Halo 2, Halo- Intro

HALO 2

In this sequel, players once again take on the role of Master Chief, a space marine thrust into battle against an alien force called the Covenant. But the battle no longer takes place on a distant ring world; it's moved to the good old Earth. A series of eye-catching cinematic interludes tells the story of the Covenant, describing how it came about and acquired such a toxic disdain for humanity -- knowledge that comes into play later n in a surprise ending.

The same Hollywood production values show up in Halo 2's graphics. There isn't a better-looking Xbox game out there: You can see tracers flying away from gunfire, then spy a wide variety of new Covenant troops shooting back. The game's physics seem just as detailed, to judge from our in-depth destruction of a vehicle: First we flattened the tires, then we shot the hood, then we ventilated the rear, then blew up the engine.

Halo 2's environments appear far more varied and detailed than the repetitive settings of the original. Combat sprawls across massive cityscapes on a battle-torn Earth but also is waged in cramped, intricately detailed spaceships above it. Somebody at Microsoft's Bungie Studios listened to fans' requests and took good notes.

Halo 2's single-player campaign might feel a little short, but it certainly won't be boring. A viciously fast pace, combined with new moves (the ability to wield two weapons at once) and new vehicles (including hovercrafts and tanks) should keep gamers' hearts sloshing in adrenaline during and between firefights.

But the real reason to buy Halo 2 is its online multiplayer mode, a feature sorely missed in the original. If you have a broadband connection and an Xbox Live account, you can fight with and against up to 15 other players from all over the world (and at all hours) in seven different modes. The standard death match and capture-the-flag schemes are joined by such cool options as Territories (in which two teams battle for control over strategic points) and Oddball (a game of keep-away, but with a body count). This is backed up with voice chat, allowing players to coordinate attacks and trash-talk one another.