Halo 2: Official Strategy Guide

225 Pages·2004·73.757 MB·English

by  Prima Development

T H E O F F I C I A L G U I D E
COVERS ALL MULTIPLAYER MODES
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THE OFFICIAL GUIDE .
CONTENTS
SPOILER WARNING!
This Piggyback™ guide is designed to enhance your Halo 2 experience with
tips, strategies and inside information. It is not our intention, however, to ruin
Halo 2’s captivating storyline for you. This guide has been carefully designed to
minimize annoying spoilers, with plot-sensitive information positioned carefully
in the relevant sections of the Campaign chapter. If you value the Halo 2 narrative
experience – and you really should – please don’t read level walkthroughs until
you arrive at the corresponding point in the game!
HHOOWW TTOO PPLLAAYY 4
Quickstart 6
Main Menu 8
Basic Instructions 10
Weapons 22
Vehicles 32
Enemies 40
Tips and Tactics 48
CAMPAIGN MODE 56
Armory 60
Cairo Station 64
Outskirts 70
Metropolis 78
The Arbiter 84
Oracle 92
Delta Halo 100
Regret 106
Sacred Icon 114
Quarantine Zone 122
Gravemind 128
Uprising 138
High Charity 144
The Great Journey 150
MULTIPLAYER MODE 156
Game Types 162
Multiplayer Basics 170
Hints and Tactics 174
Player Profile 180
Maps 182
EXTRAS 220
INDEX 225
Index Tab
For ease of orientation, you will find an index tab on the right-
hand margin of each double-page spread. Use it to see at a
glance which subjects are featured in each chapter. The upper
index indicates the different chapters within the guide. The lower
index denotes the different sections within the actual chapter.
C H A P T E R 1 .
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Halo 2 is not just bigger than its predecessor:
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it’s more complicated, too, with new weapons,
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enemies, vehicles and innumerable new
experiences. This section explains the
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fundamental skills required to control the
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H Master Chief and how to put his many abilities
to best use. From basic controller functions to
. expert hints and tips, the following pages are
an essential read for Halo: Combat Evolved

Y graduates and new recruits alike.
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HOW TO PLAY
CAMPAIGN
MULTIPLAYER
EXTRAS
INDEX
QUICKSTART
MAIN MENU
BASIC INSTRUCTIONS
WEAPONS
VEHICLES
ENEMIES
TIPS AND TACTICS
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A SECTION 1.
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Quickstart
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Even if you’re keen to leap feet-first into Halo 2’s Campaign
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or multiplayer mode, you should at least read the following
steps first.
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] Press v or A on the title screen. If this is your first
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game, you’ll need to create a new Profile before you
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can play. Your Profile tracks your individual settings and
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P information, such as controller configuration (see page 10)
and Campaign progress. Creating one is simple: a name will
suffice. You can return to your Profile at any point to change
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T your personal settings.
] If you want to sign in to Xbox Live, you can refer to page
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O 158 for more details. Having second thoughts? Simply select
H Don’t Sign In.
. ] The Main Menu allows access to the Campaign mode, the
Settings menu (see below) and three flavors of multiplayer:
via Xbox Live (online gaming), Split Screen (up to four players
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A on a single Xbox) and System Link (multiple connected Xbox
L consoles). A chapter dedicated to Halo 2’s extraordinary
TO P ••••••IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIImIIIIIIuIIIIIIlIItIIiIIpIIIIlIIaIIIIIIy er component can be found on page 156.

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O fine-tune your controller setup. Don’t feel obliged to configure the
H latter right now, though – you can also change controller options via
the Pause Menu during play. The Game Variants option allows you

. to create specific multiplayer game types to enjoy at a later date.
You can find an exhaustive explanation of this menu’s many settings

Y and features on page 170.
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L ] Select Campaign if you want to fight the Master Chief’s
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war against the Covenant. You can play this mode alone
(New Campaign), or via a split-screen display with a friend

O (Cooperative). On starting a new Campaign, you’ll be asked
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to choose a difficulty setting (see page 8). Ask yourself
honestly: how skilled are you? Most players will be best

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served by selecting Normal, but don’t be embarrassed to
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select Easy if you’re not a particularly experienced gamer.
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] Halo 2 begins with a short training section which allows IIIIII HOW TO PLAY
new players to become accustomed to controlling the Master IIII
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Chief. With the default control setup, the left thumbstick allows II CAMPAIGN
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you to move forward, back, left and right. The right thumbstick ••
MULTIPLAYER
allows you to look around: up, down, left and right. If this dual- ••
stick system is new to you, it may initially feel quite strange and EXTRAS
confusing. Worry not: with practice, you’ll discover that it’s a
flexible and instinctive means of control. R fires your weapon INDEX
once you have one, and you can press V to pause the game.
The Pause Menu offers access to the Controller Settings screen.
If you want to tweak your controls – for example, to invert the
QUICKSTART
vertical axis on the right thumbstick, a popular choice for
some gamers – you can do so here at any time. MAIN MENU
BASIC INSTRUCTIONS
] As you begin to play through Halo 2, you’ll notice that
you reach regular Checkpoints – signaled by the onscreen text WEAPONS
“Checkpoint… Done” – when arriving at certain areas or having
VEHICLES
achieved certain goals. Should the Master Chief die at any point,
you will automatically return to the last saved Checkpoint. If ENEMIES
you want to stop play for any reason, you will need to manually
save your game before powering down your Xbox. Press V and TIPS AND TACTICS
choose Save and Quit. Your progress up to the last Checkpoint
will be saved in your Profile. The action will be resumed at this
point next time you play.
For Halo Veterans
If you’re a seasoned Halo: Combat Evolved campaigner,
you’ll already be aware of many basic Halo 2 ingredients
– like its control system and Checkpoints. There are
some important new features that you should familiarize
yourself with.
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] You can now hijack or board enemy vehicles. Press and
hold X to dislodge a vehicle’s current driver from his seat, but
only when it is moving at a non-lethal pace. This new feature
is something of a double-edged sword: in both multiplayer
and Campaign modes, your enemies can do the same to you.
See page 21 for a more detailed explanation (Fig. 2).
] Weapons generally work as they did in Halo: Combat
Evolved, but there are several small changes in detail. For
example, the pistol – the M6C Magnum – no longer has a
built-in scope and is less powerful now. The addition of new
01 Covenant foes also means that there are more variables
to consider when choosing your primary and secondary
firearms.
] You can now use two weapons at once. While holding
a small weapon like a pistol, you can choose to pick up a ] The Master Chief’s MJOLNIR Mark 6 battle suit has been
similar or identical weapon and use both simultaneously. upgraded and now offers, among other details, a built-in
This is known as dual-wielding (see page 17). The zoom function. This can be activated by pressing the right
weapons in the Master Chief’s left and right hands can stick button. If the Master Chief is carrying a weapon with
now be fired with E and R respectively. This additional its own scope – like the Battle Rifle – then its optics will take
firepower is not without an attendant cost, though: while priority.
you dual-wield, you will be unable to throw grenades
without first dropping one weapon. You can do this by ] The onscreen display has been modified. You’ll find an
pressing Y or s (Fig. 1). authoritative overview of the new HUD on page 12.
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SECTION 2.

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Campaign
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The story mode of Halo 2 is called Campaign. Select the option New Campaign

W to start the single-player mode; if you’ve already got a saved game, you can
O continue with Resume. You can also revisit previously completed levels by opting
H for Select Level.

. When you’re starting a Campaign or replaying a level, you can also select a
difficulty level: Easy, Normal, Heroic or Legendary. The higher the setting, the

Y more dangerous your adversaries are: they will attack with greater ferocity, in
A greater numbers, and their positioning in any given area may
L vary. Experienced gamers and Halo veterans should opt for
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the default Normal mode, while those unfamiliar with the first-
person shoot ’em up genre may prefer to choose Easy.

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You can play the Campaign mode with a friend, too: select
Cooperative to do so. Once the second player has selected
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a Profile, you can start the game in the Pregame Lobby. The
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option Game Setup allows you to select a level of difficulty and
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begin your co-op Campaign from a different (but previously
unlocked) mission should you wish (Fig. 1).
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Y Xbox Live,
A Split Screen, System Link
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P 01 These options allow access to Halo 2’s multiplayer modes
on a single Xbox, through networked Xbox consoles, or
O online with Xbox Live. You can find a comprehensive
T overview of the massive number of multiplayer settings, a wealth of useful
strategy tips and guides to each map in a dedicated section beginning
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Settings
HOW TO PLAY
The Settings menu allows you to change options for both
Campaign and multiplayer modes. Some options are exclusive CAMPAIGN
to a particular game mode; others, like Control Settings, can be
MULTIPLAYER
found inside the in-game Pause Menu.
EXTRAS
Player Profiles
INDEX
Using this option you can create, edit, change or delete profiles
(Fig. 2). Appearance, Voice Output, Voice Masking, and Online
Status are specific to the multiplayer mode (see page 180).
Enabling Subtitles will, much as its name suggests, display
QUICKSTART
character dialogue during cinematic interludes as onscreen
captions. The Controls menu enables you to adjust the default MAIN MENU
controller configuration.
02 BASIC INSTRUCTIONS
] Thumbstick Layout: Tailor each thumbstick to suit you. WEAPONS
Southpaw will exchange the functions of the right and left stick, ] Automatic Look Centering: If you activate this function,
VEHICLES
which makes it a good choice for left-handed players. Legacy the Master Chief’s view will return to a central point as you begin
is a very different way of controlling Halo 2: the thumbstick to move. This is a useful option for FPS (first-person shooter) ENEMIES
directions for strafing and turning to the right or left are swapped. novices, but many will find its effect a little too intrusive. If you’re
There is also a permutation of Legacy for left-handed players. having difficulties reorienting your view to center on a regular TIPS AND TACTICS
basis, you should give this option a test drive.
] Button Layout: You can change the layout for your
controller’s buttons and triggers. Note that button references in ] Controller Vibration: If you don’t want your controller
this guide will always refer to the default configuration. to vibrate in accordance with various game events, you can
deactivate it here.
] Look Sensitivity: You can increase and decrease the speed
at which you look around with the right thumbstick. If you have Game Variants
yet to actually play Halo 2 you should probably leave this setting Halo 2 has an outstanding wealth of multiplayer options and
alone for now: it’s better to fine-tune it at a later point once you settings. In the Game Variants menu, you can create your
have a better “feel” for the way the Master Chief moves. very own match types for future play. You’ll find the manifold
possibilities described in detail on page 170.
] Look Inversion: By default, moving the right thumbstick
up or down will make the Master Chief look in those directions.
However, a number of first-person shooter aficionados prefer to
invert this vertical axis: therefore, moving the thumbstick down
will make you look up, and vice versa.
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SECTION 3.
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Basic Instructions

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Before you enter combat, it’s important to have a reasonable grasp of Halo 2’s
control system and various game concepts. The Master Chief is a powerful,
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versatile warrior (as, indeed, are his Elite equivalents if you opt to play as one
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in multiplayer mode), but he’s not invincible. To help him survive against a tide
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of Covenant foes, you’ll need to learn and utilize every conceivable skill. Even
those who have braved the horrors of Installation 04 in Halo: Combat Evolved
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should take the time to reacquaint themselves with SPARTAN-117 and his
revised MJOLNIR Mark 6 battle suit.
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HOW TO PLAY
BUTTON SYMBOL
CAMPAIGN
Directional Pad T
MULTIPLAYER
START Button V
BACK Button C EXTRAS
Right Thumbstick F INDEX
Left Thumbstick d
Left Trigger E
Right Trigger R QUICKSTART
Y Button Y
MAIN MENU
X Button X
BASIC INSTRUCTIONS
B Button S
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S Melee attack
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V Opens the Pause Menu
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Q Toggle grenade type
The button configuration used in this guide is
based on Halo 2’s default settings.
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Navigate menus by using or . Open sub-
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menus or confirm a selection with ; will
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close menus or cancel selections. Pressing will
take you to the previous menu.
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