Despite Being Two Decades Old, Halo 2 Is Still the Best Entry in the Series

Halo has become one of the most beloved franchises in video game history, spawning toy lines, a television series, and, most importantly, multiple iconic games. It helped define first-person shooters, which is clear from the many modern-day titles taking inspiration from its innovations to the genre.

Given its popularity, fans often argue which entry in the Halo series of games is the best. Each one provides a unique experience, and comparing them to each other may be pointless, but I believe there is one that truly outshines all the rest: the original Halo 2.

Developed by Bungie before the company left Xbox, the game provided an experience that, to this day, I believe none of the others were able to match, not even its Anniversary edition.

The way Halo 2's story was told had a weight and depth that no other entry has been able to match, with Reach possibly being the only one coming close. It showed how humanity was desperately trying to survive being eradicated, while also giving us the perspective of the forces trying to get rid of them.

Credit: B

How it did so was by allowing players to take control of UNSC's Master Chief and the Covenant's Arbiter, providing a better understanding of both sides. Getting to see their individual stories unfold and overlap helped with the immersion of wanting to see the fates of everyone involved in the plot and where everything was going. Combine that with amazing voice acting, real-time cutscenes, and cinematic camera angles, and it was basically like taking part in an amazing sci-fi film.

Halo 2 Anniversary Edition tried to recapture that same magic, but it ended up falling short. While it did have better graphics, its cutscenes, being pre-rendered CGI cinematics, made the plot feel less genuine.

The other reason why I believe the original Halo 2 is the best is due to how brutally satisfying its Legendary difficulty is. Sure, Legendary in Halo Infinite and even the original Combat Evolved were challenges, but they could be overcome with enough persistence. In Halo 2's case, you'd need to have mastery over everything from enemy AI movements to weapon management, which was the right amount of frustrating and challenging.

Credit: Bungie

If something is going to be classed as the hardest difficulty, then it should be expected that it's going to do everything to stop you from winning. Halo 2's Legendary did that and more, as it placed players in countless unfavorable situations, including one with multiple instant-kill Jackal snipers that infuriated many, providing a true test of skill. Also, because of how hard the game is, the amount of satisfaction you get for beating it is a feeling that other Halo games have yet to replicate.

Each entry in the Halo series is undoubtedly special, but what Halo 2 did puts it on another level from the rest, despite being over two decades old. Try the game via the Master Chief Collection, and hopefully, you'll understand why I consider it the best of them all.

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