here is little doubt that Halo’s place in video game history is set. The real question is whether you want to buy it on PC or not. Finding that answer is actually pretty easy.

Did you play through the single-player mode on Xbox? If you answered no, then what the hell is wrong with you? Halo’s solo experience really is outstanding. In fact, the first three levels are a stunning showcase of the spectacular artificial intelligence and level design that Bungie put into this game. After Truth and Reconciliation, it slows down quite a bit and becomes rather repetitive as far as level design is concerned, but it is still a blast – a definite must-play in the world of video games.

If you have played the single-player campaign before, then the questions become a little trickier. Do you still play multiplayer on Xbox? Did you even play the multiplayer game at all? If you managed to miss out on the experience or still enjoy it on Xbox, then Halo on PC offers up some fresh improvements. Through GameSpy networks, it supports 16-player online play with six new maps (19 total), a new flamethrower weapon, as well as the ability to use Banshees and the new rocket-launcher Warthog. Nice additions to say the least.

It is also quite nice to be able to play the game without the annoying split-screen that was featured on the Xbox. My one real complaint with multiplayer on PC at the moment is that many of the spawn points were poorly planned, and campers can make it a rather frustrating experience. Also, compared to other multiplayer games on the PC, Halo seems a little shallow.

At the end of the day, Halo is truly a great game, but when I fired it up again, I quickly found that I was either a) quite skilled because I had played the game before on Xbox, or b) it was just easier to blast through with a mouse and keyboard. I’m leaning toward the latter, which is the main reason why I’m not giving the game a higher score. In the history books, Halo definitely is a standout, but Halo PC is just a little late to a market that really excels at first-person shooters.

Hardcore fans will enjoy Halo PC as another release of their favorite game, and first-time players will revel in the story and action that the single-player experience offers, but for everyone else Halo is just a fantastic console game that is late to the PC party.  

ADAM BIESSENER   9 Everyone knows that Halo on the Xbox is an incredible game. On the PC it’s beyond incredible. Playing it with the wonderfully precise control that comes with being on PC is like having the deity of your choice shine down everlasting love and happiness directly into your soul. The only gripes I have are small ones: GameSpy Arcade is the only service available for online play, and I find it to be sorely lacking in functionality after being spoiled rotten by Blizzard’s Battle.net and Ensemble’s ESO. Also, the engine doesn’t seem to be very efficient. Even on our loaded-to-the-gills machine, I had to turn some graphics options down to get a stable framerate. It still looked awesome, but it’s the principle of the thing. Other than that, Halo PC is nigh-perfect. There is no reason to not own this title if you’ve already sunk your bucks into a decent graphics card.