Those of you who already own Halo, what the hell are you doing reading this review? You already know it's one of the greatest games ever created, so stop wasting precious Halo-playing time!

Those of you who don't own Halo, you have two choices: 1. Buy Halo; 2. Buy an Xbox and buy Halo. For, you see, this game is so fantastic that you could justify stumping up £200 simply for the privilege of owning it. I'm going to dispense with the usual reviewing format and give you just a few of the reasons why you will love Halo as much as I do.

The Story. I am hard pressed to think of a better game story, this is essential viewing, an excellent science fiction plot that flows together with the action and missions, introducing stunning twists when you least expect it. You really care about the characters, the script is intelligent, the voice acting excellent and the lip synch perfect (for once!) As well as the movie sequences, Cortana (your ship's artificial intelligence) keeps you updated, so the plot actually unfolds as you play. You feel more like you're starring in a movie than playing a game.

The Weapons. Ohhh, the weapons. When I heard that you can only carry two weapons at a time I was concerned, but this is a stroke of genius. First, it's more realistic. Second, the tactics you use will differ wildly depending on which weapons you are carrying. Third, you can pick up the weapons of any dead allies and enemies as you go. So if you see an alien with a weapon you want, just kill him and swipe his gun. The weapons are highly imaginative and very realistic. As well as the shotgun, rocket launcher (with a handy zoom function), assault rifle and pistol, you have a sniper rifle with night vision and energy weapons, including the ingenious needler that fires homing shards of explosive glass. Throw in two types of grenades, one of which sticks on contact, and four combat vehicles to drive or fly and you have an unparalleled arsenal.

The Computer Intelligence. Halo excels on two fronts here. You really feel like you are fighting an alien intelligence. Although there are only four basic alien races, each acts differently in battle. The cowardly and stupid Grunts will run away if their commander is killed and are not too smart about getting out the way of grenades, but the Elites are far more cunning and dodge your shots, taking cover and attempting to catch you unawares. The Jackals use energy shields to great effect and the Hunters, well, wait and see. Even better, in most missions you are accompanied by marines, who fight intelligently, talk to each other and die bravely in combat. They aren't as tough as you, but they do behave like real soldiers and you feel like you're not alone. This is such a great feature, there has been nothing like it before.

The Graphics. They are jaw-droppingly unbelievable, no other console game comes close. Amazing textures, true lighting and shadow, water and vegetation that looks real and landscapes that stretch for miles. The animation is stunning, the character detail is so good that you can see what weapons the enemies are carrying. There are ten enormous levels, each with a different theme taking you from your own massive ship through rolling hills, to dark swamps, snow-topped mountains and inside huge alien structures. Each level is brilliantly designed and all will take your breath away.

The Sound and Music. The sound effects seem real. The weapons, the voices, the cries and screams of dying aliens and marines, the vehicles, your own footsteps (which echo in the canyons and are muffled on the grass). And the music is a full orchestral score that changes pace with the action, greatly enhancing the experience.

The Multiplayer Modes. I haven't even scratched the surface with the multitude of versus modes available yet, where all weapons and vehicles are available with 1 to 4 players split-screen and the option to link or network with other Xboxes. Suffice to say there is a great variety of match types and the custom-built levels are very well designed. And the co-operative mode, where two players can play through the whole game together, completely changes the gameplay dynamic and makes the experience even more enjoyable, allowing for a whole new range of tactics when you and a friend play together.

The Loading and Saving System. The checkpoints save your progress without interrupting the flow of the game and are perfectly placed throughout each level, with each level segment loading whilst you play, meaning that there are only ten loading breaks in the entire game!

There is so much more I could say, but I'll leave you to discover the rest for yourself. Buy it now. Thank me later.

Reviewed by Geoff Holland for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).