No it is not better than the first. Halo 2 fails in every aspect over the first. The levels were still overly repeative and now you have the lack of open space in the levels. Its almost all corridors and hall ways and then when you are outside you are restricted so much you might as well not even bother putting it outside.
Halo 2 actually has worse AI and the new enemies they put it make the game unfair on Legendary. When you go up against 5 or 6 Brutes that all have the Brute shot and one hit kills you no matter what that isn't fair. It is ridiculous. As for the AI being bad, there are countless times on all levels of difficulty where I would just sit there and shoot the guy with out them even moving an inch.
I don't like playing Halo 2 online because of the way it is set up. Unless I know someone I can't join a party and just play what I want to play. Nope it is random http://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gifhttp://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gifhttp://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gifhttp://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gif and most of the time it is on the http://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gifhttp://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gifhttp://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gifhttp://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gifing barrial grounds.
I play Halo on Monday nights...almost every monday for the past year now and we went back to Halo 1 because it was a lot more fun because the new maps suck for only 5-8 people. They are way too big.
Halo 2 is fun to play online but then again everyone I team up with is an idiot and doesn't know http://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gifhttp://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gifhttp://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gifhttp://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gif about what they are doing. I usually end up carrying the team with 15-20 kills most of the time.
Its not that Halo 2 was disappointing. Its that Halo 1 is still better in pretty much all aspects which is something a sequel should not do. If EA and Activision can pump out sequels every year and have them be better than the last then why can't bungie when it has 3 years? They just suck is all.