Halo 2

by Microsoft

$29.99
buy from amazon.com
Average Rating: * * * - -
Sales Rank:546 (lower is better)
Price Used:$8.91
Shipping:Free Shipping on most orders over $25*
Availability:Usually ships in 24 hours
Release Date:2007-05-31
Label:Microsoft
UPC:882224444002
Binding:DVD
Published By:Microsoft
ASIN:B000NV8F58
Category:Video Games

Editorial Reviews and Product Descriptions

From the Manufacturer

The entertainment phenomenon that conquered the digital universe is once again out to save the planet as the award-winning, best-selling Halo 2 is coming to the Windows Vista platform. Optimized for the advanced gaming features in Windows Vista, Halo 2 promises to revolutionize the first-person shooter experience for Windows gamers, as it did for consoles. With its classic story, enhanced visual presentation, multiplayer excitement and all-new Map Editor, Halo 2 for Windows Vista offers more game customization and new content than ever before.

Windows Vista gamers will be able to experience the epic story of Halo 2 as Master Chief delves further into the mystery of the Covenant in the aftermath of Halo’s destruction. What he discovers will soon threaten the fate not only of Earth, but of the Universe itself.

Features:

  • Epic Narrative: The saga continues with Halo 2, the international award-winning sequel to the highly successful and critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved. In this sequel, the battle comes to Earth, and Master Chief, a genetically enhanced super soldier, is the only thing standing between the relentless alien Covenant and the destruction of all humankind.
  • Exciting Single-Player Gameplay: Experience first hand the epic struggle between Master Chief and the Covenant armada. Brandish dual-wield weapons Covenant arms and pilot human and non-human vehicles and aircraft to battle intelligent AI alien enemies.
  • Unmatched Online Gaming: Halo 2 for Windows Vista will tap into the power of Live Anywhere, a service similar to Xbox Live, to deliver online matchmaking for PC gamers. The service will enable Windows Vista gamers all over the globe to connect via their PCs and play on an innovative and competitive online forum.
  • New Multiplayer Map Editor: The game will also feature the all-new new Map Editor, guaranteeing additional new, fan-generated content in the future. The Halo 2 community can now tap their endless creative potential to develop an unlimited number of user-created multiplayer levels.
  • Complete Community Freedom: Halo 2 for Windows Vista offers gamers the freedom to host their own dedicated servers for maximum multiplayer action.
  • Superior Presentation and Cinematic Excellence: Bring the vast, imaginative world of Halo 2 to life on the Windows Vista platform through higher-resolution textures and improved lighting effects. Experience the unmatched cinematic quality of Halo 2 through the power of Windows Vista.
  • Unprecedented Pedigree: The Halo franchise is one of the best selling and monumental entertainment experiences in history with more than 14.5 million units sold worldwide, more than 18 Game-of-the-Year awards, 750 million hours and 500 million matches logged over Xbox Live. Halo 2 was also one of the most successful entertainment launches of all time – including books, films, graphic novels, games and music. Halo 2 for Windows Vista brings this incredible experience to Windows Vista gamers everywhere.

Customer Reviews

Of course it said requires Windows Vista in tiny letters - Reviewed on 2008-09-01
*

Don't bother buying this unless you went for Microsofts scam for more money. I have Windows XP like normal people and as it turns out, I need to buy a whole nother system just to play it. I didn't so screw PC gaming, I'm back to the best console on the market, the 360 and the Wii is a bad console.
Regular destops just won't do it. - Reviewed on 2008-08-05
*

Wow. I am sorry, this game sucked. People with normal computers. Good luck.
You seriously need a powerful computer to play this game.
The requirement says nVidia 6000 cards or higher? You need a 8000 or higher.
2Ghz processor? More like 2.7GHz.
Windows Vista, not not so good.
Direct X 10. Good
But I sadly am disappointed in this game.
The Oddities of Life!!! - Reviewed on 2008-07-17
* * * * *
1 customer found this review not to be helpful.
How odd that one of the worst software companies in the world, Microsoft, who can't develop a decent operating system to date (Vista!) could actually be a part of the incredibly brilliant production of Halo2. I actually enjoyed this amazing work of art, an A in every catagory from the getgo. If there was ever a standard that all game developers should strive for, its this game. How about a novel idea, fire the morons at the microsoft operating system development area and let the Halo crew write the next operating system! Now thats crew ready to take off!
Great Game, Not So Awesome Price - Reviewed on 2008-06-19
* * * *

This game was great for Xbox and I still think it's great for the PC.

Installation - this game may not install well on some machines. If you do have trouble installing it, Microsoft Customer Service are a great help. I, personally, had some trouble and the issue was resolved in around forty minutes (considering my PC is basically trash).

Sound - great music and great quality.

Graphics - here's where this game gets a little crappy. If you don't have a good machine, the graphics will be choppy. The cut scenes seem to stay awesome, but game play slows down enormously.

Controls - I really recommend buying a controller to play this game. I find the keyboard controls a little difficult to use. It also gives you a quicker reaction time.

Single Player (Career Mode) - great story and very exciting. It's a little short, but if you take the time to beat it on all the difficulty levels, you'll keep yourself busy for a long time.

Multilayer - this version of the game supports local LAN play and online play with up to sixteen (16) players. It's really fun but you need at least a broadband connection for tolerable lag. I would also suggest signing up for a gold account because it gives you more options and a better connection.

Overall, I recommend buying this game for the PC if you don't have a Xbox or Xbox 360. Try to find it used, as it's price for new is, in my opinion, too steep. It's a great game if you don't mind some minor lag.
Never Again - Reviewed on 2008-06-09
*
3 customers found this review helpful.

I bought Halo 2 for the PC excited about trying it on my brand-new Vista machine. I have had it for over a year now and have yet to be able to actually play the game all the way through.
I went through the agony of having to create a Live account, and then having the game not "see" the account (but not let me log in because I'm "already logged in"). I experienced the unfun joys of having Halo 2 randomly tell me my savegame file is corrupted and I have to start again. I had updates crash the game, my license key invalidate itself, and after unanswered support e-mails, it took me multiple calls and over 3 hours on the phone to get someone to fix the problem. They had to do this by removing my license key, issuing me a new one, and telling me I'd lose all my "achievements" and account info. That wasn't a great loss, since the program would regularly log me into Live, then say, "You are not logged into Live. You will not be able to have any Achievements. Sorry about that." A lot of the messages I get in Halo 2 say, "Sorry about that." Sorry, indeed.

By the time I actually got the game to work (with shuddering framerate and random dropouts in sound), I was just angry. Angry at all the "Sorry" messages, angry at the hassle I have to click through just to load a saved game, and angry at the constant savegame level resets. I see new Microsoft Games for Windows titles, and I feel I'd be stupid to put risk putting myself through that again.
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