Halo 2

Some of you out there may remember a little title called Halo that launched with the Xbox upon its release.  The game met with moderate success and was somewhat of a sleeper hit.

Yeah, right.

Halo was and still is one of the best FPS experiences on a console and easily the most successful title on the Xbox.  And now, finally, Halo 2 is just nearing completion and is right around the corner.  We at GameZone got a chance to sit down and play a multiplayer demo of Microsoft’s H-Bomb, and let me tell you, the results were simply stunning

The storyline on Halo 2 takes place on Earth in the year 2552.  The pesky Covenant are driving the last of Earth’s forces back to the home planet and are staging one final swoop against mankind by taking Earth.  It’s up to you as the great Master Chief to take on the Covenant and save the future of the planet.

Halo 2 will offer up some pretty cool innovations over the first game.  For starters, you will now be able to wield dual weapons.  This system is easy to grasp, since the two shoulder buttons on the controller each control their respective weapons and their primary functions.  Of course, you won’t be able to hold two guns at the same time and be able to throw grenades (no free hands).  You also have access to melee weapons, like the plasma sword, which does a substantial amount of damage at close range.

Vehicles now take realistic damage.  For example, if you shoot the wings of a Ghost, they will chip away until there is nothing left and eventually explode.  The same goes for the Warthog, which shoots debris, tires and crunched metal with realistic physics upon exploding.

The latest version of Xbox Live is set to take full advantage of teams and online communities, and given the LAN success of the original Halo, this sense of teamwork is very important to the online components of Halo 2. “The chief concern with Halo 2 is that the rivalries and friendships are real,” Frank O’ Connor of Bungie said.  Therefore, the multiplayer side of Halo 2 will be very team driven.

The graphics and sound in the multiplayer demo were fantastic.  Bump-mapping and surface lighting look even better in Halo 2 than in the original, and that’s a pretty tough act to follow.  The character models look amazing and the environments are deep, atmospheric and realistic. 

It’s official, Halo 2 is closer than ever, and with some fantastic multiplayer gameplay, it’s going to be all we’ve hoped for and more.  The Master Chief lands this fall.

For All E3 2004 Previews