Enthusiasts need only look at this blockbuster first-person blaster's record-breaking $300 million in first-week sales (more than Spider-Man 3 and the latest Harry Potter) to get the message. One-man army Master Chief is back, and this time, he really means business.

Resuming where its all-star predecessor left off, the sprawling sci-fi saga once again finds you single-handedly obliterating evil extraterrestrial Covenant forces and the Flood's mutant legions. Hyper-intelligent squad-mates and alien pal the Arbiter help you battle atop jungles, beaches and futuristic installations, using new weapons like portable turrets and the Brute Spiker. Whether wielding giant hammers or manning the controls of high-tech tanks, motorbikes and jetfighters, you feel like an unstoppable badass -- no game does as good a job creating that sensation as Halo.

Featured audiovisuals are not quite as impressive; despite the use of vivid coloring and staccato chatter, the game feels more like a first-gen Xbox 360 title than a graphical centerpiece. The notably juvenile dialogue is delivered by the usual cast of uninspired voice actors.

Nonetheless, the title's sheer ambition and spastic hands-on action more than make up for presentation failings. Expertly balanced firefights don't just satisfy, with controls and weapon readouts ranging from swords to shotguns responding brilliantly to the touch and giving you the power to level entire battlefields. The game also takes online multiplayer showdowns to a whole new level, with options to find equally skilled opponents online, customize stages using the built-in Forge level editor and save/share pictures and videos of memorable standoffs. As disappointing as single-player mode's clichéd sci-fi storyline is -- save Earth before rivals can activate unstoppable super-weapons, blah, blah, blah -- it's hard to argue with public opinion. From a pure performance and value standpoint, this truly is a space-age outing.