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Cut Halo 2 levels

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This page discusses elements of deleted material and cut content. Some information on the page is sourced from game files and may not be verifiable through external sources. Where possible, such information should be clearly-marked and replaced with a proper external source as soon as one is available.
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During the development of Halo 2, several levels were cut during development.

Milestone 1 levels[edit]

Milestone 1 consists of a series of gameplay prototype levels built on the "Halo 1.5" engine, and showcased to industry journalists between 2002 and 2003. At this time, the engine was in a transitionary state between Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, and thus the levels use many assets from Combat Evolved. For the most part, these levels were built to showcase and prototype new gameplay features rather than actually be part of the game's campaign story. They have since been recovered by the Digsite project and made available for both the Halo Editing Kit and Halo 2 Editing Kit for modding use.[1]

M1 - Defensive[edit]

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M1 - Explorative[edit]

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M1 - Assault[edit]

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Cut campaign levels[edit]

alphamoon[edit]

Main article: alphamoon

"Assault the occupied control room and find the oracle"

A cut campaign level on the September 2003 build of Halo 2. This level seems to have the same story goal as the level The Oracle from the final game, involving the Arbiter securing 343 Guilty Spark for the Covenant. Unlike The Oracle, this level would be set in a heretic camp on Threshold's moon, Basis - the setting of the multiplayer map Burial Mounds.[2]

  • A view of the level.
    A view of the level.

covenantship[edit]

Main article: Covenantship

This level was to take place immediately following Cairo Station. The level would have seen the player, as John-117, board a Covenant CAS-class assault carrier with a team of ODSTs, serving as the main introduction for Miranda Keyes. After opening the airlock of the Cairo Station's docking bay, the player would be blasted toward the Covenant ship and board it instead of destroying it with the bomb as seen in the final game. This level would have involved infiltrating the Covenant ship, taking on and killing its crew and eventually stealing a Wraith and end up destroying the ship by bombarding its power core with the Wraith's mortar.

As mentioned by Joseph Staten, Miranda Keyes and her ODSTs would have also been onboard the ship in order to help you and may have played a big role in the eventual outcome. This level however was cut due to time constraints and replaced by a cinematic that created "just as much work" for Bungie Employees.[3]

  • The level would have taken the place of this cutscene from the final game.
    The level would have taken the place of this cutscene from the final game.
  • A whiteboard showcasing part of covenantship's intended layout - matching known details including the ODSTs, Wraith and Ghost.
    A whiteboard showcasing part of covenantship's intended layout - matching known details including the ODSTs, Wraith and Ghost.

Infinite Succor[edit]

"This is Eddie’s [Smith] interior design with my heap of corpses. This is the Infinite Succor, which was never used. Here, the Gravemind is basical