Halo: Combat Evolved spin-off Halo: Fireteam Raven is finally playable on modern PCs via the use of an updated arcade tool.
Developed by 343 Industries and Play Mechanix, Halo: Fireteam Raven is a on-rails first-person shooter designed for arcades. Set during the events of Combat Evolved, the spin-off game was released back in 2018, with no plans to release the game outside of arcades.
Nevertheless, fans have pushed to find a way to play the game outside of an arcade setting. With Microsoft unwilling to bring the game to PC, Xbox or any other platforms, fans have finally figured out a way to play the game at home.
After almost eight years of waiting, fans can now play the first-person arcade game on PC via TeknoParrot. An emulator-style program designed to make arcade games playable on PC, the game’s ROM—which you will have to find elsewhere—now works via the game’s paid subscription version.
A solo license for TeknoParrot’s paid version, which also give players access to online multiplayer and matchmaking, costs £49.99 a year. A Duo license for the software costs £89.99 a year. There are also other, more expensive options, including an Enterprise option for modern arcades.
In the current build of TeknoParrot, Halo: Fireteam Raven runs quite well with only minor audio issues and some graphical quirks from our experience. Additionally, even with a Duo license, we couldn’t get the game to run in four-player multiplayer, although some have made it work.
Furthermore, there are ways of playing the game with motion controls and even in VR, if you can deal with the hassle. For me, the best way to play is with a Nintendo Wii controller in a 3D printed zapper using a Dolphin Bar. (I should strap my Wiimote to a Halo Assault Rifle replica for ultimate immersion.)
As someone who has pumped a lot of money into the arcade version of Fireteam Raven—before my local arcade removed the machine to replace with some awful Godzilla VR machine—this is a dream come true. Of course, you will have to find a way to secure your own ROM, and go through a fairly annoying setup, you can play the game as much as you like.
Halo Fireteam Raven is a fantastic modern arcade game, and it sucks that it isn’t more easily available. While it’s aesthetic isn’t entirely accurate to the original Combat Evolved, it’s fantastic to see the game playable outside of arcades, and I’d still buy an official release if they ever made one. I just have no room or money for a massive arcade machine.
Additionally, as an avid TeknoParrot user, there are other brilliant arcade games that are playable through that program without a subscription. While game preservation is an often-discussed topic, many care not for arcade-only games, and that’s a shame. There’s some fantastic titles available on the service that you should definitely check out.
For more Halo coverage, read about the new Halo Reach board game, or check out our interview with original trilogy artist Eddie Smith on the new Combat Evolved remake.
