Cairo Station: unique space level, exciting enough to play, though the novelty of the bigger covenant rooms has worn off on me when you have to wait what feels like a straight up minute to progress. The elevator also doesn't sit right with me, it's right at the end of the level, yeah you get action on it but you still have to wait for it to go down. Examples are brief enough to the point I don't mind too much. Level does not live up to it's potential. but still makes a strong first impression.
Outskirts: I get what the early level was trying to do and it's still a good section, there's just no getting around the fact that it's a relative pace breaker when you have so much downtime in between the action and it can be not very exciting to play/replay. Even the hunters take a while to bash the door lol I get it wanted to be suspenseful but it did not work at all because the timing just got ridiculous. It picks up with the corridors like the Zanzibar hotel. Still that's all this bulk is. And the end of it is a tunnel section, where very little happens for a long while. Riveting. This level is hurt by those two things, but it's still perfectly fine.
Metropolis: Very short, I'd almost say too short. Though I can't help but feel like it's a good payoff to the prior levels buildup. I think it's just too much to take in at once. A bridge, then a brief warthog circle, and then a brief visit through the streets, then a scrab. The brief warthog circle kind of blending in my mind. I'm fine with the setpiece being the way it is, despite it's issues. I thought I would prefer this whole mombasa section of the game but to be honest I think the space level was more exciting moment to moment. While I'm writing this. I'm honestly not even sure I love Mombasa. But it is still decent at least, probably.
The Arbiter: Arbiters intro level is good, sure can be seen as repetitive but does build intrigue well I'd say. I actually like that it's not as brief. thing is there will be problems down the line with a memorable covenant ship room and neat banshee section.
Oracle: I still disagree with certain people that the flood aren't fun to fight, although this elevator part is a bit of a slog, in spite of that I actually enjoy this level, especially the generator room with the shaky camera.
Delta Halo: Relatively brief level, but goes in, in the most satisfying way possible. I even adore the aesthetic of the ruins. There's also like next to no pace breakers. Easily one of the best Halo 2 levels.
Regret: I'm sorry but the pretty view does NOT make up for the moving platforms taking forever with such little happening that I'm outright embarrassed they decided to play hype memorable music for this section of the game. It's so poorly handled and takes up so much of the level that I just can't like it all that much. I do think the sections where you wait in underground water are much better, since it's atmospheric and Cortana talks about it, good for writing reasons, but it doesn't change the fact that this is waiting and pace breaker the level, with not enough covenant content in between to make it really worth it. This is my 2nd least favorite level even though it should have been one of the better ones.
Sacred Icon: Ah yes, the falling down the shafts level. As dumb as it is I thought they were I find them charming now, nah this level has bigger problems. It repeats the same sections over and over and you have to ride on very lengthy lifts. It's nowhere near library bad, but it's noticeable and still makes the level more lame when it could just have more interesting level design? there's something wrong with the level design at Bungie when there always seems to be a point where they repeat and drag when I find they are at their very best when they are varying it up and keeping it fresh. It's also quite a long level, If I feel little desire to want to replay it, then why should I be satisfied with the longer length?
Quarantine Zone: Level starts out strong with an exciting and memorable snowish segment. Even playing a music track with the guitars going insane but immediately after runs out of steam and just feels bland. Generic fiery temple like rooms are not a good excuse for content. encounters get more brief as it goes on and the lift sequence to end it on is the worst of them all where your more likely to die of boredom waiting and go in to fall off by accident, to the point where I find this to be EASILY the worst level in the game, it did almost nothing for me if it wasn't for the strong first impression it made.
Gravemind: I think? this is my favorite level in the game, it's either this or Delta Halo, even if there's not much new to say about this level, it's more of a jack of all trades, it's basically a showcase of how good Halo 2s enemy Ai can be. Placing them in very thoughtful locations, especially the brutes. And of course the location is neat. It's the level I'm the most fulfilled by, I'll put it that way.
Uprising: Level is literally just an excuse for a ghost section lol Far too brief I wish they combined this and great journey somehow. Fun section but relative to this games structure, barely a level.
High Charity: I'm actually fine with this level being the way it is. It's a bit short but I think it does everything it needs to, plus you would NOT want it being any longer with that legendary playthrough, can you imagine? I think this fleshes out the high charity section pretty well. And I was fulfilled. It seems like even I think the chief levels are mostly better done than the arbiter ones.
The Great Journey: The level walks on thin ice by being brief and spacious but I'd say manages to just be riveting enough to hold my attention. Plus it's extremely memorable. It's a shame that yet again the scarab has to be so scripted and relatively lame, you could probably defeat all the enemies before the scarab got anywhere close to the door. Also none of these boss fights are anything more than lame and Tartarus is especially dumb, I just beat it by making him chase me around the circle and shooting every chance. Atrocious. Levels decent enough.
Conclusion:
Halo 2 did not remove the pace breakers from Halo 1 at all, and I'd say is an even bigger culprit of it in some ways. There is simply too many sections of waiting around and non-engaging gameplay and especially level design for this campaign (multiplayer is better, despite a lot of people telling me the campaign was 2s strong suit) to have been as good as I remembered. The repetition however is not as bad as it was in Halo 1, this is because it's usually adding a lot more things on top of it, and does stay a lot more fresh and variety while Halo 1 seemed to just give up entirely from assault on the control room onwards. and only parts of levels get repeated, not usually full on sections. Also I don't remember any notable backtracks either. Which Halo 1 had of the pointless kind.
The campaign is good and I DEFINITELY I enjoyed it more than Halo 1. But it's still not something I'd really go out of my way to replay anymore based on everything I have said. It has one of my favorite multiplayers, sure, but the campaign is too flawed for me to say it's great as a package.
Outskirts: I get what the early level was trying to do and it's still a good section, there's just no getting around the fact that it's a relative pace breaker when you have so much downtime in between the action and it can be not very exciting to play/replay. Even the hunters take a while to bash the door lol I get it wanted to be suspenseful but it did not work at all because the timing just got ridiculous. It picks up with the corridors like the Zanzibar hotel. Still that's all this bulk is. And the end of it is a tunnel section, where very little happens for a long while. Riveting. This level is hurt by those two things, but it's still perfectly fine.
Metropolis: Very short, I'd almost say too short. Though I can't help but feel like it's a good payoff to the prior levels buildup. I think it's just too much to take in at once. A bridge, then a brief warthog circle, and then a brief visit through the streets, then a scrab. The brief warthog circle kind of blending in my mind. I'm fine with the setpiece being the way it is, despite it's issues. I thought I would prefer this whole mombasa section of the game but to be honest I think the space level was more exciting moment to moment. While I'm writing this. I'm honestly not even sure I love Mombasa. But it is still decent at least, probably.
The Arbiter: Arbiters intro level is good, sure can be seen as repetitive but does build intrigue well I'd say. I actually like that it's not as brief. thing is there will be problems down the line with a memorable covenant ship room and neat banshee section.
Oracle: I still disagree with certain people that the flood aren't fun to fight, although this elevator part is a bit of a slog, in spite of that I actually enjoy this level, especially the generator room with the shaky camera.
Delta Halo: Relatively brief level, but goes in, in the most satisfying way possible. I even adore the aesthetic of the ruins. There's also like next to no pace breakers. Easily one of the best Halo 2 levels.
Regret: I'm sorry but the pretty view does NOT make up for the moving platforms taking forever with such little happening that I'm outright embarrassed they decided to play hype memorable music for this section of the game. It's so poorly handled and takes up so much of the level that I just can't like it all that much. I do think the sections where you wait in underground water are much better, since it's atmospheric and Cortana talks about it, good for writing reasons, but it doesn't change the fact that this is waiting and pace breaker the level, with not enough covenant content in between to make it really worth it. This is my 2nd least favorite level even though it should have been one of the better ones.
Sacred Icon: Ah yes, the falling down the shafts level. As dumb as it is I thought they were I find them charming now, nah this level has bigger problems. It repeats the same sections over and over and you have to ride on very lengthy lifts. It's nowhere near library bad, but it's noticeable and still makes the level more lame when it could just have more interesting level design? there's something wrong with the level design at Bungie when there always seems to be a point where they repeat and drag when I find they are at their very best when they are varying it up and keeping it fresh. It's also quite a long level, If I feel little desire to want to replay it, then why should I be satisfied with the longer length?
Quarantine Zone: Level starts out strong with an exciting and memorable snowish segment. Even playing a music track with the guitars going insane but immediately after runs out of steam and just feels bland. Generic fiery temple like rooms are not a good excuse for content. encounters get more brief as it goes on and the lift sequence to end it on is the worst of them all where your more likely to die of boredom waiting and go in to fall off by accident, to the point where I find this to be EASILY the worst level in the game, it did almost nothing for me if it wasn't for the strong first impression it made.
Gravemind: I think? this is my favorite level in the game, it's either this or Delta Halo, even if there's not much new to say about this level, it's more of a jack of all trades, it's basically a showcase of how good Halo 2s enemy Ai can be. Placing them in very thoughtful locations, especially the brutes. And of course the location is neat. It's the level I'm the most fulfilled by, I'll put it that way.
Uprising: Level is literally just an excuse for a ghost section lol Far too brief I wish they combined this and great journey somehow. Fun section but relative to this games structure, barely a level.
High Charity: I'm actually fine with this level being the way it is. It's a bit short but I think it does everything it needs to, plus you would NOT want it being any longer with that legendary playthrough, can you imagine? I think this fleshes out the high charity section pretty well. And I was fulfilled. It seems like even I think the chief levels are mostly better done than the arbiter ones.
The Great Journey: The level walks on thin ice by being brief and spacious but I'd say manages to just be riveting enough to hold my attention. Plus it's extremely memorable. It's a shame that yet again the scarab has to be so scripted and relatively lame, you could probably defeat all the enemies before the scarab got anywhere close to the door. Also none of these boss fights are anything more than lame and Tartarus is especially dumb, I just beat it by making him chase me around the circle and shooting every chance. Atrocious. Levels decent enough.
Conclusion:
Halo 2 did not remove the pace breakers from Halo 1 at all, and I'd say is an even bigger culprit of it in some ways. There is simply too many sections of waiting around and non-engaging gameplay and especially level design for this campaign (multiplayer is better, despite a lot of people telling me the campaign was 2s strong suit) to have been as good as I remembered. The repetition however is not as bad as it was in Halo 1, this is because it's usually adding a lot more things on top of it, and does stay a lot more fresh and variety while Halo 1 seemed to just give up entirely from assault on the control room onwards. and only parts of levels get repeated, not usually full on sections. Also I don't remember any notable backtracks either. Which Halo 1 had of the pointless kind.
The campaign is good and I DEFINITELY I enjoyed it more than Halo 1. But it's still not something I'd really go out of my way to replay anymore based on everything I have said. It has one of my favorite multiplayers, sure, but the campaign is too flawed for me to say it's great as a package.