4/5 ★ – TheLastWord's review of Halo 2: Anniversary.

I knew this game ended in a cliffhanger and yet, somehow, I was still stunned when it happened. Even though it doesn’t matter as much over 2 decades later, it’s hard to ignore such an incredibly clear “Wait, it’s over?” moment. I don’t think this game is strictly worse than Combat Evolved, but I do think it’s weaker in many aspects. I think the missions in Combat Evolved just feel a lot more solid and cohesive, and same with the story. The Arbiter is a super cool addition and his story is probably is the most interesting aspect of the campaign to follow. I absolutely don’t think the ending ruins the game by any means, but I do think the sort of lackluster final battle that leads into a massive cliffhanger does have a negative effect. Unfortunately since I didn’t play this game in 2004, I don’t really get to experience the magic that was Halo 2’s online multiplayer, so that’s going to be a big portion of this game that won’t quite get fair recognition from me. In terms of gameplay, it’s still very fun and the missions are still good. I think most of the weapons are an upgrade after CE, except for the Magnum unfortunately. It’s a bit of a step down from CE, but not quite enough for me to give it a 7/10, that feels a bit too harsh for a game that I’m mostly criticizing for not topping a generational title.