Games - Halo

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	Games - Halo

The Halo series is a popular series of first-person shooter video games developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft.

Video games

Halo was the most popular application for the Xbox console up until the release of its more ambitious sequel, Halo 2.

Halo: Combat Evolved

The story deals with the adventures of the protagonist, referred to in the game only as "Master Chief". Stranded with the rest of the crew of the human ship Pillar of Autumn
, including the AI Cortana, he fights against The Covenant (an alien alliance waging a 'holy war' of sorts against humanity) while attempting to uncover the ring's secrets, which include the sinister parasitic life forms known as The Flood. After learning that the ring is a weapon that would destroy all sentient life in the galaxy if activated, Master Chief embarks on a mission to destroy it.

Halo ends with the Master Chief and Cortana destroying the Halo and escaping in a Longsword fighter.

Halo: Custom Edition

: Halo: Custom Edition (commonly known as Halo CE) is a free stand-alone expansion for Halo: Combat Evolved (for the PC) that has the ability to load and play user-created content and maps. This version does not have the option to play in campaign mode. During an online match, players with the same user-created map can play together on it. Such maps include custom content such as vehicles, weapons, scenery, etc. More recent maps include recreations of Halo 2 maps.

Halo 2

Halo 2 was released for the Xbox on November 9, 2004, generating a $125 million dollar entertainment record on its premiere day. It was recently announced that a PC port for the Windows Vista operating system is currently in development by an internal team of Microsoft Game Studios.

The sequel features new game mechanics such as dual wielding, new vehicles and weapons, better AI, the ability to hijack vehicles, and Internet-based multiplayer via Xbox Live. It has an advanced graphics engine that utilizes normal mapping and bloom effects, helping to make it one of the best looking games on the Xbox. It also has Bungie.net integration and rankings and tracking of every online match, pushing the envelope of online console gaming further.

In Halo 2, Master Chief battles the Covenant on Earth and later continues the fight on a second ring, Delta Halo. Meanwhile, the Covenant slides into civil war and a disgraced Elite commander known as the Arbiter is introduced to the series as a second playable character. In the end, the second Halo is almost fired, but the Arbiter and human Commander Miranda Keyes, with the help of Sergeant Johnson, are able to prevent this occurrence. The aborted countdown in response triggers a fail-safe protocol that allows remote firing of all the other ring-worlds from one place: The Ark. The Halo universe expands as well, with new worlds and characters being introduced, as well a deeper look at the culture and society of Covenant. The cliffhanger ending suggests that another sequel is in the works.

Halo 2 is much more ambitious than its predecessor. There is heated debate over whether the game is superior to its predecessor. Arguments are mainly directed at the multiplayer aspect of the two games, with emphasis placed on Halo 2's greatly simplified learning curve and controversial matchmaking modes but lacks custom maps and games.

Halo 2 for Windows Vista

Announced on February 9 2006, Halo 2 is coming to PC later in the year. The game will only be compatible with Microsoft's upcoming Windows Vista, a move that is likely intended to entice users to upgrade to the new Operating System. Bungie Studios has stated that Windows Vista is the only OS to support hard drive streaming, which Halo 2 for Vista will take advantage of. Halo 2 PC will have some new features, potentially including some sort of map-editing software like the Halo Editing Kit, released by Gearbox Software for use with Halo: Custom Edition. Bungie has also commented that Halo 2's gameplay balance is finely tuned, making such additions as new weapons or vehicles less likely, although new maps are certainly expected.

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