My memories of my first time playing through Halo 2 are hazy, as I was a pre-teen, but some moments do slip through. Being able to carry two weapons simultaneously. Playing as the enemy species for the first time. Encountering an entirely new enemy in the brutes. What I also recall, though, is the sense of anticipation to getting a sequel to what, at the time, had to be my favorite-ever video game. I also remember the slight uneasiness when it didn’t capture me the same way the first one did, surely not my first time being let down by a sequel in media, but one of the first I can bring to mind. The fact that it ended in a singular boss fight, without a climactic chase sequence, felt like a letdown then, and the franchise returned to an escape with its follow-up. While I was too young to be following game reviews and criticism, it seems like that was a commonly expressed sentiment around the game. Now, the online multiplayer aspect is recognized as a paradigm shift, and I can attest to that being formative for me as well.
All of that said, with the 20-year wave of nostalgia cresting right now, I wanted to replay the campaign even if I was basically experiencing it fresh. The Anniversary re-release, as it is presented in the Master Chief Collection, is an excellent product, and the way to play it today. The entire game, including its cutscenes, is redone in a way that feels totally modern. And because I was coming to it nostalgically, I found myself mashing the Select button to alternate between original Xbox and Xbox One graphics multiple times every level. The boss finale does still seem anti-climactic, but not enough to detract from the totality of the game. A wonderfully tight experience, only whetting my appetite for more from the Halo universe, not to mention more romanticizing of the original Xbox.
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