Halo 2 is better and more balanced compared to CE. Overall they aren't that much different.
If you didn't play at least 100 games of 2v2 Slayer Pro in Halo CE I could understand why you would think this. Halo CE is best played at 2v2, it works pretty well at 4v4 and 1v1, but 2v2 is where it is literally perfect.
Spawns can be predicted and controlled for your team and against the enemy team consistently in 2v2. The lethality of ALL weapons and nades coupled with map design for most of the 2-8 player size maps is perfectly balanced in 2v2. Pistol takes way more skill than any other Halo weapon ever made, all weapons outside of the Needler have a valuable and effective role. With the Power weapons, Rockets and Sniper, being true game changers when combined with Active Camo and Overshield. All power ups and power weapons are expertly placed, and they can be naded to specific locations reliably with skill and memorization.
Game progression with the constant and consistent spawning of power weapons and power ups, facilitates an overall ebb and flow of teams fighting over control of areas and items at all times and from different areas throughout the map. With the struggle for power shifting and changing relative to these items coming up, and the team's ability to control them with skilled Pistol and nade usage, as well as utilizing role weapons like the Shotgun and Plasma rifle effectively.
No other Halo game executes this meta game as well as Halo CE does, the map design and marginalization of individual skill leads to more camping and coordinated pushes in subsequent Halo's. An individual's playmaking ability is no where near what it is in Halo CE. Weapon spawning is broken in Halo 2 with the respawn of weapons being dictated by when a player drops the weapon, as opposed to the consistent timing of Halo CE. Sniping is stupid easy in Halo 2 compared to Halo CE, BR only has a skill gap with glitches, which is still far below Pistol duels in Halo CE.
On an on it goes, but I won't continue.
