Did everyone see that? Because I will not be doing it again
One of the most fun (and frustrating) ways to play an old favorite is trying to complete a self-imposed challenge that really ratchets up the difficulty. For me, it was beating a run in Hades on 32 heat — for others, it might be completing a Dark Souls run without taking damage or doing a Nuzlocke of a favorite Pokémon game. When you love a game enough to put the hours in that you need to complete a challenge like this, you’d be surprised at how much you can accomplish — and by how triumphant it feels when you finally beat it. I imagine that streamer Jervalin is riding even higher after winning a $20,000 cash prize for beating a near-impossible challenge in Halo 2.
The challenge? Beating the Halo 2 campaign on its Legendary difficulty setting, while also enabling all Skulls (except Envy), without dying. These Skulls are collectibles that players can find throughout the levels in the campaign, but more importantly, they unlock hidden gameplay modifiers to make the game even more crushingly difficult. Their effects can be anything from giving enemies more health, making your HUD and weapons invisible, and making enemies explode when you headshot them. There are fifteen total Legendary Skulls in the game, so this challenge is not for the faint of heart.
Jervalin streamed his entire Legendary Skulls no-death run on Twitch, which clocked in at nearly seven hours. As far as we know, he’s the only one to have ever completed this challenge, which is a pretty big deal considering Halo 2 came out in 2004. YouTube personality and streamer Charlie “Cr1tikal” White was the one to offer prize money for completing the run, otherwise known as the “Moist Cr1tikal Challenge.”
It’s pretty cool that White held up his end of the bargain, and I think that goes to show how impressive Jervalin’s LASO (Legendary All Skulls On) playthrough really is.
