|
Halo 2 is a science fiction, first-person shooter developed by Bungie Studios. Released for the Xbox game console on November 9, 2004, the game is the sequel to the blockbuster Halo: Combat Evolved. Since its initial release, Halo 2 had been the most popular video game on Xbox Live, holding that rank until the release of Gears of War for the Xbox 360 nearly two years later. By June 20, 2006, more than 500 million games of Halo 2 had been played and more than 710 million hours have been spent playing it on Xbox Live; by May 9th, 2007, this number had risen to five billion, with more than five million unique players on Xbox Live.
The game features a newly built game engine, the Havok physics engine; new weapons and vehicles; new multi-player maps; and a continuation of the storyline from Halo: Combat Evolved. In the game, humans, who have developed faster-than-light travel and colonized several worlds, have been engaged in a war against a collective of genocidal alien races, the Covenant. The player assumes the roles of Master Chief and the Arbiter, and fights enemies on foot or with a collection of alien and human vehicles. As of November 9, 2005, more than seven million units of the game have been sold worldwide, making it the best selling game for the Xbox. A Windows Vista version of the game was released on June 1 in North America, differing from the initial May 8 release date announced. Game developer Pi Studios will be producing editing tools for this version, which will allow users to create unique multiplayer maps.
Halo 2 is a story-driven action-shooter game with a first-person perspective. The game features an expanded range of vehicles, as well as other gameplay changes compared to its predecessor. In the original Halo, health and shield bars are visible on-screen. In Halo 2, the health bar is no longer visible; instead, health regenerates quickly when the player is not taking damage.
Halo 2 features more than fourteen human and alien weapons, many new to the series. Certain weapons can be dual-wielded, which allows the player to sacrifice reload times and accuracy plus the ability to use grenades for raw firepower. The player can carry two weapons at a time (or three if dual-wielding; one weapon remains holstered), with each weapon having advantages and disadvantages in different combat situations. For example, most Covenant weapons eschew disposable ammo clips for a contained battery, which cannot be replaced if depleted. However, these weapons can overheat if fired too rapidly in a short time. On the other hand, human weapons are less effective at penetrating shields and require reloading, but cannot overheat due to prolonged fire. The player can also carry a total of eight grenades; however, grenades can only be thrown when single-wielding.
Another new ability found in Halo 2 is the ability to board enemy vehicles that are near the player and travelling at low speeds. The player or AI latches onto the vehicle and forcibly ejects the other player or AI from their position. Wikipedia |
|
|
