I've had this on my mind a lot lately: Which is better, Halo 2 or Half-Life 2? Halo 2 got a better rating on Gamespot. But why?

I've played both, now - don't get me wrong, I'm still a fan of Halo. I believe the reason why Halo 2 got a better rating than Half-Life 2 was either because of Steam (har, har) or because those who rated Halo hadn't played Half-Life.

Now, when I go and play Halo 2, I notice how bad the graphics are. And the game isn't nearly as fun anymore, when I compare it to HL2. It is much, much shorter in length, and doesn't have nearly as many possibilites. In Halo 2, you advance through a linear map filled with enemies - and that is it. In Half-Life 2, you advance through a varied map filled with enemies, puzzles, and, as aforementioned, possibilites. Sure, I could understand that, without the dev console, there wouldn't be anywhere near as many possibilites.

When I play Halo 2, I wince when I kill an enemy with a grenade. They fly into the air, hands flailing, like they're swimming - nearly every time. The physics SUCK! Bungie couldn't have spent a few more hours perfecting the ragdolls, instead of sleeping? Heh, heh.

Plus, the weapons in Halo 2 aren't very fun at all - any more, at least.. They're all basic point-and-click. Half-Life 2's weapons have personality. Take the crossbow, for example - sticking enemies to walls? It may have been used already, but it sure is fun (it would be even cooler if they struggled for a bit, if it nailed them by the arm or leg). And the RPG, with the laser-guided targeting - has that been used before? I'm not sure, but it has a lot more personality than the fire-and-forget or "dumb" rockets.

The one feature that saves Halo 2 is the multiplayer. The option to play online with a truckload of swearing, whining, and cheating gamers is just so appealing. The option is open for HL2, also, but it isn't as fantastic.

Now, when Half-Life 2 comes to Xbox, I doubt it will rival Halo 2. I found that, without the dev console, the game wouldn't come close to the greatness that I find in it. It will be a lot more linear - I love the chance to spawn huge four-way battles between humans, Combine, bugs and zombies. I doubt this possibility will be open in the Xbox version, but for PC - I must agree with PC Gamer - Half-Life 2 is "the best game ever made."