"Halo 2" is unquestionably the most eagerly anticipated video game of 2004. But that may be a bit of an understatement. Its predecessor became a religion, a staple to what seems like 99 percent of dorm room gamers. On campus, there were entire halls linked together for "Halo" multiplayer. Across the country, "Halo" enthusiasts would connect four copies of the game to four Xboxes and four televisions and throw "Halo" parties, only leaving the couch perhaps for a quick run to Taco Bell at 3 a.m.
"It's a terrific way to bond with friends," said sophomore Adam LeFave. "I work at Hollywood Video, and opening night we stayed in the shop, wired some consoles together and used the store's big TVs to test out 'Halo 2' for hours."
According to PC magazine, 60 percent of Xbox owners have a copy of "Halo" stashed in their catalog. For many, the choice between Playstation 2 and Xbox came down to "Halo." More than 1.5 million people pre-ordered this highly anticipated sequel, feeling confident enough that the name "Halo" is all they needed to invest the 50 bucks.
Now, this review was a tough one for me, because I just may be the one guy writing about "Halo 2" who hadn't shot any Covenant aliens prior to last week. I know nothing about the Master Chief or what the "halo" even is. I haven't played a first-person shooter since James Bond's "Goldeneye" was all the rage on Nintendo 64.
What can I say, people is, I'm a "Madden" guy.
Luckily for me, one of my roommates knows his "Halo." The night I came home with my advance copy was the same night he had unsuccessfully hit up three major retailers with hopes of reserving "Halo 2."
"If you didn't preorder at least two weeks in advance, you were pretty much out of luck for a few days," said Gamefellas Video Game Exchange employee Erin Moore.
After several hours of combat, it isn't too hard to figure out why so many dudes broke up with their girlfriends to be full-time "Spartans."
"I think people are just naturally violent," said psychology sophomore Jonathan Huerta. "We love to shoot things; it's human nature. And in a world where good and evil are so subjective, people like the idea of combating a very black-and-white enemy. It's almost comforting."
The storyline is simple but engaging: You, as the faceless hero Master Chief, have to save Earth from aliens. Often, you'll go through the levels with a platoon of Marines - and what's surprising about this is the emotion you feel every time aliens kill one of your little buddies. Furthermore, though the troop is of no use to you, the "Sims"-like free will your character gets still isn't enough to make me want to shoot my squad. And anyone who has played a "Grand Theft Auto" game will tell you half the fun is just walking around killing people. But no, not my guys - we have a planet to save.
"People just love Master Chief," said Moore. "He's a great hero to root for despite his lack of personality. Everyone responds positively to him and his task."
The aliens look cool enough, but they talk and speak in fluent American English. They would be much more threatening if they stuck to the silver screen "Aliens" formula and just groaned and hissed. But later on the story will take a twist and you will play out a political upheaval within their ranks as a Covenant Alien, so the English is justified. It's tough to have sympathy for the aliens since they've been slaying my Marines and invading Earth, but taking on the other perspective was a worthwhile idea.
The experienced pro will probably get through the story mode in roughly 10 hours, and it'll be a breeze on the default setting. But taking the difficulty up to "heroic" will pose a solid challenge. "Legendary" is damn near impossible. It involves much more time than a college student should have and is very tactical - you have to be an expert at head shots and account for your enemies sneaking into your base when you're fighting on a completely different front.
There are some fundamental differences from the first game. First of all, your character constantly recharges his health so you don't have to worry about finding health packs. Master Chief's jump is smoother and higher and he can now dual-wield some weapons.
There are new vehicles to combat in as well in addition to old favorites such as the 4x4 Warthog, and by simply pressing "X," you can hijack them.
The multiplayer part has new stages and is better than ever. It is, in itself, a whole other game that can be altered and manipulated to provide for hours of fun.
"It's all about the multiplayer these days," said Moore. "That's what will keep these titles going for years. The combat is so advanced and addictive. The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive from our customers."
Perhaps the only disappointment in "Halo 2" is that the game ends with no ending. That's right - like Sylvester Stallone, "Halo 2" is a cliffhanger. But ultimately, that'll just make "Halo 3" all the sweeter.
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