Several months ago, Microsoft announced it would be porting its Xbox first person shooter Halo 2 to the PC but that it would also be an exclusive for the Windows Vista platform. At CES, we got a chance to see and briefly play a quick multiplayer deathmatch game on Halo 2 Vista. Basically the game looks pretty much like the Xbox version, except that the textures and visual look slightly sharpe thanks to the higher resolution that's supported by the PC version. You run around in your Master Chief armor, you pick up weapons like the sniper rifle, grenades and more and shoot at your enemies.

What is interesting is that Microsoft offered players of Halo 2 Vista the chance to play the game via the normal mouse and keyboard PC set up or by using the Windows Xbox 360 controller. Most players, perhaps used to playing Halo 2 on the Xbox 360, decided to opt for the Xbox 360 controller. Using either format didn't seem to affect the matches themselves much; people who used the Xbox 360 controller could and indeed did take out their mouse-keyboard enemies and vice-versa with equal amounts of carnage. This of course continues the old "console vs PC" debate of controlling a first person shooter.

During Microsoft's CES keynote, it was hinted that Halo 2 Vista would be able to play against their Xbox 360 counterparts, something that previously had been written off by Halo developer Bungie as not possible. Microsoft reps told FiringSquad that the CES keynote was perhaps a little premature. They are looking into having multiplayer work with the PC and console version but nothing is set in stone just yet. Hopefully we will learn more about this possible major feature for Halo 2 Vista before its release later in 2007.

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