Review: Halo 2 Vista

It seems weird to review a port of a game that was released more than four years ago, but because it's Halo and because it's the first Games for Windows Live title I guess I have to. The game is pretty much the same as it was on the Xbox; you play Master Chief, you shoot aliens, and everything ends in a cliffhanger. However, the game does differ in a few less dramatic, but entirely noticeable areas.

The graphical quality of the game is leaps and bounds better than what it was on the Xbox. I may not have a top of the line machine, but I noticed a signifigant improvement in graphical quality. The models and environments haven't changed or gotten more detailed, but the textures applied to them and the lighting have kicked way up. It's not as impressive as the Halo 3 Beta but it comes quite close. Although DirectX 10 (and thus Windows Vista) is mandatory for the game I don't think it needed to be. While impressive, the graphical fidelity has been seen in plenty of DirectX 9 games. Half-Life 2 is the biggest example that comes to mind, using an older version and still looks better.


[Beware: Sidetrack] I understand that Microsoft needs to push users into the new OS, but I don't think is the route to go. Most people will upgrade before a short while. You can't find a new computer that doesn't run Vista on sale and you can't buy a copy of XP in any big box store. With new buyers locked into Vista the only other group is the ones to upgrade, but they are all waiting for the first service pack. Now, I have been running a version of Vista since it launched and have not experienced any difficulty (short of some Games Explorer obsessiveness), but I understand people's apprehensions going into the new OS when XP didn't quite sail out of the box. That doesn't mean that XP was a bad operating system though, it is the most commonly used and agreed upon by PC users. Vista will likely be the same, it just needs the time to ease in the old curmudgeons, locking games to Vista won't help the cause much.

Anyway, back at Halo 2 camp with the Windows Vista integration comes the Games for Windows Live features. From the minute you insert the disc you can start playing (even before installation), and access the Games for Windows Live blade. You can log-in using your Xbox Live account, create new gamertags, look at achievments, see who's online and what they're doing, message, voice chat and all the things you are used to on the Xbox 360. However, there are a few missing features, you can't send picture messages or do anything with a camera (even with the Xbox 360 Vision installed. Also, when you want to add a pre-paid card or extend your Xbox Live Gold account the game spits you out to your web browser and makes you do it that way. Not an entirely smooth process if you have a slower machine. The missing feature that annoyed me the most? When you unlock an achievment it does the old "Achievment Unlocked" message, not the new "Killtacular - 20 G" that the spring dashboard update brought to the 360s.

The Games for Windows Live service is only operating when you are in a game, playing. If you want to voice chat with a friend or check your messages or do anything you have to boot the game up first. Xbox.com has most of the feature's you'll need to not worry about this, but a desktop application to the Live service is necessary if this is going to take off. I don't always want to play games, I would like to watch a movie and chat or be notified when I get messages while downloading demos as you already can with the 360. It's not that hard to make and I'm pretty sure you'll be seeing an update for the Games for Windows Live service before too long, I am not the only one complainging about the lack of desktop integration.

I used both the keyboard/mouse and the wireless game pad to control the game and was able to switch back and forth between the two without accessing a menu. This is very good, but I did notice that on my machine, likely due to overtaxing the processor, when I used the gamepad the framerate dropped just a pinch. Now, I'm used to using the 360 controller, but I found this difference to be more than compelling to switch to the board and mouse, only returning when I got lazy and wanted to lay back and play. I think that is the key difference between the PC and console controls, with a keyboard and mouse you get tense, wrists can cramp and it's just not as comfortable as laying back, relaxing and twiddling your thumbs. Did I notice a difference in my accuracy or general skill level? Surprisingly, no. I was just as skilled on my controller and the keyboard and mouse, both online and off.

Speaking of online play, the game finding engine is excellent I have never had to wait more than a few seconds to locate and play a game. This is very surprising considering there are few people who run Windows Vista, have Live accounts and feel like playing a game that's half a decade old. I think this is due to the complete lack of stat tracking. When I started playing I noticed that the game's raking system was completely abscent. My old level 8 icon (please stop laughing) was missing entirely. When I went to Bungie.net to look at my post game stats they weren't there. In fact they were no where on the net. Bungie didn't make this port, they helped but it was a different team within Microsoft Game Studios that built it, and thus they cut out any stat tracking Bungie had implemented. Most people don't play and look at their stats, but this is going to be a big turn-off for the hardcore groups that track every kill in Counter-Strike and Battlefield (mind you they're likely still running XP).

The game is not worth upgrading your system for. If you have XP hold off on it until you get a new PC with Vista, or just hope that those guys trying to mod the game to work on XP succeed. If you already have a Vista capable system and an Xbox Live account then grab it and enjoy the improvements. It's a stubmbling stone for now, but the Games for Windows Live experience will no doubt improve. Plus, it's amazing how far a rehashed title can go on nothing more than normal mapping and gamerscore.