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Halo 2

ESRB Rating:  Mature
3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)

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Frequently Bought Together

Edition: Standard | Platform: PC
Halo 2 + Halo: Combat Evolved + Xbox 360 Controller for Windows
Total List Price: $79.97
Price For All Three: $69.80

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  • This item: Halo 2 by Microsoft

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Platform: PC | Edition: Standard
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  • Please note: This version of Halo 2 is exclusively for Windows Vista. Visit the Windows Vista Gaming Page for more information on gaming with Vista.


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Product Details

  • Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
  • ASIN: B000NV8F58
  • Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches ; 7.2 ounces
  • Media: DVD-ROM
  • Release Date: May 31, 2007
  • Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #621 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)

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Product Description

Platform: PC | Edition: Standard

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.

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Customer Reviews

Platform: PC | Edition: Standard
90 Reviews
5 star:
 (24)
4 star:
 (19)
3 star:
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Average Customer Review
3.1 out of 5 stars (90 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
79 of 88 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars You need a WEI of 5 to run it! (Plus, the technical specs that are missing...), June 22, 2007
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 
Until a really stable and easy to install patch comes out, this will only work with Vista, and a really good video card. (I'm sure that sometime this year we will see a true patch that will allow you to use it on XP, but then...)

According to the cover box and Microsoft website, your video card must be "NVIDIA 6100, ATI X700 or above." That leaves a lot to interpretation, and nowhere does it state the minimum technical specs required to run the game. So, here it is:

Video memory: 128 Megabytes or higher required
Supported pixel shader version: 2 or higher required
Supported vertex shader version: 2 or higher required

Copied from the game install warning screen:
"Halo 2 for Windows Vista is designed for computers running Microsoft Windows Vista with an overall Windows Experience Index of 5 or higher." Hmmmm, one would think that the requirement of a 5-rating would be in bold type somewhere on the box, especially since the majority of the mass-market computers sold off the shelf are well below 5.

I have the minimum requirements for the video card and 2Gig of RAM (in my Gateway MX6453 laptop)and it runs HORRIBLY, and, at times, not at all.

Make sure you have a really good video card, or else you will suffer.
Comment Comments (3) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you?    Yes No (Report this)



 
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Unusually High Requirements, January 3, 2008
Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 
The PC adaptation of 2004's phenomenally successful Xbox game, "Halo 2 for Windows Vista" comes 3 years later, right before the release of Halo 3 for the Xbox 360. Despite this gap and apparent poor planning on the part of Microsoft's release department, does Halo 2 for Vista stand up even with the test of time?

The first difference comes with the transition from the uniform, high-end console to the more variable PC, with regards to graphics and computing power. While even at "high" settings I did not notice a marked improvement from the Xbox's graphics (though opinions tend to differ on this point), Halo 2 still commands a hefty "5.0 Recommended" rating on Vista's new gaming rating system. To put that in perspective, my current system is a "5.3", and newer games like Company of Heroes, World in Conflict, and Command and Conquer 3 top off at "4.1 Recommended". Apart from its variability with regards to graphic quality, Halo 2's only other new technical feature is the option for a widescreen Heads Up Display (instead of the stretched-out one used in the Xbox version).

Halo 2's connectivity to Xbox Live is the other major new system added in the PC transition, and this is simultaneously well-done and irritating. It is well-done because, like a console, the live system integrates itself almost seamlessly into the game and adds features such as online play, unlockable achievements (the first "Games for Windows" title to feature them), and friend lists. However, there is also a step back from Halo 1 for the PC; while Halo 1 had free, no-strings-attached online multiplayer, Halo 2 requires at least a silver account to play even the single player game. Thus, as with Valve's "Steam" software for Half Life 2, one must be online in order to play the game. However, unlike Steam, one need only log on to make an account and then transfer the account to one's computer; after the first time, there is no requirement for online connectivity for single player. The free account also allows access to Halo 2's online play, though many of the features (including matchmaking services and private rooms) are reserved for people with paid "Gold Accounts". Finally, Halo 2 for Vista features 2 new official maps for multiplayer, as well as a map editor. However, said editor is mostly intended for hardcore designers, not casual fans. Despite this, it is a fairly welcome addition and allows for a community effort in creating new and exciting arenas.

Overall, this game is done reasonably well by itself. However, when counting in its status as a ported version of a 3-year-old game, and adding the further frustrations of "Live" play and its unusually high requirements, I would not recommend this game to anyone who has already played it. This game is a last resort, meant exclusively for people who only have a PC, and who have not played Halo 2 prior. I rate it a 3/5.
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21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Never Again, June 9, 2008
Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars 
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.
Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you?    Yes No (Report this)


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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Should have read the reveiws...
IF you are a pc gamer, and want to use and xbox controller to play this game. Your in luck you have no choice. Read more
Published 2 days ago by C. Willey

4.0 out of 5 stars An oldy but a goody, especially for $15...
Since pretty much everyone has Win7 or Vista now, and this game is only $15, why not give it a go? I'm not into the multi-player aspect even still, but the single player campaign... Read more
Published 13 days ago by GC

1.0 out of 5 stars Wish it could be played on my computer
Well, I bought the upgrade from Halo and finally bought Halo II since I was forced to go Vista with my new computer. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Craig S. Walker

1.0 out of 5 stars Avoid at all cost
I couldnt even install the game. It was skipping this part all the time. After choosing the game installation type and pressing the 'continue' button, nothing happened. Read more
Published 19 days ago by Xhunter RUS

4.0 out of 5 stars Halo 2 for Vista
This is a great remake of the original Halo 2 for Xbox. It has better graphics, the ability to play online with an xbox silver membership, earn achievements, and the ability to... Read more
Published 25 days ago by Anthony Scrivener

2.0 out of 5 stars GAME IN IT SELF, POOR
Did not have any problems with the product delivered to my home but with the game it self thought it would have been more.
Published 1 month ago by Jessie A. Torres

1.0 out of 5 stars no co op
you can not play two player simultaneously that is the whole reason i bought the game. extremely disappointed
Published 2 months ago by Mr. William A. Rausch

5.0 out of 5 stars No Issues Annihilating The Covenant On Mac Pro
I have crushed the Covenant using a Mac Pro with no issues (and not by smashing its heavy aluminum case on their heads repeatedly). Read more
Published 2 months ago by CJ Quibble

3.0 out of 5 stars Halo 2
I loved the very first halo i sort of still prefer it. However halo 2 is pretty cool too. i like the new weapons and the enhanced details. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Joseph P. Russell

5.0 out of 5 stars Great PC platform conversion of an outstanding xbox game
Although with all the game hacks out there and not much support by the hosting server community I find it more fun to play on the xbox platforms. Read more
Published 4 months ago by David Montgomery

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