‘Halo 2 Anniversary’ Skulls Bring ‘Mad Max’ References And More

Skulls in the Halo series have turned into the traditional way of modifying the game to do fun things like make grunts explode in confetti. Halo: The Master Chief Collection for the Xbox One is upping the number and types of skulls for Halo 2. So, what are the new skulls? They’ve all been revealed thanks the game’s manual leaking out.

The Halo: The Master Chief Collection manual leaked out via the Halo sub-Reddit and includes some pretty creative additions on top of traditional skulls like Grunt Funeral.

One of my personal favorites is a tip to Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Masterblaster is a co-op only Skull that limits one player to melee only, but gives them a recharging overshield. The second player has no shields at all, but is given unlimited ammo. This then switches after a random number of skulls.

Another skull makes good use of legendary guitarist Steve Vai. The game will explode in guitar licks and lightning bolts when smacking around the Prophet of Regret and the Prophet Birthday Party skull enabled.

So without further ado, here is the complete list of Halo 2 Anniversary skulls. The game hits the Xbox One on November 11 and includes unlocks for Halo 5. Which ones are your favorites? Sound off in the comments below.

Halo 2 Anniversary Skulls:

Anger

Enemies fire weapons much more aggressively. The Covenant discovered they have infinite ammo, and they want to show off.

Assassins

All enemies are cloaked. Covenant Ninja Academy, class of 2552.

Bandana

Unlimited ammo and grenades. You must wear a bandana in real life.

Blind

Your HUD disappears and your weapon does not display. The perils of being made by the lowest bidder.

Boom

All explosion physics impulses are increased. Glorious science!

Black Eye

Your shields will only recharge after you melee an enemy. Perk up your shield’s spirit by dispensing two-fisted cyborg justice.

Catch

Enemies throw more grenades. Down in front!

Envy

The Chief has Active Camo and the Arbiter gets a flashlight. Not fair!

Eye Patch

Disables auto-aim. We recommend adjusting your controller sensitivity.

Famine

Dropped weapons have significantly less ammo. Budget cuts.

Feather

All melee strikes impart additional force. Pow!

Fog

Your motion tracker is disabled. Keep your eyes sharp.

Foreign

You cannot pick up Covenant weapons. Union rules.

Ghost

Allies and enemies no longer flinch, meaning they shoot more often. No pain, firepower gain.

Grunt Birthday Party

Grunt headshots release party favors. ‘Nuff said.

Grunt Funeral

Grunts explode after death. Oh, the humanity!

Iron

Don’t die. Playing solo you have to start the mission over. In co-op you’re all sent back to the last checkpoint.

IWHBYD

Rare dialog is more common, and vice versa. Did he really just say that?

Jacked

You can only pilot a vehicle by hijacking it. Video games made you do it.

Malfunction

Each death removes a random element of your HUD. You didn’t want that shield indicator anyways … right?

Masterblaster (Co-Op Only)

One player has recharging overshields and can only melee. The second player has no shields, but infinite ammo. Roles switch after a random number of kills. Who runs Mombasa-town?

Mythic

Enemies have increased health and shields. Covenant forces have been bulking up.

Pinata

Enemies drop a plasma grenade when you hit them with a melee attack. Smack, shield crack, and grenade pop.

Prophet Birthday Party

Every smack to the Prophet of Regret’s face is accompanied by epic Steve Vai guitar licks and lightning bolts.

Recession

Every shot uses two ammo. The ammo usage has been altered, pray we don’t alter it further.

Scarab

All player-held weapons fire the Scarab Gun beam. Unlocked when you find all the original Halo 2 Skulls.

So… Angry …

Enraged Brutes will explode shortly after enraging. The secret is, they’re always angry.

Sputnik

Mass of all objects is reduced. Combine with Boom and Feather for maximum enjoyment.

Straking

Your shields constantly decay, but recharge a bit after each enemy kill. There’s an invisible energy vampire stuck on your back. His name is Ed.

Swarm

Let go my golo! Hunters are even more robust and deal extra damage with attacks. Unlocked after you watch all five episodes of Halo: Nightfall on the Halo Channel and complete the associated challenges.

That’s Just … Wrong

Enemies have a cyborg-detecting sixth sense.

They Come Back

Infection Forms that reanimate a corpse are much stronger than normal. Clean up any bodies before that happens.

Thunderstorm

Field promotions for every enemy in the Chief’s path.

[Images via Halo Waypoint, Halo Wiki]