‘Halo 2’: A Perfect Sequel 20 Years Later

Near the end of 2024 (Nov. 9, to be exact), the most-beloved sequel of a genre-defining launch title from the original Xbox will be 20 years old: “Halo 2.”

Released to a resounding success and gaining tons of praise from tons of gaming journalists and critics, Halo 2 hits the nail on the head of what a sequel to any piece of media should do. Even though development of the game was a very difficult and tedious task, it ended up being worth it and deserving of its glory.

The Halo game series was a very important exclusive to the Xbox brand, and was one of the three giants of the first-person genre games that included “Call of Duty” and “Battlefield.”

What makes it stand out among the three is the story and the arena-style, multiplayer action – its flavor and flow, with a gameplay sandbox and vehicles that make each match nearly unpredictable. While easy to pick up, Halo 2 also has a hard-to-master skill ceiling that got the game to the top of the competitive scene, something the rest of series to strives to keep alive to this very day.

Almost a dozen Halo games (in the series) later, why return to one that isn’t the newest and shiniest? Well. I believe the biggest reason to go back is the story of Halo 2, which picks up after the events of the first game.

We see our protagonist, the Master Chief, at a ceremony – with the interesting choice of giving us the perspective of the bad guys from the first game (and seeing the leading commander being dishonored and branded in front of his fellow aliens). Then, during the ceremony the Covenant leads an attack on Earth, and it’s up to the Master Chief to again fend off the threat.

The gameplay in “2” is more-developed than the first “Halo,” with a larger sandbox of weapons and the inclusion of dual wielding (you can hold an interesting combination of two small weapons to double the first power of the player), as well as additional vehicles. It also has fan favorites coming back.

Most players remember the multiplayer being the highlight of the Halo 2 game, as every corner of the game was made with purposeful intent, unlike the unintended chaos of the first game, where the vehicles cannot be destroyed and all explosives are miniature nukes (along with the iconic sidearm being the be-all and end-all of the game).

In Halo 2, all weapons have their niche of strategy along with the vehicles that are very important in changing those big, team battle matches. There is a level of tactics and skill left out from its predecessor that all starts in this game, spawning a heightened esports scene that truly put skilled players to the test.

The game music was primarily composed by Martin O’Donnell, with producer Nile Rodgers making two volumes of music for the game. The majority was produced in-house by O’Donnell, but other artists were allowed add game music, too, including the groups Breaking Benjamin and Incubus.

My own experience of the game was one of shock and awe at a very engaging story. It’s a video game that I and my brothers would bond over because of the greatness of the up-to-four-player local player vs. player and the two-player couch co-op setups. To this day the game holds up very well. Even if the graphics may not look like 4K realism, it still has a charming art style that captures the imagination and creative vision left behind by Bungie (the game company that created Halo).

The only way to play Halo 2 is the original Xbox copy, which you can play on both the original Xbox and the Xbox 360 through backward compatibility (but only for the story and local/LAN multiplayer, as the online functionality was shut down in 2010).

So, 14 years too late, but the spirit lives on with the “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” that has Halo 2 in all of its glory while still having an active user base playing daily.

Illustration by Devin Singh

Devin Singh

Hello, my name is Devin Singh, and I am a comic artist and illustrator for The Advocate.

I like to draw about about anything, such as comic characters and the history of musicians and fashion. I am a history major at MHCC, which is a passion of mine besides my first love of art. You can catch me mostly spending time working on art in the Library, or in the Student Union on occasion. Outside of school I enjoy listening to music, watching films, playing video games and making/painting plastic models.

I hope my comics and illustrations inspire conversation and something fun to see while you enjoy the latest issue of The Advocate!