http://www.computerandvideogames.com/356982/halo-2-anniversary-now-in-development-report/

I don't find this surprising at all. Halo: CE Anniversary was received very well so this just makes sense. I have to say I'm more excited for a Halo 2 remake, but this time they have to include the full original multiplayer. Halo 2's multiplayer is too beloved by people for them to not include it. I know people that only played the mutliplayer and never touched the singleplayer. Anything you guys want to see?

I want to see the human weapons given an ammo cap with an extra 0 on the end.

Yes, the BR and SMG's are great fun to use, until you find that they always run out of ammo about a third of the way through the battle. What happened to the much higher limits of the first game?

Now that I've said that, how 'bout they include a mode where I can hold all of the guns? I used to not mind only holding two weapons and I still don't think it's a deal breaker, but I'd like to see the ability to hold every gun make a comeback. It's so much more entertaining, to me, when I can hold all of the guns and immediately switch.

Actually, for that matter, a mode that unlocks upon finishing the game where you can set a bunch of options like in Reach's Firefight would be awesome. Or an experience system that allows you to buy cheats. Really, I've beaten the vanilla game on the PC and Xbox enough times to know it like the back of my hand, I just want to do it once more with far better graphics and then I want to break the game's balance completely.

EDIT: I'm really talking about the single player campaign here. The multiplayer would be nice as well, but I'd be fine with the single player if they included the above.

If this is true then I will be buying day 1. I played so much of Halo 2's multiplayer.

Man oh man, if they included the original multiplayer, I'd play this non-stop! That's all I'm asking for!

@believer258 said:

Actually, for that matter, a mode that unlocks upon finishing the game where you can set a bunch of options like in Reach's Firefight would be awesome. Or an experience system that allows you to buy cheats. Really, I've beaten the vanilla game on the PC and Xbox enough times to know it like the back of my hand, I just want to do it once more with far better graphics and then I want to break the game's balance completely.

Well, they put skulls into Anniversary, and Halo 2 already had skulls, so it kind of make sense if they went further down that road.

It would be interesting to see how they handle this if true. They seemed very focused on the idea of preserving Halo 1 with Anniversary which I think was the right move, but Halo 2 has a lot more rough edges and is far less sacred in my mind. I would prefer them to go back and tweak a few things, but that might be more work than they want to do. Also, multiplayer is going to be a big issue. You're right, people still swear by Halo 2's online, but I question the wisdom of splitting your audience between this and Halo 4, and there are a number of balancing issues they would need to address. What would happen to all the glitches like BXRs and super bouncing? A lot of people consider them to be part of the game, but they were never intended and completely broke certain aspects of the sandbox, and then there are other controversial decisions like the heavy use of aim assist. My bet is they just drop it and include a map pack and special playlist for Halo 4.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Best news this year. Halo 2 is my best game of all time. Please hope they don't break it. Please Lord, please.

I would, very much, like that. Especially if they include the multiplayer.

That would work well as a release in the time between Halo 4 and Halo 5 as well, I think.

I was playing through Halo Anniversary earlier and it made me realise that no amount of graphical overhaul will improve a game. The same annoying repetitive levels are there as well as the horrible friendly Ai. I don't think I will buy the second one IF it does come out.

The multiplayer was awesome, but the campaign was so boring, I don't think I could buy this game again.

I guess Anniversary must’ve done well enough last year and it would be nice to round out the whole trilogy in HD. Obviously they should include the original multiplayer for nostalgia reasons, but it would likely just be campaign like last time to avoid splitting up players.

Halo 2 has by far some of the best designed and most memorable multiplayer maps in the entire series.

@Slaker117 said:

I question the wisdom of splitting your audience between this and Halo 4, and there are a number of balancing issues I would like then to address. What would happen to all the glitches like BXRs and super bouncing? A lot of people consider them to be part of the game even though they were never intended and completely broke certain aspects of the sandbox, and then there are other controversial decisions like the heavy use of aim assist. My bet is they just drop it and include a map pack for Halo 4.

Yeah I think you're right. It would be a huge undertaking to rebuild something that has inherent exploits which some players consider fundamental to the game's skill gap. I wonder how the Vista version handled button glitches or if they completely left the original mechanics untouched.

Hopefully it has the original multiplayer.

If thats true, and its a port of the original MP, then im sold! I played hundreds upon hundreds of hours of it.

Wasn't the whole point of it being called anniversary that it was developed for the ten year anniversary of the original.

So what is this coming out in 2014

Whatever I'll play it

Is the Halo 3 Anniversary going to be announced too? Milking Halo for everything it's got. Don't understand how people aren't completely sick of the franchise yet.

Would love to see this. I missed out on Halo 2 back in the day and it's not very easy on the eyes anymore.

Halo 2 was so fucking good.

@Nightriff said:

Is the Halo 3 Anniversary going to be announced too? Milking Halo for everything it's got. Don't understand how people aren't completely sick of the franchise yet.

Because no other game series has anniversary editions, HD remakes or updated ports, right? I didn't play Anniversary and I probably won't play this either, but I find it more difficult to understand how people aren't completely sick of the "they're milking Halo!" thing.

@WinterSnowblind said:

@Nightriff said:

Is the Halo 3 Anniversary going to be announced too? Milking Halo for everything it's got. Don't understand how people aren't completely sick of the franchise yet.

Because no other game series has anniversary editions, HD remakes or updated ports, right? I didn't play Anniversary and I probably won't play this either, but I find it more difficult to understand how people aren't completely sick of the "they're milking Halo!" thing.

You don't understand how people are sick of being sick of something? And I do think the Anniversary, HD, Ports etc are a bunch of bullshit and cash grabs.

I'll just wait for the Halo 3 remake.

@Nightriff said:

@WinterSnowblind said:

@Nightriff said:

Is the Halo 3 Anniversary going to be announced too? Milking Halo for everything it's got. Don't understand how people aren't completely sick of the franchise yet.

Because no other game series has anniversary editions, HD remakes or updated ports, right? I didn't play Anniversary and I probably won't play this either, but I find it more difficult to understand how people aren't completely sick of the "they're milking Halo!" thing.

You don't understand how people are sick of being sick of something? And I do think the Anniversary, HD, Ports etc are a bunch of bullshit and cash grabs.

Really? Why do you feel this way? Take for example the mgs collection. It's definitely worth the 40 bucks and alot of people like being able to play those games without digging out the ps2. I don't see how releasing this stuff is doing any harm. Also on topic I would buy this for sure if they dont reachify the multiplayer and keep it the way it was.

@laserbolts said:

Really? Why do you feel this way? Take for example the mgs collection. It's definitely worth the 40 bucks and alot of people like being able to play those games without digging out the ps2. I don't see how releasing this stuff is doing any harm. Also on topic I would buy this for sure if they dont reachify the multiplayer and keep it the way it was.

I like when a game collection comes out, a cheaper way to play games I never got to play. The MGS Collection was one of my favorite games last year because I never played 2, 3 and now have a chance to play peace walker. I don't like when it is just a high res version of a 1 game. The RE4 HD last year was ridiculous. Halo was an Anni have one of the most important games released in the last 10 years and was very good, but a Halo 2 remake/HD, that's just pushing it too far.

Makes sense. You can't play Halo 2 online anymore.

@Nightriff said:

I like when a game collection comes out, a cheaper way to play games I never got to play. The MGS Collection was one of my favorite games last year because I never played 2, 3 and now have a chance to play peace walker. I don't like when it is just a high res version of a 1 game. The RE4 HD last year was ridiculous. Halo was an Anni have one of the most important games released in the last 10 years and was very good, but a Halo 2 remake/HD, that's just pushing it too far.

The Anniversary stuff seems to be one of the only times it's not just the high res version of older games. Halo 2 is a well liked game, so why is that "pushing it too far?" The criteria you have for what's okay and what's being milked seems like fanboy nonsense.

So maybe we'll also see a Halo 3 HD version trollolololol.

That's great. Halo 2 was the only Halo game I never played. If they remake it, it gives me more incentive to try it.

Alright, Microsoft.. now just stop here. Seriously, make a Halo 3 Anniversary Edition, and it'll mean fucking war.

@Nightriff said:

@laserbolts said:

Really? Why do you feel this way? Take for example the mgs collection. It's definitely worth the 40 bucks and alot of people like being able to play those games without digging out the ps2. I don't see how releasing this stuff is doing any harm. Also on topic I would buy this for sure if they dont reachify the multiplayer and keep it the way it was.

I like when a game collection comes out, a cheaper way to play games I never got to play. The MGS Collection was one of my favorite games last year because I never played 2, 3 and now have a chance to play peace walker. I don't like when it is just a high res version of a 1 game. The RE4 HD last year was ridiculous. Halo was an Anni have one of the most important games released in the last 10 years and was very good, but a Halo 2 remake/HD, that's just pushing it too far.

Hmm I suppose so. It all depends on the price for me. I believe the first anniversary collection was 40 bucks which isn't too bad if you get some milage out of the mp. I will agree that some of them are cash grabs though.

I'll probably get it, though at a reduced price of $20 like I got Halo: Anniversary for. If they waited until the ten year anniversary again so that it was on next-gen hardware that would be interesting to me.

@ez123 said:

@Nightriff said:

I like when a game collection comes out, a cheaper way to play games I never got to play. The MGS Collection was one of my favorite games last year because I never played 2, 3 and now have a chance to play peace walker. I don't like when it is just a high res version of a 1 game. The RE4 HD last year was ridiculous. Halo was an Anni have one of the most important games released in the last 10 years and was very good, but a Halo 2 remake/HD, that's just pushing it too far.

The Anniversary stuff seems to be one of the only times it's not just the high res version of older games. Halo 2 is a well liked game, so why is that "pushing it too far?" The criteria you have for what's okay and what's being milked seems like fanboy nonsense.

Halo 2 didn't reinvent the wheel like Halo. Halo 2 is a shitty single player with a damn good multiplayer. I don't think it is worthy of a remake and that is "pushing it too far." Also the anniversary is in 2 years so if they wait that long then fine, release it.

I'm only interested if the original multiplayer is left as is. Halo 2 was my first online multiplayer experience, and I'd love to go back to it, but if it's just Reach with Halo 2 maps, count me out.

...although, if it's based on Halo 4, they might have something, we'll see.

@Nightriff: So now a game has to reinvent the wheel for a remake to be okay. Again, sounds like nonsense to me. I'll make up my mind on how good it is if/when I play it like you did when you played the MGS collection and experienced those games for the first time.

@TooWalrus said:

I'm only interested if the original multiplayer is left as is. Halo 2 was my first online multiplayer experience, and I'd love to go back to it, but if it's just Reach with Halo 2 maps, count me out.

...although, if it's based on Halo 4, they might have something, we'll see.

Nov. 2014 sounds like Halo 5 time. I wish 343 keeps getting 3 year dev cycles like they are getting for Halo 4. Though MS is probably looking at Treyarch, Naughty Dog, etc. and think that their studio could do 2 years. Turn 10 too but that's a racing game so it's hard to compare.

my most played and favorite multiplayer of all time. if it's included i will be hella excited.

I don't mind the news but I'm tired of paying for "anniversary" versions at full price. I'd grab this at $40.

@Demoskinos said:

Makes sense. You can't play Halo 2 online anymore.

You can on PC, but I've heard it's not very good.

I really liked Halo Anniversary (it helped that I never played the original before that) so a remake of Halo 2 (which I did play) is totally welcomed as is placing the original multiplayer in it.

I'm I the only one here who thinks Halo 2 sans multiplayer was an all around bad game.

@Turtlebird95 said:

@Demoskinos said:

Makes sense. You can't play Halo 2 online anymore.

You can on PC, but I've heard it's not very good.

I know this is a really old post, but I'm just going to say that the PC version works but it's not going to rock your socks off.

@mewstu said:

I'm I the only one here who thinks Halo 2 sans multiplayer was an all around bad game.

You should have actually read the thread you just necro'd; some people didn't like Halo 2's single player. Hell, I love Halo for its campaigns and I thought Halo 2's campaign was the worst of the bunch. Halo 2 had problematic development, which is why the campaign isn't as good.