The player can carry two weapons at a time (or three if dual-wielding, with one weapon remaining holstered), with each weapon having strengths in different combat situations. Certain weapons can be dual-wielded, allowing the player to trade accuracy, the use of grenades, and melee attacks for raw firepower. Players use a combination of human and Covenant weaponry and vehicles to progress through the game's levels. Players primarily experience gameplay from a first-person perspective, with the viewpoint shifting to third-person for vehicle segments. In-game screenshot of Halo 2 for Xbox the player character aims a shotgun at enemy Covenant.
A port of the game for Windows Vista was released in 2007, followed by a high-definition remake as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection in 2014. Halo 2 's marketing heralded the beginnings of video games as blockbuster media. The game's online component was highly influential and cemented many features as standard in future games and online services, including matchmaking, lobbies, and clans. The game received critical acclaim, with the multiplayer lauded in comparison, the campaign and its cliffhanger ending was divisive. Halo 2 is the best-selling first-generation Xbox game, with more than 8 million copies sold worldwide. The game became the most popular title on Xbox Live, holding that rank until the release of Gears of War for the Xbox 360 nearly two years later. Halo 2 was a commercial and critical success and is often listed as one of the greatest video games of all time. The game was followed by a sequel, Halo 3, in September 2007. Bungie supported the game after release with new multiplayer maps and updates to address cheating and glitches. Among Halo 2 's marketing was an early alternate reality game called " I Love Bees" that involved players solving real-world puzzles. A troubled development and time constraints forced cuts to the scope of the game, including the wholesale removal of a more ambitious multiplayer mode, and necessitated a cliffhanger ending to the game's campaign mode. Bungie found inspiration in plot points and gameplay elements that had been left out of their first game, including online multiplayer. In Halo 2 's story mode, the player assumes the roles of the human Master Chief and, occasionally, an extra-terrestrial called the Arbiter in a 26th-century conflict between the United Nations Space Command, the genocidal Covenant, and the parasitic Flood.Īfter the success of Halo: Combat Evolved, a sequel was expected and highly anticipated. The game features new weapons, enemies, and vehicles, and shipped with online multiplayer via Microsoft's Xbox Live service.
Halo 2 is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved.
Play on fan favorites including Ivory Tower, Ascension, and Lockout, plus 6 completely re-imagined maps that take full advantage of the capabilities of the Xbox One.Halo 2 is a 2004 first-person shooter game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox console. For multiplayer you have access to all of the original multiplayer maps from Halo 2 and Halo 2 Vista included, exactly as you remember them. Utilize game-altering Skulls to experience the campaign in a whole new way. Discover new story elements with extended cut scenes, hidden terminal videos, and uncover clues about the story of Halo 5: Guardians. The campaign features a “Classic Mode” to instantly switch between the remastered next-gen graphics and original game, updated sound effects, and completely new cut-scenes created by Blur Studios. Halo: The Master Chief Collection includes Halo 2: Anniversary, celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the iconic fan favorite. Includes the extensive suite of campaign, multiplayer and additional features from Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4 - all updated to run at 60FPS.
Featuring visual enhancements with up to 4K UHD resolution on Xbox One X, improved matchmaking, offline LAN, customizable installation options, and faster load times, it’s the definitive way to experience the ultimate Halo saga.
The improved and enhanced Halo: The Master Chief Collection is included with Xbox Game Pass.