Halo

This is Xbox's flagship title, and for good reason. Halo is not only the system's best launch title, but is likely also one of the best shooters of all time, rivaling classics like Goldeneye for Nintendo 64. Anyone who remotely likes action games should do himself a favor and play this game, because the gameplay is innovative and addictive, the overall presentation is top notch, and the graphics and sound are unbelievable.

In Halo, you assume the identity of the Master Chief, a cyborg commando, who along with your fellow troops, engages in an interplanetary battle with an alien race called the Covenant who are trying to obtain a secret artifact on a mysterious ring-shaped planet called Halo. Obviously, it's your job to prevent that from happening.

The game can be played many different ways; there's the one-player mission mode, two-player cooperative mode, standard multiplayer and online multiplayer deathmatch (which supports up to 16 simultaneous players via broadband). Halo is one of few first person shooter games where playing by yourself is just as fun as playing with a large group of friends. The game design is so well done, and the missions so long and well thought out that the gameplay never gets boring or repetitive, mainly because the enemies' AI is so good that they react in a variety of different ways depending on the situation. The enemies in Halo are extremely smart, and don't fall for cheap tricks; they'll do things like ambush you, call for backup and react realistically to your strategies.

Your arsenal in Halo includes standard issue pistols, assault rifles, grenades and, later, goodies like rocket launchers and sniper rifles. You can also pick up your enemies' alien weapons, which are pretty cool. In an interesting touch, you can only carry two weapons at a time. This makes the game not only much more realistic, but introduces a lot more strategy into how you play the game.

Furthermore, the gameplay involves more than just shooting. There will be times when you need to drive jeeps and giant tanks, as well as carry out search and rescue missions.

The graphics and sound in Halo are amazing, to say the least. Lighting and shadows are perfectly done, and on the outdoor levels, you can literally see individual blades of grass on the ground if you take a close look.

Halo was hyped to be the best Xbox game at launch, and it delivers. One cannot say enough for how well the game is put together. It truly captures the feeling of being in an unfolding action movie. The levels are huge, and you'll have to think fast on your feet and react to continuously changing hostile situations. It's this aspect of the game that will keep gamers coming back for more.