Halo 2 reviews.

[Shannow]

In comparison I wonder how many units HalfLife 2 will sell on its first day?

# HL2 units sold > 0 & < Halo 2

Shocker.

Duh. I realise this it just maybe an interesting comparison to make between the top console release and PC release of the year. Maybe its an unfortunate comparison but Im sure those that love to predict the end of PC gaming will highlight it.

[schild]

The question remains - will they count the sales through Steam? I doubt it.

Edit: Also, the free ones that came with ATI Video cards.

[Shannow]

Thats a good question, Im sure vivendi won't want to release the Steam numbers. Valve probably will though.

[Soukyan]

Wake me when the reviewers of Halo 2 stop slinging around perfect 10s like they are going out of style. And if this game is the second coming, orgasm inducing, transcendental experience that everyone is reviewing it to be, let me sleep and remain ignorant.

[MrHat]

I have an issue with this game.

The gun models take up to much of screen.  I attribute this to not being high enough resolution (running CS at 800x600 vs. 1024x960).

Anyone else notice this?  I'm starting to use the pistol more and more just so I can see what's going on.

[stray]

Hmm...After playing a little, all I can say so far is that it wasn't really worth my money. Maybe I'm too enamored with GTA atm, but I'm not really seeing it. It's a great FPS and all (albeit with shitty controls), but that's it. I would have been better off waiting on HL2 (and I am) -- Better platform, more features. I guess if the Xbox was all I had I'd be pretty happy though.

[ahoythematey]

Wow. Way to be condescending to people who like a game you don't.

I'll take misinterpretation for $300, Alex.

I do not look down on those that enjoy Halo, seeing as I'm certain that playing Halo2 multiplayer would be something I myself would enjoy.  Once again, my point is that I don't feel the game is some kind of second coming of Robot Jesus, and instead think of it as a decent FPS that can compete with many of the others for a person's playtime.

[Mesozoic]

I do not look down on those that enjoy Halo, seeing as I'm certain that playing Halo2 multiplayer would be something I myself would enjoy.  Once again, my point is that I don't feel the game is some kind of second coming of Robot Jesus, and instead think of it as a decent FPS that can compete with many of the others for a person's playtime.

Huhwhat?

The hardcore Halo people strike me as those who never played multiplayer FPS prior to Halo, hence their overzealous adulation.

I stand behind my opinion that a lot of Halo 1's hardcore devotees seem to be people that haven't really followed a multiplayer FPS prior to it.

Which of those, exactly, is the one that wasn't condescending?

[AcidCat]

So far the game is underwhelming. I think my problem is that after I played the original Halo, which I loved, I got a PC and got into PC FPS games. Having just finished the single player portion of the Call of Duty expansion last week, Halo by comparison just feels kinda tame and simplistic. It's still fun, but it just doesn't have that "oh god this is GREAT" feel I had playing the original.

[Shannow]

Call of Duty....*gag*

[stray]

Call of Duty....*gag*

Call of Duty isn't one of the best PC FPS's, but it isn't that far below Halo 2 imo. Halo 2 is better in more ways than one, but the action and pacing, at least so far, actually reminds me of Call of Duty a bit. Stand it up to other PC FPS games though, and at best, it's only equal to them (excluding graphics).

[Riggswolfe]

for some reason Halo 2 is making me want to go back and finish Far Cry.

[AcidCat]

Call of Duty....*gag*

Kids these days ... they have no taste. :P

[MrHat]

2 notes:

1.  Apparently "Save and you will begin from your last checkpoint." Turned into "Save and you will begin from the beginning of the level." when I shut off my xbox.

2.  I love the way the ghosts fly.  I couldn't drive that warthog for a shit, but that ghost is smooth sailing.

[WonderBrick]

In comparison I wonder how many units HalfLife 2 will sell on its first day?

# HL2 units sold > 0 & < Halo 2

Shocker.

Duh. I realise this it just maybe an interesting comparison to make between the top console release and PC release of the year. Maybe its an unfortunate comparison but Im sure those that love to predict the end of PC gaming will highlight it.

I'm willing to bet that Half-Life 2 sells more units combined, being designed and released on the PC first, and then brought to the XBox.

[ahoythematey]

I do not look down on those that enjoy Halo, seeing as I'm certain that playing Halo2 multiplayer would be something I myself would enjoy.  Once again, my point is that I don't feel the game is some kind of second coming of Robot Jesus, and instead think of it as a decent FPS that can compete with many of the others for a person's playtime.

Huhwhat?

The hardcore Halo people strike me as those who never played multiplayer FPS prior to Halo, hence their overzealous adulation.

I stand behind my opinion that a lot of Halo 1's hardcore devotees seem to be people that haven't really followed a multiplayer FPS prior to it.

Which of those, exactly, is the one that wasn't condescending?

Perhaps overzealous is an unfair word, so I apologize if I have somehow offended your delicate sensibilities.  Congratulations, you get a gold star for pointing out my bad choice in words!  Slap that shit on the fridge so your parents can see when they get home from work.

I cannot believe I am still trying to defend myself on this matter, which is probably a sign of a serious character flaw, but here goes: You can love Halo1 like it's digital sex, and I think that is super.  In fact, I wish I could feel that way about the game, because I haven't felt that way about a FPS in a long-fucking-time.  However, I have chatted with many people who were introduced to the multiplayer-centric FPS "genre" through Halo, probably because this is the post-PSX generation of games and everything about them is now hip and popular.  Furthermore, I have overheard a lot of people during my frequent visits to gamestores and other nerdish-geekesque establishments that generally speak along the lines of "Timesplitters2, what the fuck?  That game is dogshit, play Halo man." or "Halo is the greatest game ever, fuck faggot mario and his gay sunshine."  I wish it were hyperbole, but unfortunately that is not the case.

Piece this together with my opinion of Halo1, based on the amount of time I played solo and multiplayer, and my conclusion remains thus: the game has fun multiplayer, but so do dozens of other FPS games out there, most of which I played on and off at some time or another.  While your experience may have been "LEETGAMEILOVEBUNGIE!!!!11", mine was not.

If you still think there is deliberate condescension on my part, Mesozoic, then that's your own fucking problem.  Have fun playing Halo2, which I'm guessing is a truly spectacular deathmatch game(since Bungie didn't have a hardware deadline this time around).  I myself am hoping a generous family member will impart me with it these coming holidays.

[Riggswolfe]

If you still think there is deliberate condescension on my part, Mesozoic, then that's your own fucking problem.  Have fun playing Halo2, which I'm guessing is a truly spectacular deathmatch game(since Bungie didn't have a hardware deadline this time around).  I myself am hoping a generous family member will impart me with it these coming holidays.

Mesozoic is not the only one who believes you were condescending, not once, but twice. Your ability to sidestep it is about equal to SirBruce's. Congrats.

[ahoythematey]

Have I said there is anything wrong with Halo being one of your first FPS experiences?  I guess this is a place where somebody will be ostricized for, God forbid, not loving the first Halo.  While I had nothing against Halo fans, but merely against stupid and ignorant Halo fans (and every game has it's share really), you sure as hell are making me feel that I am in fact better than you.

[stray]

Who gives a shit if he's condescending. Whether you're fanbois or not this is no place to bitch about being offended.

[Mesozoic]

The condescending attitude was just a sideshow to the vitriol for a game he hasn't played and the people he hasn't met.

[Riggswolfe]

Have I said there is anything wrong with Halo being one of your first FPS experiences? .

It is assuming that only people that have not played FPS will love Halo that is the condescending part. I shouldn't have to spell it out for you.

[Shannow]

Call of Duty....*gag*

Call of Duty isn't one of the best PC FPS's, but it isn't that far below Halo 2 imo. Halo 2 is better in more ways than one, but the action and pacing, at least so far, actually reminds me of Call of Duty a bit. Stand it up to other PC FPS games though, and at best, it's only equal to them (excluding graphics).

If its anything like CoD you would have to pay me to play it. That game was horrible. One of the funnier things was the blurb that went like 'You never fight alone' ..except all your teammates were 1. Completely uncontrollabe and would either die straight away or be completely invunrable depending on what the scripting called for.

The vast bulk of the missions were standard FPS fare...Run through the linear tunnels/path , kill all the bad guys and come back and kill some more..*snore*.

The few missions that weren't like this (aka Pegasus bridge) were so horribly overscripted (I mean christ they even had the old 'music you play when all the good guys are dieing in slomo' down pat) that it took any fun of losing yourself in the moment out of it.

The game felt like a chore to me, I've had much more immersive expierences playing ww2ol and the graphics are the suq compared to Call of Duty.

But it sold really well and won all sorts of Game of the Year awards...whee.

[Ganon]

Best multiplayer console FPS ever:  Goldeneye 007 for the N64.  I can still see those maps like the back of my hand.  Golden Gun, Facility, two people trying to hold the bathroom against the other two...proximity mines, basement, rigging the whole place to explode in one chain reaction...greatest multi and single player console FPS I ever played.

[WonderBrick]

Best multiplayer console FPS ever:  Goldeneye 007 for the N64.  I can still see those maps like the back of my hand.  Golden Gun, Facility, two people trying to hold the bathroom against the other two...proximity mines, basement, rigging the whole place to explode in one chain reaction...greatest multi and single player console FPS I ever played.

I agree.  Spawn the golden gun in the bathroom, and have a free-for-all trying to get to it.  Usually everyone outside the bathroom would work together to get into the bathroom, against the one defender.  Once the defender was dead, it was then mad free-for-all chaos again, scrambling for the golden gun and room control.

[AcidCat]

Ah, yes, Goldeneye ... those were good times. I played that game in a different age too, when my social circle wasn't married with kids and actually had time to get together and play games ... what a concept.

[Der Helm]

..., two people trying to hold the bathroom against the other two...

...Usually everyone outside the bathroom would work together to get into the bathroom, against the one defender...

Somehow this made me smile

[Neph]

Well, I got through a 8 player game last night. Two projectors, 2 xboxs, 8 people, 5 pizzas and tons of beers. While it was fun playing with friends and we had some good moments (one stands out : throw a grenade at the back of a warthog with 3 guys in it, warthog does a cartwheel with them still in it), it didn't really impress me. So we can dual wield guns now and there is some new weapons to choose. Big deal.

I wasn't a fan of Halo (for PC) and I highly doubt the sequel's single player will grab me.

[Ardent]

Sorry, my inner cynic refuses to come out of hibernation for this one.

I am having a great time with the single player campaign. The combat is varied, fast and strategic, the environments are beautiful, and  is a great idea.

A buddy of mine and myself playing through Halo cooperatively and had a blast. I can easily see this being even better.

[MrHat]

I don't understand how a game can have all these multiplayer options over the internet and not have an option to play Coop w/ a buddy via XBL.

All I want is to be able to enjoy some coop entertainment w/ my buddy who lives 30 mins away, without getting dressed for the cold and driving out there.  Let me stay stinky and in my blankets for God's sake.

They've had that option for computer games for years (Serious Sam comes to mind), and aren't these games designed on the same god damn platform?  The hardest thing I could think of (since they already have coop, and they already have net protocol) would be figuring out who's box to save/run it off of.

Just doesn't make sense to me.

Dev's -- If you are designing an XBox game that has coop and some form of XBL, please let use play Coop over XBL, please? Do it for the lazy ones.

[WonderBrick]

I agree.  If they want more XBox Live subscriptions(and I'm sure they do), then XBox Live co-op sounds like a future must.

[Jacob0883]

How many levels are there on the campaign.  I am only on the fourth one and I have put some time into it.  These levels are huge.

[Riggswolfe]

I think it is around 15 or so. I'm 9 levels in. I'm only playing it Coop for now to save all the "oh cool" moments for when I play with friends.