Lockout, Waterworks, Midship, Sanctuary, Gemini, Terminal, Foundation, Warloc- Okay, I have little bit of an obsession with Halo 2. It’s my all-time favorite multiplayer game. I have memories of the campaign but multiplayer was Halo 2’s highpoint. In many ways, it’s what got me into online gaming – for better or for worse – and what brought online console shooters into the mainstream gaming space. While fighting the crowds at this year’s PAX Prime I got the chance to get my hands on the game, if only for a short time, and I have to say that as a fan I walked away really excited for what’s in store when this releases.
Many games used Xbox Live before it but Halo 2 was the first one that really took advantage of all of its features and everything it could do. Matchmaking, custom game options, proximity voice chat, party system, it was all there and so many developers have followed in Bungie’s footsteps. There’s no denying that a lot of what you found in Halo 2 laid the groundwork for what is standard in an online shooter now.
Perhaps I shouldn’t admit it but I would have glady paid sixty bucks to play Halo 2 Anniversary, so to hear about the Master Chief Collection (MCC) was insane. Sure, it’s too bad that ODST and Reach won’t be on there but… come on. It’s hard to complain about that when you’re getting four complete games. On top of those four complete games is Halo 2 Anniversary Multiplayer, a separate part of the package with its own engine, look and feel. Tribute would be the best word to describe this game because it isn’t Halo 2 and it doesn’t need to be, we’ll be getting classic Halo 2 multiplayer in its exact form in the MCC. However, seeing some of Halo 2’s maps with the gorgeous graphics brought to us by 343 is a real treat. Of course, it was made even better seeing it in 1080p at 60 frames per second.
Thankfully, the maps are more than just eye candy. Every level we’ve seen in the Halo 2 Anniversary’s multiplayer has a few slight changes. The two matches I played at PAX were Team Slayer on Lockout and in them, noticeable additions included being able to break the window on top mid, a new piece of cover on elbow and shooting down massive chunks of ice that land on BR3. These breathe new life into the old maps in ways that past remakes haven’t. They don’t destroy old tactics people used; instead, it makes them more interesting.
I didn’t get a chance to try out every gun located on the map but every one I did use was satisfying. With this and Halo 4, 343 Industries isn’t lucky, they flat out have some of the best audio designers out there. Every weapon sound is distinctive and informative like they were in Bungie’s Halo games, but they also sound seriously powerful.
Of course, I only have two matches worth of experience but so far, there don’t seem to be any balancing issues to speak of. Firearms that didn’t appear in Halo 2 but are included in Anniversary’s multiplayer like the Assault Rifle fit in very well. Dual wielding is as fun as ever and the mix of weapons, grenades and melee that makes Halo special is anything but compromised. Take it for what it’s worth but even with only a couple matches in it’s easy to see that Microsoft and 343 Industries have something special here. If not for new fans looking to experience something they might have missed out on or as a remarkable piece of fan service it’s obvious that Halo 2 Anniversary will be worth playing. After completing my first Team Slayer game with a group of friends, all I wanted to do was play more. That’s exactly what any playable demo at any convention should do in my book.
And for those wondering, yes, the new map is much better than Blackout.
