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First Encounter
By Earl P. Thayton
Recently, a handful of lucky journalists and Microsoft
insiders got some trigger time with Halo 2. The event took place
deep within Bungie-occupied territory, where a once-stodgy meeting
room had been converted into a gamer’s paradise. Fourteen Xbox
video game systems, earth-shaking speaker systems, flat panel TVs,
Xbox Live headsets, and plush chairs awaited the chosen
few. For the rest of the, we found ourselves firmly planted in
front of our screens, enjoying a first encounter with what may be
the most anticipated game on any console to date.
Enter a beautiful, combat-filled
Halo 2.
The fortunate crew included folks from 1UP, GamePro, Games Domain, GameSpot, GameSpy, IGN, MSN, TeamXbox and yours truly from
Xbox.com. The event was hosted
by Bungie's Community Guy Brian Jarrard and Bungie.net Editor Frank
O'Connor. Jarrard and O'Connor took time out from their busy
schedules not only to talk to us about Halo 2, but also to
play with us and demonstrate some of the new game types and maps.
(By "demonstrate," I mean, of course, "repeatedly shooting us in
the head, while chatting about the new features." These guys are
good.)
The Bungie lads were quick to point out that the user interface
(U.I.) is in the process of getting a makeover, but it was already
obvious it will be efficient and gorgeous. Online play via Xbox
Live—and we were playing on Xbox Live, not some
kind of high-speed corporate network—was very smooth. The weapons
all seemed balanced and useful. We were told that final
optimizations to networking and gameplay are still being made, but
from our comfy chairs, things already look fantastic.
New Blood
So, what's new in Halo 2?
That's a big subject (and the topic of many future articles), but
here's a quick taste.
Ah, the joys of dual-weilding
…
Weapons
You've probably heard about the new
ability to dual-wield smaller weapons. It’s exactly as cool as
you've hoped it is, and it's perfect for fighting in close
quarters, when grenades are too risky to use. You will also find
new tools of the trade, like the Battle Rifle, and tweaks to
classics like the Pistol and Needler.
Game Types
Old friends like Slayer are joined by new varieties, such as
Assault, where you need to plant a bomb in the enemy base, and
one-flag Capture the Flag (CTF). Factor in downloadable content,
and Halo 2 is going to have some serious legs!
Maps
Quality maps are the backbone of any shooter, and the maps in
Halo 2 are positively sublime. This time, there is a
greater emphasis on asymmetrical team-play maps, like the amazing
Zanzibar map that Bungie debuted at E3.
Online Play
Halo 2 has full Xbox Live support, including some
of its own online features you won't find in any other Xbox
Live game. "Parties" of Friends make it easy to stick
together from game to game, and the matchmaking features ensure
you'll find the best possible opponents, according to skill and
connection speed. As Bungie told us, matchmaking can be a "real
nail-biter" because you'll always be playing against people who are
close to your skill level.
Nice rides!
Vehicles
There will be some new vehicles, such as
Warthog variants, but what really stood out was the way you could
damage the vehicles. Battlefields will now be home to
smoking wreckage, just as nature intended! You'll also be able to
jack an inattentive driver and take their ride. (I witnessed an
impromptu demo of this when Jarrard casually ejected the MSN rep
from his Warthog during one of our first Slayer matches.)
That's just scratching the surface of what Halo 2 has to
offer. Everyone attending this special event was blown away—no pun
intended—and yours truly never had so much fun getting shot, run
over, stabbed, bludgeoned, and exploded. November 9 can’t get here
fast enough for these itchy trigger fingers.
Stay tuned for more in-depth Halo 2 articles in the weeks
to come!
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