Of all the mainline installments in the Halo franchise, Halo 2 is one that holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many Halo fans. While Halo 2 introduced several new gameplay mechanics, weapons, and vehicles, it also added greater depth and complexity to the narrative with the inclusion of the Arbiter. For how much players love Halo 2, there is a part of the game that no one has actually played.
Following the massive success of Halo: Combat Evolved, the bar had been set incredibly high for Halo 2, but what initially drew a lot of excitement for the sequel was a gameplay demo Bungie showed off during E3 2003. Similar to the gameplay demonstration for Halo Infinite that was released a year before the game's release, Halo 2's demo, titled Earthcity, was never made playable but captivated fans nonetheless. Though, now it seems, that the Earthcity demo will actually be playable.
Over on Halo Waypoint, a new article outlined how 343 Industries is currently in the process of restoring a multitude of old Halo relics and even cut content from some older installments. One of which being a playable version of the Earthcity demo for Halo 2 that players will be able to experience via Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
For many fans, this is quite exciting news, but based on the information detailed in the Halo Waypoint article, the process of actually restoring the Earthcity demo certainly sounds rather intimidating. Given that Bungie never intended Earthcity to be playable, and that the original demo was built on an engine that no longer exists, recreating the demo for Halo 2 will definitely be a difficult undertaking.
However, for longtime Halo fans, being able to play the Earthcity demo will be quite surreal, especially given how much spectacle the demo provided when it was first revealed at E3 2003. In addition, 343 Industries is also restoring a lot of cut content for Halo: Combat Evolved, such as previously unseen weapons, vehicles, NPCs, levels, and character models.
In any case, it will be interesting to see what else 343 Industries will bring to the table where Halo is concerned. While a lot of time and attention is needed where Halo Infinite is concerned, the studio is also spending a lot of development time on Halo: The Master Chief Collection, where the Earthcity demo, along with all the additional cut content, will be made available.
Halo 2 is available to play on PC, Xbox, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Halo Waypoint