It’s been almost three years since Halo 2 graced the Xbox, so it’s a nostalgic feeling to be playing it again on PC. As a Vista-only release, this is the game that Microsoft must be hoping will give its new operating system a kick up the backside, while also introducing gamers to the new Windows Live service.

The good news for Microsoft is that everything works flawlessly. Installing Halo 2 is a breeze and from the second you boot up the game you can log into Live (using your existing Xbox 360 Gamertag, if you have one) and start racking up those achievement points.

It’s initially disappointing to discover that Halo 2 lacks the advanced graphics options to really take advantage of today’s beastly PC hardware. The high-res textures are nice and crisp and do their job, but Halo 2 is clearly starting to show its age. When you compare it to the dazzling effects of F.E.A.R or the detailed environments of Half-Life 2, Halo 2 comes off looking like the Xbox port that it is.



Even when using the keyboard and mouse, Halo 2 doesn’t ever really feel like a PC game. Those beloved floaty physics are intact, but the mouse tends to lag a little (only helped marginally by pumping up the sensitivity), like it still has a control pad hangover. Ironically, you’d probably be better off just plugging an Xbox 360 controller into a free USB port and using that instead. The only concession Halo 2 makes to PC gamers is the very welcome inclusion of a robust level editor so you can make your own multiplayer maps.

However, once Halo 2 gets its hooks in, you’ll realise why gamers still play it relentlessly on Xbox Live. It’s in the subtle weapon balance; the impressive, wide-open and multi-tiered levels; the cat and mouse AI; the fun moon buggy physics of the Warthog jeep; and the endlessly entertaining multiplayer matches. There are no radical new surprises here, but if it ain’t broke...

Halo 2 isn’t going to give your new DirectX 10 graphics card a workout, but boy will your trigger finger be bruised.