neurological dryer lint

i'm of the opinion that sequels should improve on the original they're based on, improving what's already good, without sacrificing the vibe or feel of the original. and bungie, IMHO, makes a great sequel.

halo 2's single player is a great continuation of the original - the same strategy traveling through maps and beating enemies, although you feel less alone in this one than you did in halo. your crew is around you more, which is something i was hoping for. the dual fire is a beautiful thing and changes a lot of the dynamic of fighting - i can unload on someone with my right-hand magnum and start on a second guy with my left while my right is reloading. or i can go full scale w/an SMG or plasma rifle against an elite and take him out twice as fast as normal. it's also nice because i have a habit of wasting grenades in the heat of battle. now i just fire. :) so far i'm about... well i have no idea how far i am through it. reviews say the campaign goes quickly, but if it's really 15 levels long i'm probably only half of the way through.

the multiplayer, though, absolutely SHINES. i can't wait for LAN parties - it just feels cleaner, more full-featured... not just the added gametypes or cute little HUD icons... it's hard to explain, things feel more together. and i really dig playing on live - normally i hate online stuff because i'm ill-equipped to play against the people who frequent that arena... but i felt good playing today. lag, as always is the case with live, is annoying and pretty frustrating at times. especially last night when things were slammed and people would routinely vanish from in front of me while i was shooting them. but the voice controls really make the game, and the maps are solid. the updated blood gultch was gorgeous.

so yeah, i'm digging it, but it isn't dominating me like i'd expected. i'm typing this ready to go to bed at 11:45 and i don't have an overwhelming desire to go fire up the xbox again.

oh, and health insurance sucks. we changed providers at work again this month and i was going to go get more drugs today... and we don't actually have insurance information until thursday, it turns out. nice.