Note - the first episode of Halo: Nightfall will premiere digitally on the Xbox One, Xbox 360, and other Microsoft devices on Tuesday, November 11th. This is a spoiler-free advance review.

One of the nice things about the Halo universe is that it welcomes all kinds of fans. Many would rather stick to the games. Some don't even bother with the single player campaigns in those games, preferring to shoot to out in the multiplayer modes and leave the experience at that. But there's a rich mythology driving the Halo games if you choose to dive into it. Increasingly, we're seeing that mythology expand not just in comics and novels, but live-action projects that attempt to show us what an honest, big-budget Halo movie would look like.

Halo: Nightfall is the most ambitious attempt at live-action Halo so far. The format is similar to 2012's Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn. This web series fits in a specific place in Halo continuity and seeks to flesh out the exploits of a character who will play a supporting role in an upcoming game (in this case, Halo 5's Agent Locke). The difference with Nightfall is the that budget is bigger, and with it the scope and length of the series have increased. Things behind the scenes are bigger as well. Nightfall was written by Prison Break's Paul T. Scheuring and directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (whose TV credits include Battlestar Galactica and Heroes). The show is even backed by Ridley Scott's production company, Scott Free, though whether that has any tangible impact on the end product is debatable.Unfortunately, the main takeaway from this first half-hour episode is that bigger isn't always better.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. In this status quo, peace prevails between the two civilizations, but the UNSC remains suspicious of the Covenant and their frequent, illegal spying operations. 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. 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).Right away, the increased budget over Forward Unto Dawn makes itself apparent. This show is much more up front about showcasing the weapons, technology, and costume designs of the games. There are wide, sweeping shots of the Sedran landscape and its major city. There's even an extended chase scene/battle between the ONI agents and a rogue Elite Zealot. The problem is that there are still obvious limitations to the scope and fidelity of the visual effects. The more CG-heavy shots tend to stand out as fake. In particular, the Elite character stands out from the environments, and this eerie quality robs the battle scenes of some of their impact.The question when reviewing web series like this is always what standard by which to judge them. 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. Forward Unto Dawn's smaller scope was a blessing in disguise for that series. The creators seemed to know their limits and act accordingly. 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 effect was a positive one, as later episodes played out like a survival horror-themed Halo adventure. Nightfall, by comparison, tries harder to look and feel like a Halo game and stumbles more along the way.Ultimately, that isn't a deal-breaker. Nightfall's reach exceeds its grasp, but that isn't the worst quality in the world. 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. Perhaps Scott did have an influence on the series after all. The larger problem Nightfall faces is its lackluster characters. By the end of this premiere, I still found it difficult to connect with any of the ONI characters. None of them are particularly interesting or compelling. Locke himself is a generic action hero through and through. He's tough, handsome, loyal, brave, and possessing of no discernible flaws whatsoever. None of his soldiers stand out whatsoever. It's a struggle to remember any of their names, much less connect or identify with any of them. 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.The only character that stands out so far is Aiken. This grizzled war veteran narrates the episode in a handful of segments. 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. 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. The characters are bland, but at least the story is shaping up well enough.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 outcome isn't a foregone conclusion. The stakes for humanity and their relationship with the Covenant are higher. 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 issue is whether the bland characters will drown out that conflict.