Life is simple. The world is safe. But a race of religious alien zealots have set their sights on Earth, ready to blast away the planet and reduce human life to a glassy sheen.

The Halo scenario may be fictional, but millions of people worldwide have joined the battle, fighting until their knuckles rub raw and eyes go bloodshot red.

And with the Tuesday release of Halo 3, the final installment of one of the most popular video games of all time, the mania is about to head into overdrive once again.

Talk to any hardcore Halo player, and the aura of excitement becomes palpable.

“This is the Harry Potter 7 of sci-fi,” said sophomore Bailin Gao as he tosses a grenade and ducks for cover. “Halo 3 is the end of the trilogy, the one where they reveal all the secrets.”

Gao and his fellow players lean over, their attention fully focused on the screen, unable to speak until the round ends and the frenzied action subsides.

These Vanderbilt Halo experts guarantee they will be in line at midnight.

“And I’d be surprised if any of us made it to classes for a few days,” said sophomore Wynne Lam. “Halo is for us what ‘Star Wars’ was for our parent’s generation. It’s not often something this big comes around.”

The 2004 release of Halo 2 generated over $125 million in sales in its first day alone, handily beating the then-highest box office opening of all time.

But though it came out three years ago, many are still engrossed in it.

“The story is great, sure,” said sophomore Matthew Mintz, widely regarded as the best Halo player on campus. “But the real draw is multiplayer, competing against other people.”

Gao agreed, saying, “With books or movies, you read or see them once, and then you’re done.”

“But in games like Halo, you can make your own stories and rivalries,” he said. “It’s more a sport than anything else.”

Time spent playing Halo 2 serves as practice before the big release.

“It’s like any other form of competition,” Lam said. “If you want to win, you have to play, and you have to play a lot.”

“That’s why we’re playing so much,” Gao said. “With Halo 3, it’s a blank slate; any of us has a chance to come out on top.”