Game: Halo 3

Console: Xbox 360

Developer/publisher: Bungie

Genre: First-person shooter

Number of players: One to four offline, and one to 16 online via Xbox Live

Rated: M, for mature for blood, gore and crude language

The premise: Humanity is making its last stand against the Covenant (alien beings who have taken over the planet). An artifact called the Ark in the desert of Africa may be detrimental to human existence. Can Master Chief and Arbiter find the artifact or are we destined for destruction?

Game play: This game is a first-person shooter — you can play alone or with three friends. If you are familiar with first-person shooter games or Halo, playing this edition — the final in a series of three — will be like riding a bike. The rest of you should pick it up in no time.

The good: The multiplayer plays very well online and offline. The only problem is that the screen gets divided for every player who is added.

The bad: The poorly received Arbiter of Halo 2 makes an appearance as your secondary player as opposed to another clone of Master Chief.

More good: The graphics, music, controls and sound effects have been souped up from the last game to look, sound and feel better. Also, the weapons have been improved to be more balanced for combat.

More bad: This great series will end after only three games. I am a little confused, however: If the Halo series is ending, why is there going to be a game called Halo Wars?

Tips: Make sure you practice enough before you venture on to Xbox Live. It has a very harsh learning curve.

Take frequent breaks when playing a game as long as Halo so you don't overdo it.

Make use of your Xbox Live headset to coordinate attacks and utilize the different vehicles effectively.

My take: As I said when I reviewed God of War 2, there are times when game creators do right with a sequel. Everything that was flawed about Halo 2 has been fixed. The game has been moved to a higher capacity, with added graphics and game power. The story mode is great, with its multiplayer mode built in to allow four players. The Xbox Live portion of the game ensures many hours of enjoyment with players all over the world. Even if you are not a fan of first-person shooters or Halo, you owe it to yourself to play this game.

Jeffrey Davis, of Honolulu, is a video-game enthusiast.