A Look at HALO 2 - The Weapons

The weapons in HALO2 have undergone a major change, and it is for you to decide whether it is for the best or not. From a small number of weapons, a lot of which were deadly in different situations, now we have such a huge array of arms that it will take a while to figure out which ones are the big hits in the game. Most of the old goodies are still here, with the exception of a few.

First of all, the biggest disappointment that I have to mention is the Pistol. The all-around best weapon in HALO has been stripped of its features completely. All that is left is a single-handed weapon with no capability of zooming and only 6 bullets in a clip. If you remember the first game, 3 shots to the head would mean instant death from a pistol. Now when you use it, you are just wasting your time and basically giving your opponent a round of free target practice.

Here is a basic round-up of the new weapons and changes to the existing ones:

Pistol

HALO: The deadliest weapon in the game. Features 2x Zoom and holds 12 rounds.

HALO 2: An almost useless weapon, no Zoom. Six bullets in the clip. Dual-wield.

Assault Rifle

HALO: Basic spray and pray 36 bullets. Not very Useful at long range fights but helps in close combat.

HALO 2: Eliminated.

M7 SMG (Sub Machine Gun)

HALO: Non-existent

HALO 2: Your Basic starter weapon with sixty rounds in a clip. Very inaccurate, “travels” up due to recoil but is deadly in dual-wield setup.

Battle Rifle

Halo: Non-existent

HALO 2: Probably the best substitute for the pistol that reigned HALO. Two-handed rifle with 2X zoom and extreme accuracy. Shoots three-bullet shots with a pause. Not useful in close quarters but extremely effective in mid-range fights. If you loved taking headshots with the pistol in HALO, you will love this weapon. Thirty six bullets in a clip.

Shotgun

HALO: Deadliest Close-combat weapon, one shot one kill.

HALO 2: No change in performance, a two-handed weapon. Your basic cure for the enemy that is charging you with an energy sword.

Rocket Launcher

HALO: Great for taking out vehicles and large number of enemies at once. Causes damage when fired too close.

HALO 2: Now locks on vehicles and has about the same amount of damage as in the first game.

Sniper Rifle

HALO: Extremely effective at long range Zoom x5 x10. Shots can be traced.

HALO 2: No change besides a nice little display on top of your scope that shows what you are aiming at when not zoomed in.

Plasma Pistol

HALO: Ineffective as single shot, very effective when charged up and shot to take down the enemy's shield. Locks on the enemy from a distance but can be easily dodged. Was the number one choice in playing single player HALO. Carry a plasma pistol and a human pistol to take down elite’s tough shield and finish him with one pistol bullet.

HALO 2: No change, dual-wield weapon.

Needler

HALO: Shoots small projectiles (needles) that explode after penetrating the enemy. Causes damage to anyone nearby when explosion occurs. Locks on the enemy but can also be dodged, while walls and blast shields reflect the needles as well. Ultra-fast firing rate.

HALO 2: No major change, when dual-wielded becomes an insanely fast weapon. A drawback is that the needles run out rather quick and don’t find their target too often. Great when paired up with an SMG or a plasma rifle.

Plasma Rifle

HALO: Also known as the "annoying gun" for a great ability to freeze enemy’s movements when used. Shoots short plasma bursts at a fast rate and overheats rather quickly.

HALO 2: Received a major upgrade in amount of damage delivered. When dual-wielded can be considered the most lethal two-handed combination in the entire game.

Covenant Carabine

HALO: Non-existent

HALO 2: Shoots piercing single shots, features 2X zoom. Very accurate and effective against enemy at mid-range. Another precise weapon for the experienced.

Beam Rifle

HALO: Non-existent

HALO 2: Covenant equivalent to Human Sniper rifle. Shoots energy beams. Extremely accurate at long range, features 5 and 10X zoom. Overheats after a few rapid shots.

Energy Sword

HALO: Not able to use. This was carried by some Elites.

HALO 2: Ok, this one is supposed to be the crown jewel of melee combat that we love so much in HALO. Deadly isn’t the word. In my opinion it is the most unfair weapon designed and should have been made weaker. Locks on up close when the reticule is red and delivers an instantaneous death. In multiplayer maps, once the sword is taken by a player, it does not re-appear until that player is killed. Basically in head-to-head duel it’s all about who gets the sword first, or who respawns closer. Very disturbing in my opinion.

Brute Shot

HALO: Non-existent

HALO 2: A grenade launcher that is used primarily by brutes. A powerful weapon where grenades can bounce off of objects and around corners before exploding. A lot of resemblance with that of Quake3 arena.

Fuel Rod Gun

HALO: We have seen this in HALO PC, a gun that resembles a BFG 10K (translation anyone?) again from Quake3 arena. And shoots large charges of plasma that reaches a good distance.

HALO 2: Stays almost the same.

Sentinel Beam (Not Pictured)

HALO: Not usable in HALO. Used by Sentinels to destroy all living things when HALO was activated.

HALO 2: Now here for our shooting pleasure. Every time you shoot down one of the sentinels, you can have its gun and it is very effective against the flood. It comes in very handy when trying to eliminate a large number of those tiny little creatures that always travel as a herd and generally mean a lot of ammo wasted.

In the first HALO there was a certain balance between all weapons whether covenant or human. This new line-up definitely throws that balance off and might be a challenge to some old time HALO players such as myself. Firing rate is faster on most weapons as well, which shortens your life expectancy drastically when playing multiplayer games.

Next: Vehicles >>
 

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