Halo: Combat Evolved (PC port)
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
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Halo: Combat Evolved was originally planned be made for the PC & Mac platforms. Bungie changed platforms to the upcoming Xbox after being bought by Microsoft. Then, on September 30, 2003, Gearbox Software packaged Halo for the PC' and added a few extra features, too. (It should be noted, however, that in the process of developing the port, the ability to play co-op in multi player mode was lost entirely.) Later, a Mac version of Halo was made, Halo Mac. Halo PC contained several new features that the Xbox version of Halo lacked, namely the ability to play the game in Safe Mode, in addition to six all new multiplayer maps. The game was also outfitted with an online multi player mode, and a year later with the stand alone custom edition for modding, with downloadable maps from many internet websites. The resolution of the game is also better than the Xbox version. A demo was also released before the PC version.
New Features
Weapons
- Fuel Rod Gun A Fuel Rod Gun is the Covenant equivalent of the rocket launcher. Instead of rockets, it fires arcing fuel rods.
- Flamethrower (Was originally planned to be in the Xbox version but never appeared on screen).
- Very similar to the Halo 3 flamethrower, with the exception of a longer fuel barrel and does not pull you out to third person or slow you down.
Vehicles
- Banshees (Added in Multi player, but was in the campaign before. Like others in multiplayer, it is indestructible.)
- Rocket Warthog (Absent from the Xbox version.)
Maps
- Timberland
- Death Island
- Gephyrophobia
- Danger Canyon
- Ice Fields
- Infinity
- Battle Creek
- Wizard
- Damnation
- Boarding Action
- Prisoner
- Blood Gulch
- Sidewinder
Modding
- Main article: Halo: Custom Edition
The PC community has adopted Halo: PC and began making enormous amounts of modified maps for other users since its release. With another release of a non-supported 3rd person software, Halo:Custom Edition, it increased the popularity of Halo: PC and its players became even more involved into modifying maps.
Main Article: Modding Applications
Trivia
- In Halo PC, there should be a loading screen just before the main menu. Look closer and you will see a Marathon Symbol.
- 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), stationary shields have a different appearance, the reflection of some weapons reduced their strength, and Shades change as well.
- Halo was originally for the Mac, until Microsoft's acquisition of Bungie, which prompted the Xbox and PC versions.
- In Halo PC, you can go backward in the air at a slow speed in the Banshee, giving you access to a sniping spot on Blood Gulch among other places through out maps in the game.
- This game has some problems when used on the Windows Vista platform (Frame Rate issues, ect) as to when Halo 2 Vista is played on an XP.
- Halo PC (and it's demo, which has attracted a large number of players due to its online play, which is limited to the Blood Gulch map) has maintained incredible popularity since its release. In May of 2007, over 130,000 players played Halo PC online, nearly 4 years after the game's release. Its popularity with PC gamers continues today.[1].
- Halo PC can be played without the CD. Create an image of the CD in ISO, NRG, whatever format using Nero or other software, then use Alcohol 52 or 120 to virtually mount the image as a drive letter, then it'll play just fine.
