Halo Alpha
Register
Advertisement
Halo Alpha
35#.png
35#.png35#.png35#.png


Halo PC refers to the version of Halo: Combat Evolved built for home computers including both the PC and Mac platforms. Halo: Combat Evolved was originally planned to be made for the Mac platform. Bungie changed platforms to the upcoming Xbox after being purchased by Microsoft in 2000. On September 30, 2003, Gearbox Software ported Halo for the PC and added a few extra features as well. Later, a Macintosh version of Halo was made, referred to as Halo Mac.

A 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.

Features[]

Multiplayer[]

Halo PC contained several new features that the Xbox version of Halo lacked, including several exclusive multiplayer maps: Timberland, Death Island, Gephyrophobia, Danger Canyon, Ice Fields, and Infinity. It also includes discarded weapons from the Xbox version which are the Fuel Rod Gun and Flamethrower and vehicles such as the Banshee and Rocket Warthog.

The PC version was also outfitted with an online multiplayer mode, and a year later with the stand alone custom edition for modding, with downloadable maps from many Internet websites. It was one of the most popular online shooters played until November 2004 before its sequel Halo 2 was released.

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."

System Requirements[]

Windows Requirements

  • Microsoft® Windows® 98SE and up
  • PC with 733 MHz equivalent or higher processor
  • 128 MB of system RAM
  • 1.3 GB available hard disk space
  • 8x speed or faster CD-ROM drive
  • 32 MB T&L capable video card (RECOMMENDED BUT NOT REQUIRED)"IT IS REQUIRED FOR SOME EFFECTS TO BE SEEN SUCH AS YOUR DIFFERENT ARMOR COLORS AND THE POWER METER ON THE COVENANT WEAPONS"
  • Sound card, speakers or headphones required for audio
  • Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
  • 56.6 Kbps or better modem or LAN for online play;
  • Broadband to run a server
  • Of course Keyboard and Mouse or compatible pointing device

Mac Requirements

Minimum

  • Mac OS X 10.2.8 or higher
  • PC with 800 MHz G4/G5 or faster processor
  • 256MB RAM
  • 32MB Video Card (GeForce 2MX/ATI 7500 or better)
  • 1.4GB hard disk space
  • Internet or LAN connection required for online play

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)

Note: Halo will run normally on Intel-based Macs. However, due to 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 developer's website.

Safe Mode[]

Safe Mode runs Halo PC with as many things off as possible. It allows a reduced version of the game to run for computers with lower-end hardware or to troubleshoot errors. To enable Safe Mode:

  1. Right-click on the Halo shortcut icon and click "Properties."
  2. In the "Target" field, add -safemode to the end. It should look similar to this:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Halo\halo.exe" -safemode

Trivia[]

  • 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), Shaders and multipurpose textures were converted incorrectly causing objects such as stationary shields too have a different appearance, the reflection of some weapons reduced their strength, and Shades change as well. Captain Keyes also uses the beta version of his textures. A full list of issues can be found elsewhere.
  • Halo PC can be played without the CD as of Patch 1.08.
  • The product key for Halo PC can unlock a nameplate for your Spartan in Halo: Reach.[1]
  • The Double Vehicle Driving Glitch is a glitch that is unique to Halo PC and cannot be done on the Xbox version.
  • GameSpy, the service which provides Halo PC's internet multiplayer, shut down on May 31, 2014.[2] Players are no longer be able to browse for internet multiplayer matches, but LAN and Direct IP are still functional.
    • On April 28, 2014, GameRanger announced that it will support the Halo PC multiplayer servers.[3]
      • Bungie released patch 1.10 for Halo PC on May 14, 2014. The update moves GameSpy services to use a new, non-GameSpy server and also fixes various other issues.[4]

Gallery[]

Sources[]

Links[]

Internal[]

External[]

Advertisement