Halo 2 Multiplayer Modes Playtested, Recounted

Thanks to The Next Level for its two-part hands-on impressions of Halo 2's multiplayer modes, as shown at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles last week, including many videos of the action, and discussing "the changes to the heads up display", also noting gleefully: "Is carrying two guns worth sacrificing your ability to throw grenades? In a word: Hell Yeah!", before finally concluding of the Xbox title, due out this November: "It was by far the most fun and intense playing experience I had with any game at this year's E3."

Comments

Re:XBox controller for PC

[DAldredge]

It's a keyboard, learn where the damn keys are. Hell, 3rd graders can do it, why can't you?

Re:Dual Shock 2 is overrated

[Daetrin]

I only own the PS2 and the GameCube... well, technically i own an XBox since the last company i worked at gave me one for a christmas bonus, but i've never opened it.

The PS2 controller doesn't feel cheap or skinny at all to me, perhaps you're just used to the S controller which i've heard is still pretty clunky? Grab the handles on the dualshock and give it a twist, it barely moves at all. Using the analog sticks feels perfectly fine to me, although maybe it would feel odd to someone with smaller fingers than me. My only real complaint about the PS2 controller is the shoulder buttons. Trying to play with both your index and middle finger on L/R1 and L/R2 buttons respectively feels really unnatural to me. Not too many games require you to hit both the 1 and 2 buttons at the same time or in quick succession, but when they do it really sucks since i normally only use my index fingers. I don't understand why they don't curve the shoulder butotns back some more so they're more like triggers, especially for L/R2.

The GameCube controller feels great to me. How does it _feel_ "childlike" to you? How do the buttons being of different sizes bother you? Last i checked the XBox controller had at least two different button sizes. It certainly doesn't bother me any. I have about three complaints about the GameCube controller. Number one and a half is that the d-pad is too small, and it would be nicer if they swaped the d-pad with the analog stick to make it more symetrical, but perhaps they're afraid of being accused of copying sony that way. Number three is that the z-button is hard to hit, and there's only the three shoulder buttons. If they did add a fourth to match the PS2 i'd also like them to make them more trigger like, same as my wish for the PS2.

I've used the XBox controller for about five minutes in the store at the mall. I don't know if it was the original or the S type controller. All i do know is that my hands were starting to hurt by the end, and those black and white buttons are _WAY_ too small and closely placed.

So there you go, don't blindly mock the PS2 and GameCube controllers cause of your S controller fetish.