A Smarter A.I.

When all was said and done with Halo®: Combat Evolved, there were a lot of talking points. People were chatting up the bump-mapped beauty of the game, the story, the multiplayer, the vehicles, the weapons, and the richness of the world. Along with all of that, and perhaps above much of it, was the obvious brilliance of the enemy and ally A.I.

When you stumbled across your marine comrades, it wasn't just eye candy. You weren't looking at some animated polygons made to make you think you weren't alone in this giant world. You ran across legitimate allies. They formed up, they chatted, they worked together, and they admonished you for a stray shot in their backside. When you marched against the Covenant, so did they (and effectively at that).

Sarge hates a wussy.

The same level of intelligence could be attributed, if not more so, to the enemies. The Covenant weren't dummies. Their combat strategy seemed to evolve over the course of the conflict. There was never just one way to finish off a group of Elites or even a horde of Grunts.

Now we have Halo® 2, and with it comes a whole new breed of artificial intelligence. If you thought the variety and depth of enemy reactions was good before, you haven't yet played Halo 2 and witnessed its magnificence. Even on the standard Normal difficulty, it's amazing how many little things you'll notice your Covenant foes doing. In fact, it's the little things that make a world of difference, both in the believability of the conflict, as well as making you more tactical about your combat decisions. Going in guns blazing just doesn't cut it anymore. Here's a whole list of some little stuff I noticed during a recent play through. This should give you an idea of what you're likely to run across.

Master Chief looks on.

• After storming into a room with double-fisted submachine guns blazing, a gaggle of Grunts panicked at my fearsome sight. In their panic, though, was at least a strong survival instinct, as they didn't run in all directions, but instead waddled quickly around a corner. Not being a patient Master Chief, I gave chase. Around the corner I found them setting up shop behind energy shields and feeling confident under the protection of a small group of Elites. Whoops.
• There are few things more fun in Halo 2 than jacking an Elite off their Ghost. Of course, the first time I managed the feat, I sat for a moment or two to reflect on the brilliance of my skill. What happened? The Elite jacked me right back and laid the Ghost's dual plasma cannons into me. The bastard!
• I'm a big fan of the energy sword. If you can get up close and personal with the enemy, it can dole out some serious hurt. It's easier for you to swipe a Covenant when you're right next to them than it is for them to back up and get a good shot at you. Of course, when you charge an Elite with your energy sword and you see them calmly waiting for you, only to whip out an energy sword of their own, the odds are slightly less in your favor.
• There's a whole lot of regrouping going on in Halo 2. You may cause an initial panic after barging in and tossing plasma grenades every which way, but after a few moments, the Covenant forces seem able to regroup and work together to rid themselves of your demon (that's what they call you) presence. Let me tell you, it's no fun watching a group of Brutes form together and charge you.

That can't be good.

• Sometimes you just need to get out of your vehicle. Sometimes the next area isn't passable in the Wraith or Warthog you've been piloting, or maybe you're just worried it's about to blow up and you don't want to be on the inside when that happens. My advice is to blow it up yourself after getting out of it. Otherwise, some industrious Covenant will likely come along and use it against you.
• Flanking may have happened in the original Halo, but I don't remember it being a constant threat. In Halo 2 I can't count the amount of times I've been caught in the middle of a room or area only to see a group of Elites break off and to flank me. Getting caught in crossfire makes Master Chief sad.

Whether it's a scripted event or just plain good A.I., it doesn't matter. The actions and reactions of both your allies and enemies are remarkable. It's so much more immersive and interesting to see proper intelligent actions on both sides of the conflict. It makes the world feel more tangible, more real, and that's the hallmark of excellent design. Now, if only the Brutes weren't so damn hard.

By Alex McLain