• Master Chief can now wield two weapons at once, board Covenant vehicles and steal Covenant weapons like the incredible double energy .
• Lead an all-new unit of super-soldiers, the ODST -- tougher, badder and deadlier versions of your old comrades.
• New enemies, allies and surprises around every corner - intense combat action with enhanced AI and real-time lighting.
• Immense single-player action with maassive landscapes and huge cities to explore and defend - destructible and interactive environments.
• Take the action online with your Xbox Live and switch sides, to become a Covenant Elite!.
• Works with an Xbox 360 console.

Product Description ------------------- Halo 2 is the sequel to the hugely successful and critically praised Halo: Combat Evolved. In Halo 2 the saga continues as the genetically enhanced super soldier, Master Chief, must defend humankind from the evil Covenant. .com ---- Halo 2 is one of those rare video games that garnishes attention from regular folk who wouldn't know which direction to point a game controller. With more than 1.5 million pre-orders and a massive release party in Times Square, the game enjoys the sort of buzz, and sales, generally reserved for boy wizards. But does it merit the hype? Opening Scene Halo 2 opens with a cut scene in the Covenant Holy City of High Charity. Much has happened since Master Chief (that's you) created so much havoc for the Covenant in the first Halo, and the Arbiter has much atoning to do for his failures. This first cut scene is long, but the lush graphics, orchestral sound, and polished voice talent for both this and other cut scenes as well as the game itself put most animated television shows to shame. Much has happened since Master Chief created so much havoc for the Covenant in the first Halo, and the Arbiter has much atoning to do. In the end, though, Halo 2 is unabashedly a first-person shooter. It has a Mature rating and is not meant for kids. Gameplay is constant and intense. No sooner is one bunch of aliens taken care of than another descends. The controls are identical to the first game so those familiar with it will be up and blasting in no time. And the sound and graphics have been beefed up so that Halo 2 is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful console games available. Opening Fire Most of the weapons from the first game return, although strangely the MA5B Assault (the default weapon in the first game) is not available. There is a single melee weapon known as the Covenant , but the controls for it are the same as that for all the shooter weapons, making it difficult to direct. Also, for a new twist, you can hold two of the smaller s at the same time and shoot double-fisted. As for vehicles, the old favorites are back and joined by a few new, mostly Covenant wheeled monsters. Some improvements have been made to the AI so that the nonplayer characters can drive without running into too many obstacles while you man the turret. This improved AI also has enemies ducking for cover, and the banter from both the Marines and the bad guys has undergone massive improvements so that it no longer sounds quite so repetitive. On Your Own The most significant change in the single-player game is with Master Chief's much-touted defensive suit. At the beginning of the game, he is told that the suit has been upgraded, but it's really undergone a severe downgrade. In Halo 2, the player has only one lifeline. Unlike in the first game, there is basically no defensive shield on the suit, making gameplay tougher. It can often take multiple--sometimes a maddening number--attempts to make it through thorny parts of the game. Or with a Friend Finally, no review of a Halo game is complete without mentioning multiplayer. One of the main reasons to buy Halo 2 is the ability to play through Xbox Live, a feature not included in the first game, which was among the original releases for the Xbox. Multiplayer for Halo 2 uses all of the same weapons and vehicles as in the single-player game, and the types of games available in Halo (King of the Hill, Slayer, Capture the ) return with a host of new s. Multiplayer Halo 2 offers customizable profiles, control layout, and screens as well as a voice proximity feature, where you can talk with other players via an Xbox Communicator so that those closer to you sound louder than those farther away. Players can also create both permanent clans and temporary parties in the Xbox Live world. Undoubtedly, this multiplayer feature alone ensures that Halo 2 will remain a top-selling game for years to come. --David Morel Pros: * Lush graphics and orchestral sound * Constant, thumping shoot-'em-up action * Multiplayer available through Xbox live Cons: * Suit downgrade makes single-player often overly difficult * Get ready for some bleary-eyed mornings From the Manufacturer --------------------- "Halo 2 is a lot like Halo, only it's Halo on fire, going 130 miles per hour through a hospital zone, being chased by helicopters and ninjas," explained Jason Jones, head of Bungie Studios. "And the ninjas are all on fire, too." Halo 2 continues the story of the Master Chief, the genetically enhanced super-soldier who is the only human ever to successfully defy the Covenant--a coalition of alien races on a murderous march toward Earth. Their defeat at the ancient Halo artifact was only temporary, and they are pursuing their goal--the complete obliteration of humankind--with renewed zeal. Human forces are exhausted and unable to stave off the Covenant's rapid advance toward Earth. Even with the Master Chief back in action, the situation looks dire--and this is at the beginning of the game, before things get even worse. In true Bungie tradition, the solo campaign in Halo 2 deepens and expands upon the story that began in the first game: old questions will be answered, new mysteries will unfold, and the truly epic nature of the story will finally be revealed. See more pictures ( http://www..com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008J7NZ/${0}?v=glance&s=videogames&me=A3UN6WX5RRO2AG&vi=pictures&img=8#more-pictures ) The Master Chief and his space-marine allies return to battle the full complement of Covenant forces, as well as not yet revealed foes. Halo 2 expands the Master Chief's already substantial arsenal with powerful new weapons, many pried from the tw claws of his defeated enemies. There will also be yet more drivable vehicles, giving players new ways to speed into battle or explore the game's vast landscapes. See more pictures ( http://www..com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008J7NZ/${0}?v=glance&s=videogames&me=A3UN6WX5RRO2AG&vi=pictures&img=1#more-pictures ) Halo 2 surpasses its predecessor in graphical beauty and combat intensity, thanks to a completely new graphics engine designed specifically for the Xbox. "Our code squeezes every drop of power out of the Xbox," said Chris Butcher, one of the sequel's engineering leads. "We're doing dynamic lighting and shadows, per-pixel everything, rendering gigantic, lush environments. The graphical features we're using are so advanced we don't even have buzzwords for them yet." In addition to an epic single-player campaign, Halo 2 allows multiplayer via split-screen play, System Link ( /exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005R6YW/${0} ), and Xbox Live ( /exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006LU9J/${0} ). "We still have the multiplayer game types that people loved in Halo, but we're planning something special for Halo 2," hinted Je Griesemer, lead designer of Halo 2. "I don't want to ruin the surprise, but imagine the essential Halo single-player experience: pitched battles between the humans and the Covenant, massive vehicle and infantry engagements. Now imagine that every combatant is an actual person playing over Xbox Live!" The Halo 2 online multiplayer experience will feature squad-oriented team play, real-time voice chat, and extensive community support.