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xbox quality on PC

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 9 / 12
Date: June 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

halo 2's graphics are comparable to unreal 2004 tournament. Disappointing for a game released in mid 2007. I expect 2007 games to have graphics comparable to rainbow six vegas or higher. Buildings look under textured. facial models have low polygon counts as well as textures are of low resolution. What do you expect from a game that was tailored to work on your 320x200 TV, with the highest of 800x600?

Game physics are mediocre compared to PC game standards. Water does not splash when shot at. hand blade does not scratch walls like light sabers do in jedi knight 3.

on another note, the game looks like it was rushed from the xbox straight to pc. The programmers were probably so lazy that they left all XYAB buttons from console controllers for pc players in game.

Three years too late...

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: August 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The PC version of Halo 2 was released about 2 and a half years after the Xbox version and it shows. Halo 2 for the Xbox was a decent single player sequel but it was such a huge hit because of it's online play. Waiting almost 3 years to release a PC version caused Halo 2 to be outdated as soon as it was released.

I almost couldn't even finish playing Halo 2. I couldn't get past the terrible graphics after playing other games that are older but were way better. Half Life 2 is a year old and F.E.A.R. is two years old and both are WAY better games graphically. I'm not even sure why M$/Bungie bothered making a PC version.

If this game had been released 3 years ago when the Xbox version was released it would have been great. Instead, it was an outdated game even before it came out and it looks like M$ just released it to help push Vista. If you really love the Halo series just buy this used when it's about $10. That's about all this game is worth now.

Better than I expected...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: August 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User

From all the negative reviews I've heard, I was hesitant on picking this title up. I never played the original Xbox version as I still have not gotten used to first person shooters using a control pad; I still prefer a mouse and keyboard. It installed without a problem and plays flawlessly. I do have a rather high end system, running a Pentium D 3.0GHz, two ATI x1800 cards in Crossfire mode, and Vista x64. The mouse and keyboard controls work almost the same as the original Halo version for the PC; there are some differences for dual-wielding of weapons as expected. On-screen hints tell you which keyboard keys to hit in order to pick up weapons or perform actions as did the original Halo for PC so it's not a direct console port just showing the handheld controller buttons as I may have feared. However, my two biggest complaints are:

1. The graphics are slightly worse than the original Halo for PC. They look a little more "cartoonish" and the colors are somewhat washed out in places. I'm not sure if it's meant to be this way, or something with my video card drivers is causing this. But overall a step down in realistic quality from the original Halo for PC.

2. Screen resolution selection only has a few fixed modes to choose from. Again, the original Halo for PC allowed me to choose most any video mode my card would support, including several 16:10 widescreen modes. Halo 2 supports just a handful of standard modes, such as 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, 1280 x 1024, and the only widescreen mode I have access to is a 16:9 resolution of 1280 x 720. On my 19" widescreen monitor which supports a 16:10 resolution of 1440 x 900, this "blows up" the picture to fill the screen, causing some pixelation, and also leaves me with a "letterboxed" view, with black bars above and below the visible playing field.

Overall, it's not a bad effort. I wouldn't recommend it if you have an Xbox console to play the original version, but if all you have access to is a PC, or you still haven't gotten used to handheld controllers like myself and prefer the mouse and keyboard, it's worth taking a look at.

Big Brother Strikes Again

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 10 / 16
Date: August 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

M$ (Big Brother) are pulling every trick they can to get us to buy Windows VISTA. HALO 2 is a prime example. You want to play the game? GET VISTA!!! Not likely! With so many people going back to XP from VISTA, this game is doomed from the off. Just take a few minutes to read the disastrous reviews for VISTA (all versions and upgrades), and you'll see just how bad the situation is. People are now actually demanding XP before buying new PC's and Laptops, so bad is the reputation of VISTA, and it's growing. Remember Windows ME? VISTA is 4x worse!

What a disaster! I've been looking forward to this game for quite a while now, and if the graphics are anything to go by, nothing much has improved. If M$ want to alienate their loyal users, they sure are going the right way about it.

If you're thinking of getting VISTA to run this, do yourself a favour and buy a console instead. It will cost you less in most cases, and you'll still have a PC that works properly.

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HALO 2 for Vista...A Real Review by Someone Who Has Actually Played the Vista Version!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 9 / 15
Date: June 04, 2007
Author: Amazon User

By my title, you may wonder what I mean by that? Well I'll tell you. I've been reading other people's reviews on Amazon about this game and I have no idea what they're talking about! It makes me wonder if they know what they're talking about? The game they describe is different from the one I played! (Makes me wonder if some of these reviewers have only played the Xbox version & decided to write a review under the PC version) For one, the graphics are way better than the first one, of course you'd expect that. Then someone complained that the AI sucked?! I can hardly take a few steps without a bunch of enemies jumping out of no where and killing me! Sometimes I gotta play certain parts at least 10 times before I can finally beat it and proceed!

I've been waiting for Halo 2 to come out for PC for a long time. I'm not a console gamer, I'm a PC gamer. The last console I've ever owned was the Super Nintendo!
*(A little side note here. I don't really get the point of buying the gaming consoles. They do put some pretty sweet games out on them, but what with having to upgrade to the next gen. console every few years and the consoles get more & more like computers all the time, it's cheaper and easier to just upgrade your PC. Besides, the PC has the best graphics anyway! I know they say that the Playstation 3 & Xbox 360 has better graphics than any computer system currently out, but better tech keeps coming out all the time and will soon surpass them both!)*
Anyway, I only played Halo 2 once, breifly, at a friends house on his Xbox when it first came out. I've been waiting for the PC version ever since. Finally I noticed online that they just got it in-stock at Best Buy on Friday (6/1) so I bought a copy immediately and went and picked it up. After just playing the single-player campaign thus far, here's what really stands out in Pros & Cons or one or the other.

*DUAL-WEILD WEAPONS*
-Pros: Finally, you get to use the other hand for something other than gripping your weapon! You get more firepower to take down your enemies quicker. If one of the weapons runs out of ammo or overheats, you got another to continue firing to kill the bad guy and prevent yourself from getting killed!
-Cons: Only certain weapons you can dual-weild, that's bad! While in dual-weilding, you can't throw a grenade! If you need to, you have to drop one of the weapons (switching to single weapon) then chunk your grenade. You should be able to at least holster it, not have to drop it.

*GRAPHICS/SOUND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS*
-Pros: Much better than the first and comperable to other games out there now. Improved clarity, textures, effects, etc. Characters and enviroments are more detailed. The sounds are also cleaner than the first Halo. System Req.'s aren't that bad, pretty lax actually compared to other game's requirements out there. Anybody that's a computer gamer, but still hasn't upgraded their computer for at least a year should be able to play this game with no problem.
-Cons: Being that you have to have Vista to play it, and Vista is known for introducing DirectX 10, I was hoping this would use it, but it doesn't. Since I don't have a DirectX 10 graphics card yet anyway, no big loss. There are games with better graphics than this one that are at least a year old.

*GAMEPLAY*
-Pros: Many more weapons and vehicles to choose from! The physics of the game are also more real with the enviroment being effected by actions, like vehicles taking damage and blowing up, etc.
-Cons: The controls stink! It takes some practice to get use to their keyboard and mouse configuration. What's that you ask? Can't I customize it? Sure, they have a section for that! Unfortunately, it's next to impossible to change the key's actions without some warning popping up saying you can't do that! Since numerous keys are assigned to do multiple actions, (Ex.: Right-Mouse click is for throwing grenade, fire right hand weapon, and vehicle brakes/acceleration) you can't change what the key does without first deleteing that key from every other action it's assigned to! I could slap the person that programmed that part! No peripheral vision, especially with dual-weild in use! With the weapons taking up half the screen, you can't see where the enemies are firing from until after they kill you! Controls are also not sensitive enough. (Mouse)

*USER INTERFACE/ACTIVATION*
-Pros: None, except you don't need to have the DVD in the drive to play!
-Cons: Microsoft keeps getting more and more paranoid which makes using their software more of a pain in the @$!. The game acts like Vista in that you have to have a Product Key (expected) AND you have to Activate it online! Now that's rediculous! I recently upgraded some hardware in my system, which resulted in me having to rebuild Vista. When I went to activate it, it came back saying that my Product key has already been used! Well, DUH! Don't they figure that people will have to rebuild Vista like in my situation or if their hard drive crashes and need to activate it again online?! I had to end up calling them up and speaking to a customer tech. to activate it again! Will it be the same way for Halo 2 if you have to uninstall/reinstall it for whatever reason? Rediculous!

Overall, it's a fun game, but has its problems. Is it worth $49.99? Not really. If your patient, I'd wait till it goes down to $39.99 or can find it somewhere that cheap. If you just can't wait, (like me) go ahead and get it! Game on!

Halo 2 Vista - Concept great, execution lousy

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: June 04, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I love the game, I just wish I could play more with it. As of June 1st week, the implementation of laptop Nvidia graphics drivers, Halo 2 issues, and Vista problems have combined to form an unplayable game. Unless and until there are some fixes from any and all involved parties this game is a waste of time. In the 20 min utes or so before crashing or slowing down, the game looks gorgeous. The textures, for the most part, have been updated to match the best that computer monitors have to offer, and the ability to zoom in and actually see details clearly is wonderful. Here is to hoping a 50$ investment does not go in vain.

Oh the Live service is useless in its current incarnation. First of all the service is iffy at best, constantly losing connection, and complaining about the difference between local and Live save versions, as well as offering for money capabilities PC games have had for years for free. I intend to save my money and play on dedicated server games only.

Same Great Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: July 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Microsoft, why have you forsaken us?? This is the same great game, but it was not ported very well to PC. The controls, with the mouse.... well, prepare for a workout. This game isn't DX10, yet microsoft makes you buy vista to play it, eventhough with a few lines of code, you could play it on XP. Long story short, good game, good free multiplayer, controls can be a pain.

Bad graphics for big bucks1

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 11 / 23
Date: June 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Big disappointment!It is not worth $50.00 for lousy graphics.These graphics cannot even come close to FEAR(not designed for Vista!!!!)!No wonder why PS3 graphic quality is way better than Xbox360. I hope that they will not publish Halo3 for PC.

Waste of time, money, all round terrible

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: November 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

First of all its really old, 2004 old. No upgrades that are noticeable.
Instead of playing master chief the main character u play an alien in half the missions, U would think this was good except that they both play exactly the same way.

It feels like u are still playing Halo 1 with this one.

The Game's end is probably the crapiest I have ever seen. So stupid u will be puking ur guts out.

Lastly there are not many new guns, the multiplayer is so-so, and the console is like a leftover of the XBOX. At some point u feel that its like Microsoft is doing u a favour by letting u play their game by paying them.

DONT BUY THIS. IT IS TERRIBLE. A WASTE. A DIGITAL TRAVESTY.
SAVE YOURSELF. ITS TOO LATE FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME!!

Ok story line but it is a very buggy game.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: December 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I purchased Halo 2 because I liked the first Halo and wanted to see how the story goes in the second game. Halo 2's story line is good, just like the original Halo's. However, Halo 2 has some serious problems.

The game runs choppy on my custom built PC even with all of the latest software and driver updates. It does not make any difference if I set the graphics to low or high (I ran the game at 1280x1024), it is still choppy. Here are my PC's specs:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 (Dual Core) 4800+ 2.5GHz
2GB of DDR2 Ram
nVidia 8600GT Super-clocked Edition with 256MB of GDDR3 Ram
500GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
Creative X-Fi Xtreme Music sound card
Clean install of Windows Vista Home Premium

The game has pretty bad graphics compared to modern PC games (Crysis, Call of Duty 4, Battlefield 2142, World in Conflict, etc.) and it still runs choppy. I just cannot understand how a game that came out in 2004 can run choppy on a PC that I built in September of this year, while Call of Duty 4 runs smooth even with max settings. The only possible explanation is that Microsoft did a terrible job porting this from the Xbox to the PC.

Another problem is that I can hear clicking and popping noises when I play. It does not matter if I use my headphones (Bose) or my desktop speakers, it still pops and clicks. This does not happen on any game other than Halo 2 so the problem must lie with the game and not my computer.

The game also crashed on me several times, causing me to have to replay levels.

Unless you can find it for under $20 (It is not worth $50), I would recommend avoiding this game unless you really want to find out how the story goes or you have a $10,000 gaming PC.

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