Video game players everywhere have their eyes glued to the television screen playing one of the greatest sci-fi action games, Halo. In the few short years of its development, Halo has become one the most popular sci-fi action video games in the world. With a lot of extras in the game to unlock and the great graphics and sound effects, this is the type of game that hooks a lot of gamers in every part of the globe.

The story surrounds the Navy hero Master Chief, short for Master Chief Petty Officer, who has the highest rank in the U.S Navy. He, his army of soldiers, and the player have to stop the alien race, Covenant, from uncovering the secrets of the ring-shaped space station called Halo.

Along with fellow Navy adventurers, the player also has the help of the artificial intelligence lady known as Cortana. She helps guide the players in their quest to stop the Covenant.

The Covenant believe that humans are the scum of the Earth and must be destroyed. The aliens also believe that Halo is their holy ring that when activated, it can send them to their own Heaven. What Halo really hides is a secret weapon known as Flood. Flood is a parasitic virulent life form which is spread by infected carrier hosts. The Flood appears in three very primary and extremely dangerous forms: parasitic spores (Infection Forms) that attach themselves to hosts and transform the host’s DNA, mutated hosts (Combat forms) such as humans or the Covenant, and Carrier Forms that explode, expelling spores that continue the process. Flood that finally manage to assimilate their hosts gain full control of the host body and access to the host’s memories and brain functions.

Many RCHS students find this game exciting and fun. Senior Tom Murphy said he likes to “kick back with the game and with his sniper rifle just to blast all of his opponents for the fun of it.”

Also a senior, Jessica Ferguson said that “it’s fun to get together with other Halo players and scream at each other.” Jessica is the only girl that she knows that plays the game and said, “It’s cool knowing that she is as good as the boys and can give them good competition.”

Not only is the game available to play on the Xbox gaming console as single-player mode, it can be plugged into other televisions in the house and other Xbox game consoles for up to sixteen multi-player action. Halo parties are when Halo players get together in one house and connect their Xbox’s together to play several multiplayer action games. If that isn’t enough excitement, Halo games can be plugged into the Internet for an enormous player-to- player combat mode.

Halo might just be a video game, but to the undying fans it feels more like real life.