#2: Halo 2… the Hype!
Yeah, I lined up outside the local GameStop at midnight, November 9th, and then called in sick for the next two
days. Didn't you?
Halo 2. The name alone meant something B-I-G. And undoubtedly, the hype grew into a full on tsunami, and
it was damn near impossible not to get swept up in its wake. Whether it was ilovebees (now on DVD) or photo ops with Miss Universe down under or a bangin? block party, Halo-madness was everywhere!
And nowhere was this more evident than in presale figures?exceeding well over 1 million units; and then
on launch day, Halo 2 just crushed
entertainment sales records. But then? it was gone. The wave crashed, faded, and we all settled into the
game.
As for this game, it was (and is) excellent, but not perfect. Something was missing from the campaign mode, but in many
respects, the Live experience erases all doubts. Congrats to Bungie for their hard work?IGN presented the
perfect award for their efforts. But my #2
slot is not really going to the game as much as it?s being awarded to the hype machine. The Halo 2 promotional
campaign set new highs in gamers? expectations, and many of us became like kids counting sheep on Christmas Eve again
(excuse the metaphor, my apologies to those of you who don?t celebrate the holiday). And while the game was far
from a letdown, it never really matched the feeling of riding in on that tsunami.
Ah well, until Halo 3 (?February 9th?,
pass it on)...
