- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
I think halo2vista put it clearly, but ill restate.
Halo 2 Vista has a built in online program called Games for Windows Live. It is in essence a windows version of Xbox Live. When you buy and install H2V, this is what happens. GFW Live automatically installs with your H2V game. They are one in the same. After you install, you must create an Xbox Live gamer tag. This is free. You will get a free silver account. This account allows for you to get all single-player achievements in H2V, as well as allows for you to play online. You have a full unrestricted Campaign game in Halo 2. However, the multiplayer is restricted to only allowing you to browse online games and join them. The "Quick Play" auto-game matcher, is LOCKED unless you buy the 50 dollar a year subscription to GFW Live Gold. This Gold service extends to your xbox if you have one. I assume you don't based on the fact that you are interested in Halo 2 Vista. Without this Gold service, you cannot create new games, you cannot use "quick match," you cannot recieve online multiplayer achievements, and you cannot play any user-created maps online (only offline.) You will find little to no enjoyment in the online experience, being that there are on good days, some 60 people playing online at once. There are only ever 6 servers that are populated with at least 2 people. Also, there is always 1 or 2 servers full with 13-16 people. There is never a third server that is that full. The multiplayer is not fun (in my opinion.) If you are getting the game for the single-player this s your answer.
Your singleplayer experience is not restricted in any way shape or form, and you don't have to buy any subscriptions to play the full singleplayer game with achievements. Multiplayer is choked at the <neck> (in place of more unsophisticated words) and is in my opinion a waste of time, compared to Counter-Strike Source and the soon to be released Crysis.