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[Bailey's Dad]

I haven't followed the coverage of Halo 2 closely but from what I have read all the talk seems to focus on multiplayer and live play. I only know one other person who owns an Xbox and he doesn't like Halo and I don't have Live so I won't be buying it as a multiplayer game. Will it have a strong single player game or is the focus all on multi?

Forgive my ignorance.

 

[Mama Smurf]

It's just multiplayer with bots.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

single player is going to be the bomb.

focus was on multi at this e3. go download the demo of the single player from e3 2003

 

[Lukas]

the single player is going to be insane, simply insane

think halo 1 x100

 

[dorio]

They're not talking about single player because they don't want to give away too much of the story. They want to create the experience the first time you played the original.

 

[Solid]

http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=3386&highlight=halo

Read that article and you'll get hyped. I'm convinced the SP experience will be awesome!

 

[Sai]

1.) Single player campaign will be a lot more "cinematic" this time around.

2.) Enviroments will be much larger. 4 to 5 times larger than some of the biggest single player maps from the original, to be more specific. And no repetitive areas or combat situations

3.) Bigger focus on vehicles. A.I. Marines will now be able to pick you up and drive you around the maps. You can not only hijack an enemy's vehicle, but they can do the same to you. Vehicles with weakpoints and area specific damage. And, well... There'll be more available to you.

4.) A.I. of the enemy and Marines will work much better with and against you this time around. Marines will look out for eachother, watching out for snipers, taking cover when needed, providing anti-air with heavy weapons. The enemy will co-ordinate as a team very well too. They will hunt you down if you go missing(even using flashlights in the shadows), scale walls and duck under logs, BLAST through scenery(Hunters... ) if necessary to defeat you. And also, there's stuff like this:

Can't use the same tactics as in HALO 1.

... What I miss? :l

 

[Drexon]

*Thinks of Halo 2* *Giggles like a school girl*

 

[GhaleonEB]

1.) Single player campaign will be a lot more "cinematic" this time around.

2.) Enviroments will be much larger. 4 to 5 times larger than some of the biggest single player maps from the original, to be more specific. And no repetitive areas or combat situations

3.) Bigger focus on vehicles. A.I. Marines will now be able to pick you up and drive you around the maps. You can not only hijack an enemy's vehicle, but they can do the same to you. Vehicles with weakpoints and area specific damage. And, well... There'll be more available to you.

4.) A.I. of the enemy and Marines will work much better with and against you this time around. Marines will look out for eachother, watching out for snipers, taking cover when needed, providing anti-air with heavy weapons. The enemy will co-ordinate as a team very well too. They will hunt you down if you go missing(even using flashlights in the shadows), scale walls and duck under logs, BLAST through scenery(Hunters... ) if necessary to defeat you. And also, there's stuff like this:

Can't use the same tactics as in HALO 1.

... What I miss? :l

You touched on these but to flesh them out:

1) There will be a greater emphasis on using the environments in your combat tactics - with the new twist that major elements being fully destructable. (Rocks, trees, walls, doors, pillars etc.)

2) The personality of the enemies will come out more, such as Hunters running over lower fighters (In the books, they left rather large boot prints on the back of a Jackal, for example.) and Elites and Brutes each feeling superior to the other.

3) Story. We know the Covenant attack earth (E3 2003 demo), and Master Chief comes to the rescue. That's it. As Sai said, the levels will be varied, with Earth, a space station, "ancient Forerunner facilities", the ruins of Halo (not specified if this was a new ring or the same) and a low-gravity environment confirmed.

And that's about it. We have seen no new vehicles (aside from the rocket 'Hog), though there are said to be many others. Only four new weapons show, though at least three others have been CENSORED out of the updates. Two new enemies shown (Brute, Prophet), but many, many others said included.

There is much to learn.

 

[Sai]

Sai with 1 Assist, GhaleonEB gets the kill though.

Gamespy's Halo 2 - Everything We Know!

Convenient.

 

[Joe]

immersion, immersion, immersion.

 

[truesayian]

ehhh same old crap...


at least that's what it looks like to me..

 

[Sai]

Then you aren't lookin' hard enough.

 

[Hellraizah]

ehhh same old crap...


at least that's what it looks like to me..

In my neighborhood, you're getting shot whenever you say "Halo" and "crap" in the same sentence.

 

[truesayian]

looks at it's new sub title

Halo 2: Same crap - twice as boring


I got good eye's, i seen all the stuff, read all all of the impressions, watch the movies... (almost fell asleep through that crappy multiplayer piece of crap they released at E3 this year), someone should be killed for that..

it's all the same crap to me again.. i'm not hyped at all..

 

[Suikoguy]

Honestly, I think this game has gotten to the point where the majority of peoples hype/expectation level will not be reached. I blame it on MS announcing the game wayyyy to early.

 

[truesayian]

Honestly, I think this game has gotten to the point where the majority of peoples hype/expectation level will not be reached. I blame it on MS announcing the game wayyyy to early.

I agree with you 100%

 

[Suikoguy]

I agree with you 100%

Thats not to say Halo 2 won't be a great highly polished game, but with hype being extended almost on a daily basis, part by Bungi, part by fans, its reached an impossible to please level.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Here's one little potential story nugget:

Obscure theory #1: There is a space elevator linking Earth to an orbiting station, and it plays a role in the story early on.

Here's the history:

From Frankie's May 21 Bungie Update, Joseph Staten (Writer and director of cinematics for Bungie) wrote:

CJ and I continue to crank away on the videomatics. This week we're revisiting some of the moments in the Halo2 announcement trailer, and putting them into their final context. I'm only authorized to say three words: ride the pickle. Let the fans chew on that!

Placing moments from the announcement trailer in their final contexts? Riding the pickle? How about this line by Contana from the announcement trailer:

Admiral, tell your men to hold their positions. Reinforcements are on the spoke.

The theory is, that 'spoke' is not just an expression, but a reference - the same one as 'ride the pickle'. A reference to what? Look at this. It's the back of the Halo 2 Limited Edition:

Look at the base of that massive tower climing into the clouds: those are skyscrapers way down there. That tower is miles high, and looks like a pillar with a hollow center....a space elevator.

See what happens when Bungie throws its fans some hints? Speculation on an epic scale ensues. Imagine if they actually released new information! It would be pandemonium! No wonder it's all under wraps.

 

[Sai]

Halo 2: Same crap - twice as boring

Seriously, if you've really read all the impressions and watched all of the media I don't see how you could say that. Everything from the physics to the sounds of feet clampin' against concrete has been either refined or revamped totally.

 

[GhaleonEB]

looks at it's new sub title

Halo 2: Same crap - twice as boring


I got good eye's, i seen all the stuff, read all all of the impressions, watch the movies... (almost fell asleep through that crappy multiplayer piece of crap they released at E3 this year), someone should be killed for that..

it's all the same crap to me again.. i'm not hyped at all..

I have to say, if you are not interested, and didn't like the first, then go away. Bungie isn't making the game for people who hated the first game, they are making it for the four and a half million people who did. The core gameplay will be the same, with some enhancements and what Bungie has described as "more interesting contexts". If that and very, very robust multiplayer don't get you excited, then by all means tune out.

 

[The Promised One]

I have to say, if you are not interested, and didn't like the first, then go away. Bungie isn't making the game for people who hated the first game, they are making it for the four and a half million people who did. The core gameplay will be the same, with some enhancements and what Bungie has described as "more interesting contexts". If that and very, very robust multiplayer don't get you excited, then by all means tune out.

I second that motion. They're the ones missing out.

 

[Flynn]

It's all in the Library.

 

[truesayian]

I have to say, if you are not interested, and didn't like the first, then go away. Bungie isn't making the game for people who hated the first game, they are making it for the four and a half million people who did. The core gameplay will be the same, with some enhancements and what Bungie has described as "more interesting contexts". If that and very, very robust multiplayer don't get you excited, then by all means tune out.

That's where you got me wrong.. I love halo.. played the multiplayer to death on 16 player lan... had halo parties almost every week for about 8 months... It just looks like, seems like, reads like, and looks like they are doing minimal effort for this game... All their new stuff they got for this game, could of been thought of by anybody playing the first game...

There is just nothing new that has me excited... I'm sick of looking at zanzabar... that map looks just retarted.. big spinning wow..... big wow... yea right.. I got 2 hands, lets use 2 guns... I have a felling that's going to be a nightmare... it taking up half of the screen with just the guns,

Just in short, they havn't impressed me.

 

[Mrbob]

That's where you got me wrong.. I love halo.. played the multiplayer to death on 16 player lan... had halo parties almost every week for about 8 months... It just looks like, seems like, reads like, and looks like they are doing minimal effort for this game... All their new stuff they got for this game, could of been thought of by anybody playing the first game...

There is just nothing new that has me excited... I'm sick of looking at zanzabar... that map looks just retarted.. big spinning wow..... big wow... yea right.. I got 2 hands, lets use 2 guns... I have a felling that's going to be a nightmare... it taking up half of the screen with just the guns,

Just in short, they havn't impressed me.

That's nice. Now you should leave if all you have are shortsighted comments.

Why don't you inform us in detail in all the ways Halo 2 doesn't have anything new to get you excited. Because as we all know Bungie has really dived into showing people everything by showing a small section of one single player map and one multiplayer map. You must have seen the Halo 2 everybody else has not.

 

[GhaleonEB]

That's nice. Now you should leave if all you have are shortsighted comments.

Why don't you inform us in detail in all the ways Halo 2 doesn't have anything new to get you excited. Because as we all know Bungie has really dived into showing people everything by showing a small section of one single player map and one multiplayer map. You must have seen the Halo 2 everybody else has not.

Bingo.

Really, I don't understand how anyone who liked the first game cannot be thrilled at what Bungie has shown in the second.

It was the gameplay and balance that made the first so great (I won't touch the brilliant sound right now), and what Bungie has shown is that they are retaining and refining what made Halo so good and then adding features to deepen the gameplay.

Melee weapons, dual-wielding, interactive and destructable environements, destructable vehicles, vehicle boarding vastly improved AI, destructable infantry armor....the list goes on. If may be true that many of these things could be said to be expected of a sequel, but it's the implimentation that Bungie is so know for. It all has a purpose - to make the game more fun.

I should also point out that Bungie didn't need to do anything new in Halo 2 - they could have cranked out a sequel with the same feature set and engine but in a different setting, ala the GTA series, but they chose not to. The temptation to cash in on Halo quick must have been huge, but Bungie is taking their time to get it right - on their own terms. How you cannot at the least respect that in this day and age of quickie sequels is beyond me.

 

[siamesedreamer]

It just looks like, seems like, reads like, and looks like they are doing minimal effort for this game....

Exactly. :rolleyes

Bungie put Halo together in 9 months and did a pretty fantastic job. And you think with three years of development and millions in backing from M$ they are employing minimal effort for the sequal?

Give me a fucking break.

 

[FightyF]

It just looks like, seems like, reads like, and looks like they are doing minimal effort for this game...

We are reading the same things...it's just that our interpretations are very different.

One thing I read recently...one statement, I find to be exciting. They are making sure that there is no repetitiveness in level design. Not only that, they are going to make sure that there is no repetitiveness in combat scenarios. I think that's great...I look forward to it.

The levels are 4-5 times bigger...requiring you to use vehicles (that are destructable) carefully to traverse these levels. It gets me excited.

As far as "minimal effort" goes...I'm sure you've read about the thousands of combat lines recorded for the game, most comments are area/time specific. Compare that to hundreds for the first game. Mathematically, I can say that they are putting 10 times more effort in the audio alone.

I think that the phrase "minimal effort" was a poor choice of words. If you have been keeping tabs on the game, you just can't say that they are putting a minimal effort for this game...that's just flat out incorrect.

 

[GhaleonEB]

I should also point out that Halo was largely made when Bungie was working on multiple titles (Oni as well), while this time out the entire company is focused on Halo 2 - that's over sixty people for three years. The game is going to be huge.

Minimal effort? Give me a fucking break.

 

[WHOAguitarninja]

It's odd, when I think Halo 2, I don't get particularly excited. Matter of fact...I don't get excited at all.

I just think of this massive, massive goliath looming in the distance....slowing approaching with everyone knowing full well all hell will break loose when it arrives, and everybody just sort of biding their time until it arrives.

Metaphorically...of course.

Seriously though, the game doesn't excite me that much because despite the fact that it's only a few months away...it was anounced so long ago...that it FEELS like it's still years away. I just see it as a giant in the distance.

But don't let my lack of excitedness let you think for a second that i'm not planning on spending every waking hour for about a month with the game.

 

[shpankey]

It just looks like, seems like, reads like, and looks like they are doing minimal effort for this game.

^^ Has to be the absolutely most absurd statement I have ever read on GAF.

 

[truesayian]

ok ok.. "minimal effort " was a terrible choice of words..

Bingo.

Really, I don't understand how anyone who liked the first game cannot be thrilled at what Bungie has shown in the second.

It was the gameplay and balance that made the first so great (I won't touch the brilliant sound right now), and what Bungie has shown is that they are retaining and refining what made Halo so good and then adding features to deepen the gameplay.

Melee weapons, dual-wielding, interactive and destructable environements, destructable vehicles, vehicle boarding vastly improved AI, destructable infantry armor....the list goes on. If may be true that many of these things could be said to be expected of a sequel, but it's the implimentation that Bungie is so know for. It all has a purpose - to make the game more fun.

I should also point out that Bungie didn't need to do anything new in Halo 2 - they could have cranked out a sequel with the same feature set and engine but in a different setting, ala the GTA series, but they chose not to. The temptation to cash in on Halo quick must have been huge, but Bungie is taking their time to get it right - on their own terms. How you cannot at the least respect that in this day and age of quickie sequels is beyond me.

Dang.... your right... not sure what to say now... I guess i was just dissipointed because of that crap video they showed at E³.... but whatever, you just got me hyped for halo 2 again.... Help me to remember why i loved halo's multiplayer so much..

 

[BuddyC]

Ah Halo 2. What I would do to have you in my palms once again.

 

[Fallopian Tube]

We know that 2 years ago, at E3, it looked and probably played like a mediocer game. And the only reason people were going crazy over it because it was named "Halo 2".

DCX

 

[Joe]

damn, good trolling must have died with the old board.

 

[Son of Godzilla]

I'd buy Halo 2 just for the co-op if it weren't upgraded at all and just a generic sequel. That stuff rocks. But the multiplayer never struck me as particularly noteworthy. Even 16 player, it was just too slow and weapons too lethal.

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

But was I the only one who found the levels in Halo 1 incredibly repetitive? I remember going through the same room like 10 times in one level.

 

[GhaleonEB]

One other environement has been described, in the June XBox gamer (now off shelves and archived at halo.bungie.org legally)

Fast vehicles mean big levels and Halo 2's are huge, absolutely dwarfing the original in terms of area. Need some reference? Imagine this: Master Chief has to infiltrate a collosal aerial base floating in the sky, but it's so big he can only get around it by flying section to section using stolen Ghosts. Think you've got Halo 2's size figured out in your mind? Try doubling it. Then double it again.

I suspect they meant Banshees, not Ghosts, but either way that sounds awesome. I suspect it's on the Covenant homeworld - I imagine the Prophets staying in a fortress like that.

http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=xboxgamer_0604

 

[GhaleonEB]

But was I the only one who found the levels in Halo 1 incredibly repetitive? I remember going through the same room like 10 times in one level.

You go through an octagon-shaped room five times in one massive level, though the layout of each room is totoally different from the others.

I personally loved Halo's level design - a few were a tad linear, but overall they were great fun. The only criticism of repetition that sticks IMHO is that they have to repeat large sections of three levels (the last three levels, no less) at the end of the game. Still fun due to the different combat style at that point, but clearly not something Bungie wants to do again.

One of Halo's designers said in the OXM article, "We got out teeth kicked in," referring to the reaming Halo's repetition took in the press. It won't happen this time out.

 

[SA-X]

All this talk about massive levels and such sounds great and all, but will it have 4 player CO-OP? That's all I really want to know! Bungie's silence on the subject makes me think it won't.

 

[GhaleonEB]

All this talk about massive levels and such sounds great and all, but will it have 4 player CO-OP? That's all I really want to know! Bungie's silence on the subject makes me think it won't.

They've been silent on a lot of things. What I want is co-op over Live. (Though four player would rule).

 

[MetatronM]

What I want is co-op that lets you save progress mid-level. Now there's an idea.

 

[DopeyFish]

4 player co-op over LAN

now that would be sweet... just imagine serious sam with halo quality

 

[op_ivy]

live co-op would seriously kick ass.... and hopefully they've devised a way to limit (if not stop) the cheesy re-spawn co-op system

bungie has also been saying for quite some time that one of their biggest goals for the live playing is to recreate the experience of playing with buddies right next to you, so live co-op sounds at the ver least plausible, being how successful it was in halo 1

 

[FightyF]

AFAIR, there will not be any split screen co-op. So Live Co-op seems like a reasonable thing to do.

I'm hoping I'm wrong, and that there is split screen co-op. Otherwise I'm going to get another Xbox if the price falls this Xmas.

 

[DopeyFish]

AFAIR, there will not be any split screen co-op. So Live Co-op seems like a reasonable thing to do.

I'm hoping I'm wrong, and that there is split screen co-op. Otherwise I'm going to get another Xbox if the price falls this Xmas.

uh? where did you hear this?

 

[Joe]

the first one had split screen co-op it was only 2 players though.

 

[Joe]

ghaleon where did you read that space elevator theory? that was pretty cool and would be absolutely sick if true.

 

[FightyF]

uh? where did you hear this?

Good question! As I was typing it, I couldn't remember, but I was sure that I read that somewhere. Searching the forum...

Can't find anything...now why do I have this "no split-screen co-op" engraved into my mind?

The point is, don't take what I said about the co-op seriously until I find a link or anything to verify this.

As far as Online Co-op is concerned, Sai posted in this thread (http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=1792&highlight=halo+co-op)

By the way, I believe Bungie said in that Game Informer article that online co-op was very likely...

 

[Subitai]

We know that 2 years ago, at E3, it looked and probably played like a mediocer game. And the only reason people were going crazy over it because it was named "Halo 2".

DCX

Whatever dude. You can accuse EA of making mediocre games sometimes, but the stuff Bungie is executing with AI, physics, weapon balance, graphics, and online hasn't been done in one package.