5/5 ★ – Joe_Williams's review of Halo 2.

Halo 2 has some of the best storytelling in the entire franchise. They definitely took a risk doing dual protagonists (Master Chief and the Arbiter) but it absolutely paid off. I found myself much more invested in the Arbiter’s story, which contains so much lore about the covenant. I also liked how events from one characters story impact the events of the other’s. But that cliffhanger ending… ugh… The level design was a step down for me compared to Halo 1. Levels are more linear and lack the large scale openness that we had in Halo 1. Amazingly, the lighting and graphics seem worse than in Halo 1. However, each location feels unique, are fun to play through, and don’t overstay their welcome. I think each location is limited to no more than 2 levels, which works for me. The environmental storytelling is also still present from Halo 1 and doesn’t lack in this regard. There are even more weapons in Halo 2 than in its predecessor and they all feel great to use. The introduction of dual wielding certain weapons at the cost of not being able to use grenades while doing so, introduces some creativity in fighting. Vehicles are also fun and more varied but this time they are more grounded which makes them feel better to drive compared to their Halo 1 counterparts. You can also now board enemy vehicles and hijack them, but enemies can also hijack you, so be careful. As a warning, legendary difficulty is the most difficult in Halo 2 out of the entire series. You’re in for quite a challenge if you try it. Somehow they took a soundtrack that was already a masterpiece and made it even better. This is my favorite soundtrack in the series. Weapon sounds also are great from battle rifles to energy swords. Overall, Halo 2 is not a perfect game, but it has so many of the fundamentals done so well, that it is a worthy sequel to the original and many people’s favorite in the series.