Microsoft Games Studios has announced Halo 2 for Windows Vista will be available on 8th June. The sequel to Halo: Combat Evolved allows PC gamers to play others for the first time.

Halo 2 takes place in the same science fiction universe as Halo, where humans have occupied numerous worlds due to the development of superluminal travel. More than 32 years before the beginning of Halo 2, the outer colony world of Harvest was destroyed by a collection of alien races, called the Covenant.

Since then, the humans and covenant have been locked into a bloody war. Shortly before the events of Halo 2, the Master Chief heads to Earth after destroying a covenant fleet to warn of an impending covenant attack on humanity’s home planet.

The game features an expanded range of vehicles as well as other gameplay changes to its predecessor. For example, the health bar is no longer visible on-screen. Instead, health regenerates slowly.

Halo 2 for Windows Vista also features more than 14 human and alien weapons with players allowed to carry two weapons at a time, each weapon having advantages and disadvantages in different combat situations.