Whereas Halo Infinite, the newest installment in the long-running Halo sequence, continues to develop, many diehard Halo followers and sci-fi FPS veterans are nonetheless enjoying the unique video games through the wonderful Grasp Chief Assortment. Now, the venerable Halo 2 has simply turned 20, and we predict it is time to reminisce about why it turned so large and the way it elevated the franchise to new heights.
To this present day, most gamers contemplate Halo 2 to be a prime 3 entry in the event that they’re requested to rank all of the Halo video games. What was the key sauce that Bungie used to show Xbox’s flagship 2001 shooter right into a mainstream sensation, setting themselves up for an excellent greater blockbuster success with Halo 3?
If you cannot keep in mind (or weren’t round on the time), Grasp Chief’s second rodeo immediately turned Xbox Stay’s hottest title, an accolade it held till Gears of Conflict arrived two years later.
Many would argue it was all in regards to the scope and new tech used to take the epic UNSC–Covenant battle to the subsequent stage, however let’s not neglect the way it widened the ‘lens’ of the story as nicely. The addition of an alien protagonist to root for, alongside loads of plot twists, elevated the story above most different sci-fi shooters on the time — with the notable exception of Half-Life 2. Halo 2 was rather more than your common alien invasion online game.
Halo Infinite did nicely, but it surely wasn’t the revitalization of the franchise that Microsoft had hoped for, which has led to radically altered post-launch plans, and deep rework earlier than a brand-new installment arrives. On the TV entrance, the Halo live-action sequence was canceled earlier this yr after a disappointing second season that failed to attach with mainstream audiences (Maybe it is time for a correct big-budget film as a substitute). And but regardless of these disappointments, Xbox is not letting Halo die.
Spoilers forward for Halo 1 & 2.
Destiny had us meet as foes…
Halo 2 begins with a bang: Within the aftermath of the primary Halo ring’s destruction in Halo: Fight Developed, the Covenant — the fearsome alien alliance on a spiritual campaign throughout the Milky Approach — assaults Earth, targetting the African metropolis of New Mombasa. This marks the start of the tip of the UNSC-Covenant conflict, with Halo 3 serving up the large finale.
Regardless of this introduction, Earth is not truly the primary setting of Halo 2 — that was saved for Halo 3 — but it surely was the proper follow-up to Fight Developed’s utterly alien locale. We be taught extra in regards to the strengths (and weaknesses) of the UNSC after their years of bloody conflict towards the Covenant, and it is right here that we study how dire the state of affairs actually is for mankind. In fact, there’s loads of supplementary materials that is been launched through the years to correctly flesh out the conflict, the UNSC, and Earth, however again within the day, this was the primary good take a look at how humanity was doing after Halo: Fight Developed kicked issues off in medias res.
Halo 2 additionally launched Commander Miranda Keyes, daughter of the late Captain Jacob Keyes and one way or the other an much more courageous and fierce soldier than her father. Again within the early 2000s, having a powerful feminine lead in a sport was a rarity, and Halo 2 had two! Certain, the opposite one, Cortana, was a unadorned hologram just about performing as John-117’s mom determine, however child steps. To this present day, we nonetheless want Miranda performed a bigger position previous Halo 3, as her bravado almost matched that of Sgt. Johnson. The Prophet of Remorse actually did not know what he was moving into when he attacked Earth.
…however this ring will make us brothers
Much more attention-grabbing was the change to the Covenant’s point-of-view, or not less than the brand new Arbiter‘s (delightfully voiced by Keith David). After failing to cease the primary Halo’s destruction, the disgraced Elite commander Thel ‘Vadam was branded a heretic… till he takes on the mantle of the Arbiter, destroys a insurgent group, and regains the Prophets’ belief. All this occurs within the opening hours of Halo 2, which is an effective instance of how rather more bold the narrative was the second time round.
Whereas the story marketing campaign’s early phases from Grasp Chief’s standpoint gave us a quick take a look at Earth and the state of the UNSC, the Arbiter-centric sections underlined the turmoil brewing on the coronary heart of the multi-species Covenant. All it took was one main failure of their seek for salvation for uglier truths about their whole system to creep into view. In the long run, the Prophets’ actions after the assault on Earth find yourself dooming their holy metropolis of Excessive Charity, because the parasitic Flood boarded the city-ship and took no prisoners.
Such plot and character arc swings have been divisive again within the day, however because the universe has been fleshed out over time, followers have developed a stronger appreciation for this daring sequel. The primary Halo was a simple shooter and sci-fi story regardless of its robust sense of favor and universe-building, however Halo 2 represented the event of a complete mythology, with alien political intrigue and drama peppered all through the action-heavy rollercoaster journey.
A monument to all our sins
Whether or not they’re on foot or behind the wheel of Halo’s iconic autos, set items abound in Halo 2. The event of the primary sport was notoriously shaky, so Bungie used all the cash and acclaim from that breakout hit to go laborious on the sequel. Thoughts you, that did not cease the general growth course of from being a “mess” attributable to management points on the studio (and it appears they by no means fairly went away).
Behind-the-scenes issues apart, all of the sweat, blood, and tears poured into Halo 2 clearly paid off. As said earlier than, Halo 2 went on to develop into a web-based sensation on Xbox, establishing Microsoft’s gaming efforts as one thing to be careful for and extra than simply an preliminary fluke. Whether or not it was the single-player marketing campaign, co-op playthroughs, or fierce on-line PvP competitors, it was unimaginable to keep away from ‘the Halo 2 dialog’ again in 2004 and 2005. For those who weren’t ‘Crew Xbox’ again then, you needed to wait till the 2007 PC port to expertise it (although you needed to endure Home windows Vista to play it).
Halo 2’s Metacritic rating is 95 (common acclaim). Contemplating the troubled growth, the completed sport being such a masterpiece nonetheless appears like a miracle to this present day. Whereas Halo 3 represented a mechanical iteration and excellent refinement of the sequence, Halo 2 was the ‘make or break’ second of the franchise, and it is fascinating to cease for a second and contemplate how all the gaming panorama (not simply the FPS house) would’ve appeared like had Grasp Chief face-planted in his second journey.
Halo 2 will be bought on PC and Xbox consoles as a part of the Grasp Chief Assortment. It is also completely out there on Xbox/PC Sport Cross.
