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| {{Title|''Halo: Combat Evolved'' (PC port)}} | | {{Era|H1}} |
| {{Status|RealWorld}} | | {{Ratings}} |
| {{Cleanup}}
| | [[Image:Halo_Combat_Evolved_box_art_(PC).jpg|thumb|''Halo PC'']] |
| <center>''This article is about the port of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' for [[Wikipedia:Microsoft Windows|Windows]] [[Wikipedia:Personal computer|PCs]]. If you were looking for the original [[Xbox]] game, see ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', and for the [[Wikipedia:Macintosh|Macintosh]] port, see ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved for Macintosh]]''</center>
| | '''Halo PC''' refers to the version of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' built for home computers including both the PC and Mac platforms. |
| {{Game infobox
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| |name= ''Halo: Combat Evolved for PC''
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| |image= [[File:Halo_Combat_Evolved_box_art_(PC).jpg|250px]]
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| |developer= | |
| *Developed by [[Bungie|Bungie Studios]]
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| *Ported to Windows by [[Gearbox Software]]
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| |publisher= [[Microsoft Game Studios]]
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| |engine=[[Blam engine]]
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| |platform=[[Wikipedia:Microsoft Windows|Windows]]
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| |releasedate= September 30, 2003
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| |genre= [[First-person shooter]]
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| |modes= [[Campaign]], [[multiplayer]]
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| |rating= [[Wikipedia:Entertainment Software Ratings Board|ESRB]]: Mature (M) for Blood, Gore, and Violence<br>
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| [[Wikipedia:Pan European Game Information|PEGI]]: 16+ (Europe only)
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| }}
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| {{Quote|This is Halo evolved.|Description<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page 343'' (2003)</ref>}}
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| '''''Halo: Combat Evolved for PC''''', often nicknamed simply '''''Halo PC''''', was a PC port of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' built for home computers. It was released on September 30 and December 14, 2003, by [[Gearbox Software]] and [[wikipedia:Westlake Interactive|Westlake Interactive]], respectively. A [[Halo: Combat Evolved Trial|demo]] was also released before the PC version. The game demos and videos that were included in the Xbox version were removed from the PC version.
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| To complement the release of ''Halo PC'', a standalone, multiplayer-only [[Halo Custom Edition|custom edition]] for modding purposes was released on March 15, 2004, by Gearbox Software. ''Halo PC'' was one of the most popular online shooters played until November 2004 before ''Halo 2'' was released.
| | ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' was originally planned be made for the Mac platform. [[Bungie]] changed platforms to the upcoming [[Xbox]] after being bought by [[Microsoft]]. Then, on September 30, 2003, [[Gearbox Software]] packaged Halo for the PC and added a few extra features, too. (It should be noted, however, that in the process of developing the port, the ability to play co-op in multi player mode was lost entirely.) Later, a Mac version of Halo was made, ''Halo Mac''. |
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| == Features ==
| | Halo PC contained several new features that the Xbox version of Halo lacked, namely the ability to play the game in [[Safe Mode]] however Safe Mode was not necessary for the Xbox version because the Xbox has a standard graphics card and does not slow down. Also, Halo PC came with six all new [[multiplayer]] maps. The Xbox version did have its equal share of special features as well such as the ability to play split screen multiplayer and co-op in campaign. The game was also outfitted with an online multi player mode, and a year later with the stand alone [[Halo Custom Edition|custom edition]] for modding, with downloadable maps from many Internet websites. The resolution of the game is also better than the Xbox version depending on how good your graphics card is. A [[Halo: Combat Evolved Trial|demo]] was also released before the PC version. The game demos and videos that were included in the Xbox version were removed from the PC version. |
| ''Halo PC'', for the most part, plays exactly like its Xbox version. As a computer-port, the PC version lacks the ability to play splitscreen in multiplayer and cooperative-play in campaign. It does, however, contain several new features, namely the ability to browse the multiplayer lobby for online matches, direct connection to the server via [[wikipedia:IP address|IP address]] and the ability to run the game in "Safe Mode" (for computers that do not meet the PC requirements).
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| The game comes with several exclusive multiplayer additions such as the six new multiplayer maps which are [[Timberland]], [[Death Island]], [[Gephyrophobia]], [[Danger Canyon]], [[Ice Fields]] and [[Infinity_(Halo:_Combat_Evolved_map)|Infinity]], discarded weapons from the Xbox version which are the [[Unidentified fuel rod gun|Fuel Rod Gun]] and [[M7057 flamethrower|Flamethrower]] and vehicles such as the [[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Banshees]] and [[M12A1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle|Rocket Warthog]]. With the [[2014]] release of ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]'', the multiplayer component included for ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' was that of ''Halo PC'', including all previously PC-exclusive maps, weapons and vehicles.
| | ==New Features== |
| | [[Image:HPC Fuelrodguns.jpg|thumb|Several weapons, such as the Fuel Rod Gun, made it to Halo PC, but not the Xbox version.]] |
| | [[Image:M7057Flamethrower.jpg|thumb|The newly added Flamethrower made its debut in the game.]] |
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| In April 2014, it was announced that the multiplayer lobby services of ''Halo PC'' and ''Halo Custom Edition'' would be rendered unusable by 31 May 2014 with the shutdown of GameSpy's multiplayer servers.<ref name="gamespy">[http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-04-04-gamespy-servers-to-shut-down-next-month '''Eurogamer''': ''GameSpy servers to shut down next month'']</ref> In response of the shutdown, a [[Halo: Combat Evolved (PC) patches#Halo Update 1.10 patch|new patch]] was developed and released by Bungie developer Roger Wolfson (also known as Sawnose) and a small group of ''Halo'' fans (Btcc22, Kornman00 and Technut) which will moved now former GameSpy services to a non-GameSpy server.<ref name="patched">[http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-12-bungie-to-update-halo-pc-with-server-fix '''Eurogamer''': ''Bungie to update Halo PC with GameSpy server fix'']</ref><ref name="patchofficial">[https://halo.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post?id=64943622 '''Bungie.net''': ''Halo PC/CE 1.0.10 now available'']</ref>
| | ===Weapons=== |
| | #[[Fuel Rod Gun]] A Fuel Rod Gun is the Covenant equivalent of the rocket launcher. Instead of rockets, it fires arcing fuel rods and does not have a zoom, although the fuel rod gun has a higher rate of fire, uses a battery, and can overheat like other Covenant weapons.. |
| | #[[Flamethrower]] (Was originally planned to be in the Xbox version but never appeared on screen because it was said to be too violent). |
| | #*Very similar to the ''[[Halo 3]]'' flamethrower, with the exception of a longer fuel nozzle, and it does not pull you out to third-person view or slow you down. |
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| | ===Vehicles=== |
| | *[[Banshee|Banshees]] This is the only Banshee in the trilogy that can fly backwards, albeit poorly (this was used instead of the hover function). |
| | *[[Rocket Warthog]] (Absent from the Xbox version.) The Rocket Warthog has a triple barrel rocket launcher with a rate of fire similar to the infantry version, but has a horrendous reload rate. |
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| | ===Maps=== |
| | *[[Timberland]] |
| | *[[Death Island]] |
| | *[[Gephyrophobia]] |
| | *[[Danger Canyon]] |
| | *[[Ice Fields]] |
| | *[[Infinity]] |
| | *[[Battle Creek]] |
| | *[[Wizard]] |
| | *[[Damnation]] |
| | *[[Boarding Action]] |
| | *[[Prisoner]] |
| | *[[Blood Gulch]] |
| | *[[Sidewinder]] |
| | *[[Chill Out]] |
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| ==Reception== | | ==Reception== |
| ''Halo PC'' garnered mixed reactions and received a score of 83% on Metacritic. GameSpot stated that it was "still an incredible action game ... [and] a true classic", awarding it 9.0 out of 10. It received a score of 8.2 out of 10 from IGN, who stated, "If you've played the game on the Xbox, there's not much for you here." Eurogamer called the game "a missed opportunity", but stated that the online multiplayer component was "a massive draw ... for Halo veterans".
| | The PC version of Halo received a fairly decent reception, although not as good as the XBOX version. The game netted an average meta-score of 83 out of 100. Some of the scores included a 10 out of 10 from Play Magazine, a 9 out of 10 from Game Informer, an 8.2 out of 10 from IGN, and a 4 out of 5 from Game Informer. |
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| | == Modding == |
| | {{main|Halo: Custom Edition}} |
| | The PC community has adopted ''Halo: PC'' and began making enormous amounts of modified maps for other users since its release. With another release of a non-supported 3rd person software, Halo:Custom Edition, it increased the popularity of Halo: PC and its players became even more involved into modifying maps. |
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| | '' '''Main Article:''' [[List of modding programs for Halo PC|Modding Applications]]'' |
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| ==System requirements== | | ==System Requirements== |
| {{scrollbox|
| | ===PC Requirements=== |
| {{col-begin}}
| | * Microsoft® Windows® 98SE/Me/XP/2000 |
| {{col-3}}
| | * PC with 733 MHz equivalent or higher processor |
| ;Minimum
| | * 128 MB of system RAM |
| '''Operating system''': Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP<br />
| | * 1.2 GB available hard disk space |
| '''DirectX''': DirectX 8.1<br />
| | * 8x speed or faster CD-ROM drive |
| '''CPU''': Pentium II or Athlon equivalent<br />
| | * 32 MB T&L capable video card required |
| '''GPU''': 32 MB Video Card, T&L Capable<br />
| | * Sound card, speakers or headphones required for audio |
| '''VRAM''': 32 MB<br />
| | * Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device |
| '''RAM''': 128 MB<br />
| | * 56.6 Kbps or better modem or LAN for online play; |
| '''HDD''': 1.2 GB<br />
| | * broadband to run a server |
| {{col-3}}
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| ;Recommended
| | ===Mac Requirements=== |
| '''Operating system''': Windows 2000/XP<br />
| | * Minimum |
| '''DirectX''': DirectX 9<br />
| | * Macintosh computer with 800 MHz G4/G5 or faster processor |
| '''CPU''': Pentium 4 or Athlon XP<br />
| | * Mac OS X 10.2.8 or higher |
| '''GPU''': 64 MB DirectX 9.0 compliant Video Card with Hardware T&L<br /> | | * 256MB RAM |
| '''VRAM''': 64 MB<br />
| | * 32MB Video Card (GeForce 2MX/ATI 7500 or better) |
| '''RAM''': 512 MB<br />
| | * 1.4GB hard disk space |
| '''HDD''': 2 GB<br /> | | * Internet or LAN connection required for online play |
| {{col-end}}
| | * Recommended |
| }}
| | * 1GHz G4/G5 or faster processor |
| | * Mac OS X 10.3 or higher |
| | * 512MB RAM |
| | * 64MB Video Card (GeForce 4ti-ATI 9000 or better) |
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| | '''Note:''' Halo will run normally on Intel-based Macs. However, due to the having to run in the Rosetta PPC emulator, there is an impact on performance. For this reason, MacSoft/Destineer has released a Universal binary update. The update is $5 and available from the [http://www.destineerstudios.com/support/halo.html developer's website]. |
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| ==Trivia== | | ==Trivia== |
| *''Halo PC'' has several distinct changes from the Xbox version. The most noticeable one would be the graphics; [[Kig-yar|Jackal]] shields are no longer distinct to differentiate a Minor from a Major, and do not change color as they get damaged (which were probably problems that the bitmaps and animations were not loaded, from a release-time perspective), stationary shields have a different appearance, the reflection of some weapons reduced their strength, [[Captain Keyes]] had different textures, and [[Shade]]s change as well. Several weapon behaviors have been altered such as the zoom feature of a sniper rifle reduced from 10× to 8× and the needler receiving a slight buff to its tracking ability in multiplayer.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERA2y2tdKtQ '''YouTube.com''': ''The DEFINITIVE Halo CE Weapons Tier List by The Vengeful Vadam'']</ref> | | *Some changes were made from the Xbox version in the graphics; [[Jackal]] shields are not different for Major and Minor, and do not change color as they get damaged (which were probably problems that the bitmaps and animations weren't loaded, from a release-time perspective), stationary shields have a different appearance, the reflection of some weapons reduced their strength, and [[Shades]] change as well. |
| *The PC port has flawed lighting, causing bump mapping textures to not be active unless dynamic lighting is activated. This can be easily seen by using the flashlight. | | *''Halo'' was originally for the Mac, until Microsoft's acquisition of Bungie, which prompted the Xbox, and later, PC version. |
| *''Halo PC'' has been the foundation of each new iteration of Combat Evolved, being used in both [[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]] and [[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]. This is because of the support for online play, something that only came to Halo with the introduction of [[Xbox Live]] matchmaking on [[Halo 2]].
| | *This game has some problems when used on the Windows Vista platform (frame rate issues, etc.), but these can be reduced, if not eliminated, by changing the resolution to the lowest level (640x480), setting the framerate to Vsync, and setting the texture quality to Low. |
| *''Halo PC'' (and [[Halo: Combat Evolved Trial|its demo]], which has attracted many players due to its online play, which is limited to the ''Blood Gulch'' map and ''Silent Cartographer'' level) has remained incredibly popular since its release. In May 2007, over 130,000 players played ''Halo PC'' online, nearly 4 years after the game's release.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=news&cid=12521 '''Bungie.net''': ''Interesting Halo 1 PC Stat'']</ref> | | *Halo PC (and it's demo, which has attracted a large number of players due to its online play, which is limited to the ''Blood Gulch'' map and ''Silent Cartographer'' level) has maintained incredibly popularity since its release. In May of 2007, over 130,000 players played Halo PC online, nearly 4 years after the game's release. Its popularity with PC gamers continues today.<ref>[http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=news&cid=12521 Bungie News: 6-4-2007]</ref> |
| *''Halo PC'' can be played without the CD as of [[Halo: Combat Evolved (PC) patches#Halo Update 1.08 patch|Patch 1.08]]. | | *Halo PC can be played without the CD as of [[Halo:_Combat_Evolved_(PC)_patches#Halo_Update_1.08_patch|Patch 1.08]]. |
| *The key code for ''Halo PC'' unlocked a [[Nameplates|visual flair]] available on [[Bungie.net]] for the player in Halo Reach before March 31, 2012. | | *Many people use [[Halo Trial]] for its ease of use when modding its two maps. |
| | | *The Banshee on Halo PC is the first game in the series to have a [[Fuel Rod Cannon]] in multiplayer. |
| ==Gallery==
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| <gallery>
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| File:Halo_Combat_Evolved_Logo-screen.jpg|The opening screen.
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| File:Halo_Combat_Evolved_box_art_(PC).jpg|Box art
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| File:HaloCombatEvolved-PC-Box.jpg|Box front cover art
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| File:HaloCombatEvolved-2003-PC-Box.jpg|Full jacket cover art
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| File:HPC_disk.png|Game disk for ''Halo PC''
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| File:HPC_Fuelrodguns.jpg|Several weapons, such as the Fuel Rod Gun, made it to Halo PC, but not the Xbox version.
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| File:M7057Flamethrower.jpg|The newly added Flamethrower made its debut in the game.
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| </gallery>
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| ==Sources== | | ==References== |
| {{Ref/Sources}}
| | <references/> |
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| ==See also== | | ==Related Articles== |
| *[[Halo: Combat Evolved|Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox)]] | | *[[Halo: Combat Evolved]] |
| *[[Halo: Combat Evolved (PC) patches]] | | *[[Halo: PC (Linux)]] |
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| {{Navbox/Media/Games}} | | {{Halo Games}} |
| {{DEFAULTSORT:1 PC, Halo}}
| | [[Category:Games|Halo 1 PC]] |
| [[Category:Halo: Combat Evolved (PC)| ]] | | [[ja:Halo PC]] |
| [[Category:Halo: Combat Evolved]] | |
| [[Category:Bungie games]]
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