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| <!-- begin WikiProject Computer and Video Games infobox-->{| cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2 align=right width=256px style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; padding: 6px; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 10px; background-color: #f7f8ff; border:1px solid #8888aa;"
| | ==Summary== |
| |- style=background:#ccccff
| | [[Image:Halo_2_cover.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Halo 2, the sequal to one of the best games ever made]] |
| | align=center colspan=2|<font size="2">'''''Halo 2'''''</font>
| | Halo 2 (by [[Bungie]]) the sequal to the bestseller [[Halo: Combat Evolved]] was released on November 9 2004 for the xbox console. It was one of the most anticipated games of that year. It won many awards in 2004 and 2005, including the e32004 best console game (by game revoulution), 2005 spacey awards for favourite video game, 1UP 2004 awards for game of the year and many more. |
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| | align=center colspan=2|[[Image:Halo2 box.jpg]]
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| |- style=background:#ccccff | |
| | style=width:80px|[[Video game developer|Developer]]: | |
| |[[Bungie Studios]]
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| |Publisher:
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| |[[wikipedia:Microsoft Game Studios|Microsoft Game Studios]]
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| |- style=background:#ccccff
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| |Release date:
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| |November 9, 2004
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| |Genre:
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| |[[First-person shooter]]
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| |- style=background:#ccccff
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| |Game modes:
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| |[[Single player]], [[multiplayer]]
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| |-
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| |[[ESRB]] rating:
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| |Mature (M)
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| |- style=background:#ccccff
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| |Platform:
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| |[[Xbox]]
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| |-
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| |Media:
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| |DVD
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| |}
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| '''''Halo 2''''' is a [[first-person shooter]] developed by [[Bungie Studios]] for the [[Xbox]] video game console. It is the sequel to the game ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', and features a newly built [[wikipedia:graphics engine|graphics engine]] and the addition of new elements to the game. Like the ''[[Marathon]]'' series, the game will further develop the struggle between the human race and a religiously zealous and technologically superior foe ([[The Covenant]] from the first ''Halo'').
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| The release date of ''Halo 2'' was November 9, 2004. This is one of the most highly anticipated games on the Xbox. On the morning of October 14, a leak of the French version of the game was posted on the Internet, and circulated widely. Microsoft, the parent company of Bungie, tried to contain the spread, and pledged to bring legal action against anyone who spread the leaked version. Regardless, Microsoft later touted that there have been 1.5 million preorders for ''Halo 2'' in the United States alone and that this guarantees it to have the largest first-day revenue of any game or movie ever. [http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/10/19/news_6110893.html] The game sold 2.4 million copies and earned up to $125 million US in its first 24 hours on store shelves. [http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/11/10/news_6112915.html]
| | ==Basic Plot== |
| | | *Halo 2 starts around the [[Covenant]] holy city [[High Charity]] where the future [[Arbiter]] is on trial and is punished by the [[Prophets]]. |
| '''Spoiler warning''': Plot and ending details follow.
| | *Then the scene is cut to a space station called [[Cairo Station]] in [[Earth]] orbit. Here the [[Master Chief]] is getting his new Mark VI spartan suit cheked |
| | | *From here the [[Master Chief]] goes to the bridge of the station and discovers that the [[Covenant]] are preparing to attack [[Earth]]. |
| ==Gameplay== | | *Soon the [[Master Chief]] destrois one of the two [[Covenant]] ships and goes to [[Earth]] |
| ===Campaign===
| | *After the next two levels the [[Master Chief]] goes aboars [[In Amber Clad]] and goes into [[Slipspace]] along with the remaining [[Covenant]] ship. |
| [[Image:Arbiter gameplay - banshee.jpg|right]]
| | *After this the action returnes to the [[Arbiter]]. Here he is granted the rank of [[Arbiter]] and then is ordered to destroy the [[Heritics]] and sucseeds and finds [[343 Guilty Spark]] |
| The game is playable in campaign mode either single-player or cooperative. When playing in this mode the player(s) must complete a series of episodes. Some of these episodes require the player to compete as a Covenant hero called The Arbiter, while the majority are still played as Master Chief. Aside from variations caused simply by switching sides in the conflict, most notably The Arbiter is different from Master Chief in that his armor lacks a flashlight and is equipped with a short duration rechargeable form of [[Active Camouflage]] that will drop if an action other than movement is taken. There is, however, no difference in weapon use. Both characters still cannot reload the power cores of Covenant plasma weaponry or use the twin plasma cannons on [[Wraith|Wraiths]] that NPCs can use.
| | *The action is then turned to [[Master Chief]] again as he arives at [[Delta Halo]] and completes his task of killing the [[Prophet of Regret]]. |
| | | *He then falls into some water and is found by the [[Gravemind]]. |
| There are four levels of competition: [[Easy]], [[Normal]], [[Heroic]] and [[Legendary]].
| | *The [[Arbiter]] is then sent on a mission to retrive The [[Index]]. |
| | | *He suceeds but is soon also met by the gravemind |
| ===Multiplayer===
| | *The [[Gravemind]] forces the Master Cheif and Arbiter to go on a mission to prevent [[Halo]] from being activated. |
| <div class="floatleft">http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/6495/halo2multiplayer1sh.jpg</div>
| | *The MC attempts to kill [[Prophet of Truth]] and ends up on a [[Forerunner]] ship heading for [[Earth]] |
| There are a variety of multiplayer competition modes, several of which have returned from the original Halo game. A typical melee game called [[Slayer]], a team based [[Capture the Flag]] game, an offense/defense version of capture the flag called [[Assault]], a more esoteric free-for-all form of capture the flag called [[Oddball]], and a game extrapolated from a child's game of "it" called [[Juggernaut]], as well as others and the ability to create one's own variations. Of the preset variations present in the original game, only Race is missing, replaced by a similar but different game.
| | *As this happens [[Arbiter]] helps prevent [[Delta Halo]] from being actiavated. |
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| Unlike its predecessor, Halo 2 allows players to compete with each other over the [[Xbox Live]] online service, in addition to the original's support for split-screen and System Link multiplayer. Halo 2's Xbox Live mode offers a unique and, some would say, innovative approach to online gaming that is intended to alleviate some of the problems that have plagued online first-person shooters in the past. Traditionally, one player sets his or her computer or console up as a game server (or host), specifying the game type and map and configuring other settings. The game software then uses a service like [[Xbox Live]] or [[GameSpy]] to advertise the game to the world at large; other players choose which game to join based upon criteria such as the map and game options each host is offering as well as the [[wikipedia:ping|ping]] times they are able to receive.
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| In Halo 2, Xbox Live players do not choose to host games, and they do not get to specify individual maps and options to search for. Instead, players sign up for "[[playlist]]s" that are geared to different ''styles'' of play. For example, the "[[Rumble Pit]]" playlist offers a variety of "every man for himself" game types, primarily Slayer or variations thereof; "[[Team Skirmish]]" offers a number of 4-on-4 team games, which are primarily objective-based games like [[Capture the Flag]]; "Big Team Battle" is similar to Team Skirmish but allows teams of up to 8 players. Other playlists allow head-to-head play and matches between different [[clans]]. The Xbox Live servers create games automatically from the pool of players that have signed up for each playlist, choosing a game type and map automatically and selecting one player to serve as the game's host. Players can create small "parties" with their friends and enter games together as teammates or, in Rumble Pit, adversaries. If the Xbox console hosting the game drops out, the Xbox Live service automatically selects a new host from among the remaining players so the game can continue.
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| Since launching in November 2004, the service has been very popular with gamers. While some players resent the loss of individual control inherent in Halo 2's approach to online gaming, others feel it provides a significantly improved gaming experience compared to more traditional online first-person shooters. Bungie's servers match players up by skill level, which tends to eliminate the kind of severely imbalanced games that less-skilled players often consider unfair and unenjoyable. The automatic host selection process also eliminates the ability of the host to exert outsized control over the parameters of the game.
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| Halo 2 players with [[wikipedia:Microsoft Passport|Microsoft Passport]] accounts can log on to [http://www.bungie.net bungie.net] and obtain extremely detailed statistics on their performance, including level maps for several hundred of the player's most recent games that indicate graphically where and when the player scored a kill or was killed him- or herself.
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| ===Damage system===
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| The damage system in ''Halo 2'' is much different from what it was in [[Halo: Combat Evolved]]. The player has a regenerating shield and regenerating health.
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| * '''[[Shields]]:''' The Shield in ''Halo 2'' is much stronger than it was in [[Halo: Combat Evolved]], and recharges at a higher rate. It covers the player's entire body, and slowly decreases in power as it sustains damage. After it takes damage, it starts to recharge 2 seconds after the last time damage was sustained. The power is displayed above the motion tracker in the bottom-left of the screen.
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| * '''[[Health]]:''' In ''Halo 2'', once the shields run out, the player also has a buffer of health. Unlike [[Halo: Combat Evolved]], the health in Halo 2 regenerates after the shield. The amount of health left is not visible to the player. | |
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| ===Powerups===
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| There are two types of normal powerups available in ''Halo 2''.
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| * '''[[Overshield]]:''' An enhanced, non-regenerating shield which is three times the strength of the normal one. The overshield functions on top of the regular shield - when it is active, the normal shield does not take damage. In the single player game, the overshield is reduced only when the player is hit, while in the multiplayer game, it also weakens gradually with time.
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| * '''[[Active Camouflage]]:''' Drastically reduces the player's visibility for a period of time, making all but a faint outline of him transparent. This effect is reduced if the player is hit by weapons fire, if he or she fires a weapon or throws a grenade, or in some cases if he or she switches weapons.
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| More unique powerups known as [[skulls]] exist in the game, as hidden items for the player to find.
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| ===Weapons===
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| *[[Battle Rifle]]
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| *[[Brute Plasma Rifle]]
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| *[[Brute Shot]]
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| *[[Carbine]]
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| *[[Frag Grenade]]
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| *[[Fuel Rod Cannon]]
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| *[[Magnum]]
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| *[[Needler]]
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| *[[Plasma Grenade]]
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| *[[Plasma Pistol]]
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| *[[Plasma Rifle]]
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| *[[Plasma Sword]]
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| *[[Sentinel Beam]]
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| *[[Shotgun]]
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| *[[Sniper Rifle]]
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| *[[Sub-Machine Gun]]
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| ==Game Levels==
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| ===Campaign===
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| *[[The Heretic (Level)|The Heretic]]
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| *[[The Armory]]
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| *[[Cairo Station (Level)|Cairo Station]]
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| *[[Outskirts]]
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| *[[Metropolis]]
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| *[[The Arbiter (Level)|The Arbiter]]
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| *[[The Oracle (Level)|The Oracle]]
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| *[[Delta Halo (Level)|Delta Halo]]
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| *[[Regret (Level)|Regret]]
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| *[[Sacred Icon (Level)|Sacred Icon]]
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| *[[Quarantine Zone (Level)|Quarantine Zone]]
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| *[[Gravemind (Level)|Gravemind]]
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| *[[Uprising]]
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| *[[High Charity (Level)|High Charity]]
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| *[[The Great Journey (Level)|The Great Journey]]
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| ===Multiplayer===
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| *[[Lockout]]
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| *[[Ascension]]
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| *[[Colossus]]
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| *[[Beaver Creek]]
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| *[[Ivory Tower]]
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| *[[Midship]]
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| *[[Waterworks]]
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| *[[Burial Mounds]]
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| *[[Foundation]]
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| *[[Headlong]]
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| *[[Coagulation]]
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| *[[Zanzibar]]
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| *[[Containment]]
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| *[[Warlock]]
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| *[[Turf]]
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| *[[Sanctuary]]
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| *[[Backwash]]
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| *[[Terminal]]
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| *[[Relic]]
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| *[[Gemini]]
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| *[[Elongation]]
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| ==Storyline==
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| The game starts with a probing [[Covenant]] attack on [[Earth]]. [[Master Chief]] begins on one of the many space defense platforms which orbit the planet. After repulsing the [[Covenant]] boarding parties, the battle shifts to Africa.
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| The player engages in urban combat in the city of [[New Mombasa]]. Meanwhile a [[Covenant]] ship makes a [[slipspace]] jump which destroys the city, and a [[UNSC]] [[In Amber Clad|ship]] with [[Master Chief]] aboard gets swept up in the warp field in an desperate effort to follow it.
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| The player is transported to the vicinity of another [[Halo]] ring - the [[Delta Halo]] - perhaps many tens of thousands of light years from [[Earth]], on which they land. Also, a power struggle within the [[Covenant]] is revealed, with [[Brute|Brutes]] usurping the role of the [[Elites]]. Furthermore, there is a movement, regarded by the [[Covenant]] leadership as heretical, which argues that [[Covenant]] teachings aren't true. Lastly, we are introduced to an (apparently massive) creature called the [[Gravemind]], which appears to be the controlling mind of the [[Flood]]. The creature is obviously highly intelligent and gives the impression of knowing a great deal. It appears to live deep within [[Delta Halo]], out of sight and yet its actual size, although not revealed, may occupy many of the entire hidden underground caverns that encircle the ring.
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| At some point, when she does not want a remote detonation of ''In Amber Clad'', [[Cortana]] becomes separated from the Master Chief and is left within a computer on [[High Charity]].
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| The [[Halos]], we learn from [[343 Guilty Spark]], were built to prevent the [[Flood]] from spreading throughout the Galaxy, and that the [[Forerunners]] who built it were wiped out when they fired it as a "weapon of last resort" at some point in the remote past. In spite of this, the [[Brute]] leader [[Tartarus]] activates the ring in preparation to fire, to bring about - in his eyes - the Great Journey. The player must fight to retrieve the [[Index]] and deactivate the ring before it fires and destroys all sentient life in the Galaxy.
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| The [[Index]] is retrieved and the [[Halo]] cannot fire. [[343 Guilty Spark]] reveals that although the [[Index]] was removed before [[Delta Halo]] had time to complete it's firing sequence, it sent signals to other [[Halos]] in the Galaxy, putting them into standby mode. Now, they can be activated remotely from the [[Ark]] (assumed to be on [[Earth]]). The game ends here and the credits roll.
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| There is no novelisation of this game yet. It is possible that a novelisation that follows the canon laid down by the previous three novels might differ somewhat plotwise from the game, due to various plotholes in the game.
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| ===Main characters===
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| * [[Master Chief]] | |
| * [[Cortana]]
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| * [[Sergeant Johnson]]
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| * [[Miranda Keyes]]
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| * [[Arbiter]]
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| * [[Half-Jaw]]
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| * [[High Prophet of Truth]] | |
| * [[High Prophet of Mercy]]
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| * [[High Prophet of Regret]]
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| * [[Tartarus]]
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| * [[343 Guilty Spark]]
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| * [[2401 Penitent Tangent]]
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| * [[Gravemind]]
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| * [[Heretic Leader]]
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| * [[Lord Fleet Admiral Sir Terrence Hood]]
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| * [[Sergeant Banks]]
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| * [[Corporal Perez]]
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| ==Limited Collector's Edition==
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| [[Image:LCE.jpg|right|100px]]
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| The LCE came with a "Behind the Scenes" DVD, a Halo 2 manual from the Covenant's perspective, a booklet called ''[[Conversations from the Universe]]'', as well as a 7-Eleven Slurpee coupon, and an Xbox Live coupon.
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| ==Related Links==
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| * [[List of Halo 2 changes]]
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| * [[I Love Bees]] | |
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| ==External Links==
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| * [http://bungie.net/Games/Halo2/ Bungie's Official Halo 2 Site]
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| * [http://www.halo2.com Xbox.com's Official Halo 2 Site]
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| * [http://halo.bungie.org Halo.Bungie.Org]
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| * [http://xbox.ign.com/articles/513/513152p1.html IGN E3 2004 Preview]
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| * [http://halo.bungie.org/halo2updates/ "Frankie's Bungie Updates"]
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| * [http://howstuffworks.com Howstuffworks] article on [http://stuffo.howstuffworks.com/halo2-ai6.htm the game AI of Halo 2].
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| * [http://Halowiki.net Another halo wiki], focusing mainly on multiplayer. Extremely in-depth.
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| [[Category:Games]]
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