Editing Halo 2

{{Era|RW}}

{{Game Infobox

|image= [[File:Halo2-Cover-Large.jpg|250px]]

|developer= [[Bungie|Bungie Studios]]

|publisher= [[Microsoft Game Studios]]

|platform= [[Xbox]]<br>Xbox 360 (backwards compatible) <br>[[Personal computer|PC]] - [[Halo 2 Vista|Windows Vista Exclusive]]

|releasedate= '''US''': November 9, 2004<br>

'''UK''': November 11, 2004<br>'''JP''': November 11, 2004<br>

'''Vista''': May 8th, 2007

|modes= [[Campaign]], [[Multiplayer]]

|rating= [[Wikipedia:Entertainment Software Ratings Board|ESRB]]: Mature (M) for Blood and Gore, Language, Violence<br>

[[Wikipedia:Computer Entertainment Rating Organization|CERO]]: (C) Ages 15 & up<br>

[[Wikipedia:Pan European Game Information|PEGI]]: 16+ (Europe only)

{{quote|Earth will never be the same.|''Halo 2'' tagline}}

The game was also [[Halo 2 Vista|released for the PC]], and is one of the most successful and actively played video games for the original Xbox console, with 8.46 million copies sold as of November, 2008. Despite this, the game's online servers, along with all other original Xbox LIVE services, were discontinued on April 15, 2010.

''Halo 2'' does not pick up directly after the events of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', but rather, after the events depicted in the novel ''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', taking place in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' with the events explaining [[John-117|Master Chief]]'s return to [[Earth]] not featured in any game so far. The story dives deeper into the society of the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]], their goals, beliefs, and alliances, as well as continuing Master Chief's story to put an end to the Covenant threat on Earth as well as [[Installation 05|another Halo]]. ''Halo 2'' also introduces the [[Jiralhanae|Brutes]], who were first mentioned in ''First Strike''. They are shown as large, hairy, ape-like beasts; although they do not don [[Energy shielding|energy shields]] like the Elites, their immense bulk and strength allows them to absorb a large amount of damage before dying.

The game follows a linear series of episodes that differ from ''Halo: Combat Evolved''. The player will play as both the Master Chief and a troubled Covenant Elite known as "[[Thel 'Vadam|the Arbiter]]".

{{Spoiler}}

[[File:CouncilsScorn01.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Thel 'Vadam before receiving the Mark of Shame and becoming the Arbiter.]]

The game begins on [[High Charity]], the mobile capital city of the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]]. The former [[Supreme Commander]] of the [[Fleet of Particular Justice]], [[Sangheili Zealot|Commander]] [[Thel 'Vadam|Thel 'Vadamee]], is being tried before the [[High Council]] for his failure to protect [[Installation 04|Halo]]. Despite his insistence that the [[The Flood|Flood]] hampered his abilities, the [[Hierarchs]] who lead the council, the High [[San 'Shyuum|Prophets]] of [[Prophet of Truth|Truth]], [[Prophet of Mercy|Mercy]], and [[Prophet of Regret|Regret]], deem him guilty of failing to protect the Sacred Ring. 'Vadamee is then stripped of his rank and branded with the [[Mark of Shame]] by [[Tartarus]], the [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae|Chieftain of the Brutes]].  

The story then turns to Earth's [[Orbital defense platform|Orbital Defense Platform]] [[Cairo Station]], where [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]] receives the new [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI|MJOLNIR Mark VI]] armor from the [[Master Gunnery Sergeant (Armory)|Master Gunnery Sergeant]]. [[Avery Junior Johnson]], who recently got promoted to [[Sergeant Major]], arrives to take the Master Chief to an awards ceremony overseen by [[Fleet Admiral]] [[Terrence Hood]] for the dual purposes of awarding meritorious acts and boosting the morale of the surviving human population and noted as a war hero (John-117 has already received all medals except for the "Prisoner of War" medal). The festivities are soon interrupted by [[Cortana]] reporting "15 Covenant Capital Ships holding position just outside the kill zone," signaling the start to the Covenant Siege of Earth. UNSC Marine forces along with John-117 protect the station from the invading [[Covenant Navy|Covenant Naval infantry]] but other stations were destroyed by the Covenant. After sending the bomb that the Covenant had placed on the station back into space (destroying several ships) he landed on the hull of the UNSC frigate, In Amber Clad. The frigate heads to the city of [[New Mombasa]] to fight off the [[Covenant Army]], led by the High Prophet of Regret. After the Covenant invasion force is halted by the UNSC defenses, the Prophet of Regret flees Earth with [[Miranda Keyes]], [[Jacob Keyes|Captain Keyes]]' daughter, and her detachment in pursuit on the ''[[UNSC In Amber Clad|In Amber Clad]].'' The hasty in-atmosphere jump devastates the city of New Mombasa; destroying the [[Space elevator|Space Elevator]] and scattering its wreckage for miles around.

The story returns to the disgraced [[Sangheili|Elite]] Commander, Thel 'Vadamee, who is given a chance for redemption by the High Prophets of Truth and Mercy by taking up the mantle of [[Arbiter]] and the imminent mortality it entails. The new Arbiter becomes the will of the Prophets, seeking redemption by completing the impossible task assigned to him. Thel 'Vadamee is tasked with the assassination of a [[Sesa 'Refumee|Heretic Leader]], who is disillusioned with the Covenant following the events of Installation 04 up to its destruction. Thel 'Vadamee tracks the Heretic Leader throughout the gas mine (battling the Heretics and the Flood) where the [[Heretics]] sought refuge. When Thel 'Vadamee is finally able to face the Heretic Leader, 'Refumee asserts his belief that the Prophets have lied about the [[Covenant religion|Great Journey]]. Punctuating this with the entry of [[343 Guilty Spark]], whom both Elites consider to be an Oracle of the [[Forerunner]]s, the ancient race the Covenant hold as gods. Before Thel 'Vadamee could learn more of the claims, the battle resumes, and the Heretic Leader is killed before any meaningful discourse takes place. Tartarus appears to extract Thel 'Vadamee and Guilty Spark, further preventing him from learning any further information from Spark. He leaves, not knowing what caused the Heretics to betray their sacred oaths to the Covenant.  

Turning back to SPARTAN-117's story, Miranda Keyes ship exits slipspace with the Prophet of Regret unaware that he had been followed. To the surprise of the pursuers, they discover that Regret led them to another [[Installation 05|Halo Ring]]. Keyes sends ODSTs to capture the Prophet of Regret while ''In Amber Clad'' is repaired; John-117 is dropped onto the surface of Installation 05 with ODSTs to remove Regret. In the course of pursuing Regret, John-117 discovers, with the aid of Cortana, that the Prophet intends to personally activate Halo, in the belief that it will propel true believers on the [[Covenant religion|Great Journey]]. In order to buy time to acquire the [[Activation Index]] before the Covenant can, Keyes orders John-117 to kill the Prophet of Regret, a mission he successfully achieves. But before being able to make his escape, High Charity and its [[High Charity Defense Fleet|escort]] arrive and attempted to kill John-117 by glassing the area. He survives by jumping into the lake surrounding the structure in which he encountered Regret. Incapacitated from the shock of the Covenant bombardment, John-117 is last seen being dragged into the depths of the lake by tentacles belonging to a sentient creature.

The story now shifts back to Thel 'Vadamee on the [[High Charity]], in orbit around the ring. The Hierarchs had declared Regret's death to be the [[Sangheili|Elites']] failure, and they were removed as the [[Honor Guard of the Covenant|protectors of the Prophets]], who bestow the role to the [[Jiralhanae|Brutes]], causing more tension between the Brutes and Elites who are already at odds with each other. With the new ring discovered, Truth and Mercy inquire Guilty Spark on how to activate it, and dispatch Thel 'Vadamee to recover the [[Activation Index|Sacred Icon]] which will light the ring. Making his way through the [[Quarantine Zone]] facing scores of [[The Flood|Flood]] and [[Sentinel]]s on the surface of Installation 05 seeking the Activation Index, Thel 'Vadamee makes his way into the [[Library]] and captures the Index along with Keyes and Johnson after they recovered it from its protective housing. Before he can take possession of the Index, Tartarus again intervenes in Thel 'Vadamee's task. After taking the Index into his own personal possession, Tartarus then reveals that the Hierarchs intended for his death to oust the Elites. His treachery revealed, Tartarus knocks Thel 'Vadamee unconscious down a shaft in the Index chamber to the abyss below.

Beneath the Library, John-117 finds himself in the clutches of the [[Gravemind]], the creature that acts as the sentient intelligence of the Flood. Although Thel 'Vadamee had fallen from a great height, he is saved from plunging to his death by the Gravemind's tentacles. It is within the Gravemind's chamber where Thel 'Vadamee and John-117 meet. In addition, the Prophet of Regret is infected and assimilated into its mass. Also introduced is [[2401 Penitent Tangent]], Monitor of Installation 05. Both characters act as exposition to Thel 'Vadamee, as Regret remains steadfast to his faith, and the Monitor is fully aware of its status as a weapon. Thel 'Vadamee is further led to question his faith by both John-117 and the Gravemind itself, as they both try to convince the Elite that the Covenant's belief on the Halos is a lie, revealing that the Halos destroy life, not save it. This information, as well the information of the imminent genocide of the Elites lead Thel 'Vadamee reluctantly joining John-117 in the mission to stop the ring from being activated. The Gravemind sends both John-117 and Thel 'Vadamee to different locations to help stop the Index from reaching its destination. John-117 was sent to High Charity to retrieve the Index while Thel 'Vadamee was sent to the area where the Control Room of Installation 05 to halt the Covenant from activating the rings.

John-117 then enters the middle of a broadcast by the Prophet of Truth. After escaping assassination, Truth and Mercy flee to the [[Forerunner Dreadnought|Dreadnought]], and formally transfers command of the Covenant Military to the Brutes. John-117 chases him, killing many Covenant troops on the way, witnessing the [[Great Schism|conflict between the Elites and Brutes]]. John-117 also saves a group of Marines along the way. Meanwhile, the Flood, under the control of the Gravemind crash into [[High Charity]] using the ''[[UNSC In Amber Clad|In Amber Clad]]''. When John nearly meets Truth, he finds Mercy being infected by the Flood; the Prophet tells the Spartan that Truth is going to Earth to "finish what [[Hierarchs|we]] started." In his efforts to reach the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]], he has to fight his way through the Flood and the Covenant. After boarding the Dreadnought through an energy conduit , he leaves Cortana behind, but promises that he will come back for her.  

[[File:D-Halo.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Installation 05 sending a pulse to signal the rest of the Halo Array to be put on standby for a remote activation from the Ark.]]

Meanwhile, Thel 'Vadamee is teleported to near Halo's control room. There, he finds many dead Elites, which were, no doubt, killed by the Brutes. With the help of a few deployed Elites, and sympathetic [[Unggoy|Grunts]] and [[Mgalekgolo|Hunters]], he fights his way to meet [[Rtas 'Vadum|Rtas 'Vadumee]], who is surprised to hear that the Brutes murdered the [[Sangheili Councilor|Councilor]]s. Seeing Tartarus land on Halo's control room, the Elites fight their way to a [[Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform|Scarab]], where Sergeant Johnson is held. Johnson takes control of the Scarab and forcefully initiates an uneasy alliance between the humans and the Elites. With the combined efforts of Johnson and 'Vadamee, the Scarab breaches the Control Room doors by using the main energy cannon on the Scarab, and 'Vadamee enters the Control Room to confront Tartarus. In the Control Room, he hears the truth of the Halos directly from [[343 Guilty Spark]]. Still blinded by faith, Tartarus forced Miranda Keyes to activate Halo. Many [[Sangheili Zealot|Zealots]] and Councilors aid 'Vadamee in his final fight against Tartarus, and eventually after a long and tough fight managed to kill him. Once Tartarus is defeated, Miranda grabs the Index just in time to stop Halo from firing. However, 343 Guilty Spark says that this has activated a fail safe protocol, causing the Installation to send a signal to the rest of the [[Halo Array]], putting them on standby for remote activation from [[Installation 00|the Ark]].

In a scene after the credits, it appears that ''High Charity'' has been completely taken over by the Flood, as thousands of Flood spores are visible throughout the air, floating along the view. The Gravemind speaks of satisfaction of being free of his "empty grave," and suddenly Cortana appears as a hologram on a pedestal in the room. The Gravemind then states that there are questions that linger in his mind, which Cortana must answer. Cortana replies, "Alright...shoot." The screen then turns black before any question is heard.

== Gameplay ==

One of the biggest alterations to gameplay in ''Halo 2'' is perhaps the ability to [[dual wielding|dual wield]] weapons; this tactic allows for twice the firepower at the expense of being unable to throw grenades or [[melee]] without dropping the left weapon. In terms of vehicles, all vehicles from the first game remain except the M12A1 Warthog LAAV (rocket warthog) from the PC version and the [[Type-28 Troop Carrier|Spirit]] dropship. Also, a few new vehicles are introduced. In ''Halo 2'', however, the previously indestructible vehicles can now be destroyed and the player is able to "[[Boarding (gameplay mechanic)|board]]" an enemy vehicle by climbing on and knocking the driver out, as well as planting [[grenade]]s to further damage the vehicle. The same can be done by an enemy to the player when driving.

When playing as the Arbiter, the player's flashlight is replaced with a rechargeable [[Active camouflage|Active Camouflage]] that lasts for ten seconds, giving the player a preemptive advantage on unsuspecting enemies.

The player can have a variety of allies; if they are playing as the Master Chief, they will be assisted by [[UNSC Marine Corps|UNSC Marines]], and occasionally [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper|ODSTs]]. However, the Arbiter is joined by [[Unggoy|Grunts]], [[Kig-yar|Jackals]], [[Mgalekgolo|Hunters]], and other [[Sangheili|Elites]], allowing for deeper insight into Covenant culture.

#'''[[The Heretic]]''' - ''For failure such as this, no punishment is too great.'' (cutscene; unplayable)

#'''[[Cairo Station (level)|Cairo Station]]''' - ''Defend the station's MAC gun from Covenant boarders.''

#'''[[The Great Journey]]''' - ''Form an unexpected alliance, keep Tartarus  from activating the ring.''

=== Multiplayer ===

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==== Default ====

*[[Ascension (level)|Ascension]]

*[[Colossus]]

==== Bonus Map Pack ====

====Killtacular Pack====

====Maptacular Pack====

*[[Relic (level)|Relic]]

*[[Terminal (level)|Terminal]]

====Blastacular Pack====

== Features ==

=== Characters ===

'''[[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]]'''

*[[Sergeant Major]] [[Avery Junior Johnson|Avery J. Johnson]]

*[[Master Gunnery Sergeant (Armory)|''Cairo Station'' Armorer]] {{1st}}

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'''[[Covenant Empire|Covenant]]'''

*[[Special Operations Commander of the Covenant|Commander]] [[Rtas 'Vadum|Rtas 'Vadumee]] {{1st}}

*[[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae|Chieftain]] [[Tartarus]]

*[[Prophet of Mercy|High Prophet of Mercy]] {{1st}}

 

'''The [[Heretics]]'''

*[[Heretic|Heretic Leader]] [[Sesa 'Refumee]] {{1st}}

 

'''[[Forerunner]] Constructs'''

 

'''[[The Flood|Flood]]'''

 

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*[[M90 Close Assault Weapon System#Halo_3_and_Halo_3.3A_ODST|M90A Close Assault Weapon System]]

 

*[[Type-27 Anti-Infantry Stationary Gun|Type-27 "Shade" Anti-Infantry Stationary Gun]]

 

 

**[[Cairo Station|ODA-142 ''Cairo'']] {{1st}}

**[[Malta Station|ODA-143 ''Malta'']] {{1st}}

**[[Athens Station|ODA-144 ''Athens'']] {{1st}}

 

 

*[[CAS-class assault carrier|''CAS''-class assault carrier]]

*[[CCS-class battlecruiser|''CCS''-class battlecruiser]]

*''[[High Charity]]'' {{1st}}

*[[Type-31 Exoatmospheric Multirole Fighter|Type-31 "''Seraph''" Exoatmospheric Multirole Fighter]]

*[[Type-29 Troop/Vehicle Transport|Type-29 ''"Shadow"'' Troop/Vehicle Transport]] {{1st}}

*[[Covenant drop pod]]

 

=== Audio ===

A total of 21,090 lines of dialogue was recorded.<ref>[http://nikon.bungie.org/news.html?item=20971 Halo Dialogue Statistics, from the source] - HBO, November 12, 2007</ref>

{{Expand-section}}

== Matchmaking ==

[[File:1206873175 All action.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Multiplayer action in Halo 2 on Tombstone: An ongoing Free-For-All battle.]]

Unlike its predecessor, ''Halo 2'' allowed players to compete with each other over the [[Xbox LIVE|Xbox Live]] online service, in addition to the originals support for split-screen and System Link multiplayer. ''Halo 2's'' Xbox Live mode offered a unique approach to online gaming that is intended to alleviate some of the problems that have plagued online first-person shooters in the past. Traditionally, one player sets his or her computer or console up as a game server (or host), specifying the game type and map and configuring other settings. The game software then used a service like Xbox Live or GameSpy to advertise the game to the world at large; other players choose which game to join based upon criteria such as the map and game options each host is offering as well as the [[wikipedia:ping|ping]] times they are able to receive.

In ''Halo 2'', Xbox Live players do not choose to host games, and they do not get to specify individual maps and options to search for. Instead, players sign up for "playlists" that are geared to different ''styles'' of play. For example, the "Rumble Pit" playlist offers a variety of "free-for-all" game types, primarily Slayer or variations there of; "Team Skirmish" offers a number of 4-on-4 team games, which are primarily objective-based games like Capture the Flag; "Big Team Battle Skirmish" is similar to Team Skirmish but allows teams of up to 8 players. Other playlists allow various things such as matches between different [[clans]]. The Xbox Live servers create games automatically from the pool of players that have signed up for each playlist, choosing a game type and map automatically and selecting one player to serve as the game's host. Players can create small "parties" with their friends and enter games together as teammates or, in Rumble Pit, adversaries. They can also play custom gametypes like regular multiplayer. Unranked gametypes allow people on the same Xbox console without an Xbox Live account to play with them as "guests". If the Xbox console hosting the game drops out, the Xbox Live service automatically selects a new host from among the remaining players so the game can continue.

Since launching in November 2004, the service has been very popular with gamers. While some players resent the loss of individual control inherent in ''Halo 2''<nowiki />'s approach to online gaming, others feel it provides a significantly improved gaming experience compared to more traditional online first-person shooters. Bungie's servers match players up by skill level, which tends to eliminate the kind of severely imbalanced games that less-skilled players often consider unfair and not enjoyable. The automatic host selection process also eliminates the ability of the host to exert outsize control over the parameters of the game.

''Halo 2'' players with [[wikipedia:Microsoft Passport|Microsoft Passport]] accounts can log on to [http://www.bungie.net bungie.net] and obtain highly detailed statistics on their performance, including level maps for several hundred of the player's most recent games that indicate graphically where and when the player scored a kill or was killed him or herself.

On April 15, 2010, the ''Halo 2'' multiplayer services, along with all other original Xbox LIVE services, were discontinued. However, some of ''Halo 2'''s fans left their Xbox's running after April 15. Xbox LIVE did not boot the approximately 500 people who had signed into Xbox LIVE before the discontinuation of service on April 15. These players continued playing online amongst one another but no new players could sign on. On April 30, 2010 only 12 fans who had managed to keep their Xbox and Xbox LIVE connections stable remained logged into ''Halo 2'' on Xbox Live. Nicknamed the "Noble 12", they continued to play games among themselves. In response, Stephen Toulouse, director of policy and enforcement for Xbox Live, tweeted "To those noble folk keeping halo2 alive: we see you, and we salute you,". These hardcore fans were awarded ''[[Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta|Halo: Reach Beta]]'' keys because of their attempts to keep ''Halo 2'' alive. Over the next 9 days, 10 of the 12 gamers would experience either Xbox malfunctions or Internet malfunctions. Some were reported as logging off voluntarily to play the ''Halo: Reach Beta'' they received. Only two people remained online in ''Halo 2''. On May 10, 2010, "Agent Windex" was quoted as saying "I just got kicked off guys. Good Job Apache, you're the last one". Later that day, "Apache N4SIR", the very last person on ''Halo 2'', was booted from Xbox LIVE. This marked the end of ''Halo 2'' on Xbox LIVE and the end of the originial Xbox LIVE.

==''Halo 2'': Original Soundtrack==

{{Main|Halo 2: Original Soundtrack}}

There are two volumes of the ''Halo 2'' soundtrack, one released alongside the game, and the other released in Early 2006. You can usually find them at any retail store that sells music or games, or Ebay.

During the summer of 2004, the website [http://www.ilovebees.com ilovebees.com] was used as a publicity site for ''Halo 2'', with the site being pointed to by adverts for the game during movie trailers. Ostensibly a beekeeper's personal site, the server appeared to have been taken over by an unstable A.I. whose thoughts were scattered on the site. This [[alternate reality game]] acted as a prologue to the story of ''Halo 2''.

 

In 2002, Bungie released the first glimpse of ''Halo 2'' in a pre-rendered CG trailer. The trailer featured the [[John-117|Master Chief]] in his new [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI|MJOLNIR Mark VI]] armor preparing for battle in a space station. [[Cortana]] is also heard and has dialogue with the Chief. It also featured Earth and {{Class|CCS|Battlecruiser}}s in orbit. The UNSC seem to be losing in the battle. The events of this trailer were featured in the final version of ''Halo 2''. Some of the events and dialogue of this trailer was changed to fit the finished storyline of the game. Most of this now appears in the ''Halo 2'' level [[Cairo Station]].

=== Promotions ===

==== E3 2003 ====

{{Main|Halo 2 E3 Demo}}

In 2003 at E3, Bungie released footage of a playable in-game demo of the ''Halo 2'' campaign. The demo featured the battle on [[Earth]] in the city of [[New Mombasa]]. [[John-117|Master Chief]], [[Cortana]], [[Avery Junior Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]], [[Perez (Marine)|Corporal Perez]], [[Easley|Major Easley]], and [[Banks|Sergeant Banks]] were all seen/heard in the demo. The demo showed off new features like Dual-Wielding (the [[John-117|Master Chief]] could actually keep both his dual-wielded weapons when he switched to his secondary sidearm; this was changed for the final product), Vehicle Damage, and Boarding. Three new vehicles shown were the [[M12G1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle|Gauss Warthog]], [[Shadow]], and the Covenant [[Type-52 Troop Carrier|Phantom]], which at the time had only one plasma turret on its underside instead of three.  

Returning vehicles featured the [[Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle|Ghost]], [[Pelican]], [[Covenant cruiser|Covenant Cruiser]], and [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword]] Fighters. New weapons the [[BR55 Battle Rifle|Battle Rifle]], [[M7/Caseless Submachine Gun|SMG]], and [[Type-25 Grenade Launcher|Brute Shot]] were also shown, although the final Brute Shot design for ''Halo 2'' was vastly different than what was shown in this trailer. New enemies such as the Brutes were shown in this demo, but as a secondary warrior race by the side of the Elites. The events of this demo were featured in the final version of ''Halo 2''. Some of the events and dialog of this demo was changed to fit the finished storyline of the game, such as the AA Gun becoming a [[Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform|Scarab]]. Most of this now appears in the ''Halo 2'' level; [[Metropolis]].

==== E3 2004 ====

In 2004 at E3, Bungie released footage of a playable in game demo of the ''Halo 2'' multiplayer. The demo featured the multiplayer map [[Zanzibar]] and displayed playable character models the [[SPARTAN-II]] model and the [[Sangheili]] model. It also showed off some of the weaponry of the game and some special features. The [[BR55 Battle Rifle|Battle Rifle]], [[M7/Caseless Submachine Gun|SMG]], [[Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher|Needler]], [[M19 SSM Rocket Launcher|Rocket Launcher]], and [[Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword|Energy Sword]] were displayed. The Gauss Warthog and the Ghost also made an appearance. Some features included the lock-on feature of the Rocket Launcher, the Dual-Wielding ability, Explosive Barrels, Ghost's boosting, vehicle boarding, Warthogs horn and Gauss Cannon and Sword Lunging. Afterward, fans were allowed to try out the demo.

=== Release and reception ===

{{Halo 2 Versions}}

''Halo 2'' was very successful in sales. In company with PlayStation 2's hit of the year, ''[[Wikipedia:Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas|Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]'', it was the most sought-after video game among critics and gamers in 2004. Three weeks prior to launch, stores in the U.S. alone had pre-sold 1.5 million copies of the game to consumers. When it launched for the Xbox on the 9th of November, over 7000 video game, toy and electronics stores in the U.S. opened at midnight to welcome fanatical fans. Halo 2 instantly began to prosper. One national retailer sold 8,500 copies of the game in just 11 minutes, and another had sold 200,000 units by daybreak. One single store sold 500 ''Halo 2'' units in three hours, 350 of them being sold between midnight and 1 a.m.<ref>http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20041110-9999-1b10halo.html</ref> Early on the launch day, Microsoft expected ''Halo 2'' to generate more money in 24 hours on store shelves than any game had done before. Moore said “I'm calling a $100 million day on ''Halo'' today.” ''Halo 2'' went on to be the success that Microsoft was anticipating, selling approximately 2.4 million copies in North America in 24 hours, generating $125 million. The video game software retailer GameStop sold more than half a million ''Halo 2'' copies in one day. In Australia, where more than 42,000 gamers had pre-ordered the game prior to its release, ''Halo 2'' shattered retail sales records by selling more than 104,000 units in no more than one week after launch, generating nine million dollars and beating the previous record holder by 38,000 copies.<ref>http://www.xbox.com/en-AU/games/h/halo2/newsflash20041119.html</ref> In Canada, ''Halo 2'' succeeded in selling 222,000 units in its debut month, making it the biggest premiere month for any game up to ''Grand Theft Auto IV''. Before its release in New Zealand, more than 8000 units of ''Halo 2'' had been pre-sold.  

Three weeks after its release, ''Halo 2'' had sold over 5 million copies<ref>http://www.xbox.com/en-US/press/2004/1202-halo2.htm</ref>, making it the second-best selling Xbox game, with approximately 19% of all Xbox owners possessing a copy of ''Halo 2''. The game also had the most successful opening night of any game up until ''Halo 3'', and, later, ''Grand Theft Auto 4''. The game had a generally amazing reception, gaining a 9.7 out of 10 from OXM (10 out of 10 from its Australian counterpart), a 9.8 out of 10 from IGN, a 10 out of 10 from Game Informer, a 9 out of 10 from Play Magazine,  a 5 out of 5 from X-Play, and a 9.4 for Xbox from GameSpot. It gained more Game of The Year awards in 2004 than any other game that year. X-Play, in late 2006, included it as #3 in their top 4 greatest shooters of all time (#4 was ''Resistance'', #2 ''Half-Life 2'', and #1 was ''Gears of War''). In early 2007, it made #8 on their top 10 Games of All Time countdown. The game had an average meta-score of 95 out of 100, making it the 3rd most critically acclaimed Xbox game, right behind ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' and the ''Grand Theft Auto'' Triple Pack. The games multiplayer was held to be one of the best of all time, staying consistently number 1 the most played Xbox Live title from November of 2004 up until November of 2006, when ''Gears of War'' released.

* Originally, there were to be several kinds of [[M12 Force Application Vehicle|Warthog]]s including an Arctic model (which was included in the Halo 3 DLC multiplayer map Avalanche), a transport vehicle and a small ATV (known as the [[M274 Ultra-Light All-Terrain Vehicle|Mongoose]] in ''Halo 3'') would make an appearance. These were all cut from the final version of the game. However, in ''Halo: Custom Edition'', fans created the arctic and transport warthogs, as well as the civilian Warthog featured in the multi-player map Headlong. A rocket Warthog was included in ''Halo PC'' and the ATV and variations of the Warthog appear in ''Halo 3''.

* [[Jason Jones]] is known for establishing the quote: "''Halo 2'' is a lot like ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved|Halo 1]]'', only it's ''Halo 1'' on fire, going 130 miles per hour through a hospital zone, being chased by helicopters and ninjas. And, the ninjas are all on fire, too." This led to the famous line of inside jokes, patches and t-shirts, user names, and memes of flaming ninjas.<ref>[http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/halo-2/528851p1.html Gamespy's Halo 2: Everything We Know article]</ref>

* A song, known as "Remembrance" at the start up screen, (the unedited version found on the “''Halo 2'' Original Sound Track Volume 1") just happens to play for exactly 1:17 (John's serial number) or 77 seconds.

* ''Halo 2'' has been the only game in the series to have the most content either cut from the game entirely or redesigned completely as evidenced in many forms of media. In the ''Halo 3'' Essentials disc featuring the "Director's Commentary" of the cutscenes, three separate levels were discussed as having been proposed but ultimately scrapped due to time constraints: [[Covenant Ship]], [[Forerunner Tank]], and [[Forerunnership|Forerunner Keyship]]. In the "Making of ''Halo 2''" documentary there was concept art seen regarding a level location [[Installation 00|The Ark]], although the design was later placed into ''Halo 3''<nowiki />'s [[The Storm]] as the [[The Portal|Portal]]. The former could have been a part of pre-production for ''[[Halo 3]]''. Marty O'Donnell was also quoted in a [[Bungie Podcast]] (Episode 13, at 21:00) saying that all the actors had recorded the lines to the original ''Halo 2'' ending and that it still exists today, but he will never show it. The [[Flood Juggernaut]] was a character that was modeled and placed in the coding of the game but never had AI programmed or had been placed on any level, similar to the [[Huragok|Engineer]] in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''.

* In the final days prior to the deactivation of Halo 2's multiplayer, Bungie added new sayings to the ''Did You Know?'' section of the lobby including messages of thanks to ''Halo 2'' fans for staying supportive for the half decade that it was active and hints about ''[[Halo: Reach]]'''s gameplay. Many of these were worded in a humorous manner, though several were outright jokes.

* ''Halo 2'' has been played for about 100 million hours on Xbox since its release.

* Players who played this game with his or her current LIVE account before April 14th, 2010 will unlock the ''Halo 2'' [[Nameplates|Visual Flair]] in ''Halo: Reach''.<ref>[http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_082010 '''Bungie.net''': ''Express Yourself'']</ref>

* A group of Halo 2 players found that they were able to stay in the online multiplayer servers past the April 15th cutoff if they kept their consoles powered on, and they played in this way for 3 and half weeks until power failures and connection issues booted them off.<ref>Official Xbox Magazine's Official Guide to Halo, pages 24-25</ref><ref>[http://forums.bungie.org/halo/archive36.pl?read=1065222 Halo.Bungie.Org forum: "The shutdown of Halo 2"]</ref>

<references/>

== See also ==

*[[List of Halo 2: Did You Know? Quotes]]

*[[List of "seven" references in Halo|List of "Seven" references in ''Halo'']]

*[http://www.bungie.net/Projects/Halo2/default.aspx ''Official project page'' on '''Bungie.net''']

{{Halo Games}}

[[Category:Games]]

[[Category:Halo 2]]