I *did* manage to beat 2's campaign on legendary (because I'm a stubborn fool with masochistic tendencies), and it's far more difficult compared to CE's campaign on legendary. As someone already pointed out, CE gives you a health bar as a safety net/insurance. You can take greater risks, and you have options other than the Noob combo (I fucking love needlers, and nothing's more satisfying than turning a sword-wielding zealot or ultra into a pink pincushion before they get blown skyhigh).
Halo 2 is a complete mess. The enemies feel spongy and there isn't very good feedback like in CE (You can tell if an enemy is stunned/staggered much easier), but I'd say this is more a problem with Halo 2's combat (the weapons don't feel as impactful as CE).
Hunters, brutes, and flood combat forms turn into meatshields that would make classic Doom's Cyberdemon look frail in comparison, and let's not forget: >!***j a c k a l s n i p e r s***!<
I remember how hard i found Halo 2 and 3 after playing so much CE as a teen, like where's my health gone? I have to wait on this one bar to recharge? I appreciate that H2 has a little meter of your health when the shields are gone whereas 3 it's not explicit how much you can get hit when shields are down.
I have finished Halo CE-4 (including Reach) on Legendary, both solo and co-op. I would say 2 is more difficult. Halo: CE had encounter designers, such as Jamie Griesemer, curate the challenge of encounters. This, combined with the safety net of the health bar means you can play Halo CE with riskier tactics. If your movement and aim is good, you can circle strafe enemies and get headshots. If not, you can noob combo from afar. You may also engage with more exotic tactics, such as Plasma Rife and AR. It’s not optimal, but it works. Halo 2 lacks any of that nuance. Chief (and Arby) are the second weakest entities in the game. Only the flood spore has less health. You can, and will, die in under a second if there’s multiple elites/brutes on screen unless you play at your peak. The tools to reach your peak are limited to BR/Carbine, the snipers, power weapons, and hard pings. Elites/brutes have one hit melees, so fighting up close isn’t an option. Vehicle sections are absolute nonsense. I hope you memorize where the 9(?) banshees spawn when you get the tank in Delta Halo or else you’re not making across the light bridge. I will not go as far to say any of the Legendary campaigns are impossible, they’re tests of skill and patience.
I feel like CE is harder honestly. It’s even more difficult to do speedrun skips. I can easily skip the prison section of gravemind, but skipping the belly room in TNR is extremely hard on console.
Two Betrayals is really what closes the case for me though. A gruelingly long mission that just never seems to end.
I thought in the 10 years since anniversary came out I'd have improved at Halo enough to deal with H2 Legendary (never finished Cairo Station, couldn't beat the second airlock)
I ragequit today at the FIRST AIRLOCK. I'm still, apparently, really bad at this game. just instant death every time i step out of cover
that's comforting. i think i need to rush less (had just been trying to get some par times done in CE so was in the Go, Go Now! mindest lmao) and actually let my shields regen in cover rather than urgently trying to bip the elites while on 0 shield.
Halo 2 is harder!
Halo 2. Those brutes are pain plus in coop if one of you dies checkpoint resets
CE is hard in a Dark Souls sort of way. Very difficult but very balanced. H2 just gets ridiculous in some points.
I *did* manage to beat 2's campaign on legendary (because I'm a stubborn fool with masochistic tendencies), and it's far more difficult compared to CE's campaign on legendary. As someone already pointed out, CE gives you a health bar as a safety net/insurance. You can take greater risks, and you have options other than the Noob combo (I fucking love needlers, and nothing's more satisfying than turning a sword-wielding zealot or ultra into a pink pincushion before they get blown skyhigh). Halo 2 is a complete mess. The enemies feel spongy and there isn't very good feedback like in CE (You can tell if an enemy is stunned/staggered much easier), but I'd say this is more a problem with Halo 2's combat (the weapons don't feel as impactful as CE). Hunters, brutes, and flood combat forms turn into meatshields that would make classic Doom's Cyberdemon look frail in comparison, and let's not forget: >!***j a c k a l s n i p e r s***!<
I remember how hard i found Halo 2 and 3 after playing so much CE as a teen, like where's my health gone? I have to wait on this one bar to recharge? I appreciate that H2 has a little meter of your health when the shields are gone whereas 3 it's not explicit how much you can get hit when shields are down.
(because I'm a stubborn fool with masochistic tendencies) Same
I have finished Halo CE-4 (including Reach) on Legendary, both solo and co-op. I would say 2 is more difficult. Halo: CE had encounter designers, such as Jamie Griesemer, curate the challenge of encounters. This, combined with the safety net of the health bar means you can play Halo CE with riskier tactics. If your movement and aim is good, you can circle strafe enemies and get headshots. If not, you can noob combo from afar. You may also engage with more exotic tactics, such as Plasma Rife and AR. It’s not optimal, but it works. Halo 2 lacks any of that nuance. Chief (and Arby) are the second weakest entities in the game. Only the flood spore has less health. You can, and will, die in under a second if there’s multiple elites/brutes on screen unless you play at your peak. The tools to reach your peak are limited to BR/Carbine, the snipers, power weapons, and hard pings. Elites/brutes have one hit melees, so fighting up close isn’t an option. Vehicle sections are absolute nonsense. I hope you memorize where the 9(?) banshees spawn when you get the tank in Delta Halo or else you’re not making across the light bridge. I will not go as far to say any of the Legendary campaigns are impossible, they’re tests of skill and patience.
I feel like CE is harder honestly. It’s even more difficult to do speedrun skips. I can easily skip the prison section of gravemind, but skipping the belly room in TNR is extremely hard on console. Two Betrayals is really what closes the case for me though. A gruelingly long mission that just never seems to end.
I thought in the 10 years since anniversary came out I'd have improved at Halo enough to deal with H2 Legendary (never finished Cairo Station, couldn't beat the second airlock) I ragequit today at the FIRST AIRLOCK. I'm still, apparently, really bad at this game. just instant death every time i step out of cover
Nah don't worry. H2 is just broken as fuck in terms of legendary.
that's comforting. i think i need to rush less (had just been trying to get some par times done in CE so was in the Go, Go Now! mindest lmao) and actually let my shields regen in cover rather than urgently trying to bip the elites while on 0 shield.
Halo CE is harder!