The Halo Universe

As a big enthusiast for science-fiction games, Halo is the pinnacle of the sci-fi first person shooter. Halo Combat Evolved released for Xbox has been by far my favorite game of all time. The memories that come with this game will last a lifetime. I can't tell you how many times I have crammed 14 or more friends into one room for a LAN party. There is no greater feeling than shooting someone in the face and hearing their expression across the room. I used to call these, "Halo Fests." I'd get the best of friends together for a series of Team Slayer matches, Capture the Flag, custom games and much more. Whenever I hosted these, it was always accompanied by three or four boxes of pizza. Halo was fun, but the story is what consumed me. The main character, Master Chief, a biologically augmented super-soldier (SPARTAN II) militarily trained since age 7 sets out to uncover the mysteries of the artificial ring-world called Halo. The Covenant, an alien race that threatens the human race sets out to uncover the location of Earth by capturing Cortana, the Artificial Intelligence, implanted in Master Chief's helmet. Master Chief then uncovers the secrets of Halo after crash landing on the ring. He knows that the ring is a weapon, a very dangerous one at that. The game's plot is just amazing. Also to mention the soundtrack for the game is the best I've ever heard. The Halo Universe is expansive, with so many different stories. After I read Halo: The Fall of Reach, I was officially consumed. The book was a prequel for the first game and explained a lot of the loose ends and back story behind the Master Chief and how he came to be. Reach was the planet where Master Chief and his fellow Spartan soldiers were trained and augmented until the Covenant destroyed the planet; leaving the Master Chief as the last remaining Spartan II. I hope in the future I could be part of creating a universe revolving around a game. To take part in creating a plot so consuming must be fantastic. Between the books, games, music, graphic novels, comics, "ilovebees," and movies, I feel that the Halo universe is ever-expansive and has transcended from being just a game, to a way of life. Every game has been great one after the other, including the short story from the most recent Halo title, Halo ODST. I can't wait for the latest installment of the Halo universe, Halo Reach. You'll see me in line at the midnight release waiting for my copy of the game in two weeks. I must continue the story. Remember Reach.