Official Halo 2 Thread

got the game and have not slept yet, fucking awesome single player! i am so into it... checked out a bit of live and it also kicked ass. love this game. GOTY hands down, good night, go home, drive home safely. It's OVER!
 
I got the LE in the mail from MTV.com for $43 shipped thanks whoever posted that link a while back, suprised I got it so early with fast shipping. Dual weapons seems to be the coolest new thing but it does seem like this might be making the game much easier, you can just keep letting loose I am on like level 5 already after a couple hours I think I might just start over not on normal. Couple minor gripes no brightness option and no 16:9 mode but it does look fine running on full mode on a widescreen tv, also no 720p mode which a couple sites said it might be, no big deal but the no brightness option is annoying not hard to implement. Some small 1/4 circle scrathes on 1 disc even though it came with 2 seals hmmm.... the game works fine at least thats all I care about(so far). I'll give it a go on multiplayer later it seems this game is more tailored for multiplayer.
 
Widescreen mode is in, but for some reason it does not switch the TV to widescreen automatically. Also the huds are not widescreen optimized, but the aspect ratio of everything else is good.
 
my halo2 disc came with a fucking white spot on the bottom. so far it hasnt caused any problems im gonna be pissed if it does though.

this game on xbox live pwns all. so much fun.
 
the LOD texture switching thing with dead bodies and cutscenes is annoying, hard to believe they didn't correct that b4 ship. also a couple times i saw a tiny bit shaky framerate in a cutscene or two, like it was in the high teens, low twenties.

otherwise = perfection
 
Yeah, those glitches are noticeable...unfortunate, because the game looks so damned good otherwise... Oh well, time to try some more Live in a few... Oh yeah, GOTY so far.
 
i have to wake up for work in less than 5 hours but i cant stop playing!!! halo2 on xbox live is gaming bliss.
 
I am having a hard time following the story. Partly because I can't understand a single word that isn't sub-titled and also because everything is so vague.

What is going on with the invasion of Earth? How did they find it and what are they doing there(besides trying to kill us)?

I just started controlling the alien and am totally confused. So those prophet guys secretly want the fallen general to wear this special armor and be like their spy or something? I was sent to kill this heretic but suddenly the flood came up out of no where? Huh? what is going on? Where is this lab I am at and what does this have to do with anything? This subplot just came up out of no where.
 
Anyanka said:
I am having a hard time following the story. Partly because I can't understand a single word that isn't sub-titled and also because everything is so vague.

What is going on with the invasion of Earth? How did they find it and what are they doing there(besides trying to kill us)?

I just started controlling the alien and am totally confused. So those prophet guys secretly want the fallen general to wear this special armor and be like their spy or something? I was sent to kill this heretic but suddenly the flood came up out of no where? Huh? what is going on? Where is this lab I am at and what does this have to do with anything? This subplot just came up out of no where.
Click to expand...

Turn the sound up or something :lol

Anyway to answer your questions:

The earth stuff gets explained (somewhat) later so i wont spoil that, if you really wanna know how they found earth you'll have to listen to the ilovebees stuff

As for the second question, that mission takes place on a broken halo (did you miss the sequence where the dropship flew towards it?) thats why the weathers all screwy and why theres flood out loose, it does have an important role in the covenant half of the story (it all kinda makes sense when youve finished the game)
 
I noticed the half halo, but couldn't figure out if it was destroyed or half way built. Why is this heretic guy chilling out in a broken Halo?
 
Anyanka said:
I noticed the half halo, but couldn't figure out if it was destroyed or half way built. Why is this heretic guy chilling out in a broken Halo?
Click to expand...

Dont really think i need the tags for this.

Hiding....hiding & plotting.....hiding & plotting & stealing forerunner technology....yeah lots of stuff.
 
Ok, so like...

the covenent attack earth with that Regret Prophet, who the marines want to capture. He tries to escape, so they follow them....and get lead into another Halo.

Meanwhile, the prophets make that elite the Arbitor and have him kill the Heretic, who learned something about the prophets from 343 guilty spark.

So far these are unrelated stories going on at the same time, but it will make sense when it's over?
 
Good to know I'm not the only one confused by the story line. Good to hear it comes together later on though.

^w^

Co-op is still great fun and I love jacking those alien tanks.
 
Well fuck, I think I found a glitch...

I was bitching about the HUD being cut off on the left and right sides of the screen and thought it was my TV settings at fault (which I found hard to believe, as I had it adjusted just right).

However, I found out that the problem lies with the game...

If I run the game in 480i mode, the HUD fits perfectly on the screen...but when I run in 480p it is cut off. I do not have widescreen mode enabled and I am running this on a 4:3 set.

I don't get it...

edit - Oh shit, I've looked around all over the net and it seems as if A LOT of people are having this same issue (and most of these people are using 16:9 HD sets of all different brands). What's going on?

Thank goodness I didn't go through the hassle of adjusting my set again, as that would have been a mistake...
 
I think Xbox overscans more than PS2 or Cube. Although I can't think of a reason why there would be any significant difference between interlaced and progressive output.
 
Blimblim said:
Widescreen mode is in, but for some reason it does not switch the TV to widescreen automatically. Also the huds are not widescreen optimized, but the aspect ratio of everything else is good.
Click to expand...

I don't think this is the case. Why would the HUD stretch but not everything else?
 
man what the hell is that

After a game, at the score board, what i am suposed to do? I'm suposed to quit every time and find a new server after each around?

Whats that?
 
About the 16:9 TVs, I have read that if you change the screen mode to "regualr" the HUD will fit in the screen. Alot of poeple had theirs set to Cinema or wide. I will test it when I got pick up the game.
 
I hate all of you right now...:P

EB still hadn't updated my order status online,but I just called and confirmed that it would be here today :D Only one more class to go and its Halo goodness all day :O
 
dskillzhtown said:
About the 16:9 TVs, I have read that if you change the screen mode to "regualr" the HUD will fit in the screen. Alot of poeple had theirs set to Cinema or wide. I will test it when I got pick up the game.
Click to expand...

The X Box Dashboard clooks correct with my display settings, so I know mine is set correctly. I'd love to be incorrect but I do not believe this game has 16x9 support.
 
My last one. I guess the HUD is stretched...

From HDTVARCADE Forums:

That question has been answered multiple times in the past (but I guess as long as there are people with stupid game characters as their avatars no more intelligence can be expected from the folks around here)...

Read for example this thread (till the end):
http://www.hdtvarcade.com/hdtvforum/viewtopic.php?t=867

PostPosted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 9:39 am Post subject: Reply with quote
HALO 2 IS ABSOLUTELY DEFINITELY WIDESCREEN - HOWEVER AS WITH MOST OTHER WIDESCREEN GAMES THINGS LIKE HUD ARE STRECHTED!

That things like bitmaps/HUDs are strechted in widescreen is a sad fact. For example look at the moon in GTA:San Andreas, its more an ellipsoid than a circle. The only thing the developers do is set the widescreen aspectratio in their render viewport - things like HUDs or for example the main menu stay in 4:3 and look streched in WIDE because they are not rendered by the 3D engin
 
cybamerc said:
I think Xbox overscans more than PS2 or Cube. Although I can't think of a reason why there would be any significant difference between interlaced and progressive output.
Click to expand...

Yes, it does overscan more...

Here's what they did, though...

In 480i, the HUD elements are moved away from the overscan edges. In 480p, they simply move the HUD elements towards the edges. When I go into service mode and change the horizontal width, for example, the HUD elements are MUCH closer to the edge of the screen in 480p. Bungie actually moves the HUD depending on your display mode. I'd assume they mostly tested the game on LCDs and other fixed pixel displays where this wouldn't be an issue. CRT sets are the only one exhibiting this problem (based on all of the posts at other boards).

I COULD adjust my TV just for the game, but then my GC and PS2 have large black bars on the left and right AND most XBOX games barely fit. It also causes slightly geometry errors, as the screen ends up looking squished.

I can only hope that the ability to receive downloadable content will allow Bungie to "patch" the game with an option to move the HUD. I can still read all HUD imformation, but it just looks sloppy.

Here is what it looks like. Keep in mind that the 3D portions ARE NOT affected by this problem and that this screen is slightly distorted due to re-sizing. However, it does represent what the HUD looks like when I'm playing in 480p...

a2j_screwed.jpg
 
PhatSaqs said:
Same here. And i've died a Ninja Gaiden amount of times :(
Click to expand...


No shit, Heoric in Halo 2 feels like Legendary in Halo 1. But yeah, I started on Heoric as well and got owned until I got out of "Rambo Mode" and used some strategy.
 
i've beaten the game on normal, some quick impressions:

i think even the more ecstatic reviews are shortchanging the campaign. yes, it still feels like halo, but there are so many subtle gameplay additions and they all work so damned well. the game is full of new pleasures -- jacking a banshee in mid-flight, leaping down on an enemy with your plasma sword drawn, plowing through elites with a plasma pistol/smg combo. you might not fully appreciate these additions until you try to go back to halo 1, which suddenly feels restrictive by comparison. the beauty of halo was in providing you with richly reactive battlefields and finely tuned mechanics, and then giving you plenty of breadth to improvise. halo 2 gives you more of those setpiece battles, more options, and more intensity without disrupting the balance. it often plays like an overwhelming succession of halo's best moments.

it's an oddly stirring game, thanks primarily to the brilliant soundtrack. halo 2 neatly laces the action with moments of quiet awe or inchoate dread, and the action itself can be preposterously inspiring. i don't want to say "immersive," but it's a game of very strong moods.

(early-game spoilers):
and the playable elite is an excellent addition. i was initially skeptical: i thought a second character would dull the game's focus. but halo's always been best at grand, many-sided conflicts, and the introduction of the covenant perspective meshes perfectly with this sensibility. and i love how the elites are characterized. their fierce, old-world nobility is a terrific counterpoint to master chief's laconic military cool. fighting alongside a pack of saber-wielding elites is just hugely pleasurable. the covies steal the show, really.

(vague ending spoilers):
christ, what a fucking tease, though. a cliffhanger is one thing, but halo 2 doesn't even feel self-contained. it's not that the ending is bad; the last cinematic is bungie's most skilful. it had me ridiculously primed to end the war. the problem is that it plays like the introduction to a final level, not an ending. and instead of that final level you get a credit roll. not cool.
 
drohne said:
i've beaten the game on normal
Click to expand...

How hard is normal in comparison to normal in Halo? Normal in Halo was ridiculously easy. But people have said Heroic in Halo 2 is like Legendary in Halo. So?
 
normal difficulty is about the same as halo 1's normal. there'll be a few hairy situations you'll have to repeat, but mostly you'll go straight through. i think it's a good way to experience the environments and the story, but the real meat of the gameplay is in heroic and legendary.

i don't think heroic is as hard as halo 1's legendary...or at least it doesn't have those extreme moments of unbalanced difficulty (i'm looking at you, gold saber elites aboard the truth and reconciliation).
 
drohne said:
i don't think heroic is as hard as halo 1's legendary...or at least it doesn't have those extreme moments of unbalanced difficulty (i'm looking at you, gold saber elites aboard the truth and reconciliation).
Click to expand...

that's good to know. i didn't think legendary was all that bad except for those extreme moments like the one you mention (which were throw the controller against the wall and break it hard). i'll give it a whirl on Heroic first. normal in Halo = so easy it's booring.
 
As always, I agree with Drohne's impressions.

Halo single-player is a cakewalk on normal. If I didn't have to sit at a hotel to review and finish it in one evening, I would have played through it on heroic. As it is though, the game's dynamic battle scenarios beg repeated playthroughs on both heroic and legendary (although I've jumped straight to legendary).

Anyone out there playing legendary? How far are you? Let's hear your impressions.

I'm in the sniper alley on Old Mombasa. Breezed through this part on normal, and am finding myself gunned down once every 6 seconds by sniping jackals here. :)

And yes, Halo 2 on Xbox Live is the future of online gaming. I have minor issues with the fascist control of game modes that you play, but the awesome party functionality more than makes up for it.

I'm so glad this game is officially out. I've had a gag order on me for way too long. :P
 
My jaw hit the floor at the end of the 3rd level, then i played through the 4th level and again. Jaw on floor. The bit when
you are submerged undersea and the music hits, your vessel swaying side to side
and also the part where the water refelctions hit the surface. beautiful
 
I got the game last night at midnight. We played 6 player mulitplayer all night. I'm currently on a conference call at work and I haven't slept yet. I am so freakin lost. I can't even concentrated. :lol Blah blah blah. Invoice. Payment. Covenant. Elite. Dual Pistols. Jump to high......
 
I've FINALLY just accepted the fact that the hud is cut off and that the actual aspect ratio is just fine and all 3D is being properly shown. Gamespot's screens were misleading as hell. They are 4:3 pics, but they were snapped with in the 16:9 mode. So, here I was thinking that my entire picture was being clipped...but I discovered that, with 16:9 mode enabled, it looks the same as GS's shots.

I can't believe something so small has caused me so many problems. :( I mean, seriously, my experience has already been damaged as a result. I haven't played past the first mission, though, as I wanted to wait until I found a solution.

I wish Bungie had tested the game on CRT based HDTV sets or at least allowed us to adjust the HUD.

I have class soon, but when I return, I'll really sit down and play the game.

It's sad, but of the big releases this month, only Metroid Prime 2 will provide a truly flawless technical presentation. MGS3 will be close, but the framerate is only 30. HL2 is a PC game, though, so I KNOW I'll be messing with settings some of the time...

I can't believe I'm caught up on technical issues right now. It really pisses me off. I just wanted to enjoy the game, but they just had to go and screw this up. They better work on a patch...
 
did anybody else's newspaper have a front page story on Halo 2? The artical itself was short, but it was a big Halo logo and Master Chief across the top of the front page.

halo.jpg
 
The gameplay is so different with the dual wielding. It takes the whole strategy aspect of whch guns to carry in the first one that much further because it restricts grenades. I love it.
 
Nameless said:
No shit, Heoric in Halo 2 feels like Legendary in Halo 1. But yeah, I started on Heoric as well and got owned until I got out of "Rambo Mode" and used some strategy.
Click to expand...

What? You guys are weaksauce. Heroic is not that hard, nowhere near Legendary in Halo 1.
 
dark10x said:
I've FINALLY just accepted the fact that the hud is cut off and that the actual aspect ratio is just fine and all 3D is being properly shown. Gamespot's screens were misleading as hell. They are 4:3 pics, but they were snapped with in the 16:9 mode. So, here I was thinking that my entire picture was being clipped...but I discovered that, with 16:9 mode enabled, it looks the same as GS's shots.

I can't believe something so small has caused me so many problems. :( I mean, seriously, my experience has already been damaged as a result. I haven't played past the first mission, though, as I wanted to wait until I found a solution.

I wish Bungie had tested the game on CRT based HDTV sets or at least allowed us to adjust the HUD.

I have class soon, but when I return, I'll really sit down and play the game.

It's sad, but of the big releases this month, only Metroid Prime 2 will provide a truly flawless technical presentation. MGS3 will be close, but the framerate is only 30. HL2 is a PC game, though, so I KNOW I'll be messing with settings some of the time...

I can't believe I'm caught up on technical issues right now. It really pisses me off. I just wanted to enjoy the game, but they just had to go and screw this up. They better work on a patch...
Click to expand...


Damn dude, I agree 100% :(

I am on the third level and loving the game, but I just can't get past the fact they screwed up the HUD... when I first started playing, I was just like "WTF Bungie!", so I exited the game and searched in the settings for display options and sadly there are NONE!!

I can't believe it! I'm playing on a 51" widescreen and the HUD is cut off exactly how yours is in the pic you posted. It just plum looks sloppy and I can't help but let it bother me!! My first impressions of the game were NEGATIVE just because of the damn HUD!!

I arrived at home about 1am, I was giddy as a schoolgirl, I couldn't believe I finally had the game, the first is one of my alltime favorite and Halo 2 was finally in my hands, and my experience is nearly ruined by sloppy HUD implementation. :(

I'm just as anal as you are it seems about these things, I DON'T WANT to be bothered by such things, but I simply CAN'T HELP but focus on it, and it detracts from my gameplay experience. It's such a small thing too, SO EASILY fixable if they'd tested it on different types of tvs. :(
 
I've been playing heroic, it's tough but niot impossible. It probably explains the slow pace I'm on (most people here are farther than me and I have had it since friday).

As for the DVD, if you pop it in a disclaimer comes up saying you should not watch it if you do not want to be spoiled.

EDIT: 16x9 thought- my HUD is OK in widescreen, but it is stretched. It is OK in that it is not chopped off. I am on a Sony 30" directview set.
 
shantyman said:
As for the DVD, if you pop it in a disclaimer cimes up saing you should not watch it if you do not want to be spoiled.
Click to expand...


damn, that means i have to wait until the weekend to watch it

cheers

oh: Best skies in a videogame
 
You guys really need to lighten up. I have a 30" CRT HDTV (4:3 aspect) and yes, the HUD isn't fully exposed--by like a quarter-inch. I can still see all the info. Jesus Tittyfucking Christ move on and enjoy the fucking game. Last time I checked it still was a fucking blast to play and see and hear. :rolleyes
 
The game is sitting right next to me (Limited Edition with free strategy guide, damn its thick!), but I'm in class right now :wariocry

Gotta get my money back from Gamestop since I don't need my preorder anymore, then it's XBL multiplayer all day :P

Gamertag: Wario64


And I don't know about your stores but when I went to get it at Target, people were buying both the Halo 2 regular edition and limited edition...wtf
 
I'm playing through on Heroic, and finding it to be just right. I'm very good at Halo SP, so I didn't want to just breeze through the game first time through. I actually died on the first encounter! (Was a little to gung-ho with the SMG.)

Love the game. Will go Live in a few weeks.
 
Wario64 said:
The game is sitting right next to me (Limited Edition with free strategy guide, damn its thick!), but I'm in class right now :wariocry
Click to expand...
Does the strategy guide tell you how to unlock the extras?
 
OMG :LOL

I was fighting with an elite and there was debris in between us (small, on the ground) and the bastard kicked it in my direction! Awesome :o
 
DopeyFish said:
OMG :LOL

I was fighting with an elite and there was debris in between us (small, on the ground) and the bastard kicked it in my direction! Awesome :o
Click to expand...

I had something similar happen. I was duking it out with Elites in some crates and ducked around a corner to recharge. The bugger jumped on top of the crate and reamed my head with plasma.

gonna have to get some new tactics....
 
Wario64 said:
The game is sitting right next to me (Limited Edition with free strategy guide, damn its thick!), but I'm in class right now :wariocry

Gotta get my money back from Gamestop since I don't need my preorder anymore, then it's XBL multiplayer all day :P

Gamertag: Wario64
Click to expand...

lol is the rest of GAF ready for Wario64 (aka Blood thirsty Beast)?
 
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