How do you top a battle between marines and an alien religious cult fighting to the death on a giant corona in outer space?
The next logical step is to take that battle to Earth, which is exactly what Microsoft has done with "Halo 2," certainly the best game yet for the Xbox and a genuine contender for best game of the year.
"Halo 2" continues the story of Master Chief, an uber-tough marine in futuristic combat armor who accomplishes missions that would cause entire armies to quail. You see much of the "Halo 2" universe from within Master Chief's armor -- it is a first-person shooter -- running around battlefield Earth and shooting Covenant soldiers.