As happens periodically, I'm drawn to play through the old Halo campaigns. It'd been years since attempting Halo 2 Legendary and I hadn't yet seen the Anniversary Edition's overhauled graphics on MCC, so that was the one.
I'm going to assume anyone reading this knows nothing about Halo. Halo 1 ('Combat Evolved') debuted as a launch title for the original Xbox in 2001. The first person shooter was an immediate hit for both its campaign and multiplayer modes, making CE the start of a franchise that continues today. The story centers on a futuristic super-soldier usually only referred to by his rank, 'Master Chief.' Chief, a typically silent and unstoppable protagonist, together with his AI partner Cortana must foil an alien plot to activate an ancient super weapon in the form of a ring-shaped world. All events of Halo: Combat Evolved take place near or on this world, called 'Halo.' The alien antagonists are a multiple race alliance called the Covenant and they've been conquering worlds, including several human ones (though not Earth), prior to this story. They want to fire the ring, which would destroy all life in the universe, for religious reasons. After being denied this single-handedly by Chief (you) in CE they subsequently refer to him as 'the Demon.'
Halo 2 arrived a few years later in 2004. I've always remembered H2 as the hardest campaign when played on the highest difficulty ('Legendary') and so far my memory's served me well. If you ever find yourself surprised by literally any enemy unit, you die. They mass together in big groups at times making isolating an individual Elite a difficult task. Utilization of the 'noob-combo,' a battle rifle burst following a charged plasma shot, is required over and over and it's no wonder the strategy was so popular in H2 matchmaking back in the day. All the nearly perfect one-shot Jackal snipers are the most unforgettable and agonizing piece of it all, forcing so much memorization and resulting in so many setbacks. On this play-through it's again slow and frustrating, but I'm making progress and enjoying the ride.
The sequel's story resumes almost immediately following the first game, with Master Chief getting awarded for his heroism. There's no time to revel, however, because in the middle of the ceremony the Covenant discover Earth with an invasion fleet. The gravity of this cannot be understated for, as far as humanity knows, the Covenant has never been stopped. Earth has only been safe because they didn't know where it was. You, still as the Chief, need to save humanity on Earth from what seems like certain annihilation. The first level takes place on a large human spaceship orbiting Earth and part of its planetary defense system. You stop a number of boarding parties and save the ship, but see many others around you blow up. Knowing there's a bomb on your ship as well, you locate and stop it from detonating.
After this is a cutscene. It's probably the best (and most pivotal?) in all the Halo games, and there are some great ones. One, it showed the full extent of the badass that is Master Chief. Two, it let you know that Bungie, the game's developer, knew exactly what it was doing. Context is important here. The first Halo was a bit of a surprise. Halo 2 had high expectations for improved graphics, more versatile multiplayer, and a continued and better fleshed out story. It was no sure thing. This scene let you know right away how awesome this game was going to be. And it's one of those things that keeps me coming back.
That large alien bomb you now possess? Let's give it back.
Hail to the Chief.
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