For over 18 months, Halo has been the subject of many a discussion, most often being heralded as the number one game in a growing line up of must-have Xbox exclusives. Contrary to that point, however, has always been the fact that the game would eventually make its way over to the PC, sooner or later. Well, later, as the case may be, this has now happened, thanks to the boffins at Gearbox.

Halo on PC remains predominantly the same as the Xbox original, albeit now benefiting from the added ... more >>

For over 18 months, Halo has been the subject of many a discussion, most often being heralded as the number one game in a growing line up of must-have Xbox exclusives. Contrary to that point, however, has always been the fact that the game would eventually make its way over to the PC, sooner or later. Well, later, as the case may be, this has now happened, thanks to the boffins at Gearbox.

Halo on PC remains predominantly the same as the Xbox original, albeit now benefiting from the added bonus of LAN/Internet based multiplayer support, complete with new maps, weapons and vehicles. The story behind it tells of a powerful fellowship of alien races known as the Covenant, bent on wiping out the Earth's fledgling interstellar empire. Players, along with other surviving defenders of a devastated colony-world, embark on a task to lure the alien fleet away from Earth and, on the ancient ring-world Halo, begin a guerrilla war against the impending evil.

The game itself appears courtesy of an assortment of both vehicle and foot-based missions, each offering players the option to tackle them as they choose - be it storming an enemy base or taking the wheel or gunnery position in a variety of powerful vehicles. A diverse array of objectives is bestowed upon the player throughout the course of the game, such as attacking enemy outposts, raiding underground labs for advanced technology, rescuing fallen comrades, stealing alien weaponry and vehicles, and sniping at enemy forces.

Probably the most anticipated element of this PC release though has to be the support for large-scale multiplayer gaming. Already a notable feature in the Xbox version, this has now been opened up to the masses and, as such, up to 16 players can now battle it out via a LAN or the Internet, in a variety of individual and team-based games such as King of the Hill, Capture the Flag, Race, Oddball, and Deathmatch.

If you're a PC gamer, then you'll already have been awaiting the arrival of Halo with bated breath. You'll also appreciate the added precision delivered by the mouse/keyboard control method, as well as the support for high-end hardware, which allows you to play with a resolution of up to 1600 x 1200.

You'll also have probably ordered it already, because, well, it's Halo...
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