http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/halo-2/556188p1.html

Expected release date of November 9.

Hasn't the release date been annoced for a week or 2 now, i got a catalogue in game 2 weeks ago that says september 9th

oh joy, more WASD run jump shoot leftclick when crosshair covers opponent fun.

i hope its something i'm not expecting

Jubilation!

Nah, it's xbox you don't get WASD. or left click.

I still haven't played the first one.

Yea, when it comes out for PC give me a call.

*sigh*

...Hoo boy...

Yawn.

Don't hold your breath.

The release date of Nov. 9th has been offical for months now.

I guess it's time I preordered my copy.

Halo 2 holds the record for having the most preorders in the history of gaming. I believe it is 2 million or something?

I entered a raffle for it, I might get the collecter's edition of it, but if I don't ill just buy it when my dad gets his new 27" TV and I get an Xbox.

That screenshot doesn't actually look much better than the original, if at all. :\

I find it interesting that they picked the most recent, but also the most BORING screenshot to go with that...

Multiplayer @ Zanzibar One
Multiplayer @ Zanzibar Two

Both of those give you a better idea of what Multiplayer on Live would look like, as well as the appearance of the game. However, both of those are pretty old. They go back to May. If I remember my facts right, at that point, the "look" was pretty much finalized, but the gameplay, physics, and loads of other stuff was still a bit rough. So the game has changed a bit since then, but not so much that those screens are invalid due to age.

[edit] busted links are obviously not good [/edit]

Fixed.

Your screenshots are invalid due to resolution.

I still don't understand what was so special about Halo... I thought it was OK and nothing more

I'm not a Halo fanatic, but I am excited since, through a series of strange events, I ended up with a copy of Halo 2 paid by my university (unbeknownst to it).

And the first shot, phoenix, is laughably poor. The terrain and architecture looks like it was ripped out of a bad Jedi Knight level.

And what you appear to have missed, was that I said they had most of the look down, but the rest needed work. That included architecture. Now in that shot, I think it's just fine. Know why? Go look at a warehouse. It's a big box. See that in the screen shot? It's a warehouse. It is ALSO a big box. Real life buildings are not full of pretty pipes, curving walls, grooves and any number of other small details. They are boxes. Boxes with corners chopped off, or pyramids added.

As for the resolution, what the hell does that matter? Yeah it isn't the resolution you'll be playing at, but on a TV, are you REALLY going to notice that big a difference while you're being shot at and returning fire? You probably wouldn't hardly notice it while just standing around.

Reguardless, in motion, Halo 2 just looks downright sexy to me. I can't wait to play it. Screenshots hardly do it real justice, and 6 month old screenshots CERTAINLY don't.

I was thoroughly underwhelmed with Halo. It had a nice story sprinkled between some of the worst, and most repetitive, level design in history. I think I Love Bees has done the most to get me interested in the world of Halo.

I'd probably get the sequel, as it sounds like Bungie have learned their lesson, if they ever release it for PC.

Quoted for extreme truth.

Yes. The outdoor stuff was great, but once you got inside it all looked the same! And The Library may be my least favorite level in a FPS.

You guys do realize that the major reason the first one sucked in places was because Microsoft was jumping all over their *** to get it out the door in time to release with the Xbox. Right? The Library was supposed to be far more complex. The Flood had a far better AI in progress, but that had to be dumped due to time, instead, it got a revamped version of the Elite's AI. I won't say the interior design would've been drop dead awesome, but it would've been a marked improvment. There was ALOT they had planned that had to be ditched, or dumbed way down towards the end. Sadly, some of that included the most of the major interiors of the levels, the Library, the Flood AI, and the backwards run through Assault on the Control Room, which was already poorly designed in places. The arrows on the floor prove that. Given more time, and less pressure from Microsoft, it probably would've been better in those respects.

That is what the devs said about Oni's design. That game's levels were horrid. Take one look at that game and you'll agree with me.

Real life may be boxes, but they have so much stuff in them that you don't notice. My bedroom, for instance, is a cube with a corner cut diagonally. But there's a cupboard in that corner, with a TV, and my consoles, and on another wall there's shelves full of books and games, and a wardrobe. My desk is in another corner, piled high with computery-goodness. School stuff is all over the floor. And so on. Computer games do not nearly match this level of detail, so they need to change the "outline" of the room so it doesn't look TOO boring.

my underwear is getting anxious and excited

i'm fine though

if(getThingFlags(source) & 0x8){
  do her}
elseif(getThingFlags(source) & 0x4){
  do other babe}
else{
  do a dude}

Anyone who doesn't like Halo based on the fact that its levels didn't look OMGAWESOME and that the enemies don't have perfect AI can just shut up. It started in what, 1996, 1997? Ended in 2000? I'd say for that long, they made a helluva game. That's still everyday by hundreds, if not thousands or MILLIONS of people every day. The PC version blew for all intensive purposes (crappy netcode, no co-op, rocket warthog (wtf?), flamethrower), but the X-Box version is gold. It's the second FPS I ever played that was MADE for a controller (the first being Goldeneye). I mean most of the time I ask people how the PC version compares to the X-Box version, and they say that it doesn't. The X-Box version may not be graphically on par, but damnit it's way more fun. And this is coming from one of the most hardcore PC gamers you'll ever meet.

Either way, though, if you think Halo's level design is bad, you've got something wrong with you. If you notice the levels that 'all look the same' are all in the same area, made by the same race. I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but oftentimes, people follow architectural patterns quite often. Down to a T even. I thought the level design was plenty fine.

Either way--Halo 2 will be badass, it has no 'mistakes' to make up for, but it will definitely improve on the mediocre things that were in Halo, though I'm not looking forward to the new tank. I just hope that their PC port isn't so crappy as the last one.

Hmm.... Xbox controls for a FPS. That means tones of Auto aiming, and super low res graphics. How fun.

I've had the collector's edition preordered since it was first announced. I'm itching for my Halo 2 goodness.

We'll have to hold a Massassi Halo 2 match on November 10th, after we've had a day to get accustomed to the new features and maps.

Check out the website for the screenies and trailers

Stop raining on our parade, *******.

...since when is X-Box low-res? I don't recall Halo being low-res.

Halo looks nice, low-res or not. And there's no such thing as auto-aiming in Halo.

I'd have to disagree with you. It is most definately there, but it isn't that noticeable. I think about the only times I've ever actually noticed it was with the Plasma Pistol. Something I never use anyway, except on Legendary, and even then, only up to the 343 Guilty Spark level.

Now, on the PC version... I had a very obvious case last night while playing Two Betrayals. I got into a Covenant Turret, and started shooting. The blasts curved so far away from where I was aiming it wasn't even funny.

So yeah, Halo has some Auto-Aiming, but I'm inclined to believe that each weapon has a different amount of it. The sniper rifle would have less auto-aim than something like the plasma rifle. I'd be further inclined to believe that the amount of auto-aim perhaps decreases with skill level. That, and on something like Xbox, where you're aiming with Thumbsticks, it seems only logical to give the player minor assistance.

In short, it's there, but not in strength.

There's such a thing as bullets that follow the target. Especially covenant weapons. That's not really auto-aiming :p

Besides, in the multiplayer, there is NO auto-aiming, unless you count the needler.

I thought I heard the ignorance train pull up. It has that distinct whistle that says "I have no idea what I'm talking about!"