Halo Forever. . .

I would be best classified as a social gamer. I don't own a game system (Sharon does own a PS2 we play once in a while) or have many opportunities to play. But how I do love to play Halo with my brothers, sister, friends and family. I prefer playing cooperatively to defeat alien forces in a wash of their florescent blue blood. I do play a variety of head to head games with my fellow SPARTANs.

There is a bunch of reasons why I passionately enjoy this game. I love the story, concepts and the characters. I love the simplicity but challenging nature of this first person shooter. I like that I can pick it up and put it down whenever I like, if I have an hour or if I have four hours I can play and have a great time. I like that I am eradicating fictional aliens instead of mowing down other human beings (maybe you think I am splitting hairs but it is a subtle perk I appreciate.) Mostly I just love the fun and interaction I have with the other players.

This great game has been converted into a great fictional series. . .

Halo: The Fall of Reach takes place in Master Chief's (main character, the guy in all the pictures) past. It starts off with the beginning of the entire SPARTAN project, talks about all the SPARTAN's and their missions, the MJOLNIR armor, and the fall of the Reach, the human's main defense planet before Earth. It leaves off right before the game Halo: Combat Evolved begins with the actual discovery of Halo.

Halo: The Flood takes place exactly where the The Fall of Reach ends, or, where the game begins. This book essentially fills in the details of the Halo story line you don't get to hear about in the game. The game tells you Master Chief's story, and the book tells you everything else. It ends at the end of the game with John (Master Chief's real name) and Cortana (super AI and companion) aboard the fighter.

Halo: First Strike is the next addition to the Halo book series. It picks up the story after the game and takes to many different places. I don't want to ruin any of the book, but basically Chief and a few close, personal friends of his find out that the Covenant (an alliance of aliens devoted, with religious fervor, to eliminating the human species) are planning a massive assault on Earth (a la Halo 2) after they learn of it's whereabouts. They are all gathering at one location before they move en masse. Chief decides to kick it to the Covenant and delay their assault on Earth by going on a deadly "First Strike".

Now I am currently reading Halo: Ghosts of Onyx. The Spartan-II program has gone public. Tales of super-soldiers fending off thousands of Covenant attacks have become the stuff of legend.

But just how many Spartans are left?

While the Master Chief defends a besieged Earth, and the myriad factions of the Covenant continue their crusade to eliminate humanity, an ultrasecret cell of the Office of Naval Intelligence known as “Section Three” devises a plan to buy the UNSC vital time. They're going to need hundreds of willing soldiers though . . . and one more Spartan to get the job done.

The planet Onyx is virtually abandoned and the perfect place to set this new plan in motion. But when the Master Chief destroys Halo, something is triggered deep within Onyx: Ancient Forerunner technology stirs, and fleets of UNSC and Covenant race to claim it to change the course of the Human-Covenant War.

But this reawakened and ancient force may have plans of its own . . . bump bump buuuuh. . .

I'll have to let you know how I like it when I am finished. If you like action packed sci-fi, great characters, and the intriguing Halo universe you ought to check these books out. I doubt you would disappointed.

Master Chief's Wanted Poster. . . the stuff of alien nightmares . . .