It’s no secret that the original Halo for the XBOX is one of the best shooter games ever created. With that in mind, you’re probably wondering just how good the sequel really is. To answer that question, the sequel to Halo is a superb, fully featured game, boasting an excellent campaign, the probably the greatest and most complete online multiplayer that we have seen in a shooter game yet.

Despite a surprisingly disappointing story and a somewhat short single player game, there’s just so much content in Halo 2 to keep you satisfied. The action in the game is breathtaking, and there’s no denying the overall quality. Overall, Halo 2 is one the best first person shooter games available on any console.

Halo 2 gives up some of its focus from a storytelling standpoint, which becomes apparent once you have finished the campaign. A great deal of attention this time around is paid not to the humans struggling to survive but to the Covenant and what turns out to be a major uproar within their ranks.

As noted earlier, the worst part about the game is the way that it ends, or the mere fact that it doesn’t. You’ll run into the game’s cliffhanger ending like a car into a wall, and find yourself aching for more. A cliffhanger isn’t always a bad thing, as seen in Star Wars movies – the cliffhanger keeps on edge until the sequel comes out – then it totally blows you away!

From a technical standing, Halo 2’s campaign features some drastic improvements over the original. Many of the battles take place on a noticeably grander scale, with many more vehicles and enemies mixed in to achieve breathtaking results. Saving the game and loading it is handled well, in the fact that it’s done automatically. Random checkpoints will punctuate the action, and you’ll start back at these if you die or quit playing for a while, getting rid of the need to manually save your progress.

Unlike the original Halo, it’s now possible to dual wield weapons – the smaller one handed weapons. This isn’t exactly an original feature, although Halo 2 handles it extremely well, both in the campaign and multiplayer modes. When dual wielding, you can fire both weapons at the same time using the left and right shoulder buttons, which leads to double the stopping power. On the other hand, when dual wielding, you can’t throw any grenades, and you can’t execute any melee attacks without automatically dropping the off hand weapon in the process.

The ability to hijack vehicles in Halo 2 is probably the best addition to the play mechanics. This is done simply by pressing the X button when you’re in the proper position. Should you flank a vehicle and execute the proper command, you’ll see yourself throw the opponent from the driver’s seat and replace him. This helps to add a bit of flair as well as helping to make the combat that much more intense.

The core of Halo 2’s action is of course top notch. It gets all the small yet important stuff right. The game gives you excellent feedback by using both graphical and audio cues about when you’re hurting the opponent and also when you’re getting hurt. You don’t need to spend time glancing at your ammo levels or shields, simply because the game lets you know when your running low.

For one to say that there’s a lot to like about Halo 2 would be the understatement of the year. Despite a short campaign and disappointing storyline, Halo 2 makes for an exceptional shooter that delivers thrilling, memorable, and breathtaking moments in its online, co-op, and campaign modes. Depending on what you hope to achieve from the game, it leaves you desperate for another installment in the genre. Even if that takes the developers years to produce the sequel – there’s enough first rate action and long lasting appeal here to keep you happily on edge until the sequel comes out!

- TopXboxGames.com