Number 19: Halo 2, Bungie 2004
Intro:
Similar to Halo 1, the story picks up very quickly and puts the player throught the tutorial wringer through a "diagnositcs test." There is, however, a lot more fleshing out and exposition in the beginning of this game.
Getting Going:
Tutorials don't pop up anymore, and action picks right up, as if the tutorial is more meant for the new players to catch up real quick without sacrificing the patience of veteran players. The two story lines are developed right from the start, making the switch to the Arbiter make sense (so hush your continued whining, fanboys!).
Fun:
Weapons are more balanced and easy to handle, and dual wielding adds a whole level of customization to that which was unseen in the previous installments NAY in the FPS games in general. Enemies are much more fun to fight, and even have some new screams to shout if they decide to run. Vehicles are easier to drive. The multiplayer is much more robust and the weapon balancing forces players to focus on skill more than finding good weapons.
Visuals:
Big city, narrow path! The winding through the city and large open areas made me feel like I was covering a lot of ground in a huge city, even though I'm sure the path I tread was the narrowest anorexic slice compared to the percieved size of the city. The locations and lightings were far more diverse and interesting than before.
Intelligence:
Balance! Enemies are much more sensible, unlike the polar behaviors I saw in Halo 1. The support does a great job, too, and has a lot of their own witty remarks to spit out.
Immersion:
Great music continues, and the constant action is enough (assuming you know where to go!). The levels got a little too big sometimes, and the occasional abscence of the beacon was frustrating. There was little interruption to the gameplay, and if there was it was usually a video furthering the story. Less so than before, there are frustrating repetitive locations that kill the buzz a little.
Cameras:
No improvements evident over Halo 1.
Controls:
Even smoother! More precise and managable than before, so I feel more in control. And on top of that, they're almost exactly the same controls as before, so returning players have little to pick up.
Ideas:
More of the same, mostly. Dual-wielding is very well handled, and leaves a game-play dynamic PC games still have to catch up with (thanks to control differences). More varied locations make for heightened interest, while the parrallel stories are very well executed.
Memory:
Fun, fun, fun until the shameful ending. But then the well-built multiplayer fills in that void with good-times had with nearly anonymous strangers. This game's cinematics improved on the first game's High Concept action-film feel greatly, and the pace and superior control and intelligence made the whole thing a far more enjoyable experience.
Similar to Halo 1, the story picks up very quickly and puts the player throught the tutorial wringer through a "diagnositcs test." There is, however, a lot more fleshing out and exposition in the beginning of this game.
Getting Going:
Tutorials don't pop up anymore, and action picks right up, as if the tutorial is more meant for the new players to catch up real quick without sacrificing the patience of veteran players. The two story lines are developed right from the start, making the switch to the Arbiter make sense (so hush your continued whining, fanboys!).
Fun:
Weapons are more balanced and easy to handle, and dual wielding adds a whole level of customization to that which was unseen in the previous installments NAY in the FPS games in general. Enemies are much more fun to fight, and even have some new screams to shout if they decide to run. Vehicles are easier to drive. The multiplayer is much more robust and the weapon balancing forces players to focus on skill more than finding good weapons.
Visuals:
Big city, narrow path! The winding through the city and large open areas made me feel like I was covering a lot of ground in a huge city, even though I'm sure the path I tread was the narrowest anorexic slice compared to the percieved size of the city. The locations and lightings were far more diverse and interesting than before.
Intelligence:
Balance! Enemies are much more sensible, unlike the polar behaviors I saw in Halo 1. The support does a great job, too, and has a lot of their own witty remarks to spit out.
Immersion:
Great music continues, and the constant action is enough (assuming you know where to go!). The levels got a little too big sometimes, and the occasional abscence of the beacon was frustrating. There was little interruption to the gameplay, and if there was it was usually a video furthering the story. Less so than before, there are frustrating repetitive locations that kill the buzz a little.
Cameras:
No improvements evident over Halo 1.
Controls:
Even smoother! More precise and managable than before, so I feel more in control. And on top of that, they're almost exactly the same controls as before, so returning players have little to pick up.
Ideas:
More of the same, mostly. Dual-wielding is very well handled, and leaves a game-play dynamic PC games still have to catch up with (thanks to control differences). More varied locations make for heightened interest, while the parrallel stories are very well executed.
Memory:
Fun, fun, fun until the shameful ending. But then the well-built multiplayer fills in that void with good-times had with nearly anonymous strangers. This game's cinematics improved on the first game's High Concept action-film feel greatly, and the pace and superior control and intelligence made the whole thing a far more enjoyable experience.