"Halo 3" is a lot of things: an exciting science fiction action adventure, a rich online first-person shooter and the end of a popular trilogy. But let's cut through the enormous hype: It's not the best video game ever.

"Halo 3" (Rated M, $59.99, $69.99 or $129.99) does refine many aspects of the first-person shooter genre on the Xbox 360 console. And new multiplayer features make it the most robust online experience.

Since receiving my early copy of "Halo 3," I've indulged my senses and blistered my fingers in nonstop game playing. I've completed the single-player campaign and experimented with the game's voluminous multiplayer features.

It turns out there are two very different sides to "Halo 3." I suspect only one aspect will keep gamers going for more than a few days.

It's been three years since the infuriatingly obscure end of "Halo 2" left us all wondering what happened.

Will Master Chief, the game's mysterious, armor-clad superhero, survive? What about all those angry aliens: the Prophet of Truth, the Covenant, the Flood? And what of Cortana, the female artificial intelligence who shares an oddly intimate relationship with Master Chief?

"Halo 3" answers all these questions and more in a narrative that sometimes stumbles but at least provides a sense of closure.

Without any prologue, "Halo 3" picks up with Master Chief crash-landing on Earth in the year 2552. The gunplay-driven action is relentless from there as you blast droves of aliens back from the front lines of our future home world.

The game slowly builds in intensity but suffers from some uneven difficulty. A showdown in a Flood-infested spacecraft was by far the most difficult section for me to complete. However, I was far from finished and the real final battle felt like a letdown by comparison.

Like its predecessors, "Halo 3" liberally uses cinematic interludes between the action to advance the story. And again, it sometimes cheapens the gaming experience. Instead of watching a movie where Master Chief performs some daring move, shouldn't I be the one controlling him?

If anything, life as Master Chief is predictable: aim, shoot and reload. The weaponry this time around has been upgraded and includes some devastating armaments like hefty turret weapons, which Master Chief can rip from the ground and use to mow down foes.

Another favorite is the Gravity Hammer, a slow weapon that when swung turns enemies into a bloody pile of their former selves.

"Halo 3" wraps up an interesting, if somewhat scatterbrained, story line with some really compelling online features. The result isn't going to change how we play or perceive video games. But it's an overall package that's definitely worthwhile for any fan of action games.

Three stars out of four.