{RA}SKYFURNACE
09-29-2003, 11:42 AM
Gaming Next 87/100
http://www.gamingnext.com/software/reviewdetail.asp?revid=68&c=10&t=2
I'm running Halo on an Athlon XP 1700+ with a gig of PC2100 RAM and a GeForce4 Ti 4200 (no overclocking on anything, btw) and there are more than a few moments where the game just chugs. It's not so bad as a slide show but as most gamers know, framerate is life. You'd think two years would be enough time to get any performance issues ironed out but it just doesn't feel like it. To counterbalance this setback visual settings can be reduced and to Halo's credit, the game still looks marvelous even at medium detail. It's no Unreal Tournament 2003 or Unreal 2 but it's definitely no Daikatana either.
Telefragged - 88%
http://www.telefragged.com/reviews/halo-pc/
Halo PC is a fairly functional port of an excellent game. The lack of co-op and the sluggish frame rate are the big disappointments, but the solo campaign is a must-play for any respectable FPS fan. The enhanced multiplayer mode is very fun for online play, but let's hope Gearbox can get some mod tools going to make it last more than a couple of weeks.
Gamers Depot 4/5
http://www.gamersdepot.com/games/action/halo/001.htm
After two years, and in what has likely been one of the more highly anticipated releases in the history of FPS games, Halo has finally arrived on the PC. Though I love all that this game has to offer, and strongly recommend it as a “must have” to any FPS gamer reading this, I do think that this game would have been all the more impressive had it been released earlier, if at all possible. As it stands, it’s an awesome game, but has almost a “retro” feel to it.
VooDoo Extreme
http://ve3d.ign.com/?fromint=1
Single-Player - Identical to the Xbox version. Later levels are heavily repetitive and feature a lot of 'cut and paste' design - the Library level is, in my opinion, one of the worst levels in gaming history. However, the overall campaign is fun and challenging even on the lower difficulty settings. If you've completed the Xbox version, there's going to be no incentive to complete the PC one.
Graphics - A lot of people have been saying that the graphics are no better than the Xbox version. This, is a load of old tosh. The game looks better, but significantly so once you begin to turn on anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering. You may notice some slowdown, or a lowering of the framerate in the indoor levels, where performance varies significantly. Outdoor levels are smooth as silk, and driving around in the various vehicles displays the particle effects nicely.
Sound - The score is still as good as it was before, and the general effects are still of a high quality. Sounds better in 5.1 surround sound mode with some hearty bass though.
Multiplayer - This is the reason to buy this game. The multiplayer is excellent, highly configurable, entertaining (firing a mortar at an oncoming enemy Warthog and watching as it flips over you is bloody impressive), and will last you a long time. Assault mode will probably be the most popular due to the constantly changing dynamics, although the race mode is great, especially when the enemy is constantly firing at you. It's also worth noting that the framerate is significantly better in the multiplayer mode due to the lack of the AI attackers from the campaign. Once the game is modded to include some objective-based gameplay a la Battlefield 1942, it'll be one of the best multiplayer games on the market.
Conclusion - If you're not going to be playing this online, and you've got an Xbox, although not Halo for it, I'd recommend you skip this version, and find the Xbox version cheaper - you'll have no framerate worries and it'll be totally compatible. If you want a new online game, buy this. Despite only having support for 16-players it's great fun. Gearbox are hoping to release an online co-op mode in the future, and if they do, it'll be a bonus on top of what is already here. I've got tired of Battlefield 1942, and Enemy Territory's lack of maps is making me bored of it, so I'll be found playing this from tomorrow (or October 10th when it's out in the UK for the public to buy).
http://www.gamingnext.com/software/reviewdetail.asp?revid=68&c=10&t=2
I'm running Halo on an Athlon XP 1700+ with a gig of PC2100 RAM and a GeForce4 Ti 4200 (no overclocking on anything, btw) and there are more than a few moments where the game just chugs. It's not so bad as a slide show but as most gamers know, framerate is life. You'd think two years would be enough time to get any performance issues ironed out but it just doesn't feel like it. To counterbalance this setback visual settings can be reduced and to Halo's credit, the game still looks marvelous even at medium detail. It's no Unreal Tournament 2003 or Unreal 2 but it's definitely no Daikatana either.
Telefragged - 88%
http://www.telefragged.com/reviews/halo-pc/
Halo PC is a fairly functional port of an excellent game. The lack of co-op and the sluggish frame rate are the big disappointments, but the solo campaign is a must-play for any respectable FPS fan. The enhanced multiplayer mode is very fun for online play, but let's hope Gearbox can get some mod tools going to make it last more than a couple of weeks.
Gamers Depot 4/5
http://www.gamersdepot.com/games/action/halo/001.htm
After two years, and in what has likely been one of the more highly anticipated releases in the history of FPS games, Halo has finally arrived on the PC. Though I love all that this game has to offer, and strongly recommend it as a “must have” to any FPS gamer reading this, I do think that this game would have been all the more impressive had it been released earlier, if at all possible. As it stands, it’s an awesome game, but has almost a “retro” feel to it.
VooDoo Extreme
http://ve3d.ign.com/?fromint=1
Single-Player - Identical to the Xbox version. Later levels are heavily repetitive and feature a lot of 'cut and paste' design - the Library level is, in my opinion, one of the worst levels in gaming history. However, the overall campaign is fun and challenging even on the lower difficulty settings. If you've completed the Xbox version, there's going to be no incentive to complete the PC one.
Graphics - A lot of people have been saying that the graphics are no better than the Xbox version. This, is a load of old tosh. The game looks better, but significantly so once you begin to turn on anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering. You may notice some slowdown, or a lowering of the framerate in the indoor levels, where performance varies significantly. Outdoor levels are smooth as silk, and driving around in the various vehicles displays the particle effects nicely.
Sound - The score is still as good as it was before, and the general effects are still of a high quality. Sounds better in 5.1 surround sound mode with some hearty bass though.
Multiplayer - This is the reason to buy this game. The multiplayer is excellent, highly configurable, entertaining (firing a mortar at an oncoming enemy Warthog and watching as it flips over you is bloody impressive), and will last you a long time. Assault mode will probably be the most popular due to the constantly changing dynamics, although the race mode is great, especially when the enemy is constantly firing at you. It's also worth noting that the framerate is significantly better in the multiplayer mode due to the lack of the AI attackers from the campaign. Once the game is modded to include some objective-based gameplay a la Battlefield 1942, it'll be one of the best multiplayer games on the market.
Conclusion - If you're not going to be playing this online, and you've got an Xbox, although not Halo for it, I'd recommend you skip this version, and find the Xbox version cheaper - you'll have no framerate worries and it'll be totally compatible. If you want a new online game, buy this. Despite only having support for 16-players it's great fun. Gearbox are hoping to release an online co-op mode in the future, and if they do, it'll be a bonus on top of what is already here. I've got tired of Battlefield 1942, and Enemy Territory's lack of maps is making me bored of it, so I'll be found playing this from tomorrow (or October 10th when it's out in the UK for the public to buy).