

    Wrong. The original had a unique quality to it. The concept of a world on the inner surface of a ring was original and the whole flood/forerunner vibe added depth. The architecture was atmospheric and the audio design complemented this.

    The shame was, the air of mystery and revernece that it left you with was suddenly tatooed on everyone's forehead in Halo 2.

    Some stories are great BECAUSE things are left unanswered and unsequeled -

    AMERICANS TAKE NOTE!

  • ZeroAX #33 5 years ago

    i played Halo on pc and I didn't like it at all. I found it boring. at first i thought i didn't like fps. then i tried half life 1&2 single player and UT2004 multiplayer and i got what the fuss was about :D

  • Metalfish #34 5 years ago

    I find myself disagreeing with the tone of this review. I'd state why but this topic has been done to death in the forums and I'll no doubt be accused of being an american frat boy should I say why.

    Still, most of us played this game to death years ago -it's time to move on.

  • skx #35 5 years ago

    This is what I always have told!

    Halo was always overrated.

    I am playing PC games and Console games since 15 years, I can compare a lot of good FPS games. And I have also played Halo & Halo 2 on Xbox. I always thought that the singleplayer level design/structure is lame and boring. Always the same!
    And multiplayer wise has it never been any special. There are a lot of better games on the PC.

    @ Jim Rossignol

    Have you forgotten that Quake3 was the most fast paced and adrenalin pumped Shooter ever? Do not forget what Quake3 has done for the PC scene. ;)

  • captainrentboy #36 5 years ago

    It's like I've said all along, the Halo series has (and hopefully will continue to be with numero 3) been a brilliant thing in the console FPS world, the haters can do their bashing thing all they want, but on the consoles there really wasn't much that matched either one or two, overall quality wise, back in their respective glory days (5+years ago)
    Of course things have progressed on consoles since H2, and hopefully Bungie have really put the work in on the third and know what they'll be competing with, so it can hold its own and really stand out against games like Black, Battlefield and erm Killzone :)
    The PC of course is a different story, it's pretty much the home of amazing, genre defining, FPS games, there's bloody loooads of them, and the Halo games were never going to be enough to compete with them on any level.
    I do disagree with a few things in the review mind. Firstly, the Arbiter missions pissed me off no end, it's Halo, it's Master Chief, I really don't want to be playing as some fooking ugly alien, who annoyingly when halfway through his campaign can no longer tell who's on his side or not. I hope to God you just play as the Spartan in the third one.
    And I don't know if I'm in the minority here but I loved the music in both, and going from the brief taster of the music at the start of the Halo 3 beta it seems like it'll continue to have a stand out, great soundtrack.
    Ok I'm rambling too much, I'll quickly say I liked the majority of the vehicle sections too, and that Halo 1 has aged awfully, I'm playing through it again now and my God it's bloody ugly :)

  • statix101 #37 5 years ago

    I still think alot of people slag off anything Halo because its "the fashionable thing to do".

  • bit_mite #38 5 years ago

    Wow, I had no idea there was so much hatred for Halo 2. I liked that game. No, it wasn't as good as the original and no, it probably didn't deserve all that hype, but it was enjoyable enough for me to play through in a second time just a couple of months ago.

    What no-one has yet been able to explain, though, is why the Covenant leave so many purple crates lying around everywhere!
    Edited by 1 at 09/06/07 @ 12:15

  • Freek #39 5 years ago

    I don't think the internet is gonna explode. It's a poorly done port of a game that was great (but had issues) 3 years ago. No wonder it doesn't hold up in todays world.
    Games rarely age well.
    Edited by 1 at 09/06/07 @ 12:21

  • MightyPenguin #40 5 years ago

    I suspect that Jim's review isn't the strongest because he'd already expended his Powers of Journalism (tm) here;

    http://ww w.computerandvideogames.com/art...

  • Nithron #41 5 years ago

    Bool sheet!
    I love this game, this is blasphemy.
    I can't believe you would betray me like this, Jim.
    I'm never reading Eurogamer ever again etc etc blah blah blah you're biased against PC yackety smackety.

  • konniehuqfan #42 5 years ago

    this game is so old, why would anyone buy it?

  • Haloboy #43 5 years ago

    This...is...HALOOOOOO!!!!

    That's why surely?

  • konniehuqfan #44 5 years ago

    but it's old and lame like some old dog, just put it out of its misery

  • captainrentboy #45 5 years ago

    For any of you that are interested in Halo 3 there's a new weekly update over on Bungie.net.
    It goes into a lot of depth on what'll be in the Collector's and legendary editions of Halo 3. And there's some stuff on where they are, development wise, on the MP element and single player campaign.
    Ohh and there's a Halo Forza car at the bottom, it's facking awesome.

  • bdc #46 5 years ago

    I am a HUGE Halo 2 fan; got this in the mail yesterday and it is one of the biggest disappointments in a long time. The actual movement feels so horrible, like I am trying to move through stickly glue and molasses. The aiming feels really poor as well.

    One to avoid. (gamertag is Conaghan)

  • Haloboy #47 5 years ago

    They better port Halo 3, and within the next 18 months. That's all there is left to say.

  • BarrettBonden #48 5 years ago

    This is the journalistic equivalent of being very, very mean to a dearly-loved old granny. For shame.

  • mcmonkeyplc #49 5 years ago

    You had at Halo 2's music is bad. Thats the stupidest thing you guys have ever written!

    Just say its dated, dont blame the music....its awesome.

  • Santino #50 5 years ago

    awesomely bad?

  • SeesThroughAll #51 5 years ago

    Using an old game to try to dupe people into buying a new OS. Shame on you, Microsoft.

  • thinktank #52 5 years ago

    In contrast to what is out now on pc and across all platforms in general id say H2 on vista does deserve a 6. But the reasons given in this review are poor,

    9 time out of 10 EG get it wright but just as 1up and ign are subject to scoreing games too highly due to hype EG tend to overcompensate. This just seems like the reviewer has been given a chance to "have a shot at a halo game".

    If it wasn't for the text this review would be spot on.

  • The-Bodybuilder #53 5 years ago

    What I find funny is th way the reviewer really tries to pretend that he liked the first halo, byt mentioning it's strength.

    Be honest now, halo hasn't been an "EG" type of game now has it?

  • gaselite #54 5 years ago

    That's the score the console version deserved in the first place.

  • Triggerhappytel #55 5 years ago

    This review reads exactly how I felt about Halo 2 first time around on Xbox.

    Releasing this game on PC now was always a bad idea. It's about two years too late, and the PC FPS market is a much different beast to the console FPS market.

    I disagree about the music though. I thought that was probably the one area the sequel made improvements in.

  • Dizzy #56 5 years ago

    Weak review full of PC fanboy-ism.

    I play FPS games like crazy on PC and on 360. Halo 2 multiplayer is in the top 5 of best FPS games at the moment on any platform. Next time post it on GameFaqs. 1/10
    Edited by 1 at 09/06/07 @ 13:23

  • Ryltar #57 5 years ago

    One of the earlier posters summed it up perfectly(imo): Halo just doesn't work on the PC, purely because there are so many better FPS games on the platform.
    For example, I remember playing the first Halo on the PC and I just couldn't see what the fuss was about. I guess it was because I was spoilt by amazing games like Half Life, Deus Ex, UT etc...

    The irony is that Halo was initially meant to be a PC game? I recall seeing videos of it long before the X-Box was even announced. I cant help but think what Halo as a franchise would have been if it wasn't for Microsoft's console.

    Saying that - Halo on the X-Box was a lot of fun! I have fond memories of playing 4 player split screen multi-player, which reminded me a lot of the good times I used to have playing Goldeneye. so yeah, fun for what it is, over hyped? deffo. just my two cents.

  • The-Bodybuilder #58 5 years ago

    Who wrote that games review?
    Looks like the person holds a grudge against the xbox for taking away halo from the pc.
    Sounds like a bitter PC nerd to me.

  • WJF #59 5 years ago

    The music on both Halos is from the 'Hans Zimmer school of Overblown Tripe'.

    HOMAM 2-4. Now that's proper game music... More opera and bassoons please!

  • nickthegun #60 5 years ago

    As much as I like Halo, I would have knocked another point of for it being Vista-Exclusive.

  • The-Bodybuilder #61 5 years ago

    Is Hans Zimmer the guy that made the terminator 1/2 theme tune?
    Then he's a genius in my book.

  • FooAtari #62 5 years ago

    Bodybuilder. When compared to a game like Half-Life 2 or even Half-life Halo just doesn't cut it. I didnt rate the second game much on the Xbox, but there is a huge choice of FPS on the PC, many much better than Halo 2. single player and multi player
    Edited by 1 at 09/06/07 @ 13:44

  • The-Bodybuilder #63 5 years ago

    @ Footari.

    I absolutely I agree with the score of this review.
    I would've rated H2 a 7/0 when it came out (wasn't even that much of a fan of the multiplayer). H1 IMO did deserve the hype though (both on and offline player).

    My comment is in regards to the gamesTM review posted by someone here. That review is AWEFUL.

  • FooAtari #64 5 years ago

    Haven't seen it. I do think Halo was far better game than H2 I did quite enjoy it, especially in co-op on legendry. But in the grand scheme of the genre it wasn't all that.

  • Verwandlung #65 5 years ago

    "but it's old and lame like some old dog, just put it out of its misery"


    LOL

  • Physically_Insane #66 5 years ago

    who reviewed this? it's not too old, the music is fantastic and the multiplayer is one of the best bits about the halo games.

  • UncleLou #67 5 years ago

    People need some perspective. A 3 year old game based on 5 or 6 years old tech on the platform that's on the forefront in the genre - and a game that has been heavily criticised even by Xbox fans once the hype had died down, except for the multiplayer modus - which faces pretty stiff competition on the PC - so what did you expect?

    Edited by 1 at 09/06/07 @ 14:30

  • thinktank #68 5 years ago

    @unclelou

    I think people are more pissed off about how bad the review is rather than the actual result,

    I mean the author makes the asumption that the reader has played H2 and reviews it as a port instead of as a stand alone game. He doesn't even so much as link back to the original H2 review on xbox.

    I wont list all the things wrong with this review, it would take too long.
    Edited by 1 at 09/06/07 @ 14:32

  • Walshicus #69 5 years ago

    Did I mention the bad music? Right.

    EDIT: I disagree heartily!
    Edited by 1 at 22/10/07 @ 17:58

  • Barkotron #70 5 years ago

    "The concept of a world on the inner surface of a ring was original"

    No it wasn't. Freeman Dyson, via Larry Niven, via Iain M. Banks. Halo the artifact is pretty much a straight rip of a Culture Orbital, except a bit smaller. It might have been new to video games, but it wasn't original.

    I'd agree with most of the rest of your post though. The story was good enough - it was mainly the appallingly badly-judged level design in the snowy bits which made the original not worth much more than a 6 or 7. If they'd cut about 3 hours out, I'd give it an 8 or so.

    As for Halo 2 - I'll play it anyway so I can see what happens next, but I'd be surprised if I actually gave anyone any money for it.

  • Dynamize #71 5 years ago

    Looks like the person holds a grudge against the xbox for taking away halo from the pc.
    Sounds like a bitter PC nerd to me.

    It was supposed to be a Mac game wasn't it? A spiritual successor to the Marathon series. Well, at least the stories are strikingly similar, AI junk, big ship-planet thingies and stuff.

    Anyways, three year old game made specifically for a console is only above average when ported to the PC non-shocka. The PC is spoiled for choice when it comes to quality FPS games. It's hardly surprising things have moved on in the platform's world of lamented high turnaround on new technology and graphical wossnames.

    Pay full price for a three year old game, plus upgrade to Vista? No thanks.

  • PearOfAnguish #72 5 years ago

    "The concept of a world on the inner surface of a ring was original"

    No it wasn't. Freeman Dyson, via Larry Niven, via Iain M. Banks. Halo the artifact is pretty much a straight rip of a Culture Orbital, except a bit smaller. It might have been new to video games, but it wasn't original.

    O'Neill cylinders are along similar lines, too, and were famously used in Mobile Suit Gundam and Arthur C. Clark's Rendevous with Rama.

    Halo's story is only original if you're not at all familiar with sci-fi literature.

    Looks like the person holds a grudge against the xbox for taking away halo from the pc.
    Sounds like a bitter PC nerd to me.

    Yes, that's it! It's not that the game is a bit crap, or anything, it's pure jealousy!
    Edited by 2 at 09/06/07 @ 15:15

  • Santino #73 5 years ago

    Barkotron, as long as you aren't going to pay a penny for it then you are safe, the game is a damn turd no matter which format it is played on, i fell for the hype and won't be making that mistake with the 3rd one. shit i didnt even think much of the first one i should have known better. I guess i'm just one of those gamers who doesn't place a mediocre game on some pedestal of greatness because hype tells me too.

  • Waldo #74 5 years ago

    I'm surprised they didn't stretch it out over two pages. ;)

    I thought the first game was okay and had some parts that were actually pretty good, but it was massively over-hyped, leaving me with a "Is that all there is?" feeling at the end.

    The game also had some of the most repetitive level design I've ever seen.

    Haven't played the second one, and since I don't have Vista I won't be playing it anytime soon; anybody who wanted to really really really play Halo 2 did so three years ago.

  • FooAtari #75 5 years ago

    I've never seen such a huge difference between the perceived greatness of a game, compared to how good it really is. Sure Halo was a good, especially when released, technically it was a big step for console FPS. But I've never been so confused by the hype that surrounds a franchise.

    I guess i'm just one of those gamers who doesn't place a mediocre game on some pedestal of greatness because hype tells me too.

    This is a depressing but true statement. (I guess that's what happens when something becomes mainstream.)

    Especially on 360. The only console I own right now is a 360. But I feel that the Xbox has one of the most, erm, loyal(?) fan base I've ever seen. Every big/hyped games shoots straight to the top (or damn near it) of the charts. Games like Lost Planet, which was alright, but IMO didn't deserve the hype never mind a launch party.
    Edited by 1 at 09/06/07 @ 16:04

  • Monkey_Puncher #76 5 years ago

    Halo 2 was poop when it first came out, no wonder it's even more poop 2 years down the line. Seems that very little has changed for Halo 3 as well, hopefully the reason they're holding back the single player isn't because it's another messy dullfest.

  • The-Bodybuilder #77 5 years ago

    I do agree about people's comments on the reviewer's OPINION on the music.

    Music is usually a very subjective thing to review. All reviewers must atleast TRY to be as objective as possible in a review.
    The reviewer should indicate what specifically about the music that makes it not fit into the game. Does it not express and blend with the situation and environment? (as in are the monks inappropriate when the scene is on the quasi-religious covenants? Or is the guitar rift not applicable during a scene of intense firefightin?)

    Simply saying the music is bad is completely subjective and amateurish.

    That's the problem with EG sometimes. It becomes very difficult to criticize them. Although I fully agree with the review in many ways, and the overall score (I'm not gonna mention H2 being overhyped), when it comes to halo, it's difficult to criticize EG as they ALWAYS seem to be in this "we are right. You are wrong" mentality.

    Yes many things of the review are true, but I doubt the reviewer can actually see what he's done wrong. Rather, anyone that points out the review's flaws will be seen as a "halo" (or any other game for that matter) fanboy.
    Edited by 1 at 09/06/07 @ 17:00

  • The-Bodybuilder #78 5 years ago

    >" It might have been new to video games,"

    The the person's original comment (in context of video games and FPSs, which is what he was talking about) still stands true.

  • The-Bodybuilder #79 5 years ago

    >"Yes, that's it! It's not that the game is a bit crap, or anything, it's pure jealousy! "

    Oh for the love of....

    What's wrong with some of you bloody people?
    Let me put it in capslock for you in case you are too slow.

    YES H2 IS OVERHYPED. YES THE SP IS CRAPTACULAR (IMO). YES IT DESERVES THE 6/10 IT GOT.

    MY COMMENT WAS ABOUT THE GAMES(TM) REVIEW THAT WAS POSTED HERE.

    Some of you are so bloody stuck-up and such dilligent defenders of EG it's amazing. It's not even people who don't like H2 (me) can a review from ANOTHER SITE.
    Edited by 1 at 09/06/07 @ 17:02

  • The-Bodybuilder #80 5 years ago

    >"Games like Lost Planet."

    Lost Planet was a set up.
    I enjoyed the demo (due to the graphics, setting and atmosphere).
    Coupled with the fact that it was a year away, my imagination went wild as to how the finished product would be (I was expecting something along the lines of Resi 4).

    Obviously that wasn't the case.

  • Number1Laing #81 5 years ago

    Better than Halo 2, then?

    Oh, nevermind.

  • UncleLou #82 5 years ago

    Rather, anyone that points out the review's flaws will be seen as a "halo" (or any other game for that matter) fanboy.

    Wait a minute, didn't you write this earlier:

    Who wrote that games review?
    Looks like the person holds a grudge against the xbox for taking away halo from the pc.
    Sounds like a bitter PC nerd to me.

    Certainly EG's fault that you look like a rabid fanboy...

  • mkreku #83 5 years ago

    Boom, boom, bored.

  • Xerx3s #84 5 years ago

    /Reads comments: 0_o

  • The-Bodybuilder #85 5 years ago

    >"Certainly EG's fault that you look like a rabid fanboy... "

    /sighs angrily.

    I'm not gonna lie, the temptation to call people stupid is overwhelming me. But I know you're not, rather people seem to get riled up whenever it comes to halo.

    So I'll simplify it for everyone.

    1. I said "who wrote that games review?" As in "Games" (the GamesTM website review).
    Your comment may have been accurate, if it wasn't for the fact that I have fully explained I meant the games website some 3 or so times after that post (if people cared to read beyond that point. I find it odd how you couldn've responded to my last comment whilst overlooking the ones I made inbetween).

    2. Someone please explain to me how I'm a "rabid fanboy" when I've clearly pointed out (in caps lock might I add) that H2 is overhyped and this (as in EG's review) is right to give it a 6/10?

    Let me do it again, HALO 2 IS OVERHYPED AND I FEEL THIS REVIEWER'S SCORE IS PERFECTLY ACCURATE ABOUT THE GAME (except for the comment on the music).

    It seems many are quick to jump to EGs defence, but yet I'm the fanboy. Do people even realize that being an EGfanboy is equal to that as any other fanboy?

    But I bet you that I will still be called a halo fanboy after this. Afterall, anyone that even dares to question EG MUST be a halofanboy.
    I don't mind being called a dreamcast or shenmue fanboy though.

  • zuljin #86 5 years ago

    "If it wasn't for the text this review would be spot on."

    Lol. Funniest comment in a while. Who says people only look at the final score eh?

  • Hughes. #87 5 years ago

    Shirley everyone realises this is just softening people up for Halo 3 getting 7/10?

  • UncleLou #88 5 years ago

    I actually thought the "who wrote that" question was some kind of joke, as the linked review is from Jim Rossignol as well - as the poster who linked it already said, and as it is written under the review. You hadn't noticed? Thank God we called noone stupid, eh. ;)

    FWIW, I haven't defended EG, I am just annoyed about the typcial reactions.

  • Physically_Insane #89 5 years ago

    how can EG rate halo 2 on the xbox 9/10 and on vista 6/10. even though it's three years old, surley it doesn't deserve 3 marks taken off.

  • Barkotron #90 5 years ago

    ">" It might have been new to video games,"

    The the person's original comment (in context of video games and FPSs, which is what he was talking about) still stands true."

    Except they were talking about the story and setting, as in showing some kind of originality beyond being the first to steal from well-known sci-fi. So no, it doesn't stand true at all. What's the point in claiming to be original when it's not?

    "how can EG rate halo 2 on the xbox 9/10 and on vista 6/10. even though it's three years old, surley it doesn't deserve 3 marks taken off."

    I've just been playing it, and you know what? You're right, it doesn't deserve 3 marks taken off. It deserves to get about 3 marks full stop. The combat is horrible, the movement is unbelievably sluggish, the enemy AI is passable at best, and I'm sure I don't even remember the first one's graphics being this bad. Make no mistake, from the little I've played (first hour or so), this is one of the worst shooters I've played on the PC for a long time. And I even vaguely enjoyed the first one apart from the aforementioned terrible level design in the middle bits.

    Don't be fooled, this really is utter, utter wank.

  • PearOfAnguish #91 5 years ago

    how can EG rate halo 2 on the xbox 9/10 and on vista 6/10. even though it's three years old, surley it doesn't deserve 3 marks taken off.

    You could read always read the review, that is what it's there for, but to summarise:

    - It looks crap. Graphics are weak, no matter how good you thought they looked three years ago on a six year old console, and level design and art direction is mostly generic and dull.
    - It's Vista exclusive.
    - It uses Microsoft's shitty Windows Live service.
    - It's expensive.
    - It's fucking boring.

    On the PC there are many other FPS games that are either already out or being released shortly that look and play a lot better. Even in multiplayer. Halo 2 suffers in comparison.
    Edited by 2 at 09/06/07 @ 19:28

  • The-Bodybuilder #92 5 years ago

    @ UncleLou.

    Yes I initially thought so too. But I couldn't see the author's name on the article, and the article was just so bad in comparison to this one, that the only "normal" conclusion was that he wasn't the writer.
    I guess it was good that I didn't call anyone stupid then.

    But yet it still doesn't explain how I can be a "rabid fanboy" when I had proclaimed (multiple times, might I add) that I felt Halo 2 was overhyped and deserving of the score.

    But I'm genuingly suprised that Jim is the same person that wrote both articles. I'm not sure whether he exaggereated his disdain for Halo because he was writing for GamesTM, or whether he's merely holding back his own vendetta against it in this review.

    Either way, that GamesTM article is one of the worst articles I've read this year, Halo 2 6/10 or not.

  • The-Bodybuilder #93 5 years ago

    >"Except they were talking about the story and setting, as in showing some kind of originality beyond being the first to steal from well-known sci-fi. So no, it doesn't stand true at all. What's the point in claiming to be original when it's not? "

    Good point.

  • Syrok #94 5 years ago

    Fanboys....

  • tiddles #95 5 years ago

    EG, most of the time even if I don't agree with you, I can at least see that the reviews are well written and properly argumented. This review is neither.

    Funny how nobody ever complains about badly written reviews when they agree with them.

    I didn't agree with your comment, and coincidentally I didn't think it was very well written - I'm sure "argumented" isn't a word...

  • Monkey-Wizard-Ken #96 5 years ago

    Halo 2 is good you silly fools

  • smelly #97 5 years ago

    "it's difficult to criticize EG as they ALWAYS seem to be in this "we are right. You are wrong" mentality. "


    You're confusing EG with the people who post in the forums ...

  • dreamkin #98 5 years ago

    Now don't you feel ashamed of hiving those ridiculously high marks to this game back when when it was released on XBOX?

  • Overlush #99 5 years ago

    "This review is written more like someone posting an opinion on their blog, rather than a proper review... "

    Isn't a 'proper' review an opinion?

  • smelly #100 5 years ago

    "Infact, Halo 2 is the only game I've actually bought the soundtrack for, which says a lot. "


    You bought a game sound track? Yes that does say a LOT .. about you :-)

  • YourMessageHere #101 5 years ago

    I don't get this thing about the multiplayer being a reason why the game should score higher, or even prioritised in the review as some seem to suggest. That's only a part of the game, the review clearly shows it's been taken into account, balanced against the apparent crappiness of the SP, and thereby already dragged the score upwards somewhat. Personally I don't like MP, it's not why I get a game; of course others love it, but both SP and MP are equally important in a game like this that offers full-sized experiences in both areas.

    Also, what is this rubbish about reviews seeming like one person's opinion? What the hell else is a review? It's not as if games are objectively good or crap, and reviewers are people with the amazing mystikal skillz0rz to percieve this and tell everyone else; they just say what they think, based on their experience.

  • PearOfAnguish #102 5 years ago

    Perhaps all the people criticising the review would like to review the review, line by line, and utilise their amazing literary skills to point out all the errors.

    Or maybe not. Because as tiddles said, it appears that Halo fans are annoyed that it didn't get the score they think it deserves.
    Edited by 1 at 09/06/07 @ 23:48

  • Xerx3s #103 5 years ago

    Btw, who is Jim Rossignol? I don't think he worked for EG before (?).

  • PearOfAnguish #104 5 years ago

    He's done lots for PC Gamer and other Future mags.

  • saysomething #105 5 years ago

    It was a shitty review. The end.

  • Walshicus #106 5 years ago

    Well, I think it's a bad review even though I have no qualms with the score. If the game hasn't been advanced enough from the original Xbox version to warrant the price or requirements, then fair play to the 6/10.

    What I am amused about though is the abundance of people criticising the series as if it's the worst thing ever made. It's not; and many millions would agree.

  • smelly #107 5 years ago

    Translation to all these posts :

    EG gives a average score to a game on your favouritist system.. And all of a sudden the reviewer cant do his/her job.

  • Genji #108 5 years ago

    Halo 2 >>>> Half-Life 2

    Oh yes. I went there.

    Anyway. One wonders why they even bothered releasing this on the PC at all. Most PC-only gamers loathe Halo, and FPS gamers owning multiple platforms have probably already played it to death. Who did they think was going to buy it?

    There's nothing particularly wrong with this review, but I did notice one small typo in there. See, at the end, when he gives the score, it reads "6/10". The correct number is actually "8/10".

    I expect changes to be forthcoming. ;-D
    Edited by 1 at 10/06/07 @ 07:49

  • toy_brain #109 5 years ago

    "Translation to all these posts :

    EG gives a average score to a game on your favouritist system.. And all of a sudden the reviewer cant do his/her job. "

    /Stabs smelly in face.

    Good grief man, have you not actually READ the comments?!
    Pretty much everyone is saying they agree with the 6/10 score, but feel the actual review itself is little better than a forum or blog post.
    Personally I dont really care about Halo 2 either way (other than the game getting far too much coverage in the gameing press, possibly at the expense of other games I'd be more interested in hearing about) and the 6\10 score sounds fine to me given that I've yet to actually finish my first play-through of it. However the review read like flame-bait. Its opinions backed up by nothing other than more opinions (especially when talking about the music) and nothing telling you how the game actually played, or how playing it on the PC contrasted with the original Xbox experience.
    Or even a link to the Xbox review.

    Fine score.
    Bad text.

    Still, must be reassuring to EG to know your reviews are actually getting read :p

  • silentbob #110 5 years ago

    This thread is beyond hilarious. I'd go so far as to call it 'Halorious'. Guffaw!

  • PearOfAnguish #111 5 years ago

    Pretty much everyone is saying they agree with the 6/10 score, but feel the actual review itself is little better than a forum or blog post.

    Hardly 'everyone' saying that, and none of you has actually been able to explain why it's such an awful review. Please, enlighten us.

    Or, as Smelly said, you didn't like the score so you've decided the review is badly written. Deal with it and move on.

  • Xerx3s #112 5 years ago

    He's done lots for PC Gamer and other Future mags.

    Ah right. Thx.



    Anyway....

    /puts flame suit on

    PCGP - one of the more entertaining pc magazines in the benelux - has giving this 87%...

    /throws kerosine into the air
    /runs

  • PearOfAnguish #113 5 years ago

    Its opinions backed up by nothing other than more opinions

    Um, you do realise that's what a review is, an opinion. All reviews - of anything, music, movies, whatever - are mainly comprised of subjective opinion, with objective facts where appropriate. You should have noticed this by now.

    and nothing telling you how the game actually played

    It's a three year old game, there's a good chance most here will have played it at some point, yet you want writers to waste time explaining how the game plays? It's a direct port, it's exactly like the Xbox version but with a mouse and keyboard.
    You write for the target audience and at a guess EG's visitors are largely knowledgeable, experienced gamers who are familiar with Halo. And anyway, certain parts of the game are described, when they differ from Halo 1.

    or how playing it on the PC contrasted with the original Xbox experience.

    What's the point? Why would PC gamers care? It's unlikely there are legions of Xbox Halo 2 fans rushing out to buy copies of Vista so they can see what's new.

    Or even a link to the Xbox review.

    Forget how to use the search function?
    That's not the responsibility of a freelance writer, it's up to the site editors to include links and other elements. And what does that even have to do with the review?

  • WickedDeeJ #114 5 years ago

    A fair score. This game was never going to be more than a weak attempt at getting people to pay for both Vista and Live Gold.

    In terms of the content, I have to agree with what is said in the review about the story being ok at the core, and there being good moments, but the game suffering from looooong scenes of yawnsome wandering about.

  • Barkotron #115 5 years ago

    Been playing it a bit more, and I might have been a bit harsh. The combat approaches passable once the mouse sensitivity is on max and the graphics somehow aren't quite so horrible if you fiddle with driver AA/AF settings.

    However, it never approaches being good. I'd revise my earlier score from 3 up to maybe 5 after yesterday's play.
    1) The first vehicle section is, as has been mentioned, very, very dull indeed. The Ghost is too slow, the Tank is too slow, the friendly AI are idiots.
    2) The weapon aiming is still "well, it's within 3 feet, it'll do".
    3) The melee combat is just... weird - there's no sense that you're connecting with anything, it just looks like there's a slash/stab animation and the creature in front of you does a standard death animation. Or doesn't, and continues to shoot you, with no way of telling which of the two will happen. The game would be better without, to be honest.
    4) The graphics are still rubbish, even if they aren't actively ugly as I thought on first glance.
    5) The music is fine where they haven't changed it from the original, but the bits they've added are some of the most miserable shite I've heard in a game since Warrior Within. It doesn't actually match the sheer awfulness of that, of course, nothing could, but it's very bad indeed.

    It's just not a good game - I can't think of a PC shooter I've played in the last four or five years that wasn't better than it. It's not even as good as Unreal 2, for crying out loud, and that was about as mediocre as it gets (except it had better graphics than this 4 years ago).

    I don't see how anyone could complain about the review - it covers the combat: same as the first one except with dual-wield and a sword. It then goes into detail about all the areas that make the game not very good. What's wrong with that? Will people please stop complaining about "opinions"? Expressing opinions is what reviews are for, you bizarre objective automata. For my money it's one of the more intelligent and perceptive reviews of the game I've read over the last few days. At least Senor Rossignol appears to have taste in music, which seems to be sorely lacking in commenters around here...
    Edited by 2 at 10/06/07 @ 11:01

  • toy_brain #116 5 years ago

    "Or, as Smelly said, you didn't like the score so you've decided the review is badly written. Deal with it and move on. "

    /Bangs head off of desk.

    Oh for pity's sake.

    I. agree. with. the. sodding. score.
    Do you understand that?
    Do you?
    Really?

    I'll say it again, this time using caps lock in case your eyes need to be drawn to the important words.

    *hits caps lock*

    I AGREE WITH THE SCORE

    *hits caps lock again*

    As for my other points, of course a review should tell you how the sodding game plays. You can't just assume these things. You at least need to cover the basic gameplay mechanics for the benefit of any PC gamer who may have heard of Halo2 in general, but not looked into it in depth because... y'know.. it wasn't actually out on their platform back then so why would they bother.
    And of course you should contrast it with the console version. Does mouse-aiming turn the game into a total cakewalk on anything but the hardest setting? what kind of PC is needed for decent performance? and a little more detail on the online side would not have gone amiss.

    Oh, and one more time - once again with caps and added bonus exclamation marks......

    I AGREE THAT HALO 2 IS ONLY WORTH 6/10!!!!!!!!

  • Barkotron #117 5 years ago

    "of course a review should tell you how the sodding game plays."

    It does though. "The fighting itself is much the same, only now you can dual-wield." - "much the same" very probably referring to "Halo done badly" from the previous paragraph. If you use half a brain you can work these things out, see?

    Playing the game, that's really all it needs. It doesn't deserve an in-depth going-over because there's pretty much nothing else to it. Personally I would have added "incredibly slow" and "jumping appears to take place in half gravity", but that's about all that was missed.

  • toy_brain #118 5 years ago

    Well, I would have added something about how dual-wielding changes up the gun+grenades fomula that Halo 1 had, as it was the first time in an FPS (admittedly I dont play that many of them so maybe a previous game did it better, I'm not sure) that grenades were so important to how you approached combat.
    I'd also have covered the re-balancing of weapons - because for some reason, thse seemingly small changes made Halo 2 feel very different (IE worse) than Halo 1.

    The review did cover the cloaking aspect, which was good. Its just a shame nothing else was described in as much detail.

  • Xerx3s #119 5 years ago

    This game was never going to be more than a weak attempt at getting people to pay for both Vista and Live Gold.

    H2v doesn't support cross platform. A gold membership would thus be useless for it. The rest is true.

  • L0cky #120 5 years ago

    'as it was the first time in an FPS (admittedly I dont play that many of them so maybe a previous game did it better, I'm not sure) that grenades were so important to how you approached combat.'

    Goldeneye

  • Xerx3s #121 5 years ago

    Err...right. You mean anything but GE. I loved GE to bits and we where still playing the MP in 2000 but if it was anything, it was a handicap game.

    Q2 would be a much better call.

  • toy_brain #122 5 years ago

    "Goldeneye"
    Seriously?
    I know almost every FPS has reatured grenades, and some make more use of them than others, but I didnt think Goldeneye made the same sort of almost-constant tactial use of them that Halo 1 did.

    Then again I did sorta miss the whole Goldeneye boat. I never saw the games appeal when it came out, and shortly after sold my N64.
    When I eventually re-bought one I was more interested in playing Perfect Dark, but even so, neither game seemed to be -that- grenade-centric.

    Perhaps I was just playing them all wrong?
    Edited by 1 at 10/06/07 @ 13:01

  • captainrentboy #123 5 years ago

    If Halo 3 gets anything less than a 9 I think this website would actually explode from all the fanboy's fury and the opposite camp's gloating.
    I still think the console version is worth more than a 6, I think it's a solid 7 bordering on an 8, especially considering that nothing beat it on last gen consoles with regards to its online modes.
    Once I'm done with my Halo replay through (God it's aged), I'll go back to Halo 2, and I'm already dreading some of those facking Arbiter missions :/

  • Santino #124 5 years ago

    134 comments wasted on this fucking turd, well done everybody.

  • Xerx3s #125 5 years ago

    It will be the end of the Internet as we know it. Remember the fury of other websites when EG only gave GoW an 8? The amount of abuse...

  • Lutz #126 5 years ago

    I dunno, for a PC game that's 3 years behind it's first outing, I think Halo 2 PC getting a 6/10 is probably a good rating. Don't like the review though; badly written.

    /charges to pass bridge
    /but is actually serious

  • L0cky #127 5 years ago

    You mean anything but GE.
    Depends if you're talking MP or SP, toy_brain didn't say.

    Q2 would be a much better call.

    My point was I don't see Halo doing anything new with grenades and reaffirms my belief that people who think it's so great just don't know FPS prior to it. Grenades were an important part of team fortress or QW TDM, 8 long years before Halo 2.


  • WhyMeeeeee #128 5 years ago

    So how many ppl upgraded to vista just for this?

    now thats gullible

  • Azazel #129 5 years ago

    134 comments wasted on this fucking turd, well done everybody.

    +1

    Well, actually 'fucking turd' is probably a bit harsh, but +1 for the sentiment.

    Anyway, as everyone knows QW is still the bestestest.

  • The-Bodybuilder #130 5 years ago

    >"Funny how nobody ever complains about badly written reviews when they agree with them."

    I've done quite a number of times.
    In fact, many people are.

  • The-Bodybuilder #131 5 years ago

    >"You're confusing EG with the people who post in the forums ..."

    True.
    But I still stand by my statement.

    /looks over at FEAR-console review.

  • The-Bodybuilder #132 5 years ago

    >"He's done lots for PC Gamer."

    Well that makes sense.

  • The-Bodybuilder #133 5 years ago

    >"and none of you has actually been able to explain why it's such an awful review. Please, enlighten us. "

    I gave you a acceptable expanation of his review on the music (my only gripe about this review).
    Or maybe I should have just said "this music is good". That's as good as his comments.

    My previous posts were about his review (I guess it's his, until he says otherwise) on GamesTM.

  • The-Bodybuilder #134 5 years ago

    LOL, Toy Brain seems to be suffering the same stress I did with PearOfAnguish.

    I think it's difficult for people to understand that they just don't like this review (I don't mind it, personally), whilst agreeing with the general theme and score.
    NO. If you don't 100% like everything EG presents, then you are a fanboy, specifically a halo one (even if it has nothing to do with halo).

  • Redeye #135 5 years ago

    If I wanted to play it, I'd switch on the old black box.

    But I don't, 'cause it wasn't all that.

    *goes back to playing Hyper Sports*

  • The-Bodybuilder #136 5 years ago

    Why do I always make so many posts in a row?

  • The-Bodybuilder #137 5 years ago

    You do, don't you?

  • The-Bodybuilder #138 5 years ago

    Yes I do.

  • The-Bodybuilder #139 5 years ago

    I LUV U.

  • smelly #140 5 years ago

    >I AGREE THAT HALO 2 IS ONLY WORTH 6/10!!!!!!!!


    Really? I'd give halo 1 6/10 and halo 2 4/10 personally.

    Dont really have high hopes for halo 3.

  • JediMasterMalik #141 5 years ago

    2/10lol

  • Haloboy #142 5 years ago

    I wonder what Halo 3 will get? hmm

    I predict 7 out of 10

  • captainrentboy #143 5 years ago

    I couldn't care less what Halo 3 gets on here, I'll be buying it on day one and not leaving my room until it's frikkin completed.
    I'm one of those sad Halo completists see? I've got the games, I've got all the books, and the Marvel spin off too. I need to find out what happens dammit! I think Master Chief will die, he'll sacrifice himself for the sake of the Galaxy, mark my words guys.
    Saying that, I'm not getting the legendary edish, once I found out that the helmet wasn't human sized I lost interest in it :/

  • The-Bodybuilder #144 5 years ago

    @ Smelly.

    I didn't ask for your opinions on either of them, the statement wasn't made at/for you.
    How did you manage to get in her anyways? This isn't nintendo related.

  • Azazel #145 5 years ago

    I predict 7 out of 10

    I predict a riot.

  • Haloboy #146 5 years ago

    What too high? oh ok then.

    5 out of 10!!!!

  • PearOfAnguish #147 5 years ago

    I think it's difficult for people to understand that they just don't like this review (I don't mind it, personally), whilst agreeing with the general theme and score.

    You seem to be having some difficulty understanding also. I don't care whether you like the score or the review, but if you're going to claim the review is badly written then you had better explain why, or you're going to look like a whining fanboy.

  • speedstars13 #148 5 years ago

    Finally someone saw the illusional wall MS has had put up. I admit mutliplayer is fun. And that's all it is.

  • wayn3h #149 5 years ago

    I looked forward to H2 on the xbox so much that I think I played it with rose tinted glasses on and made myself like it. Once you get past the flashy production values and hype it really was quite bland and lacked that something that made the first one so special.

    Admittedly the multiplayer was nothing short of kick ass when compared to what other console games offered at the time. Even now not many games have managed to get near or surpass what Bungie accomplished with it.

    Halo 2 for the PC, as others have already pointed out many times already, has so many things going against it that I think even a score of 6 is pretty generous.

    If and when there is an XP crack I may buy it from the bargain bin. But don't hold your breath for my mullah M$.

    edit: And why exactly are people saying the review was bad? I see nothing at all wrong with it.
    Edited by 1 at 11/06/07 @ 03:54

  • admir #150 5 years ago

    iam sorry but halo is the most overrated game and i have played it

  • Genji #151 5 years ago

    Anyone who doesn't like Halo has no idea what a great FPS game looks like. Their hatred of Halo masks a defect in the very core of their being. They are soulless, devil-worshipping monsters, who feast upon aborted babies in the hope of prolonging their cursed existance in servitude to their dark master.

    Also, they are fat. The end.

  • penhalion #152 5 years ago

    I'll just add my vioce to this growing list by saying. I was shouted down for having this very same opinion (as in the review) of Halo 2 when it first came out. I pointed out all these flaws and said it was absolute crap compared to one. The story was just plain wrong. I'll say it just once more as people still didn't get it. The story of halo is Noah's ark! It's a sci-fi remake of a frickin' bible story for pitys sake. There is NO originality in it what so ever!

    I still bet this falls on deaf ears though and I expect someone to point out this bible story fact some time next year like it's their own sudden realisation!

  • Haloboy #153 5 years ago

    Halo is overrated on so many levels it's absurd

    Bungie are not as talented as many make them out to be

    And on the flip side of that.....

    Crysis will make Halo 3 owners cry, boo hoo

    Crytek are already development gods and they have only produced one single game so far!

  • bushwod #154 5 years ago

    Bad review written by a PC snob.

    It IS a three year old game, this wasn't even taken into account.

  • The-Bodybuilder #155 5 years ago

    >"I don't care whether you like the score or the review, but if you're going to claim the review is badly written then you had better explain why, or you're going to look like a whining fanboy.".

    1. You're an idiot. The very fact that you quoted me saying "I don't mind the review" is an indication as to how I feel about the article. All my comments have been about the GamesTM review. Are you that bloody stupid? How many times must I spell that out to you?
    2. Yo don't care about whether I like the review? Yet you constantly want my opinion on it?
    3. I never claimed THIS article is badly written (how many times must I point out that I don't mind it).
    4. How does one look like a "whinning fanboy" when the person claims a game is bad? So in your mind, you're a fanboy if you like the game, and you're a fanboy if you don't? Either way, anyone that disagrees with you, is a fanboy?
    5. My only complain about the review is the comments on the music, of which I already gave a reasonable explanation. What's so sad is that I've said this mutliple times in the posts you keep quoting, but yet you seem incapable of actually going to the post where I give my explanation, and rather just continue to argue for no good reason.

  • The-Bodybuilder #156 5 years ago

    @ rdexter

    Yeah, I'm gonna have to. It seems I've had to learn the hard way. He seems to only see things in 3 perspectives; white, black, and halo.

  • PearOfAnguish #157 5 years ago

    1. You're an idiot. The very fact that you quoted me saying "I don't mind the review" is an indication as to how I feel about the article. All my comments have been about the GamesTM review. Are you that bloody stupid? How many times must I spell that out to you?

    So stop replying then, love. I'm talking about the people questioning the writing, not the conclusions of the review. If that's not you then there's no problem, is there.

    2. Yo don't care about whether I like the review? Yet you constantly want my opinion on it?

    No, I don't want your opinion on it. I would just be interested to hear an explanation of why the review is apparently so badly written. And since that's not you saying those things, there's nothing to worry about.

    3. I never claimed THIS article is badly written (how many times must I point out that I don't mind it).

    How many times must I point out that I have no issue with the review at all, and would simply like to know why people are claiming it's a bad review? Please try and understand this so I can stop telling you over and over again.

    4. How does one look like a "whinning fanboy" when the person claims a game is bad? So in your mind, you're a fanboy if you like the game, and you're a fanboy if you don't? Either way, anyone that disagrees with you, is a fanboy?

    And you say I'm the idiot? Need to work on your reading comprehension, because that isn't what I said at all. You're a whining fanboy if your only response to a review you disagree with is to make vague comments that question the abilities of the writer. I could not care less whether any one likes or doesn't like the game.

    5. My only complain about the review is the comments on the music, of which I already gave a reasonable explanation. What's so sad is that I've said this mutliple times in the posts you keep quoting, but yet you seem incapable of actually going to the post where I give my explanation, and rather just continue to argue for no good reason.

    Yes, it is sad that you have totally misunderstood and got your knickers all in a twist over something that's not aimed at you.

  • The-Bodybuilder #158 5 years ago

    I'm sorry POA.
    It seems I mistook you repeatedly quoting my posts, and then replying to them by using the word "you" in reference to me, as an indication of you commenting about my posts.

    What a silly mistake for me to make, eh?

  • PearOfAnguish #159 5 years ago

    It's ok, I forgive you.

  • The-Bodybuilder #160 5 years ago

    It really is sad when someone can't admit the made a mistake.

    Too much ego, I say.

  • PearOfAnguish #161 5 years ago

    I know, it is very sad. If you just admit you got it wrong you'll feel a lot better.

  • Genji #162 5 years ago

    It's also kinda sad when people take video game reviews this seriously.

  • The-Bodybuilder #163 5 years ago

    I did admit it POA.
    Once again, I apologies for thinking you were talking to me, especially when you qouted my posts and replied to them.

  • MrAtheist #164 5 years ago

    I want the last word!

    No I want the last word

    I want the last word!

    No I want the last word

  • Genji #165 5 years ago

    In Internet discussions, the last word always wins.

    ....I WIN

  • PearOfAnguish #166 5 years ago

    Yes dear, I did quote your posts. That is how these things work. The only mistake I made was referring to a comment you made about a GamesTM review, or something, when I thought you were talking about this review, then after that you went off on one and got yourself all wound up about nothing. Your mistake was taking something I said about an explanation of why the review was bad - which wasn't quoting one of your posts, before you start - and then getting all excited thinking I was talking about you.

    So be a big man and apologise, you can even send me a nice bunch of flowers if you like.
    Edited by 1 at 11/06/07 @ 12:58

  • bushwod #167 5 years ago

    last word = banana hammock

    :-P

  • testpattern #168 5 years ago

    lala this is how i felt about the first halo. nice to see it documented even if it is one game too late.
    lala

  • captainrentboy #169 5 years ago

    Did I mention I love Halo?.....
    Doesn't the Noah's ark comparison come from the new book and not the games though? I thought the place that represented the ark was Onyx, but that hasn't been mentioned in the games yet, infact even the book that mentions it isn't out in the UK yet.

  • Mashum #170 5 years ago

    ..playing though Halo2 campaign again (again (again (again))) on the 360 after it being on an extended lend.

    The review raises valid points about Halo 2 regardless of the platform (Stevie Vai isn't someone I would associate with pulse rifles) and I respect the Jim Rossignol's opinion. However I'm still enjoying it - it's just fun to play. As much if not more fun than Call of Duty, GRAW2, Resistance FOM, RB6 Vegas, GoW... and that's without risking being corpse humped by some miscreant on Live.

    The Halo 1 PC port lost the subtle auto aim that made the console version so playable - I wonder how they managed this on Halo 2?

  • Bremenacht #171 5 years ago

    lol/10

    etc

  • Sectus #172 5 years ago

    I do find it a bit puzzling this review seems awfully critical of the game (which I agree with... Halo 2 was a disappointing overrated sequel) but the original review of Halo 2 just sprinkled the game with cheers... and they even individually reviewed the multiplayer and singleplayer and still gave both parts near-perfect scores.

    Hypocritical? Perhaps every review should have this note at the bottom: "Take our opinion with a grain of salt. We're extremely influenced by popular opinion, and we may give our honest opinion for a game 2-3 years down the line."

  • Barkotron #173 5 years ago

    Yeah, I don't get the Noah's Ark thing at all. Does it turn into that at some point? I mean, there's the Flood I suppose, but Halo's answer to the Flood isn't "quick, two of everyone get in a boat and be safe", it's "let's kill everything!" (Yaaaaaay!)

  • aldo_14 #174 5 years ago

    It IS a three year old game, this wasn't even taken into account.

    I's being released today (er, not today literally, but you know what I mean) at a more-or-less full price as one of the (er, 2) lead games for Windows Live. It has to be judged against those games it competes against nowadays. Otherwise you could recommend (for example) Goldeneye64 as being worth £40 in perpetuity.