Halo 2 campaign is all over the place in a different way to CE. While CE's 1st half is amazing and the 2nd half is only ok Halo 2 flip flops in quality level to level. Halo 2 has some of the best and some of the most forgettable missions in the franchise. The enemies also feel quite spongy in comparison to other entries. The story continues to be compelling and through the arbiter a new side of this universe is explored. The campaign lacks the strong the ending of its predessor and its successor but pumps you up to finish the fight.
The gameplay itself is much improved with the addition of dual wielding making you feel like a certified badass and new weapon types had to the sandbox brilliantly. The multiplayer sweet retains the Arcady fun of its predecessor but refines it in such a way that it's near indistinguishable from modern shooters.
While its clear that its a bit rushed the size of it's ambition is undeniable and the impact of its awesome multiplayer can still be felt all these years later