- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Posted by: a Grunt
Once you left earth, Halo 2's campaign was one long linear corridor crawl. With the exception of the Library, there was always different paths to reach the objectives in Halo 1. Hmmm, looks like the only level designer from Halo 1 that worked on Halo 2's SP was the guy that designed the Library. Gee. There's an interesting coincidence.
This linearness is compounded by the fact that the weapon set in Halo 2 lacks the differences that Halo 1 had. For example the Plasma Rifle doesn't stun anymore, and takes longer to overheat. This pretty much makes it an SMG with flashing lights. The Plasma Pistol now has no reason to exist except for the overcharge. The Carbine is an ugly BR.
Dual wielding and the Jackal Snipers means that every encounter is one of two things; spraying or sniping. Either that, or it's a boss battle. Not having boss battles was one of the fundamental things that Halo used to stand for, oh how the mighty have fallen indeed.
I got bored with the Halo 2 campaign in less than a month. I'm still playing and enjoying the Halo 1 campaign.
A Grunt
I completely agree. The weapon effectiveness completely altered the feel of the campaign. There's also something different about Halo 2's AI. All enemies will just stand and shoot instead of strafing and shooting like they did in Halo:CE, which made it harder to aim at them. The only time they will move is when you shoot them. Their stamina also grows when you increase the difficulty and yours decreases, which isn't very fun at all. Even the Flood, enemies that were SO ANNOYING have been watered down to the point of where they have no personality. In Halo:CE, you often died because you were outnumbered and the AI used their brains. In Halo 2, you die because the AI is stronger than you. Big difference.