So if you found $50...

[Jeremy]

Halo 2, easily.

[Omni]

Thtas a verry selfish question, I would buy a couple of pizza's and some beer, and enjoy some time spent with good friends..

So your lesbian aunt just got you a $50 gift certificate at GameStop for your birthday.

[Roufuss]

Half Life 2, no question about it.

The people picking Halo 2 probably just have shit for computers, or a hard on for Live.

[SonofdonCD]

This is really an unfair question. What you should be, or what it sounds like you want to ask us is whch one is better.

As for that question, I don't know. I acknowledge HL2 for being freakin' revolutionary in the way it incorporates everything ever done in a FPS and making a cohesive, all-encompassing, engrossing experience. But I also love the pure balls-to-the-wall action-packed, "Puzzles? I don't need no stinkin' puzzles!" gameplay of Halo 2. They really shouldn't be compared directly, as they have two different goals gameplay wise.

But I doubt the Multiplayer (at least out of the box) will be better in HL2 than Halo 2. Some of the things that Bungie are implementing sound totally awesome (such as their stat-tracing and ranked games scheme).

I want them both so bad that I could hardly decide. But ultimately I'd have to go with Halo 2, since my PC can run Half-Life 2, but only just. I'll get it anyway, since I don't care and will run it at 640x480 if I have to in order to get a smoother framerate. But it'll have to wait.

[Roufuss]

But I doubt the Multiplayer (at least out of the box) will be better in HL2 than Halo 2. Soe of the things that Bungie are implementing sound totally awesome (such as their stat-tracing and ranked games scheme).

Stat tracking and ranked games have no influence on gameplay, whatsoever. And I seem to remember more and more FPS on the PC were ranking users, I think UT 2k4 does it off the top of my head.

Not only are you getting Half Life 2, but also a revamped Counter Strike and Day of Defeat. Not to mention the shitload of mods that will appear very shortly after release, since the tools are already out there.

I think it really depends what box of HL 2 you're getting. Not everyone is crazy enough to spend 80 bucks at retail or on Steam, so I can see what you're saying if you're just getting HL 2 and that's it.

[kingoffighters]

Neither, I would buy SMT: Nocturne. Not that I dislike FPS or anything, but those 2 games will be less than $30 in the used market in a month or two.

[Roufuss]

Not that I dislike FPS or anything, but those 2 games will be less than $30 in the used market in a month or two.

You do realize it took Halo 1 YEARS to even hit 30 bucks?

[SonofdonCD]

Stat tracking and ranked games have no influence on gameplay, whatsoever. And I seem to remember more and more FPS on the PC were ranking users, I think UT 2k4 does it off the top of my head.

But do other PC FPS have THIS level of Stat Tracking?:

The big shocker, the "Holy effing crap this is insane!" portion of Halo 2 online is the immersive stat-tracking on Bungie.net. Want to check out every game you've played for the past month? You can do it. Not only do you get all your stats for a game, you can see a 3D map showing where you died, who killed you, and with what weapon. Want to know which routes are used most often? Yeah, you can see that. The level of detail that will be available to millions of users at every moment of the day is incredible. No other online game comes close. Not even kind of close. Other Xbox Live games have just been given notice, the standard leader board garbage is no longer acceptable. It's time for other companies to step up and amaze us.

I mean, that just sounds amazing.

I know that doesn't directly have any bearings on actual gameplay, but certainly indirect, as you can assess your weaknesses and learn your oppositions' strengths.

And I'm not naive and think that MP mods don't have the potential to crush Halo 2's MP in some or a lot of aspects, but I'm not sure if CS:Sourse is enough (I haven't played it so I can't judge) out of the box, which is my point. It's obvious that Bungie put their heart and souls into MP this time around. And with downloadable content there should be more goodies, albeit not at the rate nor frequency as HL2 will have.

They should both be incredible games, though, so we should all bask in this wealth of good games we're getting this Holiday season.

[Omni]

This is really an unfair question. What you should be, or what it sounds like you want to ask us is whch one is better.

How can I ask which one is better when Half Life 2 hasn't even come out yet?

[Dipstick]

Stat tracking and ranked games have no influence on gameplay, whatsoever.

Bullshit.

Stat tracking may have no direct influence on a game (whee my stats are being tracked, I'm having more fun!... err no), but it does offer insight into what is really going on in games (instead of what you think is going on), giving people an added appriciation for what really is going on.

Stat-tracking and analysis to the level Halo 2 is providing can even help make games more competetive. You can look up past matches from people/teams you are playing against. You can see their best and worst areas on a map, see what routes teams like and do not like to take in assault/CTF modes, see what weapons specific players like to perfer. It allows players to be much more prepared for games than they would be sans any statistics. Maybe all of those numbers (and applying said numbers) means nothing to you, but I really enjoy it, and I think proper application can help anyone get significantly better at anything (maybe this will make me good at Halo 2... hah!).

I would love to see this in a fighting game (it sure would make my life easier; not having to do that shit manually!)

-Dippy