Halo 2

 PC
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 310 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 148 out of 310
  2. Mixed: 69 out of 310
  3. Negative: 93 out of 310
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. NorBdelta
    Mar 22, 2012
    10
    Now my review is going to be based on when this was released and not what it is compared to the games of "now".

    Halo 2 was one of those games for me that I was addicted to; the totally immersing story, the enemies the vehicles and most certainly Master Chief. Granted the graphics were not a good on the Xbox version but on the the PC version they were improved immensely. I have very    Now my review is going to be based on when this was released and not what it is compared to the games of "now".

    Halo 2 was one of those games for me that I was addicted to; the totally immersing story, the enemies the vehicles and most certainly Master Chief.

    Granted the graphics were not a good on the Xbox version but on the the PC version they were improved immensely. I have very fond memories of Halo 2, very fond memories indeed that probably set me onto my current gaming life.    … Expand
  2. The-Crow
    Oct 3, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I must confess to being very dissapointed with Halo when I finally got it on Xbox all those years ago. It was an xbox exclusive, a game that had originally been planned for PC release and was going to be a large open world game where as the masterchief you roamed the Halo hooking up with ragtag bands of marines and took the fight to covenant while trying to uncover the secrets of the halo, no 2 playthroughs would play the same if you made different decisions and they even hinted at allowing "drop in" co-op in the early interviews.

    What we got was fairly much that story but on rails and towards the third quarter of the game it was quite repetitive. Sure it had all the beauty we knew to expect from the early videos but the single player was just... ok. Co-op was great fun 2 plyayer on xbox and if not for that I probably never would have completed the game on the console.

    Then halo 2 arrived and it started off very cool, it let you play as the MasterChief to begin with fighting the covenant on earth in some very memorable battles. Then you got to play as the fallen Arbiter on the Covenant side which was also cool.

    **SPOILER AHEAD**

    Here the game took a turn for the worse, back in the master chiefs shoes you are transported to another halo like the first one... ugh. It was at this point in H2 on xbox that I stopped playing, recalling how horribly repetitive the areas in the later halo game had been. Being that I do not like the concept of paying my ISP and then paying for Xboxlive service I never took either game online.

    Since then Halo 1 came to PC and was since upgraded to Halo CE or the Halo Custom Edition which is a lot of fun, the fact that the CE allows custom maps and mods (theres even a halo 2 weapon mod and the community is still active with new maps) has kept it alive far past where I though it would exist and the Vs gameplay with vehicles is actually a lot of fun.

    Eventually Halo2 also appeared on PC but only for Vista users. I bought it a year or two back for about $10 in the clearance bin at JB Hifi alongside copies of Shadowrun (that other Vista only games for windows launch title) with the intent of seeing if the online community was any good for it. I installed it and sat down to play a little single player to tweak my settings and get a feel for the weapons.....

    OMFG the mouse even at speed 10 (Max) felt like I was trying to turn in a tub of concrete, keyboard was permenantly mapped and you couldnt edit it (not a big deal I guess if you like WASD standard settings) and general game performance was pretty lousy. I stopped playing the game but didnt uninstall it.

    Recently I was reading some gufff about the next Halo installment in passing & one of the user comments was that Halo 2 is hard to surpass as the best of the series which I found surprising, more surprising were other comments by quite a few people who agreed that Halo 2 was the best of the series thus far. Hmm I thought, maybe I should give it another chance ? ugh but the controls were horrible and the game performance terrible.... well sort of.

    After a bunch of tweaking in nvidia control panel & maxing out all my halo 2 graphics options the mouse is actually quite responsive and the gameplay not choppy. Turns out the game tries to limit itself to 30fps capped, if your system exceeds this (especially if you have vsynch off and are pre-rendering frames) then the game starts dropping frames which makes it look choppy and interferes with your mouse control. long story short I am 90% happy with how it feels now.

    So I played through the first Masterchief section & the Arbiter section, and arrive back on the fourth Halo where I abandoned the game on xbox. Oh dear how wrong I was, after a slightly slow start to this section there are some extremely exciting shootouts and vehicle gameplay to enjoy. The environments look a little dated (low res textures by todays standards) but the player/creature/vehicle models were always incredibly detailed in the halo games & got a lot of love to the point they still look exceptional IMHO.

    My recommendation, if you havent tried Halo 2 on PC and you can find it someplace cheap grab it. The Story and single player gameplay are well worth it (sadly no co-op in PC version), multiplayer seems dead with Halo CE being the far more active title for multiplayer (no doubt due to the modding options). That said the Ingle Player portion of Halo 2 is really good and worth a look for FPS fans, though I am not sure how available it is in 2012, a recent stroll through some local games retailers showed me they are still stocking Halo (probably because people need the game keys for Halo CE) for PC but no sign of Halo 2.    … Expand
  3. OscarKesh
    Aug 11, 2013
    9
    Released slightly late for the PC but its just as good as it was on the Xbox. An expanded weapons palette and new vehicle features are welcome improvements from Halo CE. The single player experience was fantastic but doesn't measure up to the original. Multiplayer is addicting and fun as usual.
  4. Jagkid007
    Sep 6, 2010
    8
    This game is solid with a few minor setbacks. The game was fun with a pretty good story... well... besides the end but i don't want to give spoilers. But the thing that has made halo what it is the multiplayer. It is so much fun and i just can't get enough. Too bad the servers have shut down though so if you are reading this review now, i wouldn't get this game because all you will have isThis game is solid with a few minor setbacks. The game was fun with a pretty good story... well... besides the end but i don't want to give spoilers. But the thing that has made halo what it is the multiplayer. It is so much fun and i just can't get enough. Too bad the servers have shut down though so if you are reading this review now, i wouldn't get this game because all you will have is the single player which is alright but not worth it because the multiplayer does not exist anymore.… Expand
  5. Anonypuss
    Jun 17, 2012
    9
    Well, Halo 2 for PC is a fantastic game although with a few minor setbacks. I don't know why people say "It's the worst game ever!!" Its just like Halo 2 on Xbox, just a few things missing. Its odd how it only got a 5.2 score.
  6. SamF.
    Sep 13, 2007
    8
    Not really sure why so many people are giving so many bad reviews. The PC Version graphics were crisp and enjoyed the new gameplay which included jacking vehicles and exchanging weapons. The storyline and you playing the covenant at first Was a turn off but was interested in their side of the story. Not perfect controls but added enough to make it a great sequel.
  7. JohnD.
    May 30, 2007
    10
    I actually bought the game and i played all the way through the campaign i'm not really into the multiplayer, also i don't really see why people expected more, yeah it would of been nice to see it in DX10 and all but even if they did that im sure alot of people would still bash it and say why did they make it in DX10 it is a game that is 4 yrs old, what a waste i guess you I actually bought the game and i played all the way through the campaign i'm not really into the multiplayer, also i don't really see why people expected more, yeah it would of been nice to see it in DX10 and all but even if they did that im sure alot of people would still bash it and say why did they make it in DX10 it is a game that is 4 yrs old, what a waste i guess you can't make everybody happy.… Expand
  8. JackyS.
    May 30, 2007
    9
    Great best-selling gameplay formulae that havent changed abit since its first release. Improved graphics, decent but not as good as some of our 2006 and 07 previous ones. The exciting and epic storyline havent changed. New online features for live and map making are what really catches my eye. Summarizing this, Halo 2 vista is just an improved version of the best selling game, even though Great best-selling gameplay formulae that havent changed abit since its first release. Improved graphics, decent but not as good as some of our 2006 and 07 previous ones. The exciting and epic storyline havent changed. New online features for live and map making are what really catches my eye. Summarizing this, Halo 2 vista is just an improved version of the best selling game, even though it lacks some of the graphics of our new ones. Get this game if you barely/never played it and still enjoys the game play formula. Do not get this game if you played it to death on xbox, and is a big stickler on graphic and new titles. -just telling you guys the new fps games realesed for 2007 are mediocre, there is only 2-3 out and the fps realeased in 2006 have similar graphics to halo2 and most games' gameplay and online multiplayer wont match up with this bestseller.… Expand
  9. AnonymousMC
    Jun 11, 2007
    9
    Halo 2 Vista is definitely a great port of a great Xbox game. Though Games for Windows LIVE could work much smoother like its Xbox counterpart, it still offers many important and useful features. The graphics are improved massively, especially when running higher than 720HD (1280x720). The game plays very smooth, but does not include any of the major fixes the xbox does. Because ofHalo 2 Vista is definitely a great port of a great Xbox game. Though Games for Windows LIVE could work much smoother like its Xbox counterpart, it still offers many important and useful features. The graphics are improved massively, especially when running higher than 720HD (1280x720). The game plays very smooth, but does not include any of the major fixes the xbox does. Because of this there are still many problems that need to be worked out. Though the release date was very grey (esp. w/ delays) and there are some quicks with GFW Live, the game is still extremely fun and well worth playing.… Expand
  10. PeterP.
    Jun 19, 2007
    8
    Terrible controls but I still like it... and I'm hoping for a patch! I'm not into multiplayer or fancy graphics but atmosphere and gameplay!
  11. Chris
    Jun 2, 2007
    10
    As I read down the comments, I find that complete idiots are posting, including the "I find that xbox 360 players have an unfair advantage". This would be true, if the game actually had the capability to play with xbox 360's.... If you want good graphics, go to a different game, the game is as lackluster and repetitive in the campaign mode as Halo 2 Xbox was (gee, seeing that this is As I read down the comments, I find that complete idiots are posting, including the "I find that xbox 360 players have an unfair advantage". This would be true, if the game actually had the capability to play with xbox 360's.... If you want good graphics, go to a different game, the game is as lackluster and repetitive in the campaign mode as Halo 2 Xbox was (gee, seeing that this is a direct port, that shouldn't be surprising). Multiplayer is what makes halo. It always has, and always will. Rating it on its campaign is like saying you bought CS:S just to play against the bots, or Unreal expecting some sort of story line. I would also like to point out that it includes a map editor... which is quite powerful if you know how to use it. Bottom line, if you like halo 2 xbox, and have a gaming PC, its a definite buy. The control scheme is actually quite pleasant,. I personally was wondering what they would use for dual wield, and I think the 'q' key is an excellent choice. The reviewers are also missing another feature... you can play it straight from your dvd drive, no installation is required.… Expand
  12. IanI.
    Jul 19, 2007
    8
    Graphics are much crisper than the xbox version (which used horrible streaming) and the online play (and new achievemnet system) is much smoother faster and just generaly better. The single player is still one of the worst of any game ever made. The graphics and textures on the level design looks exceptionaly dated next to the much more detailed modles of the MC and the in game Graphics are much crisper than the xbox version (which used horrible streaming) and the online play (and new achievemnet system) is much smoother faster and just generaly better. The single player is still one of the worst of any game ever made. The graphics and textures on the level design looks exceptionaly dated next to the much more detailed modles of the MC and the in game arcitecture is rather uninspiring. This is a very solid title held back by microsofts decision to make it vista only and to wait over 5 years to port to PC. This would have been a good title if only so much time hadn't passed that the game started to look and feel dated. Gameplay elements are very solid, quite possibly better than the original. To the user that stated he was getting lag and the user who was getting crashes, I had no such problems, but then again I have a brand new top of the line mechine.… Expand
  13. Al_Capwn
    Aug 12, 2010
    9
    My favorite Halo game of all time. It introduced dual-wielding and showed the true power of the Xbox at the time. The story is second best to Halo CE. But in this Halo you go through the story of Master Chief and the Arbiter. Very good game, a must play for Halo fans. Sadly, Microsoft has recently cut off the Online to all Xbox Originals so no online on this one. But my only complaint isMy favorite Halo game of all time. It introduced dual-wielding and showed the true power of the Xbox at the time. The story is second best to Halo CE. But in this Halo you go through the story of Master Chief and the Arbiter. Very good game, a must play for Halo fans. Sadly, Microsoft has recently cut off the Online to all Xbox Originals so no online on this one. But my only complaint is the extremely hard difficulty that Legendary offers, very unfair, very punishing, and NOT recommended. Overall, good story and fun game-play, check it out ;D.… Expand
  14. Review9
    Aug 23, 2010
    9
    How does this game get an average score of 5.0? I had it for the xbox and i could not find an xbox review. It had a great campaign and a great multiplayer. Yes it did have a bad ending but it had a great story with the elites getting involved. Multiplayer was extremely fun with tons of maps and game modes. Maybe not as good as the first game but i give it a 9.1
  15. spartan-117
    Sep 24, 2010
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. halo 2 for the president… Expand
  16. NateH.
    Jun 12, 2007
    8
    Good, but it's a little old. Still has it's great story, music, and Multiplayer though. Acheivements make it worth playing again.
  17. AdrianC.
    Jun 18, 2007
    8
    Good game as always. Graphics are much much sharper than the original and of course the resolution is as well but still seems... 2004ish... Feels a little odd with keyboard and mouse but you get used to it quickly. The Bad: performance:appearance ratio (if your system can't bite the bullet) Windows Live (lame, I'm a PC gamer I don't pay for online gaming unless its a goddamn mmo)
  18. SMScorx89
    Sep 24, 2010
    9
    I don't understand the negative comments of this game or ports of other games that come out later. On the Xbox, this game had 20 Games of the Year awards. This port comes with all the features of the the Xbox version, plus achivements, exclusive multiplayer maps, a customization mode like an advanced form of Forge, the use of the Xbox 360 controller to play it, and currenlty the only wayI don't understand the negative comments of this game or ports of other games that come out later. On the Xbox, this game had 20 Games of the Year awards. This port comes with all the features of the the Xbox version, plus achivements, exclusive multiplayer maps, a customization mode like an advanced form of Forge, the use of the Xbox 360 controller to play it, and currenlty the only way to play the Halo 2 multiplayer experience. Sure it doesn't meet current PC FPS standards, but it's not supposed to. It's for nostalgia sake and it's a little unfair to put one of the best selling games of all time to the standards it was not originally supposed to meet. The game is a classic game that deserves a little more respect.… Expand
  19. MickTh3Man
    Oct 17, 2010
    9
    Halo 2 has now made it's way to the PC. It is Halo 2, just like it was on the Xbox (with a few improvements), and although this is not a bad thing, it would have been a much more successful release if they had upgraded the graphics significantly more, even though they aren't terrible, they could be better. Still, the intense multiplayer and singleplayer can be a blast, and although a lotHalo 2 has now made it's way to the PC. It is Halo 2, just like it was on the Xbox (with a few improvements), and although this is not a bad thing, it would have been a much more successful release if they had upgraded the graphics significantly more, even though they aren't terrible, they could be better. Still, the intense multiplayer and singleplayer can be a blast, and although a lot of people report bugs in the game, I have actually found more on the Xbox version. The game still has a decent sized multiplayer community, and you can always find a game to enjoy.… Expand
  20. Charlie7777
    Jul 29, 2011
    8
    although halo CE was way better, halo 2 is not half bad thanks to the new weapons, better maps for versing and better graphics. campaign wise, this one kinda sucked because after beating the campaign once or twice it gets very boring and repetitive. however if you are looking for the halo that is more fun to vrs in than halo2 will not disappoint. overall halo 2 was ok.
  21. Globox
    Jun 13, 2012
    8
    Probably my favorite game in the series besides the first one. Played it for PC and Xbox, and the PC version is much smoother and better. The only thing it lacks is a multiplayer base since it's an older title. If you can run at 120fps, it looks great even though the textures and engine are older. Still overall a great game in the series. Just wish the multiplayer had actual people in it :/
  22. SirMarty
    Apr 16, 2014
    10
    Great game! A must have. Halo 3 outdid Halo 2, but that was something expected as with each Halo from 1 to 3 Bungie set the bar higher. Get this game and be impressed. The story is great and the multiplayer is addicting.
  23. FabioFisher
    Nov 16, 2020
    10
    Amazing history and cutscenes, the best artificial inteligence tha i ever see in a game, nice playability. Beatiful universe an planets.
  24. FlippinSnip3r
    Sep 15, 2019
    8
    I managed to fix all problems with this game. including mouse lag (turn on vsync on nvidia control panel) and mouse acceleration within just 10 minutes of web browsing for solutions and fixes, and oh boy this game is so goddamn fun. the graphics still hold up pretty well (except for the faces) the weapons are so fun. except for the covenant weapons. they're sh#t including the energy sword.
  25. joe_rogan
    May 23, 2021
    10
    Cortana has a fat ass...............................................................................................
  26. Woolee
    Oct 9, 2021
    8
    The first Halo's roots shined through on the first port of the series, and once again the controls are tight and exemplar
  27. petrkozak13
    Dec 13, 2021
    8
    Great sequel to the Combat Evolved with some improvements and slight changes.
  28. Dudeman15
    Mar 30, 2023
    9
    Took everything from the first and improved on it. Great FPS, should play in coop with some friend it makes it even better.
  29. PepperPlay5
    Dec 7, 2022
    9
    It has stunning music and great storytelling. One of the most epic Halo game ever.

    To me, Legendary difficulty is unplayable[-1]. Similar opinion for Heroic with certain skulls as well.

    Halo 2 has its moments of awkward/poor physics from time to time[-1]. However, they're sort of amusing, so... There is that[+1].
  30. Jaidenbrkl1
    May 5, 2023
    9
    While it does not look as good as the Xbox original version, the reason for why it got mixed reviews at the time is that it came out during a time when the Xbox 360 was REALLY booming HARD at the time. Overall, it’s a solid port for a fantastic game with it being a letdown when you compare it to Xbox 360 games around the time.

Awards & Rankings

78
#78 Best PC Game of 2007
26
#26 Most Discussed PC Game of 2007
45
#45 Most Shared PC Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. GamingTrend
    86
    While the single player may end like a car crash, the multiplayer seems to live forever.
    Read full review
  2. GamerNode
    90
    The first Halo's roots shined through on the first port of the series, and once again the controls are tight and exemplary for use in PC or console style controls.
    Read full review
  3. GameDaily
    70
    Although the game received a significant facelift with high-resolution textures to provide a sharper look, the graphical progression of more recent shooters leaves this improved Halo 2 feeling like a 2004 game.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »