This game has sold incredibly well, not only because the first one was such a great game, but also because everyone knew this one was going to be just as good-if not better. We have already had many reviews covering the single-player game, so it is my duty to talk about the multiplayer. Is it fun? Yes. Is it better than the single player? Well, that all depends on what you like in your games. Did it live up the hype? Yes. Should I get Xbox live just because of it? No doubt. Why? Well, keep reading.

There are a wide variety of gameplay modes available in multiplayer. First of all, you can either play in split-screen, up to 4 players on one system, system link, which can support up to 16 players connected to four Xbox consoles, and Xbox Live, which also supports 16 players online. Game modes aren't the same for every type of play-option, but I am going to concentrate this review on Xbox Live-simply because that's where the best multiplayer gaming is. There are 12 different maps to play on, which adds a lot more re-playability. When it comes to multiplayer, the experience will always be different because you can always expect other players to never do the same thing twice.

When you start on Xbox Live you have 3 options: Quickmatch, Optimatch and Create a Party. Quickmatch will automatically select the last game type that you played and launches it, as you would expect, quickly-counting down for only three seconds instead of the standard ten. In Optimatch, this option that I basically use the most, you play in ranked games. After you choose Optimatch, you are taken to the playlist you want, which includes: Rumble Pit (Slayer, everyone is alone against the rest), Team Skirmish (2 teams, 8 players on each team), Head to Head (1-on-1), Big Team Battle (16 players) and several others. Last but not least is the Create a Party option lets you choose the map you want to play and the game-mode (capture the flag, team slayer, swords only…etc).

After you choose a playlist from the Optimatch screen, you are sent to a waiting room. Here you can invite some of your friends to play with you on ranked games together. After you are ready, you start the game and you will start a 10 second countdown and then Xbox Live will find the best game based on your settings. This looks for the best possible game from that playlist you chose: no lag, people ranked the same as you, and other determining factors to give you the best possible game. The only bad thing about this is that you don't get to choose the map you want to play on nor the game-type (capture the flag, team slayer etc). It is extremely fun and it is good because you get to play different games all the time...well, most of the time. The Zanzibar map has become the "Oh no, this map again" map, a cry that will be familiar to those who have played many online games.

There is also a level system included in online play. Every time a player wins, they gain experience which varies depending against whom they were playing. For example, if I am a level 10 and I win against a level 14, I will get more experience than if I win against a level 9. If you lose, you will lose experience, but you will never go down a level. This is somewhat annoying because sometimes you are so close to leveling-only to lose ground and start the uphill climb to the next level all over again. This is part of the competition and it pushes you to become a better player.

Team work is the key when it comes to Big Team Battle or Team Skirmish modes. One of my favorite ploys when it comes to single flag or games where you are forced to defend an area is to play upon the notion that the opposing team will expect most of the crew to come in the Warthog, a heavily armored jeep like vehicle. What I like to do is send some teammates in the Warthog to distract while another player gets the flag from the other side. It is hilarious, and most of all fun. Just planning strategies to win a game or coming from behind because of teamwork in a game is amazing.

There is no way you will be able to plan a strategy attack without a microphone to talk to your team-mates. As with most Xbox Live titles, full voice chat is supported for Halo 2. This adds a lot of fun to the game by just talking to other players, screaming when you are getting attacked, telling them to protect you because you have the flag, or even just a congratulatory "great job, pal!" is wonderful. There is a little guilty pleasure in killing another player and following it up with a little smack talk. The voice chat system in this game can get complicated, though. You need to press the white button or up in the D-pad to talk only to your team-mates. If you don't press this button, only those near you on the battlefield, even your enemies, can hear you.

Also included is full online stat tracking. You can head over to Bungie.net and check out your stats to see how you did on a certain game, or how many games have you played in Team Skirmish and how many of those games have you won. You can see how much is left for the level bar to fill up, so you can have an idea of how much is left for you to go before advancing. It keeps track of your level for each different playlist, so if you are more proficient in one area, or play it more frequently, it will reflect this to both you and your opponents.

Clans, or groups of players on an organized team, are a big aspect on this game. When you create a clan you play against other clans in 2 different playlists called "Minor Clanmatch" and "Major Clanmatch". As you may be able to guess, Minor Clanmatch is only for 8 players, and Major Clanmatch is for 16 players. Here you will have a different level for both of these modes, too. It is definitely great playing with your clan and being one the top ones.

Halo 2's multiplayer is as good, if not better, than the original Halo. Bungie was under a lot of pressure when creating this game, and who wouldn't be? They were creating one of the most anticipated games ever. I am glad and honored to say that it was worth the wait and Bungie has done a tremendous job. The hype and the talk is not even close to how awesome the game actually is. If you don't have this game, go get it right now because you will not, I repeat NOT, regret it!