Editing Halo 2 (Windows Vista)

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'''''Halo 2''''' received a PC port, commonly nicknamed ''Halo 2 Vista'', which was developed by Hired Gun for use on the '''[[wikipedia:Windows Vista|Windows Vista]]''' operating system exclusively and as a release title for the "Games for Windows" category. The release date was originally planned for May 8, 2007, however, the release date was delayed to May 22, 2007 because the team needed "to make some improvements to the install experience and address other technical issues." However, release dates for the game were erratic, as Australia had publicly available copies, and some stores in the United States were selling copies as well. Microsoft had stated that the release date had been pushed back one final time, due to partial nudity found in the ''Halo 2 Vista'' Map Editing Kit, making the release date May 31, 2007 for the United States.

''Halo 2 Vista'' has been reworked graphically for the PC, including high-resolution textures and support for very high resolutions. While the single player campaign does not differ from the Xbox version, the player can earn newly implemented single and multiplayer achievements. One of the selling points of ''Halo 2 Vista'' is an included map editor. It has include the same programs as previously used in the [[Halo Editing Kit]] and also includes a pre-made "custom" map by default, named ''[[Example]]'', which was made for players to observe as an example for making their own custom maps.

A new ability pushed by the Microsoft team is a feature called "[[wikipedia:Tray and Play|Tray and Play]]". It is an attempt to emulate the ability of consoles to instantly play new discs in a DVD drive without installing them. It allows the end-user to play the game as it is installing.

[[File:HAV.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Screenshot of ''Halo 2 Vista'', showing high resolution.]]

''Halo 2 Vista'', being a release for the Games for Windows service, includes support for the Live for Windows system. It intertwines with the [[Xbox LIVE|Xbox Live]] system, allowing communication with someone who has an Xbox. However, cross-platform play is not supported, despite being planned, initially. The GFWL interface is similar to that of the Xbox 360 dashboard. Instead of using peer to peer matchmaking, players are able to create dedicated servers, which are created with a program that comes with the disc.

On January 16, 2013, citing declining online population (consistently 20 players or fewer) [[343 Industries]] announced that online multiplayer for ''Halo 2 Vista'' would be discontinued February 15, 2013. Although players will still be able to play custom LAN multiplayer matches, network services will cease to operate, ending online matchmaking However, it was later announced that the multiplayer would be extended to June 2013. As of February 2015, ''Halo 2 Vista'' servers are still up and running.<ref>[http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2013/01/16/The-Halo-Bulletin-11613.aspx '''Halo Waypoint:''' ''The Halo Bulletin: 1.16.13'']</ref>

 

The minimum system requirements to run ''[[Halo 2]]'' on Windows Vista is a Windows Experience Index of 3.0. The recommended system requirements is a WEI of 5.0. Users can play the game with a rating of less than 3.0 but they will have to reduce graphics quality in order to run the game smoothly. The game can be set on different levels of detail (low, medium, or high) to change performance and appearance. Anti-aliasing and the game's resolution can be changed, as well.

''Halo 2 Vista'' was considerably less popular than the Xbox version of the game. Besides selling incredibly low due to the negative reception of Windows Vista, it also was far less highly rated than the Xbox version. The game netted a mere 72% from Metacritic, a site which regulates and moderates reviews from other websites.<ref>[http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/halo2?q=Halo%202%20Vista '''Metacritic.com''': ''Halo 2 Vista Review'']</ref>{{citation needed}} Game Informer cited the outdated graphics and lack of innovation, which they said made the game feel "too outdated for a next-generation PC game, especially compared with how stunning ''Halo 2'' had been on Xbox".{{citation needed}}

*It is suspected that the ''Halo 2'' Editing Kit has had many features disabled or deleted, which would disallow all types of custom tag creation. As of April, 2011 there has been no custom map that has been created with custom player models, vehicles, scenery/objects, scripts.

*''Halo 2 Vista'' is the only game prior to ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]'' that is able to truly run at 60 frames per second in all game modes, not just including the menus, which also ran at 60FPS in the Xbox version. ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved (PC port)|''Halo: Combat Evolved'' for PC]]'' is also technically capable of running at 60FPS, but all animations for characters, vehicles, effects, etc. are locked at 30FPS, like most of the other titles in the series.

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[[Category:Video games]]