Countless hours have been poured into this game throughout my lifetime. Whether that be completing the campaign, running around with friends in co-op, finding secrets and attempting silly glitches, challenging the higher difficulties, or having a blast in multiplayer, every minute in Halo 2 is a thrill-ride that never gets old.

The story is a major step-up from Halo: CE. The Covenant are given half of the game to be characterized, given depth, and a character to become attached to in the Arbiter. Meanwhile, Master Chief, Cortana, and Sarge are taken from vessels for the player to experience the story through and turned into real characters in this world.

Combat introduces some new tricks and generally improves upon the original while still maintaining a balance between arcade and military shooting. The levels are much easier to navigate then in CE but also share the problem of many zones being repeated as you make your way toward the next section of each level. What makes up for this admittedly mediocre level design are set pieces that, at the time and still today, leave me in awe. When revamped and restyled with the Anniversary Remaster, that awe becomes amplified. The production value on the cutscenes alone are excellent enough to be their own feature length film.

Halo 2 has so many moments that will forever remain among fondest gaming memories. Giving the Covenant back their bomb, the Scarab, Gravemind, and so many others. Halo 2 is one of the few games that I can return too, not matter how old I get, and still re-experience the exact same emotions that I did back when I first played as a kid.