The Best Halo Game Turns 15 Today

Comicbook.com writes: "Halo is one of the best shooter and multiplayer series in video games. And within Halo, most would agree Halo 2 is the best entry of the sci-fi franchise, and one of the best games of all-time. And today it turns 15 years old. Halo 2 was the series' high point for many. Despite having a controversial cliffhanger ending, it's a near perfect game, which is why it earned a 95 on Metacritic. And beyond being an incredible game, it's also an important one. Halo 2's innovative matchmaking technology was a big turning point for the gaming industry in early to mid 2000s."

[zodiac909]

I miss the 360 days, when Microsoft doubled down on exclusives, and making BOLD business decision. I respect it, even though I've been a playstation fan since 1998..

[naruga]

everyone who thinks Halo2 is the best HAlo is fool ....the best and only worthy game in the franchise is HALO 1 Combat Evolved ......literally its quality still to be archived by any FPS ....Halo 2 was the start of th downfall as Microsoft started to get in its development .....Halo2 its not even the game that the demonstrated and developping .....halo2 had inferior quality in almost every aspect in comparison to halo 1

[TK-66]

"halo2 had inferior quality in almost every aspect in comparison to halo 1"

You think having online multiplayer available at launch is inferior?

[InUrFoxHole]

Jesus! Take your meds gramps.

[BlaqMagiq1]

If you think Halo 1 is better than Halo 2 by ANY stretch of the imagination you need to seek help immediately.

[chiefJohn117]

You going way too far. Halo CE definitely had a better campaign no debate about it. And it set the tone for the entire series. But halo 2 added on to it in a great way. Halo 2 did have a better MP. Overall I would give Halo CE the edge over Halo 2 by 0.2 point.
Halo CE 10
Halo 3 9.9
Halo 2 9.8
Halo 5 (mp only) 10/ overall 8.5
Halo 4 (campaign only) 9/ overall 8

[BigTrain]

Its about time somebody said it!!! Halo 2 left me and my friends severely disappointed. The game had so many hyped up preview articles in different magazines at the time of which I read EGM's (Electronic Gaming Monthly). That article described how the games story campaign would be 5 times larger than the first game and told about 4 or 5 new vehicles they demoed. Anyway, none of it was in the final game. All of the weapons were gimped in comparison to part 1. In Halo 1 every weapon had a distinct purpose and feel that left the player well aware of its best intent. For example the plasma pistol. Perfect for taking down an enemy's shield with it's charged blast and if you wanted to kill the enemy you could charge it again and finish it off. Not in part 2. The weapon was extremely dumbed down same as the pistol. Everything about Halo 2 except for MP reaked of "let's hurry up and put the game out". They marketed it perfectly but left all of the magic in part 1. You can play through Halo 1's campaign dozens of times and hear different dialogue and banter from NPC's that fit the random scenario you're presently battling through. On my 20th time playing through the game I had a jackal strafe while trying to shoot me but a grunt was in back of him already shooting at me. The grunts fire hit the jackal in the back of the head to which the jackal stumbled forward. He then turned around in frustration and hissed at the grunt who gave off this nervous cackle. Random things like that are littered throughout Halo 1 and you wont see it on normal difficulty. The game was and still is a technical marvel and the soundtrack was perfection. It was one the first games to truly use 5.1 surround effectively. This was great because I was aware of every enemy position sound wise unless they were creeping and even then I would hear them at some point. Halo 2 was inferior in every way SP wise. Small levels, gimped weapons, overpromised and underdelivered features, short incomplete campaign, and bad AI (elites were idiots in part 2 unlike part 1 where they crazy fierce and intelligent). I remember my friends and I saying whoever the dev team got rid of please someone get them back. MP in Halo 1 was great as well but Halo 2 just gave more. Unfortunately they did not do that with SP. I as well as many others I knew played Halo 1 for its SP or MP Co-op campaign. That's where the game set it's initial standard and that is what real Halo fans will always cherish most Combat Evolved SP.

[GrmpyolGamer]

Halo 3 best campaign. Halo 5 best multiplayer

[Rude-ro]

Halo 2 set that benchmark for me though.

I loathe destiny 2 because I thought we would have gotten our “halo 2” and not what it was. Shallow and half baked at launch.

That’s the impact halo 2 had on me.
I waited in line, went home.. and played until I was done... then played it again. And again. And again.

I hate Microsoft... but if we were still getting that deep of a game.. that good of a campaign... That evolution in story telling, Microsoft would be the leading console right now. Just because of that one franchise.

Halo 3 sold 15+ million copies... and you can only put that on the fact of halo 2’s existence.

[chiefJohn117]

The fact you blew halo CE off should be a crime and Halo 2 alone is not the reason Halo 3 did so well.

[Rude-ro]

@chiefJohn117
You are correct.. but the existence and evolution of halo 2 next to c.e. built that hype.
But, I do say you are right.
The package deal.
Halo c.e. was kind of the “you had to own an Xbox to know”.. type of game... Being the Xbox was still fighting at that point of time to be something... the sequel propelled it to you had to get the game and console. Ie the hype of the 360 and the incoming and eventual halo 3.

I guess my point is.. if halo 2 would fallen flat... then what?
If that makes my point any clearer.

[AuraAbjure]

I think halo 1 2 and 3 had equally brilliant campaigns. Halo 3's campaign was pretty gnarly though will all the technology that went into it's game engine.

[timotim]

Legendary!

[SyntheticForm]

Halo 2 was BY FAR my favorite Halo.

I was so competitive in that game and it made me want to be competitive.

Crouch-jumping, BXR, and out BR'ng my opponents was euphoric for me back then.

[bluefox755]

Indeed, the best years of Halo are definitely in the past.

[Artemidorus]

Didn't have the magic of Halo playing that for the first time but the multiplayer certainly did.

[BlaqMagiq1]

Halo 2 will ALWAYS be the best Halo and no other Halo comes close.

[chiefJohn117]

That's belong to halo 1 (on PC) or halo 3

[jbull]

Halo CE for me will always be the best, Halo 2 with that E3 demo that never materialized in the released game left a sour taste.

[CaptainHenry916]

Halo one was the best to me! Instant classic

[gtxgamer2]

Halo 3 was the best for me, I skipped out one one and two because I didn't have the original Xbox. But when I got Halo 3 for my 360 that was definitely the most fun I've had playing online with friends

[BigTrain]

You need to snag a copy of part 1 and play the campaign.

[Fist4achin]

While the first 3 halos were awesome, i enjoyed 3 the most because it was the culmination of the previous 2. It took the things that worked, tightened the gameplay, improved the scores and sounds, and put everything together.

The newer halos are good, but it is definitely not the same under a different developer.