I’ve never been a Halo fan, so I’ll just throw that out there right now. The first game was dreadfully dull, and the multiplayer was nothing I hadn’t seen done better before on the PC. For the sequel, Bungie resolved my biggest complaint with the first game, mixing up the locations and encounters in the single-player to provide a more dynamic experience. No longer were you forced to march through identical looking rooms for hours at a time killing the exact same enemies over and over again. The multiplayer got an upgrade as well, with full Xbox Live integration and plenty of multiplayer options to go around.

So why am I treading down memory lane for Halo? No, this isn’t a preview for Halo 3 – it’s a review for Halo 2. Yes you read that right, Halo 2. You see, Microsoft decided to port Halo 2 to the PC (like its predecessor), but rather than make it available for all users, they decided to make it a showcase for Games for Windows Live – AKA Windows Vista. If you’re one of the many holdouts that hasn’t made the jump to Windows Vista yet, don’t expect to play this title. If Halo 2 is one of the motivating factors in a future Vista upgrade, well you might want to cross it off your list. Read on to find out why.

Everyone should be pretty familiar with Halo 2 by now. Even if you’ve never spent much time with it, you’ve no doubt watched someone else play it. Suffice to say that it’s your typical first-person shooter with a sci-fi campaign and a robust multiplayer system. I’m more interested in discussing if the Vista version is worth it, and what several hundred dollars in potential PC upgrades will get you with Halo 2 for Vista. The first thing to mention is what’s been removed: cooperative play. Just like the PC port of the original Halo, co-op has been dropped for some inexplicable reason. Co-op was easily the most compelling aspect of the single-player campaign, and dropping it makes trudging through the SP that much less enjoyable.

Along with the necessity for Windows Vista, Halo 2’s system requirements are rather absurd for a game that ran on last generation tech. According to the box you'll need at least a 2Ghz processor, 1 GB of RAM, and a second generation DirectX 9 card (Geforce 6x00 or Radeon X series). It makes you wonder where all that power is going when the original Xbox wasn't much for than a 733Mhz Celeron and a Geforce 3, but I digress. Of course the most ridiculous system requirement is Windows Vista, which Halo 2 doesn't even take advantage of by offering DirectX 10 upgrades.

So why would you get Halo 2 for the PC? Well for one it certainly looks better running at higher resolutions with anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering enabled. The textures look a little bit better in some parts, but in others it's painfully obvious that original assets are still being used. The game controls much better now thanks to keyboard and mouse support, and the sniping segments are no longer an exercise in frustration. Besides these enhancements requisite with any PC game, there's also the new Games for Windows Live functionality.

Basically what Microsoft has done is port over the Xbox 360's Live interface to the PC. This allows you to use your existing Gamertag and Gold subscription to play online against others. If you don't already have a Gold membership, you can shell out the $50 for it or simply play online without voice chat. Because the game is now tied to a Live account, your friends will be able to see your gaming status just as they could on your 360, and there are definitely achievements to be unlocked. PC achievements count towards your regular Gamerscore, which is now shared between 360 and PC games. You can also interact with your 360 friends just as if you were using a 360, sending messages and checking Gamertag details. Unfortunately this service is most beneficial to those that already have an Xbox 360 and a Gold membership. Gamers without one might feel left out or possibly ripped off that they have to spend more money to get the complete experience.

The bottom line is that unless you've already got a Vista system and an Xbox Live Gold account, Halo 2 isn't worth your time. The money you'd have to spend to buy Vista, Gold, the game itself, and likely any computer upgrades make Halo 2 a rather ridiculous purchase. Gamers that have never experienced Halo 2 might enjoy it as an introduction to the series in anticipation of Halo 3 this fall, but veterans will have no reason to play this one again on the PC. Though Microsoft's Games for Windows Live is an interesting system, they shouldn't have used a poor port of Halo 2 to demonstrate it, and instead focused on creating a great new title for the PC. It's unfortunate that GFW Live will get off to an underwhelming start, and I can only hope we see some truly innovate titles come to the platform in future months.