Open the DVD by right clicking and click "open"Ģ. My method on how I installed it (not sure if it will work for you):ġ.
The game plays well, and its multiplayer component still rings true so why are hundreds of millions of avid Windows XP gamers left out in the cold? It's hard to recommend a port of an older game that requires an expensive new operating system and a high-end video card, yet adds little new (aside from a map editor) to the formula.So, yesterday I actually got my Halo 2 for Vista to install on Windows 10. But in the end, the biggest frustration with Halo 2 lies in Microsoft's decision to make it a Windows Vista exclusive.
In many ways, Halo 2 on Windows Vista mirrors the PC port of the first Halo its graphics are aged, its performance is erratic, and it adds little to the original game. If you don't far surpass the recommended specs, you're in for choppy framerates, especially while online. Another downside: you'd better be packing some serious PC hardware, as Halo 2 is a major performance hog. Even a quick facelift in the form of sharper textures and flashier particle effects would've been a godsend. It's too bad the developers weren't more ambitious and set out to tweak certain well-documented shortcomings in Halo 2, such as the weapon balance. Even if this Vista version finds enormous popularity, there's no way it will reach the size of the Xbox version - something multiplayer fiends should consider before investing in this Vista port.įor better or for worse, Halo 2 for Windows Vista is the "ultimate" version of Halo 2, but shares all the flaws and assets of its source material. Halo 2 servers online are still few and far between, but we expect more servers to go live soon. Multiplayer is where Halo 2 dominates, and it is here where the PC version will find redemption. You can also plug in a wired Xbox 360 controller, something few PC gamers are likely to do, but it's still a nice bonus.Īs in the original Xbox version, Halo 2's single-player campaign is a relatively repetitive exercise. We did notice one control quirk: our mouse sensitivity never felt high, even after boosting it to its maximum setting. Sniping weapons in particular benefit from the new mouse-driven aiming, making headshots a practically effortless affair. Once you find a loadout that works for you, actions such a dual wielding guns and swapping grenade types feels downright natural. It's not perfect-the game was clearly designed around a console controller-but PC purists won't be disappointed by the control scheme. The good news is that Halo 2 feels tight and responsive on a mouse and keyboard. There is no Direct X 10 support in Halo 2 for Vista, squelching the one possible justification for making Halo 2 Vista-only release. Far from being a slick demonstration of Vista, Halo 2 looks more like an older Windows XP title.
On one hand, that's a plus, but it's also distressing to see that little has been done to improve the overall presentation. Aside from two new multiplayer maps and support for high-resolution and anti-aliased graphics modes, Halo 2 on Vista is indistinguishable from the original game. How is the Vista version of Halo 2? It's pretty much what you'd expect: a pixel-for-pixel recreation of the original Xbox version. Hardcore PC gamers, many of whom have sworn off Vista for its compatibility and performance quirks, aren't going to suddenly hop on the Vista bandwagon because of a three-year-old Xbox game, even if it's Halo 2. Microsoft is clearly trying to leverage the Halo brand as a way to push Windows Vista onto gamers. The problem is that Halo 2 is nearly three years old, and Halo 3-a game that is superior to its predecessors in every way-is only a few months away from hitting the Xbox 360.īut really, the biggest problem with Halo 2 being a Windows Vista exclusive is that it does nothing to warrant being a Vista-only game. So it's understandable that Microsoft would look to Halo 2 to pull off some more magic as a launch title for Windows Vista, an operating system dogged by incompatibility complaints and a general lack of consumer interest.