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Brandon Sanderson’s favorite video games may or may not be surprising to fans of his work, but the reason he loves Halo 2 isn’t the same reason most players of the classic FPS adore it. While Halo 2 is largely praised for its epic multiplayer combat and quintessential first-person-shooter gameplay, Sanderson praises it for the game’s well-constructed story and writing.
He isn’t wrong, and fans of the classic FPS will have no arguments against his praise for the game’s incredible narrative and storytelling. Sanderson says he has “rarely encountered writing as good” as Halo 2, citing the fact that it focuses on single-player character development more than other games in the franchise, such as Halo 3 or Reach, which tend to be favored for their incredible multiplayer gameplay.
Brandon Sanderson Thinks Halo 2 Has Great Writing
Sanderson Says He Likes Writing That “Enhances The Style Of The Game” He Plays
Iconic fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson sat down and detailed his rationale for his 10 favorite video games of all time in a YouTube video essay back in 2020. In this video, he ranks Halo 2 at #4 on the list, focusing on its overall writing being engaging because he “prefers writing that enhances the style of the game.”
He points to moments such as the opening sequence with a dual narrative setup, as well as story-developing dialogue from surrounding marines and NPCs that feels natural and authentic.
Sanderson says Halo 2 stands out in the franchise because it has “subtle yet powerful world-building sprinkled all the way through it.” His overall sense of the Halo franchise is that Halo 2 and 3 feel like they were meant to be a single game but were split into two, and Halo 3 just doesn’t land the same way as its predecessor.
Halo 2 Is A Legendary FPS Standout
Halo 2’s 95 Metacritic Score Is Well-Deserved
Halo 2 boasts a well-deserved 95 Metacritic score, which should come as no surprise to gamers interested in first-person shooters, and it haslargely defined the genre in multiple ways. Halo 2 is a legendary FPS that set a new standard for what was possible in the genre, and in video games writ large. It came at a time when games were undergoing an epic revolution and modernizing in various ways, and the FPS genre was at the forefront.
It’s a shame to see where the Halo franchise has ended up.
It’s a shame to see where the Halo franchise has ended up, with the television series being canceled and recent Halo video games being complete flops. These newer games simply don’t come anywhere close to doing justice to classics like Halo 2, and future Halo games could certainly learn a valuable lesson from the incredible writing in Halo 2, as Brandon Sanderson highlights.
Source: YouTube
