After having played the original Xbox version of Halo 2 online with the Xbox Live substitute Insignia, there are much better competitive multiplayer games that exist even on this console. It's certainly great, but it's easily overhyped. Lots of the features Halo 2 was praised for upon release already existed prior in other games. Culminating all of them together certainly makes it special, but the actual gameplay experience leaves much to be desired. Lackluster weapon balance, and gamemodes that easily wear themselves out make it hard to keep playing if you've already been in the space for some time, which wasn't expected in 2004, but still likely. Regardless, the multiplayer is held together by an objectively revolutionary custom games system that holds it together even in modern light and paved the way for the future of casual online gaming as we know it. Becoming the proving ground of thousands of homemade gamemodes, dozens of modes that would become series staples, and a few that would transcend the series and become genre staples, such as the legendary Infection gamemode. Regardless, Halo 2's praise can likely be attributed to the ease of gameplay and large scale online connectivity. It is arguably one of the easiest FPS games to pick up and play in the entire genre, hosting a casually competitive to incredibly competitive range of gameplay and gamemodes. And with the rise of high-speed internet access across the world, hundreds of thousands of homes would join the fun in Xbox Live and experience online multiplayer for the first time in a format that heavily facilitates community and communication. Outside of the multiplayer, however, the campaign is probably my least favorite of the Bungie releases. Yet again suffering from similar issues with balance and a seriously lacking runtime, only about 9 hours during a time where 12-14 hours wasn't just the average, but was expected from your money. But, you can't mention Halo 2's campaign without the infamous legendary mode, which has Master Chief in a supposedly upgraded set of armour, that can handle less bullets than Rookie can in Halo 3:ODST. The same ones you can slaughter in droves as Master Chief without really thinking too much about it. Who's the real spartan here? At the end of the day, without the nuance of nostalgia, Halo 2 falls below my expectations of a 2000's multiplayer-focused shooter, but makes itself easily approachable for those who are new to the space, making it a unique case where you can easily hop in and play without much knowledge of video games at all. But regardless, lacks the mechanical skill-ceiling or gameplay variety of the sort of game I would be looking for now, or even in 2004. -steeliest
