X-Factor

By Earl P. Thayton

The original Halo: Combat Evolved made for some great multiplayer fun, even though it lacked support for Xbox Live, which didn't even exist at the time. Halo 2, however, sports full support for the latest Xbox Live features as well as some of Bungie's own multiplayer tricks—all of which ensure that it will be the system's definitive multiplayer frag-fest.

Welcome to the frag-fest!

Let's Get This Party Started
With the Halo 2 user interface (U.I.), your Xbox Live Friends List is only a button away. You can press the Y button at any time to view your list and issue invitations or send messages. Though this is obviously handy, it's hardly revolutionary. What is revolutionary is the concept of "Parties," gamer groups that stick together from match to match.

In other words, you won't have to deal with reforming an entire gaming group after every round. Once you join a party, you get to play in the games that your party leader picks without any hassle. Parties can even be merged by inviting a party leader to join another party. Add in Xbox Live messaging features, and you can see that it will be super easy to get all of your Friends together for a game.

With Enemies Like These, Who Needs Friends?
If you don't have a regular gaming posse, or if you would just rather beat up on strangers for a change, you'll appreciate the advanced matchmaking features in Halo 2. Good ol' Optimatch will let you specify the exact kind of game you want; however, the real advances are in the backend of the matchmaking service, giving you the best possible gaming experience with the minimum amount of set-up chores.

The game's advanced matchmaking checks the network itself, looking for participants that have the best possible connection quality. The system tests your connection not only to the host, but also to each of the other potential players. We all know lag kills, and Halo 2 does it's best to eliminate it.

Next, it checks each player's ranking. The goal is to always pit you against players who are at your same approximate skill level. It won't pit you against one of the unholy terrors on the Bungie staff, unless of course, you've proven you have the skill to take him or her on. Even in the beta-testing stage, Bungie has told us that matchmaking can be a "real nail-biter" because the players are so evenly chosen. This will only improve as the player base grows.

It's important to realize that Halo 2 will not present you with a "server browser." Bungie decided not to go that route for a number of reasons. For one, there will be a lot of Halo 2 hosts, and that is too much information to digest comfortably on a game console—or arguably even on a computer! But, more importantly, the quality of play on a random server is, well, random. Half the time, the game is full when you connect, and even if you get in there, is no foe customization. Advanced matchmaking removes the need to worry about any of that. Just let the system find your game.

It's always more fun to frag with friends.

The Name of the Game
So, we know how matchmaking picks your foes, but what kind of game are you actually playing? Well, that depends on the "playlist" you have chosen. A playlist is a group of game types that matchmaking lets you choose from. For example, one playlist might feature only solo Slayer variants, while only contains entirely team-based games. Playlists are built by Bungie and can be updated at any time over Xbox Live. If Bungie wants to run an "All-Sniper Weekend," they can do it, though there will probably be playlists for the core game types available at all times.

I Am Not a Number! No, Wait, I Am
Halo 2 players will be able to keep track of all their stats online—in real-time—on Bungie's Web site. You'll be able to see how you stack up against other players as well as very detailed stats for the latest games you've played. All of the data is clearly tabulated and cross-linked, so you can check the stats for your new arch-nemesis just by clicking on his or her name.

We hope you have enjoyed this peek at the Halo 2 multiplayer features. Stay tuned for future articles, where we'll discuss game types, tactics, and more!