Behind the Scenes Making of Halo 2

[@KarlRock]

The good old days. I remember going to EB Games at midnight to pick up my game. It hit different back then, and physical games had a level of polish we don’t see today.

[@JamieBainer]

Hell yeah. Clicking PURCHASE on a screen just isn't the same as going into store, talking to other gamers, and experiencing the excitement as you make your way home. You had a much smaller game library, but those games that made it in held a special place.

[@damightybenstein]

It's just a shame that the vast majority of gamers these days just don't get hyped for video game releases like they used to.

[@Rawarcia]

20 years ago tonight!! November 9th 2004 never forget!!😭😭

[@WONKEYgames]

​@@damightybenstein the vast majority of gamers these days are not gamers. They don't care about games or what goes into them. They just need quick satisfaction dopamine hits. That's all games are now and we need to change that by speaking up and voting with our money.

[@damightybenstein]

@@WONKEYgames That's something that I've been saying for years and unfortunately people like me are a very small, but very vocal minority that actually cares about this hobby. It's really sad.

[@Warhero1171]

"Halo one was a pretty good game." That is one of the greatest understatements of all time.

[@wattosacrim]

Modesty from them.

[@jeremyterkelsen2518]

"Environments 10 times the size of Halo 1" biggest overstatement of all time

[@halinaqi2194]

hmmm, most of halo 2 is explore able, almost all the terrain can be walked on. It is true that the H2 maps are much larger, but if you play the level normally it doesn't seem much bigger than H1

[@DeathBringer769]

What's funny is I've had idiotic fanboys rage at me for calling it Halo 1 instead of Halo:CE, as if that's the only "proper" and "correct" way to say it, lol. Yet in this video, a dev literally from Bungie, literally on the Halo team at the time, calls it Halo 1 just fine. Just a shoutout if any of you idiotic fanboys that think this way happen to read this ;)

[@Tuckerscreator]

@@DeathBringer769 Bungie intended to just call the first game Halo, but Microsoft made them add "Combat Evolved" to the title because they thought Halo didn't sound "manly" enough.

[@Whaty80]

I love how 2004 this is.

[@Balnazzardi]

Good old times those were.....really a shame that 10 years later, many of those familiar faces, like Joseph Staten and Marty O'Donnell are no longer there....they along with Frank O'Connor were the faces that you would always link to Bungie, but now they are all gone (and in Marty's case he got fired)

[@gentlemenRick]

2004 for had: GTA: San Andreas, Halo 2, Half-Life: 2, Metal Gear Solid, etc. Yea, 2004 kicked so much ass.

[@Balnazzardi]

gentlemenRick ye....Burnout 3: Takedown, Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War, World of Warcraft (North America launch), Jak 3, Ratchet & Clank 3, Far Cry, Doom 3, Rome: Total War....just to name few others ;D Heck I dont see how anyone can argue against the fact that 2004 was the best year in gaming., 2007, 2010, 2012 and all others pale in comparison

[@AC-oz9gr]

Had Halo 2 a week early a decade ago at this time. What the fuck.

[@85fabricio]

2003

[@deejmal4932]

The contrast between Bungie then and generic game designers now is insane. They refer to Halo 2, arguably my favourite game of all time as 'some stupid video game' where designers these days will refer to whatever average experience they have made as being 'the most incredible gaming experience to date'. The humility from Bungie is incredible.

[@megajoecaco786]

youve basically put into words what ive been feeling about most triple AAA games nowadays. The lack of humility these new devs have so they dont piss off their shareholders that their product cant be put out in time or make the money they wanted is frankly tiresome.

[@TheSocratesofAthens]

Exactly, they had what is sorely missing today: ambition.

[@jgn]

I guess they have humility but they should've had someone playtest that easy ass legendary difficulty

[@thisIsFunnyLolz]

Yes the combination of ambition and being your own worst critic is such a rare combination in professionals especially in the entertainment industry these days. Everything is so safe and recycled.

[@xGLLx]

@@thisIsFunnyLolz Jason Jones literally says this in the video "If you think what you are doing is the best thing ever all the time then it wont be"

[@kablooey60]

I want a Halo like this back. This was the game that got me into the FPS genre. Shoutouts to the music as well.

[@Incompared]

+Jack Registeel Me too!!!!! I miss good halos. And H2s music was the very best of any game!

[@SotaMake]

+Jack Registeel same here

[@MrSophisticatedChild]

+Kyle Erman I'm not a fan. A lot of people want a classic multiplayer mode. I, personally, HATE ground pounding, charging, and hovering. Sprinting, aiming down sights, and boosting is okay, but I wouldn't mind at all if they took it out either. And another item on my christmas list...Blood Gulch, or any classic maps really

[@MrSophisticatedChild]

I've heard nothing but bad things about MCC. I know I would enjoy the campaign, at least, but MCC population will die if it hasn't already. I want a classic playlist in current titles, even if only in custom games. 343 just wants to make it "their" halo.

[@MrSophisticatedChild]

Some people really like the changes; it's much more competitive I guess. However, not everyone likes it. I will always consider Halo as a Bungie game. What did you think of the campaign?

[@Haloforus]

They openly admit to Halo 2 being a failure to them, the absolute development hell this game suffered is a heartbreaking story of a bunch of passionate developers and creators having to work every hour of every day to come as close to their vision that they knew was simply not possible, even making their own personal hygiene suffer because they had to get the game finished. I've heard Halo 2 called "The greatest failure to ever succeed." If it's any consolation to Ex-Bungie, Halo 2 is genuinely one of my most cherished and favorite games ever made, I remember all the way back in 2004 on Christmas, opening my present to see that iconic image of Master Chief holding 2 SMGs, it didn't take long for me to skyrocket to my Xbox and put that son of a bitch in. It was an unforgettable experience that I played again and again, it took everything that made the first game great and expanded on it, the story and cinematic cut scenes are engraved into my skull, the 30 seconds of fun they nailed and of course the Arbiter reveal blew my mind, to actually get to play as an Elite and see the other side of the War was absolutely incredible. I'd love to experience Halo 2 for the first time again but that's just not possible, but it'll always be up there as my favorite Halo game and one of my most favorite games ever made. Thank you for the memories Bungie, I miss you guys so much.

[@bigsauce1116]

Damn I tearing up after reading that.

[@s1lentscope801]

@@bigsauce1116 Same, every year gaming just gets farther away from this

[@troopercaswell7117]

I actually just recently played Halo 2 Anniversary on pc and it was amazing, by far the best halo game and one of my favorite games.

[@marnixmaximus3053]

Why was it considered a failure?

[@alexsoundwave0]

@@marnixmaximus3053 It isn't but bungie considered it a failure, in terms of story and what they wanted to achieve with it.

[@EdgeOf1996]

The Arbiter's voice actor kinda sent chills down my spine.......

[@gentlemenRick]

His name is keith david. He does a lot of video games and acts in movies. He is Captain David Anderson in Mass Effect.

[@NoMaloneUnturned2]

EdgeOf1996 david keith

[@PeanutttGoat]

Mans in the nice guys haha, brill actor

[@im_inside_your_home49]

EdgeOf1996 huh...ARTORIAS

[@EdwardGutierrez90]

hes also in the movie "Armageddon"

[@AvantsGarde]

17:03 I'm not going to lie, I cried. The memories Halo created for me as a kid, the hours of gameplay coming home and shutting out life. I can't begin to explain how much this game company changed my life. I can't believe Joseph And Marty are gone. Bungie will never be the same.

[@brendanbeast123]

***** Sony had nothing to do with Destiny. Other than ps4 getting a few exclusive things.

[@Pitchblackplays]

That moment of the making of has given me chills from the first time I saw it with my collector's edition. It also helps that the game and that song came out during my formative years. The joy you see in their faces is a real thing, and it still resonates with me.

[@mikehunt4607]

yeah that part brought on some feels

[@Pwophet_of_Twuth]

There will never be another game as insane and revolutionary as Halo 2. Halo 2 set the standards for Online Gaming, friends lists, partys, clans, stats. Everything that is a now standard.

[@richbunnell7426]

Dude, just seeing this comment that you made four years ago. Me too.

[@ChrisOfTheDead]

I had the disc this came on for 3 years before I popped it in to see what it was. As a kid, I just asked my parents to buy me Halo2 and they got the collector's edition without realizing it was anything special. I wish more games had BTS documentaries in their special editions. This stuff was great.

[@OldSchoolDudeGaming]

+ChrisOfTheDead halo 3 has one too, it's just as good.

[@ChrisOfTheDead]

OldSchoolDudeGaming I know! :D The Halo 1 and 2 cutscenes with creator commentary is awesome! I re-watch once a year.

[@drifter402]

It would just be suits telling them to follow trends.

[@pupsblogs]

BTS now would just be them reading tweets or facebook or youtube comments about how terrible their games have become and them crying in the corner with a bottle of jack.... Along with the release of unfinished games.

[@PuppyMonkeyBabyy]

I enjoyed watching the one that came with Gears of War, but it wasn't as good as this.

[@splintercell2002]

You're never too old to play video games.

[@rootatouille180]

And You're never too young to play videogames.

[@machina5]

@@rootatouille180 lol

[@hankhill5622]

No AAA game company is ever going to put this much effort into a game again. 2000 to 2010 was truly the golden era of gaming.

[@mattmartin6493]

It really was I wish more people realized this. Developers truly had passion and wanted to make something amazing and groundbreaking and new. No politics no worrying about being offensive no lootboxes etc.

[@DannyLrides]

@@mattmartin6493 I think the developers aren’t to blame or at least not the ones in the upper tiers I’d blame it on poor leadership and following the shareholder’s interest

[@PLANET123100]

that era was when nerds, coders and actual creative types worked together throughout the whole company. Nowadays it's all high level management and the marketing department controlling all aspects of the developers work. I really do agree that gaming died in the 2010s but maybe that's just the natural evolution of things :/

[@hungryim8643]

Then, the concepts of microtransaction, free-to-play, and early access got invented and the rest is history :)

[@skrublordnord69]

@@hungryim8643 I was there when the horse armor came out… to think back then we thought THAT was crossing the line.

[@brendanbeast123]

I've watched this many times. Makes me cry when I think of all the memories, and times never to return.

[@bear4454]

right? 17:01 when that guy's face lights up at the E3 demo... every. single. time. hair stands on end and my eyes half well up.

[@Californiaaa]

+brendanbeast123 fr i watched this and as it was playing i just sat here with my old friend and we talked for hours about all the fun and glitchy shit we went through together... this game basically was my childhood and is a game that will never be forgotten by anyone. And the last seconds of the servers being up everyone in the lobby screamed "we will miss you halo 2! You will never be forgot---" and right as we were about to say forgotten everyone was kicked and me and my friends sat there on skype, going from laughing and having fun playing, to silent in a heart beat, and we just sat there watching our screens with wattery eyes, hoping that it would come back... but an hour and a half after we sat there silent we finally got that it was over... it was weird feeling seeing the biggest part of your childhood just switch off like that... halo will never be the same again... :'(

[@frostygraybob]

+TYPO Zexr the beta files that run the game on this video in the end when everyone is playing in that room with the tvs can still be download and played on a softmodded xbox. the orginal halo 2 experience lives through LAN now. and if you want to try what the developers used then try looking for the beta files on iso zone. I feel you

[@stefanc.4124]

It returns :)

[@ARC117Studios]

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.

[@joeybagadonuts5763]

Truly the Golden era of gaming. Will never forget me and all my friends in elementary school sleeping over one person's house every weekend to play halo 2 than staying up every night till 3am playing halo 3 over Xbox live. Some of the best times of my life honostly

[@kroneyt1493]

"The key to winning the Pentathlon is appearing like you're drunk, but drinking root beer!" "The key to enjoying the Pentathlon... beer."

[@jimmythetacoman]

RIP Bungie, I had always hoped it would never come to what it is. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted, thanks for the best years ever.

[@TheColdTomato]

+Jimmy T. Man It's not Bungie, they are being controlled by Activision.

[@jimmythetacoman]

Yes, but Bungie was always for being independent and never being controlled by an upper company. (I.E. Microsoft) Plus the fact that so many of the original Bungie employees left paints a picture that something else is going on that we're not seeing.

[@damightybenstein]

​@@jimmythetacoman If you only knew how much worse it was gonna get.

[@7kingly241]

17:00 I gotta admit, this part always gets me in tears, dont matter how many times i watch this i still gonna cry like a baby. Because i really really miss the old days of playing Halo every day after school and whole weekend. The exitment for a next Halo game was UNREAL !

[@iNoXpLodE]

RandomVideos I know exactly you feel man, I’m doing the exact same thing now

[@Werner-sv2le]

It's sad that those days are memories but I smile because it happened.

[@rustyshackleford1908]

I watch this about once a year.

[@JDX_117]

Same, nostalgia hits hard

[@gran_turismo_fan]

One of the most coolest and unique video game documentaries in that time era. There's less of that now and days which makes me sad because this stuff is interesting by the sheer amount of creativity and hard work that goes into video games that most people don't know about when they play a video game themselves.

[@aidanarroyo5106]

2004 was one of the greatest years for video games ever! This was when games really started to evolve into what we see today! Man this brings back memories..

[@dark12794]

17:02 got me more choked up than I'm willing to admit. I have ALOT of painful memories associated with that time and place in my childhood & Halo 2 was one of what felt like a very limited amount of shining lights at the end of the tunnel that kept me going.... Somedays it felt like that time with my friend's, Arbiter & Chief were all I had. After all these years i realise just how right Sgt Johnson was... "Folk's need heroes Chief, gives 'em hope."

[@paulwediting7175]

Its 2019 and I still come back and watch this from time to time. Its just a really cool and motivating doc to put your head down and get through your work.

[@iNoXpLodE]

Paul Whiteford 2020 and I’m still doing it

[@brycecorgin1125]

@@iNoXpLodE me too :)

[@heralds3164]

Same! I am currently playing this documentary right now in the background while going through the hell that is college applications. All while having a big math test to study for also Seeing the stress on their faces but also the passion and drive to not let the fans down gives me hope that if I just grind a little bit more I will see the light at the end of the tunnel.

[@paulwediting7175]

@@heralds3164 How did you go with the applications?

[@heralds3164]

@@paulwediting7175 Honestly not that bad...I got all of them done I needed too. But it was stressful to get them done. I won't know if I'm accepted until February

[@Quality3rr0r]

This isn't their story, this is their Legacy :)

[@christianbethel]

Used to watch this documentary religiously with my friend's copy. Just take me back to an endless childhood: gaming with friends, no responsibilities, just making memories and having fun.

[@BroeyBroe]

Ah dual smg's something that fans thought was really cool when they first saw it but when you use them on legendary they're pretty damn useless xD

[@MrAtlfan21]

Dual needles on the other hand..

[@SplendidCoffee0]

MrAtlfan21 my lifeline on legendary right there

[@elisimons8841]

23:38 The greatest quote from this whole thing. THE BEST WAY TO SUCCESS IS BEING YOUR OWN WORST CRITIC.

[@shubhsharma2755]

just finished Halo 1. It is a masterpiece, looking forward to it's sequel.

[@xDinomanx]

+Shubh Sharma Do you have the Master Chief Collection with four of the games?

[@shubhsharma2755]

nope just had the old pc game.

[@xDinomanx]

Ah okay, you may enjoy Halo 2. But know that it is a much faster-paced game in terms of movement. So you might be a bit caught off by the speed of Halo 2. Asides from that, the game is great. What platform are you playing it on?

[@shubhsharma2755]

Im a PC player and I have no problem with fast paced gameplay as I am also a player of counter strike. Thank you luke for your advice.

[@AwesomeAussiezzz]

Halo reach on PC would be my baby

[@morphanok6932]

Why can't games be this good anymore?

[@Tony-dl3tb]

They only make it for the money now...

[@wtblack5]

morphanok69 it's like cartoons, they used to be made just for the user, now they are made to make money selling add ons (toys and action figures for cartoons in the 80s and DLC for video games today) but if it goes the same way, cartoons saw that truly good shows kept the fans for life, and we're in a golden age of cartoons, maybe video games will go the same way...

[@morphanok6932]

Emk Mage Huh.. reminds me of today's movies. No true camera work and filled with cgi. Welcome to the new world of entertainment folks..

[@Fosi94]

2 words: Early Access.

[@LuDogg805]

They think of sales and trends. They don't try to make memories for the gamer anymore. Corporate greed is what infected the video game industry.

[@Marksman3434]

32:58 this is the part that a lot of developers don’t talk about. Halo 2’s campaign development was quite complicated, and their original vision wasn’t exactly what we got in the end. Still, I loved the game and thought it was still worth a great buy despite they problems they had. Wish more developers were more honest about this aspect in their game development.

[@calebbaumtm1915]

36:45 Geoff goes so far back with a lot of stuff. Like Achievement Hunter, Rooster Teeth, Let's Play, Red vs Blue He was the start of all of that and its hard to comprehend he's been doing this for longer than a decade and is still around

[@claytonmerle976]

Like 25 years at this point. Out of the original guys I think only he has stuck around as long. Its weird to think that here soon we are going to have the FINAL season of RvB. Time truly is a brutal and cruel mistress.

[@SullyWar]

Randomly here to thank Bungie for uploading this. I watched this in October 2012 and it inspired me to get into game dev and now I've been doing it for almost 10 years(As of 2022)! Edit:As of 2024, I'll be in this industry as a full time career for almost 6 years!

[@ralleks]

If you never need help with voice acting in one of your games il be glad to help! :)

[@raiden6156]

That's really cool :)

[@claytonmerle976]

Dude good to hear! Keep that old school passion alive man.

[@JIGgameoverSAW]

17:20.. man that music and the classic H2.. I was in my childhood for a min ;(((

[@diverman1023]

I know man, it unexpectedly almost brought tears

[@ogtrey4k]

The good old days.... This brought memories back to me... :( really miss them..Bungie please come back to halo the community misses you.

[@TheLuisberg]

Back when making games was a reward

[@HarryBillyBobGeorge]

+TheLuisberg Top Commentor Back when you didn't have to go indie to make a game for the sake of making a game

[@TheLuisberg]

Yeah. 'Twas a time of wonder

[@rufousthefox9766]

And when game companies put the player first.

[@TheLuisberg]

@@rufousthefox9766 exactly

[@SkuIIKn1ght]

It really is crazy how much more dedicated devs were back then, these days it seems like there is a massive disconnect between devs/producers and their audience. Games back in the day on average were just made with more love and the proof is in the gameplay.

[@GoblinSatyr]

Yum. Pudding.

[@BelchingBeaver69]

Pudding

[@brianmckee2267]

I mean yeah. But those guys talking about working overnight and not seeing the sun for months on end isn't good either.

[@SkuIIKn1ght]

@@brianmckee2267 A worthy sacrifice tbh, lots of the best pieces of art in history were done at the cost of the artist's well being, at least these guys only had to be indoors and stressed for a few years.

[@bigbangattack97]

profit>gameplay

[@arbiter-]

Joe Staten is a legend. He's just that nerdy kid who will make references and doesn't care about your "cringe" All that pressure and truly one of the best video game stories of all time came out of it. I'm really glad they did a perspective flip with the Arbiter, if we never had that the story wouldn't be half as good as it was.

[@hawkevick9184]

He also wrote some math book.

[@Camilhurt]

Thank god he’s back

[@BelchingBeaver69]

@@Camilhurt he’s actually white, wtf?

[@MondySpartan]

“OOOOOHHH, TAKE IT!” :)

[@TheRafark]

Imagine if the had the time and the processing power to create what they envisioned

[@brodieyake7735]

The segment of the documentary of the Bungie crew taking a summer camp break after E3 2003 and playing dodgeball and volleyball is one of the most wholesome things I've seen. Bless them all.

[@ProVision3187]

i remember getting off the school bus to my dad waiting with a copy of Halo 2 collectors edition the day it came out. hard to believe that was 12 years ago

[@Kayy2099]

Hey! it's 20 years now

[@lukegallagher4665]

10:01 “your call sarge.” “We’re going in.” “DAMN STRAIGHT WERE GOING IN!” XD

[@shadow4877]

17:02 I was 7/8 years old when I watched this scene. What a visceral experience. Really introduced me to the magic of video gaming, and the effect it has on people. The people in that room...man...that’s an experience that’ll stay with them for the rest of their lives. It’s not just a dumb game. It’s everything to them. A year later, I remember looking through my older brother’s cd collection, putting in a random cd in my portable CD player, and this song came on. One of the greatest moments of my life. “YES! It’s the song from the Halo 2 doc! YES!”

[@MondySpartan]

The Reason is the song I’ll always associate with Halo 2.

[@neonsolace2748]

I am absolutely in love with background music at 32:19 it just gives a nostalgic magical feeling

[@fettfan91]

If you bought the special edition of Halo 2, you got this documentary. \m/

[@Razgriz_01]

I ended up buying the special edition thinking it would have the mission from their E3 demo. Ah to be naive again.

[@TheLuisberg]

I had no idea there was a sequel back then when it was released, I was just looking for the first one cause it was great but i picked up the halo 2 special edition instead and immediately loved it. Been a halo fan since.

[@jaypierce3653]

That's why I have deju vu watching this! I was so young and my older brother bought me this special edition for Christmas, the nice metal case and everything. I think I still have it somewhere around my house.

[@uscoastgaurd]

They nailed Halo 2. One of my favorite games to date. Sad to see that Bungie turned into Infinity Ward.

[@Californiaaa]

+uscoastgaurd yup and tbh halo 2 was a giant break through for gaming in not only the graphics, but in the way they achieved making a game that will rest in memory of hundreds of thousands of people across the world... no other game has that power :/

[@tamezzodiac2862]

I mean half the people from the original crew are gone from that studio a lot of them actually

[@JuICyBLiinGeR]

Don’t you mean ACTIVISION. Remember who the publishers are.

[@andrewffx2]

@@JuICyBLiinGeR You do know that Activision and Bungie are no longer working together and Bungie walked away with everything in regards to the Destiny franchise. Hence why D2 has been on the up and up with 1.1 million concurrent players since the announcement of their new DLC.

[@JuICyBLiinGeR]

Andrew Wayne I was replying to the original post.

[@ChazMcGutter]

Jason Jones, Joe Staten. Marty O'Donnell: The Holy Gaming Trinity

[@StephenGames1998]

Agreed

[@danimartinezjr9941]

19:19 ...pure early 2000's gold...

[@anthonyr014]

Been falling asleep to this since i got the collectors edition of halo 2 for christmas 2004. Literally almost 20 years later im still falling asleep to it

[@sirmichael7085]

thank you guys for all the hard work! you guys made the greatest fps of all time.

[@retrjoe]

This was the video that made me want to work in the game industry. I was 14. What a ride.

[@DropinNukes]

I still have the disk that this is on with the collector's edition

[@verto4520]

Same, Do you still have the actual collectors edition though?

[@DropinNukes]

Yes. I personally never once saw the normal version in person

[@ddylanthomson]

Mike Oxbigg I have both, and multiples of the original :D

[@sgdr569]

Mike Oxbigg aww man i lost mine the memories of that. the sliver plated cover was just awesome

[@mortarpestle.4267]

+Mike Oxbigg Me too

[@ThomasStreet93]

I wonder how many of these people still work for Bungie... :/

[@oDTRT]

very few seeing how shit destiny was

[@HarryBillyBobGeorge]

+ThomasStreet Jason Jones. That's about it.

[@HarryBillyBobGeorge]

***** Well, 40 people worked on Halo 1.

[@HarryBillyBobGeorge]

***** Huge overestimations here. There are at least 5 people that worked on every single Halo Bungie game. Jason Jones, Joseph Staten, Marty O'Donnell to name a few, not even counting all the lead designers. Whoever that CJ guy is is another...

[@John-qd4kk]

+ThomasStreet Marty O'Donnell got Kicked and Joe Staten left Bungie they're not a great Company anymore

[@minikuma]

I watch this entire video every once in a while. Some type of snack while watching this is so chill

[@michaelhaag7960]

"Are we too old? " "Naah"

[@CodyRoseDrums]

After what’s happening with Bungie right now and the layoffs, it’s sad to say this old Bungie is forever gone :( I’m just happy to experience the good ol’ days with my dad and friends.

[@eaglechopper]

They were gone already like 70% when they split with Microsoft/started destiny 1, by destiny 2 was out, maybe less than 5-10 tops from the OG from halo 1 days was left

[@r.9158]

The dudes seeing the Halo 2 demo probably had no idea how insane its legacy would end up being. The incredible impact that Halo 2 had on online gaming for consoles, even PC, cannot be understated. I'll never forget the great times I had with Halo 2.

[@SaintPoland]

4:44 - 5:28 and this is the reason why gaming is not as fun as it used to be, instead of having those 30 seconds of fun that makes you sit glued to the monitor, you have these 30 seconds of fun maybe 3/4 times in one game

[@TyZi]

incredible. leaving my love here for anyone in this video looking back at this

[@ataristheartist5714]

🐢

[@benmacdonald170]

It is such a treat to get this inside glimpse of Bungie during the height of their powers and dedication. Halo 2 is the best game ever made. Yes it has flaws, what game doesn't. But the impact it had and the care given to it by it's creators is unparalleled. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart thank you.

[@NaomiTCOOKIES]

The anatomy of my childhood.

[@whodatninja439]

same!!

[@TheAnonymousIndividual]

Days that I not only miss, but days that make me upset to know that they're never coming back.

[@angelbryan98]

The epitome of my childhood.

[@Barrymccockiner41]

It’s sad this comment was 4 years ago

[@tempemm]

Marry me

[@MondySpartan]

17:03 - I can see why Bungie chose that song. Not just it was a smash hit at the time (and still awesome to hear today), but it also represents what Halo 2 was going through, especially after E3 when they faced a reality check with the game.

[@thatboi6021]

What's the song called?

[@MondySpartan]

@@thatboi6021 Hoobastank - The Reason

[@Joeru510]

The release of news with season 3 in halo infinite made me come back to this doc and this exact moment because it’s all just feeling too familiar at this point with halo infinite. ;-;

[@MondySpartan]

@@Joeru510Greetings from the future. It’s not Halo 3 perfect (yet hopefully), but Infinite is shaping to better with Season 5.

[@sqweebel1]

"We messed up..." at 33:22 is so satisfying for me to hear after playing through Halo 2. I love the game to death but there were so many flaws.

[@nutyyyy]

It would be amazing to see what the game could have been.

[@Connor8609]

​@@nutyyyy_You can see the storyboards for the orignal story now with orignal ending if you didn't know. It gives a pretty good idea.

[@Tabletop_Epics]

I first watched this documentary after playing for a few hours after I got home from the midnight release of Halo 2 at my local Blockbuster Video. It was fun hanging out with other Halo fans amongst the aisles of movies, chatting about rumors and where the story of the game might go. As soon as I received my collector's edition, in its nifty metal case, from the pasty little video store clerk, I booked it homeward to forgo sleep and live Halo 2 until dawn. I'll never forget how incredible it felt to watch this after playing, sitting alone in my room and enjoying the full Halo 2 experience. It was a good night. A damn good night. My thanks to Bungie for the great times and the memories.

[@Chadhogan111]

I'm glad they didn't have time to finish it. The unintentional glitches made the gameplay almost perfect

[@DreAmDocTa]

The nostalgia, I remember watching this for the first time back in the day when I all my buddies would carry our xboxes and TVs to each other’s houses every weekend. Love it

[@corey620]

17:42 forgot about my fellow Australian lol. Full Holden beanie represent. Man I used to love watching this when I was like 12-13. I bought a second hand special edition halo 2 only a fe months after release and this dvd came with it. Good times man 😢😢

[@oneworldcommunity117]

i had the collectors addition when i was a very little kid and i watched this a lot. this is now the first time i watched this doc in probably 10 years lol

[@apocalyptic6]

this was the first game that i was totally immersed in. halo 2 is the best in the series in my opionion

[@lilqueso8190]

i still remember coming home from school to see my uncle pull the limited edition halo 2 with the metal cover and this disk out...i cried with joy

[@NutsCracker7]

the whole 343i team needs to sit down and watch this

[@moneycat878d5]

They need to stop fucking around, take a whole month off, watch old Halo vids like this, play old Halo campaigns, and re-write, I think they need a break to sit down and just think.

[@MarksterC]

Chochi450 yes

[@XLTBlarg]

Chochi450 They need Marty and Staten.

[@xFlared]

In Bungie games chief is just a piece of armor without emotion. He's a white canvas. In 343 he's a predetermined character with feelings and is clearly explotative emotionally. He's a little bitch. 343 killed for what chief was known for. Being relentlessness inhuman piece of armor that all players create their own relations too. This is real art from bungie.

[@airas1494]

+Uy because they make donuts not halo games

[@JeDi757]

God bless all these beautiful people, thank you, you guys made my childhood awesome

[@codygreene9067]

26:15 that LAN party looks like what me and my buddies did back in the day. That really made me nostalgic as hell. I miss these days.

[@RBeeMedia]

Wow, the voice actors are incredible ! Didn't know that many actors worked "worked" on Halo 2 !

[@TheDrewker]

I think I've watched this 3 or 4 times now and it still gives me the feels. Should be required viewing for every dev studio that wants to make a good game.

[@bradparker4960]

ive seen this so many times

[@zeubersandvitch8882]

same here, bro

[@sei-zero]

+brad toose 1 thousand times and counting :D

[@JesuSoup]

same lol

[@chocolatewithnutzz]

I've seen this at least 4 times over, and I don't even have H1... :|

[@TheRomanTribune]

I miss these guys so fucking much!!! They were my heroes back in the early 2000s. Outside of being a little metal head, school and Yu-Gi-Oh. Halo 1-3 was truly my entire life growing up

[@raptorshinryu]

Am I the only one who thinks it was a terrible idea to swap the Prophet of Truth's voice actor with that famous guy in Halo 3? Cause the guy at 44:48 sounded 10x better.

[@PantMal]

Raptor086 It is said that Michael Wincott chose not to reprise his role.

[@stormbreaker7373]

He didn’t want to come back

[@chrislaezur730]

I come back to this documentary yearly, sometimes every few months, and especially sometimes I come back solely for the portion that features their E3 demo. The engagement and enthusiasm from the crowd, the silly 2000s showmanship, Joe playing the part of awkward nerd, it’s all so good. That, and the accounts of the demo-goers after, how blown away they are, how friendly and unified they are, never fails to make me smile. Halo was *awesome dude* . I wish the old team, every member that helped to hack together that game, CE, 3, ODST and Reach the absolute best. In a world all too full of negativity today, especially the various sectors of the entertainment industry, this video is a little island of stability, a nostalgic little haven of happiness. God bless, whoever finds and reads this, hope you feel the same.

[@gran_turismo_fan]

I feel the same way man, I was born right before Halo 1 released alongside with the original Xbox console. The original halo games are my favorite video games of all time. It's shame that 343i ruined halo over the years. But I will never stop loving the bungie games that were a big part of my childhood.

[@Puppy_Puppington]

28:06 i was born 1994 and immediately got an N64 & years later, eventually found Halo..... i was a kid in 7th grade having pizza party halo 2 LAN get togethers... wish i could go back.... its awesome seeing passion ... ur never too old to have fun , brother :)

[@Omega4Productions]

Seeing this video, and hearing them talk about their passion for Halo...god, I miss the old Bungie. What happened?

[@benoutland5872]

Red Centurion the sweet smell of fresh green has tainted the olfactory senses of developers around the world; the passion of creation, and dedication to achieving ones goals, has been lost in a sea of over privileged corporate money makers and devs looking for quick cash. I, for one, will do my absolute best to change the game industry for the better, as I aspire to attain even half of what Bungie accomplished in its prime, for anything of such masterful quality would be better than the recent onslaught of Battle Royals flooding the market.

[@dirt410]

Marcus Lehto swearing over the lighting in the pelican being world relative has lived in my brain since 2005. Why.

[@MMnyess]

Still here 15 years later. Wishing I could go back to when this game came out. There will never be another experience like this again. :,(

[@Etharel]

18 years now

[@thomass7140]

Agreed. Was bliss.

[@gogetaa11]

Halo 2 was my first Halo game. I got a refurbished original xbox for 80 dollars back in 2007. The hype for Halo 3 was huge, but I knew I wasn't going to be able to get a 360. I got a used copy of Halo 2 instead and was absolutely floored. I had never played a game like it and the sci fi setting was incredible. I didn't get to play the multiplayer (no way my parents would have let me run an Ethernet cable to their room from my own). But, just from the campaign I knew it was special.

[@StarsMarsRadio]

I got this dvd with the special edition of halo 2. I must have watched it at least 20 times. I wish game dev companies were driven by passion like they were back then.

[@Wuunderboy]

A true gardener, like an artist, is never satisfied .. with their own work. Bungie proves that statement correct with Halo 2 ! Can we please go back to 2004? What an epic year

[@michaelgraham9774]

Seeing those people's reactions to the demo got to me. I miss the days when video games had a greater significance

[@AeonzAgaze]

Bungie is literally anakin , young and pure and full of potential in the early days with halo. now full of greed , hate and malice for its consumers.

[@ericdicocco4986]

this.... fucknig this....

[@jackieoromero]

You don know bungie didn’t make halo 4 and halo 5, they joined with another company known as Activision that’s full of greed and rushed their game and ruined their reputation

[@jasonpabon8148]

Soviet Union he never said they made 4 and 5, he said the early days of halo, be fore 343 took over

[@jackieoromero]

Jason Pabon I don’t think halo was full of greed when bungie owned it

[@jasonpabon8148]

Soviet Union I mean he meant, that bungie made the old ones and after that they were full of greed

[@ReveredDead]

You guys made my childhood. I don't think I will ever truly experience again what you guys gave me with Halo.

When I was a kid, I started having sleeping problems. There were many nights where 10-12 year old me would stay up late and watch this behind the scenes making of Halo 2 and dream about one day learning to make video games to work for Bungie. Just imagining working with all of the talent at that studio such as Jason Jones, Joseph Staten, and Marty O’Donnell. Brings back those same feelings as I watch this as an adult.

[@Tapport]

All those lines toward the end gave me chills. I think very few people can have played all the Bungie Halo games (I guess all of them actually) and not agree that Halo 2 was one of the most innovative and well written.

[@swagking2674]

Gang shit!

[@jamesmckinney6768]

This made me cry man. So much dedication. xD

[@theaverageone2693]

Halo 1'2'3 4 so glad I got to witness behind the scenes and experience the games

[@Nicomanism]

Bungie will never go back to this 'charm' and 'passion' they presented from Halo 1 - Halo Reach. Thats for sure.

[@dan_]

This video back on the Halo 2 collectors edition was a significant influence on why I began pursuing a career in games-dev. I'm not on the road to world domination with Bungie like I dreamed all those years ago, but I am working at another similarly-sized studio now and couldn't be happier with how things are going. Cheers Bungie!

[@blakepuryear1274]

How’s your first game coming!?

[@Hidden4Halo]

The fact that the creator of this vidoc had "The Reason" playing during the gameplay trailer of Halo 2, as well as the first lyric being "I'm sorry that I hurt you" goes to show how much humility they have for what Halo 2 was originally planned and what it came about it. I don't believe them adding that song and those specific lyrics was by accident. I genuinely believe that the OG Bungie felt regret when they were forced to launch it.

[@gran_turismo_fan]

I agree, Bungie considered Halo 2 as a failure despite it being a huge success late into the original Xbox console's life. Bungie I believe were too ambitious with their ideas, and they also at the same time, didn't realize the ideas they had in mind (most notably the stencil lighting shown at the E3 demo that was at the time really taxing on the Xbox original's hardware) wouldn't run consistently in framerate on the original Xbox considering it's hardware they had to work with back in the day. I mean, Bungie did had a lot of cool ideas during H2's development no doubt, I think it's solely the fact that they really wanted to push the boundaries as far as they could than anyone else could on the Xbox at the time.

[@Tobez]

Watched this so many times back in the day. The feels are real

[@gaffegus5084]

The young roosterteeth

[@FODeath117]

I know man! Gus was skinny as hell!!!

[@spiral9316]

What's the name of the guy at 12:50 ? I want to know what is he working on

[@moonlight9912]

@@spiral93165 years late, but that’s Jason Jones, who was the project lead for Halo 2. He was also the co-founder of Bungie, and is the Chief Creative Officer or Chief Vision Officer or something along those lines at Bungie right now (AFAIK). Probably focused on the new Marathon game, which was one of the first IPs Bungie ever made.

[@LOOFICERBEATS]

Had the collectors edition that had this as disk 2, and would watch this all the time... memories.

[@germguy6884]

To think how the world was at this time, the cars, games, movies, commercials, phones. Its wild & i really wish there was a way to just go back in time just to experience those things again just one more time. All the homies in the hood would gather at each others houses to play Halo 2 4 player split screen against each other. Halo CE and Halo 2 are always going to be games i got to enjoy with my friends in a social environment and created a bunch of memories on. Ironically GTA San Andreas is one of those games as well and it also came out in 2004. 2000-2012 will always be my favorite years in gaming. The games that came out in those 12 years really helped shape who i would become and my general interest in life. Thanks to the old Bungie developers for shaping my childhood nostalgia. I wish all of you the best in life.

[@elisimons8841]

The intro at 2:08 is amazing and basically just summarizes what halo 2 was

[@rowdy_the_red]

I still play to this day. By far one of the best fps in my opinion

[@wolf7elite7]

The bit at 41:23 is absolutely hilarious! I love the relationship between Marty and Joe!

[@PaoloCracchiolo]

This single video inspired me deeply man. Loved this team and this game

[@nobleishere1931]

Videos like this make me appreciate the game more for what it is now after seeing the amount of work went into it and how passionate they are... Its sad to see this dedication drop of after bungie departed the halo franchise.