Halo2

[The Game]

Anyone got a 3g mobile, i will send a video to you if you want for little taste of it.

[superkully]

What are the impressions on the quality, packaging and DVD in the LE? Is it like the promo boxes?

[Pikman]

I, for reasons unbeknown, only ordered mine from VG+ last night and have not yet received an 'order dispatched' email.

People don't seem to be raving about it as much as I though or hoped, is the game somewhat dissapointing overall, and please no spoilers?

[marcus]

I have enjoyed Halo 2, but for me it never reaches the heights of the original. Perhaps its just lost its shine, but its no longer as mindblowing and gobsmacking as the original. Main problem for me is the choice of levels, and in particular one which I managed to wander through half of without having to fire a single bullet, for me it made the Library seem quite enthralling by comparison. For many Halo lost its chance of a perfect 10 because of the Library, however in Halo 2 I can count at least two levels so far which Id consider to be worse than that. That said, Level 2 is stunning, its just a shame that I didnt feel anywhere near that level of awe with most of the remainder of the dozen of so Ive seen so far. Also Im not a fan of the dual-weilding of weapons, its excess just for the sake of it, having to drop a weapon to throw a grenade is frustrating also. Ive played most of it through on Normal which to be honest isnt that difficult at all, and would advise anyone to start on Heroic for a more decent challenge. All in all a nice package, but because of its superb parent its all too easy to see where Halo 2 has gone wrong, for me bigger doesnt always mean better and Halo offered me a more enjoyable gaming experience Im afraid.

[Spatial]

Anyones Gameplay order shipped yet ?

Edit:- Never mind, its on its way !

[Pikman]

Thanks for that marcus, a very interesting summary.

[marcus]

Im sure multiplayer is fantastic, but its just not quite the game I was after. Strangely, whilst many criticize level 1 it would seem, I actually thought it to be one of the better levels so far. Looking out into space and seeing hundreds of ships in battle was quite staggering, and one of Halo 2s 'moments'. Then Level 2 literally hit me in the face with its sheer brilliance, however beyond that Ive been less impressed by what Ive seen. As soon as Im done with Normal Ill be onto Heroic, as I recall being similarly nonplussed with the original first time round, but on repeated play it became fantastic, and Im hoping the same will happen here.

Tragically for me at least what was shown at E3 isnt actually in the game at all, it was clearly just a mock-up made for the occasion. Its a shame, as that looked stupendous, and Id loved to of played a level like that.

[Super Monkey Balls]

Took us a few hours to do level 2, that was totally immense. Starting to prefer left right split to up down split to be honest.

Schweet. I was hoping for a vertical split option. 43" co-op ahoy!

Pissed I didn't order from VGP. Thought Tronix Fedex would be quicker but they don't seem as keen to ship before release day.

[famitsu1]

Hi,
got my copy from VG+ today(great service).
Is it just me or are the textures of a much lower grade to the original's?
I remember being really impressed with the grass and rock textures of Halo when it 1st came out.A few years later and the sequal seems to have taken a few steps back in this department.The pictures on the back of the box look very impressive resolution and detail wise but bare no resemblence to those running in my game.
I'am running the game via an RGB scart to my tv and the graphics aren't anywhere near as sharp as the original's,their very ill defined and murky on occasions.Can anyone tell me if running the game via HDTV/Progressive scan improves on matters considerably?
As anyone also noticed that the detail on Master Chiefs hands and weapons have been reduced,seem to be less polygons(or what ever they use),his limbs and items seem smaller this time???
Hate to say it but gameplay&fun wise its hasn't had the same impact on me yet either as the original did.
Ta famitsu1

[007]

famitsu, i'm running progressive scan on a high def Panasonic Plasma. And I agree with what you've said. They seem much lower in quality. No really nice texture effects like on the grass or rocks at all, which is dissapointing. I'm a bit of a visuals whore and is something I complained about before.

I've completed on Heroic, i'm glad I went straight in on Heroic. I feel it presented more of a challenge for sure.

Some of the end levels are absolutely amazing. Love the outdoor and lighter scenary more than the darker levels.

Hate the vehicles though, would much rather I didn't have to use any of them.

[Kerraig UK]

Is it just me or does anyone else have problems with spotting the enemies in Halo 2? The 1st two levels seem really murky and dark and the Covenant are a lot harder to notice against the background than in the original game. Of course it's not an issue when they're up close but at a distance it's quite tricky.

Maybe I just need to sit closer to the TV

nope i had that exact same problem at first. You do get used to it though and it becomes second nature.

[Kerraig UK]

Marcus, as a halo veteran i'm sure you know this. Halo just isnt very impressive on normal setting. Ramp it up to heroic and see just how much more fun it is. I've completed it on heroic and i've gone from bitter dissapointment to utter adoration.

the dual wielding is an absolute treat and adds masses of depth to the multiplayer, as does jacking. We went back to halo yesterday and i was being attacked on blood gulch by a ghost and i literally didnt know what to do about it. Couldnt jack, couldnt lock on with a rocket, couldnt dual wield. That was the first time i realised just how much sense this sequel makes.

Of course its not gonna knock your socks off like halo 1 did. That is a shame for sure, but its being run on the same (3 year old) hardware, what did you expect.

I didnt realise Halo 1's brilliance for months to be honest, i just saw it as a solid shooter. Its the same with halo 2, every multiplayer game i partake in opens up even more layers of strategic brilliance.

[famitsu1]

Hi 007,
thanks for the info,yeah have to hold my hands too and say I'am a bit of a graphics whore myself.I'am assuming the lower textures ect are meant to keep the game running more smoothly but in all honesty I can' tell the difference between the 2 games.Just feel slightly duped after seeing certain demos of the game running where the graphics were lush looking and then I'am presented with a graphically inferior sequal.Sorry to whine on about this,I should be more concerned with gameplay which I'am but if you got me started on that I'd be here all night typing my thoughts.
Deff have to get my finger out and prise open my wallet soon and get a decent spec'ed tv,always feel like I'am missing out with component this and HDTV that mentioned here all the time.
Ta famitsu1

[Kerraig UK]

i'm playing it in prog scan and it looks absolutely lush.

And i'll take high frame rates over intricate player models anyday. The frame rates in halo 2 are pretty much double halo 1's

[007]

What I liked about Halo 1, was that 'wow' factor. Starring at the grass for ages, or shooting through a tree and seeing the green leafs fly.

But, with this, there is no wow factors with the visuals. It looks good, but feels like the sharpness needs to be turned up a few notches, feels very 'dull'

If you look at one of the halo threads in headlines, there's some pictures from a website of this game, and it looks amazing. Not, what i'm getting.

Dont get me wrong, it still does look good!

famitsu, you need to get yourself a nice Panasonic Panel.