Halo 2 received critical acclaim. On review aggregate sites GameRankings and Metacritic, the game has attained overall scores of 94.57% and 95 out of 100, respectively.[64][66] Halo 2 received multiple awards, including Best Console game and Best Sound Design from the Interactive Achievement Awards. According to Xbox.com, the game has received more than 38 individual awards.[68] Many reviewers praised the audio for being especially vivid.[60][64] Multiplayer especially was noted in being the best on Xbox Live at the time. Game Informer, along with numerous other publications, rated it higher than Halo: Combat Evolved, citing enhanced multiplayer and less repetitive gameplay. Most critics noted that Halo 2 stuck with the formula that made its predecessor successful, and was alternatively praised and faulted for this decision. Edge's review concluded that Halo 2 could be summed up with a line from its script: "It's not a new plan. But we know it'll work."[61] The game's campaign mode received some criticism for being too short,[69] and for featuring an abrupt cliffhanger ending.[63] GameSpot noted that although the story's switching between the Covenant and human factions made the plot more intricate, it distracted the player from Earth's survival and the main point of the game;[63] while Edge labeled the plot "a confusing mess of fan-fiction sci-fi and bemusing Episode-II-style politics."[61] The Windows version of the game received mixed reviews, with IGN rating it a 7.5/10,[70] and GameSpot giving it a 7.0/10.[71] Most criticism was due to the late release date, and the graphics being dated. It received an aggregate score of 72.67% from GameRankings[65] and 72 out of 100 from Metacritic.[67] Legacy
