![]() Working with Colonel Randall Aiken and a small team of Sedra militia members, the ONI team lands on the fragment. Locke's investigation into the source of the biological weapon leads ONI to a fragment of Installation 04. The team's efforts fail, resulting in the detonation of a biological weapon that only affects humans. During a covert operation, Locke and a team of ONI agents attempt to prevent a rogue Sangheili from detonating an unidentified weapon. The issue is whether the bland characters will drown out that conflict.On February 7, 2556, Jameson Locke is part of a unit sent by the UNSC to investigate Covenant activity on Sedra. And even if Master Chief himself appears to be sitting this mission out, there are enough connections drawn up with the games to make Nightfall's conflict feel like a worthy addition to the growing Halo mythology. The stakes for humanity and their relationship with the Covenant are higher. Nightfall has one distinct strength over Forward Unto Dawn in that it's taking place in the present of the Halo Universe rather than the past. The characters are bland, but at least the story is shaping up well enough. Aiken has an intriguing back-story that this first episode only hints towards, but it should make for a strong character arc as more of the character's past comes to light. While a bit overwrought, that narration helps illuminate his position, his attached to Sedra, and the toll years of fighting have taken on the man. This grizzled war veteran narrates the episode in a handful of segments. The only character that stands out so far is Aiken. The actors fit the bill in terms of cutting more convincing military figures than the gangly teens of Forward Unto Dawn, but that's about it. It's a struggle to remember any of their names, much less connect or identify with any of them. None of his soldiers stand out whatsoever. He's tough, handsome, loyal, brave, and possessing of no discernible flaws whatsoever. Locke himself is a generic action hero through and through. None of them are particularly interesting or compelling. By the end of this premiere, I still found it difficult to connect with any of the ONI characters. The larger problem Nightfall faces is its lackluster characters. Perhaps Scott did have an influence on the series after all. And I'm intrigued by the ongoing conflict established by the end of this first episode and the Alien/Prometheus vibe given off by the preview for episode 2. Nightfall's reach exceeds its grasp, but that isn't the worst quality in the world. Nightfall, by comparison, tries harder to look and feel like a Halo game and stumbles more along the way. The effect was a positive one, as later episodes played out like a survival horror-themed Halo adventure. Much of the action was framed at night and with the Covenant more as shadowy nemeses than overt enemies for the heroes to gun down. The creators seemed to know their limits and act accordingly. Forward Unto Dawn's smaller scope was a blessing in disguise for that series. Should we expect the same level of visual fidelity and acting skill we would from, say, a SyFy TV series when Nightfall is ultimately just a free bonus for Halo fans who possess both an Xbox and an Internet connection? It's a thorny question, but it's tough to ignore the ways in which Nightfall could have been executed better. The question when reviewing web series like this is always what standard by which to judge them. In particular, the Elite character stands out from the environments, and this eerie quality robs the battle scenes of some of their impact. The more CG-heavy shots tend to stand out as fake. The problem is that there are still obvious limitations to the scope and fidelity of the visual effects. There's even an extended chase scene/battle between the ONI agents and a rogue Elite Zealot. There are wide, sweeping shots of the Sedran landscape and its major city. This show is much more up front about showcasing the weapons, technology, and costume designs of the games. Right away, the increased budget over Forward Unto Dawn makes itself apparent. The resulting chaos forces the ONI agents to work together with Sedra's Colonial Guard, including soldier Talitha Macer (Christina Chong) and the mysterious Colonel Aiken (Steven Waddington). This series opens with a group of ONI intelligence agents led by Jameson Locke (played by Mike Colter) travelling to the remote colony of Sedra and finding themselves caught in the middle of a Covenant terrorist attack. In this status quo, peace prevails between the two civilizations, but the UNSC remains suspicious of the Covenant and their frequent, illegal spying operations. ![]() Nightfall is set in between the events of Halo 4 and 5, though it could just as easily be taking place at any point following Halo 3's climax and the end of the war between humanity and the Covenant.
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