I just finished reading Official XBox Magazine‘s review of Halo 2. Do I really have to wait 7 more days to get my hands on a copy of it? I’ve never wanted to play a game more in my life and I’m not even that big of a gamer!

The original Halo sold over 4 million copies around the world. I can only imagine how many fans will buy this one. If it weren’t for a busy week at work, I’d definitely be taking a vacation day to play, but I’ll have to wait until after work. You can bet the farm though that I’ll be picking up my limited edition copy during lunch and reading the manual all afternoon. I’ll probably even watch the bonus DVD to get hyped up for a long night in front of the TV. Shit, I might even skip dinner, unless someone can come and spoon feed me as I play. Yes, Halo 2 will be that good!

A few points that stood out in the review…

• The sound is amazing. They even suggest the soundtrack might win a Grammy. “The soundtrack is sensational, and in-game effects bounce of every surface. Just fire at a vehicle and listen for all the little sounds. Incredible.”
• You can board vehicles that the Covenant are driving. If you’ve been following all of the coverage you’ve known this for months though.
• Dual-weilding weapons.
• Graphics and cenematics are unreal…or, uh, real. The screenshots in the article are rich with detail, lighting, and shadows.
• You’ll want to have a subscription to XBox Live.
• Some of the dialog is pretty entertaining and there is voice-acting by some stars which include Michelle Rodriquez.
• The attention to detail is like no other game ever created.
• The only negative thing in the article was that they were disappointed in the ending to campaign mode. I’m thinking there will be downloads through XBox Live for more gameplay.
• Multiplayer action is gonna kick ass! So many maps, so many options. Each time you play you’ll find something new.
• New weapons, new enemies, new vehicles, new everything.

Oh, I almost forgot. They have a special sealed section of the article that gives away some secrets and my copy is staying sealed. I want to experience the thrills on my own, not by reading and seeing a few screenshots in a magazine.

Overall they gave it a 9.7, which is the second highest score I’ve ever seen in the magazine. Where will you be on November 9th? Only 7 more days…