When a game is as popular as the original Halo, a sequel can never be far behind. Microsoft released Halo 2 in November of 2004, and the game generated a record $125 million on its first day of release. To put that number in context, the record for a movie release was Spider-Man in 2002. Spider-Man grossed $115 million on its first weekend of release, $10 million less than Halo 2 did on just its first day.

Halo 2 improved upon the original in nearly every way. The game feature new (and better) weapons and vehicles, better artificial intelligence, and more balanced gameplay. The game has likewise collected many awards. Some have even called Halo 2 one of the best games to be released for any platform ever. Heady praise indeed!

In the sequel, Master Chief again battles the Covenant, the villains from the first game. The Halo universe now includes more worlds and characters, as well as a more detailed examination of the culture of the Covenant. The game ends on a cliffhanger, leaving fans hungering for more.

Perhaps the most exciting addition to Halo 2 is the online multi-player option through Xbox Live. With Xbox Live, a gamer can play with friends or even total strangers via the Internet, using a broadband connection. Xbox Live has been hailed as a gameplaying innovation, changing the very way games are played. With Halo 2, this is certainly the case.