Up until today, there was little that could be said about Halo 2 that hasn’t been said already. It has been much-anticipated, long-awaited, eagerly-monitored and all those things. Today however, it’s becoming a more tangible prospect with the release of the finalised packshot. Complimenting the picture of the real-life box is some lovely wallpaper too, so that fans can adorn their desktops accordingly. Heck, the devoted few could even print out the wallpaper and redecorate their homes and offices: it is Halo 2, after all.
Additionally, the rumour mill has been grinding hard at the Halo 2 beta version, producing floury clouds of exciting speculation. One particular beta-tester posted a summary of his findings on the official Xbox gaming forum, only to be thwarted by an agitated moderator, who immediately deleted the thread. However, it was too little, too late, and these details are already becoming common knowledge.
The first and most substantial element revealed in this leak - which we have to emphasise is not official confirmed information - is that four players will be able to connect to Live! through the same Xbox. That would certainly make for some of the most impressive multiplayer action yet seen on a console. Other details mainly allude to minor gameplay teaks, such as jumping higher and being able to see the character’s feet, although two (allegedly) new weapons were also revealed. The Beam Rifle is essentially the Covenant equivalent of the sniper rifle, whilst the Brute Rifle is more of a grenade-launching affair.
If this is all true, which it could well be, Halo 2 could just live up to its hype when its released this November.