I would like to start out by saying I was wrong. The Xbox does not suck. I might have said it did multiple times, but I was very misguided in my judgment. I can admit when I am wrong. I guess I was just too contained in my 'cube,' and didn't want to leave my 'station' to look outside the 'box.' I have seen the light and it is coming from a green 'X'.

Halo 2 was the reason for my Xbox purchase and I couldn't have picked a better reason. This is now one of my favorite games of all time. Right up there with Metal Gear Solid and Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Let's take a more detailed look at this wonderful sequel shall we?

Comparing it to the first game, which I also purchased, the cinematic feel of the single player campaign has increased ten fold. The cut scenes are fantastic and the in game action is certainly unmatched. Attention to detail was upheld in everything in this game, even down to a killer musical score that swells just at the right time. The environments are more lavish and the in game characters interact a little better with you, like allowing you to take their weapon if you need it. Heck, you are the legendary Master Chief. It is the least they could do. There is only one thing wrong with the campaign mode. Okay two: 1) Way too short and (2) I F#@$ing hate cliffhangers. Having a cliffhanger in video games is like the developers saying "Hey! No more story for you! We'll have more by the time the next game comes out! Suckers!"

Of course any player will tell you that the real meat and potatoes of the game (and the replay value) is in the Xbox Live multiplayer component. Coupled with Live this title fully shines. Everyone has to start out as a level one player, also known as a “newb,” and work your way up to greatness. It didn't take me long to jump up 4 levels after a few matches, and I feel I'm a pretty mediocre player due to my lack of online gaming experience. The only bad part about playing on Live is there are a lot of jerks out there. Which goes to show that intelligence isn't a requirement to play Halo 2. Like the twelve year olds that insist on shouting "Kill my friend Michael! His name is SuxCox234, kill him!" throughout a whole entire match. I don't know who that kid was, but I suddenly had the urge to try and reach into my microphone and hurt him in ways unimaginable to man. Luckily as my skills increase, I am matched with less incompetent players. And those players are efficient at handing me my own ass.

Halo 2's graphics push the Xbox to the limit. There is some pop-up, which is more noticeable in split screen mode, and slowdown every once in a while. It is such a small price to pay for such good graphics. This game comes with an option to play sound in Dolby Digital, however since I haven't shelled out the money for the advanced A/V pack yet (more $$$ to Microsoft), I will stick with normal surround, which still sounds pretty sweet on its own. You can hear what is going on around you. It makes good use of the rear speakers, making this an even more engrossing experience.

Erich may not agree with me, but the gameplay on Halo 2 is phenomenal. It is the BEST experience I've ever had with a FPS on a console. Sure the two analog stick system is a hard hurdle to overcome (Editor's Note: Give me a keyboard and mouse and I would whoop your ass!), but once you get used to it, it feels like second nature. I like playing the campaign mode on "Heroic" since I like a challenge. The Covenant Aliens are much smarter this time, but still do their same nasty tricks. As for the other modes I tried, "Normal" seems too easy and "Legendary" seems impossible, but I'm still learning. The other thing that is bittersweet is there is no health for your armor any more. It's good in the fact that you don't need to track down health, but now once your shield is gone, you are toast within a few shots.

The absolute best thing about Halo 2 is it isn't one of those games where you beat it and you are done. You keep playing and playing, and keep getting better and better. The main point is it makes you WANT to keep playing. This is also one of those games that will be a staple of parties for some time to come. The only downside to the non-Live multiplayer is that many of the multiplayer levels are HUGE, which is understandable because they are put to good use on Xbox Live. Unfortunately when only two people are playing, a simple game of Slayer becomes more of a game of "Where the Hell are you?"

Halo 3 is not going to be on the Xbox, but on the next console system coming out from Microsoft, I think it is currently called Xenon (like the gas) or some places call it Xbox Next. After playing the first and second Halo, I am now officially on board for any future installments. Bravo Bungie!