I held off on purchasing an Xbox, afraid that it was just some passing phase Microsoft had unleashed upon the world.  But it caused me to miss out on many of the great hits of our time, including HALO.  In fact, it has been the most successful Xbox game ever, selling over three million copies.  Granted, this little “I won’t succumb to the powers of Xbox” charade didn’t last long, and I immediately purchased HALO.  Talks of releasing it on PC were taking place before the Xbox version was even out, but it seems as if the delay was more of a blunder than a strategic maneuver for obvious reasons.  First, any other game that would try this stunt would probably find itself laughed out of the gaming world.  But that’s all history.  How does the PC version compare to the original?  To be honest, it does and it doesn’t.  However, just to make sure I touch on all the bases, I will be writing this review so that even those who have not played the console version (though few and very far in between) will get a comprehensive assessment.

It is the year 2552, a time when the people of Earth are forced to colonize other worlds because of overpopulation.  An outer colony, Harvest, has lost all contact with Earth.  It seems as if aliens, known as the Covenant, have annihilated the colony, waging a holy war upon humanity.  Reach, a hub of scientific and military activity, has created cyborg super-soldiers to fight against the Covenant, a project known as SPARTAN-II.  You are the master chief apart of the SPARTAN-II project, and you are humanity’s last hope.  But there is something more.  A giant weapon, known as HALO, is being sought after by the covenant which could determine the very fate of human existence.  Now, its your job to stop it from happening…but it gets deeper!

There are only a few words that best describe HALO:  a classic, a gem, and the big enchilada.  It’s basically the same as the Xbox title, with some clever additions.  This game sucked up all my computers capabilities and it was still thirsty!  No doubt, Gearbox spent some time in fixing it up for all high-end computers and the top video cards.  The game play is a bit different from the original version.  It has no cooperative mode, which is a major factor that made HALO such a big hit, but it makes up for it with the highly anticipated online/LAN capabilities.  I must be honest, I probably spent about 75% of the time dedicated to multiplayer mode.  Just like many of you gamers, I’ve played HALO and although I loved every jaw-dropping second of it, I wasn’t in the mood for replay.

There are two modes:  the traditional single-player campaign and multiplayer.  It was much easier, in my mind, going through the 2^nd time with the PC version than the Xbox version.  Mouse “movability” is something that you will have to get used to, but its generally like playing the original.  On the computer, I got a newfound respect for the enemy AI that I had previously ignored.  Unlike most FPS that follow a shoot and duck cycle, the Covenant and other enemies play a deadly game of hide and seek.  Of course, this makes things a bit difficult but much more fun and realistic (ignoring the fact that fighting ferocious aliens isn’t apart of your everyday routine).  I enjoyed the teamwork aspects, where your ally troops actually help you out rather than casually firing randomly.  I have learned something with this concept, however, that if you fire continuously at a marine, their buddies will try to take you down.  Vehicles are also very handy in game, and can be a necessity while in multiplayer mode.  Try flying a Banshee taking out on-foot enemies while being wary of Scorpion Battle Tanks and you will see what I mean.

There are two new weapons (for multiplayer only) which include a fuel rod gun and flamethrower.  I found the flamethrower to be a little pointless in a fast-and-furious game, but it’s efficient in close ranged action. 

As I have said earlier, I spent the majority of my time dedicated to multiplayer.  My one complaint is in finding a quality server.  Most are either incredibly lagged-up or full (16 person maximum per server).  There are several modes for multiplayer including slayer, team slayer, capture the flag, and king of the hill.  But once you find that perfect server, you will find yourself immersed in six new multiplayer maps made just for the PC version.  One thing that I loved about the multiplayer mode is that on one day you can be the best of the best and the next you are just some miserable little newbie who is holding things up.  In other words, the learning curve is virtually flat.  Unfortunately, you can only play as the master chief model (no alien skins), though that is certain to change with the infinite mod possibilities.

The Xbox is all about high resolution graphics.  The PC version outdoes the original with better graphics with hardly any loading time.  The models are fairly good but the enormous amount of activity that occurs on-screen makes the graphics that much better.  If there ever was a better time to upgrade your video card other than the arrival of HL2, this is it.  I love the beginning hymn of HALO and the soundtrack adds to the experience.  But there is nothing new on the PC version that stands out in terms of sound.

The first time I played HALO, I knew it was going places.  Unfortunately, I had no plans in purchasing an Xbox at that time so it was a shallow excitement.  If you don’t have an Xbox, get this NOW!  It’s the one FPS that you have been waiting for.  If you have the Xbox version, I still recommend getting it for the multiplayer experience.  It’s one of those classics that you just don’t pass up. 

Gameplay: 9
A treat from start to finish, its definitely a FPS title worth anyone’s time.

Graphics: 9.2
With the right card, it surpasses the Xbox’s graphic capabilities and load-time.

Sound: 8.8
It’s the same soundtrack and effects that we have all come to love from the original.  I must know who sings the opening theme! 

Difficulty: Medium  

Concept: 9.3 
Humanity is in danger.  Grab your favorite weapon and lets kill us some aliens!

Multiplayer: 8.9
You will find yourself enjoying Multiplayer mode long after you have beaten the sp campaign, once you find the right server.

Overall: 9.2
With 3 million Xbox copies sold, you know that this game will deliver.  Get in your warthog, visit your local game store, and play!