It's really funny... People who weren't crazy about Halo aren't crazy about Halo 2. People who loved Halo, love Halo 2 even more. Who would have thought? Halo is the only game I've every played through on 4 different difficulty levels. The amount of action on the screen, the options for weapons, the dialogue and co-operation of NPC's in the game... It's not really much different than any other FPS, it's just a FPS with all of the parts done REALLY well. The LIVE matchmaking system takes a while during peak times, but every game has run smooth as butter. I love the fact that everything is random and matched to your skill level, so the games are always competetive. It seems like if I do really well for a few games, I end up in a game with some higher ranked people. If I get my ass kicked, it moves you back down. I love on-line play, but nothing kills the enjoyment of it like getting pwned by people who have the time to spend 12 hours a day on line.
Comparing games from different genres is a waste of breath. GTA:SA may be better, but I just don't like the GTA games. How good SA is has no impact on me. Might as well compare Halo to Madden, as far as I'm concerned. I love FPS games, and Halo and Halo 2 are two of the best run and gun shooters ever. My expectations were that 2 would be Halo, only better. Bungie pulled through in aces.