HALO 3 – XBOX360

The year is 2553 and you are Master Chief – a supped-up soldier who spends the game uttering one-liners from behind a helmet. This guy can handle a machine gun when he’s faced with aliens who are intent on crushing humanity. This is just the beginning of Halo 3.

Halo 3 picks up after Halo 2. The Master Chief lands back on Earth and is joined by fellow marines and his former nemeses, The Arbiter. The backdrop for the action is a lush forest filled with hostile invaders. This version of Halo is definitely a great instalment in the series. The plot is top-notch, and the graphics are much better than the first two instalments. You’ve got everything you loved about the old Halo games plus some great upgrades.

History will definitely treat this game kindly. This game will be looked upon by the next generation of gamers as a classic. Unlike the balls-to-the-wall carnage of Gears of War, Halo 3 is a slower, more mature take on the ‘save mankind’ shtick. Halo 3 is definitely a saga. This game is like if Star Wars was crossed with Space Invaders.

The Covenant Army is well rounded. There’s everything from cannon-fodder Grunts, Jackals, Hunters and big bastard Brutes. The Brutes are to Halo 3 what the Elites were in Halo 2; they’re bloody hard. But it’s going up against the Flood – regenerating, zombie-like parasites - that can make you feel as if you are facing off against the Luftwaffe with a stick.

Though the finale may seem a bit incomplete, the story of this series remains strong. The Halo Universe is here to stay.