Halo 2 Preview

Combat Evolved

Initially, Halo: Combat Evolved achieved recognition and admiration as being one of the most complete and elaborate game projects of all time. Why? Namely because of the apparent effort that was put into its creation. Halo successfully utilized Xbox graphic capabilities and presented a new and exceptional physics engine. That's not all however; the development of Halo received special attention and care, the sort that Hollywood block-buster movies get nowadays. Supported by Microsoft, the creative team at Bungie did their best to bring a unique game to life. The whole in-game atmosphere was seasoned with Martin O'Donnell's mesmerizing music themes.

Shake that suit boy!

Emergency is my middle name!

Still, all of these glorifications were not enough for some. Many skeptics attributed the success of Halo to the mere lack of more Xbox titles, and the game was submerged in a sudden flood of criticism. Since the Xbox console hardly allows the players to optimize graphic parameters, a lot of people condemned Microsoft's move to transfer the game from the PC to the Xbox. In the end, a large portion of the public regarded the game as another downgraded console FPS. However, the uniqueness of Halo's atmosphere and the innovations it brought in terms of gameplay soon began to topple such suggestions and eventually its sales surged.

Master Chief's Comeback

After a myriad of tittle-tattles and contemplations we finally receive the official word from Bungie and MS that a full sequel to Halo: Combat Evolved is in the works.

Subsequent to the destruction of the mysterious ring called Halo, Master Chief has managed to infuriate the forces of the Covenant species. Despite their losses, largely caused by Master Chief's efforts, the main forces of the Covenant were hardly defeated. They are now determined to exterminate the remnants of the human race and get rid of the only SPARTAN II soldier (the Master Chief bows low).

Now you'll be entering a whole new world of vast unexplored landscapes. Players will now get to operate new-fangled vehicles, which will help them cover these unfamiliar territories. Throughout these un-researched environments many challenges are going to come your way, and you'll have to deal with the greatly numbered Covenant. Also, they are not like those foes you remember from Halo: Combat Evolved - these guys are twice as smart and with vengeance on their mind. Conveniently enough, Master Chief is re-equipped with a major weapon arsenal, most of which is making a first appearance. Some of the weapons come from the fully-enhanced human military arsenal (such as improved guns and grenades). At the same time, you'll be able to pick up weapons from an extensive range of Covenant high-tech firepower. And let's not forget the return of your marine allies, who will help you in this hard struggle for existence against the powerful Covenant and an enigmatic new foe that remains cloaked and unnamed.

I'm in position! The passage to the loo is secure.

Now where are those drunken bad-ass marine friends of mine?

Can it Really Be More Advanced?

According to the statements of Bungie programmers, they are actually working on a completely new engine for Halo 2, which is intended to operate exclusively with Xbox hardware. Thanks to these new engine features you'll see enhanced dynamic lighting and shadows, and highly-detailed gigantic and lush surroundings. Well, let's be real here. Not that I want to taint Bunige's reputation, but an obvious question leaps to mind; just how can a sequel be so radically advanced when the first game was meant to probe the Xbox capabilities to their very maximum? Naturally, we can sit and discuss that for ages. But, there are a few answers for that. First off, the game is still in its very early stages of development, so anything could change until the day it hits the shelves (maybe you'll need memory add-ons, or maybe Xbox 2 will arrive by then? - probably not, but you never know). Another obvious answer is that the first Halo game didn't actually test Xbox capabilities to the limit, and was rather restricted by the fact that the programmers had to port the code from the PC. Hence, the developers have had an easy job beefing-up the visuals for the sequel. Either way, we cannot say anything for sure until Microsoft releases a downloadable version of the Halo announcement trailer. As shown at the MS "X02" press event held in NY, the trailer displays a portion of the in-game action and shows a little of what the new engine is capable of.

The All-new Multiplayer Ride

The moment we're all yearning for: trying out Halo 2 online and seeing the Xbox Live system in action. As before, the development team is focusing on enriching the single-player campaign and making an exciting ride through numerous new worlds. However, a major announcement was made regarding the team's extensive work on a comprehensive and riveting multiplayer mode. The expected split-screen mode was revealed, along with a support for Microsoft's Xbox Live service. Also, Jaime Griesemer, one of the lead designers, has promised that they're adding a special ingredient to the multiplayer. This new aspect of the multiplayer will be "twice as much fun as playing the single-player campaign." What ever they had planned for this secretive multiplayer component, a few things remain certain. Multiplayer duels will feature intense clashes of Human and Covenant forces. This probably means you'll be able to play as one of the Covenant (only speculation on my part); the team play is squad-oriented, and there will be a support for real-time voice chat. Just slip your headset on and you're ready to rock and role (lock and load - or whatever).

We're Still Contemplating Away

For the time being, the developers were not particularly open on the subject of specific features such as vehicle types, variety of enemies, choice of weapons, AI details, and so on. Until that "Halo 2" trailer goes online, we can do nothing but speculate. But, according to the reports from the X02 event, the trailer shows two-and-a-half minutes of pure in-game delight, accompanied by new music themes by the award-winning composer, Martin O'Donnell. So, be ready.