The Number 6 Top 10 MegaGame of 2004, may surprise most of you since the recent hype surrounding it may have made it a very strong Top 3 candidate. Unfortunately for its creators and fans alike, the game, for reasons we will try and explore below, did not survive the onslaught of high-quality titles that were released in 2004 and could only manage, an otherwise very respectable, Number 6 ranking.
With over 6.3 million in sales already under its belt and with over 69 million hours of online play already enjoyed by over one million gamers, Halo 2 has already guaranteed that its name will be long remembered by Xbox execs but it seems that the success the game has brought its publisher may have been its downfall as far as gamer preference is concerned. In other words Halo 2 may have been a victim of its platform and the recent abuse of the concept of exclusivity by console manufacturers.
When the original Halo was released as a launch title for Microsoft’s Xbox console, the world finally claimed that consoles had finally managed to crack the elusive FPS genre. Fluid, almost intuitive controls, excellent use of gameplay and camera angles made the game stand-out from any other console FPS offering. The impressive, for that time, visual effects and performance also helped. Since then however, a lot of time has passed and although Bungee has definitely not forgotten how to make a good game, the impact this time round may not have been that intense.
Having said all that in order to examine possible causes leading to Halo 2’s low placement in the Top 10 MegaGames of 2004, we have to admit that we really enjoyed trying out the game. Extremely fun and immersive to play, the game is really at its best when enjoyed through the use of the Xbox Live service.
The idea of a dual-weapon-wielding Master Chief could not disappoint while the concept of Red Vs Blue The Next Generation also sounds pretty sweet.
Strangely enough gamers who chose to cast a vote for Halo 2 rarely had it as their number one choice while they almost never voted for another Xbox-exclusive game, with many going for other popular FPS titles.
It seems that even those of you who voted for Bungee’s sequel, had some complaint to make, Halo 2-even though it contains a disappointing ending its still an amazing game that holds something that other game do not have, single player is fun and going on Live! is just amazing. Basically it has it all, gameplay, graphics, music and a great story to keep you in. Some voters tried to be even more specific by voting for only certain aspects of the game, …the multiplayer side of Halo 2 is every bit as entertaining as the first one, with new features such as weapons, vehicles and the new graphics and physics. And who would have thought that the Xbox could run this game so well, eh?
The trend continued with students making a stand, …completely ignoring the single player campaign, the multiplayer of the entire halo series is outstanding. This latest release is still the greatest game to play with buds on campus. Another user went so far as to say, …it proved that its worth buying a last generation console only to play one or two games. And the games I’m talking about are Halo and Halo 2!!! Of course XBox has many good games but the Halo series are the best!!! …Halo 2 has great visual and sound effects, great gameplay (and I would like to bring some attention to the following, “no one believed that a FPS would work in the consoles!!! And look at that!!! It works PERFECTLY!!!”) and a great multiplayer!!! Thanks for great campaign Single Player and the amazing network X-Box LIVE we can enjoy one of the best games ever made!
We will live you with one gamer’s cry for help I lost 4 nights of sleep when I got it.
Number 7