Halo is a property that spent an awfully long time trapped in development hell, and there was a lot of excitement for the Paramount+ series when it finally started taking shape. A few creative decisions revealed early on inevitably didn't sit well with fans, though, including the decision to remove Master Chief's helmet.
That proved particularly problematic for many fans throughout the course of the show, but despite what felt like a lot of negativity online, it was recently revealed that Halo is Paramount+'s second-most-watched original series behind only Yellowstone prequel 1883. Season 2 has already been confirmed, but this Honest Trailer for the first batch of episodes really doesn't pull its punches, regardless of that success.
Following a recent run of very good video game adaptation, this trailer reminds us that Halo is proof they can still be bad. It's all in good fun, of course, but there's no denying that there were a lot of problems with this small screen adaptation.
Highlighting many of the issues that fans had with the show, it highlights the way the show deviated from the hit Xbox video game series and the baffling decision to show so much of John-117's face. Underwhelming visual effects also come under fire, while the poor quality of storytelling makes up a big chunk of the criticisms here.
Something we can't fault this Honest Trailer for is the fact they note how Halo was generic enough to appeal to casual viewers, but not the hardcore fans. That might explain those viewership numbers, and it will be interesting to see if the series maintains this level of interest once season 2 drops. On the plus side, they now have time to address the many, many complaints from fans.
Check out this Halo Honest Trailer (via GameFragger.com) in the player below:
Halo takes place in the universe that first came to be in 2001 with the launch of Xbox’s first Halo game. Dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant, the series weaves deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future.
The show stars Pablo Schreiber (the Master Chief, Spartan John-117), Natascha McElhone (Dr. Halsey), Jen Taylor (Cortana), Bokeem Woodbine (Soren-066), Shabana Azmi (Admiral Margaret Parangosky), Natasha Culzac (Riz-028), Olive Gray (Miranda Keyes), Yerin Ha (Kwan Ha Boo), Bentley Kalu (Vannak-134), Kate Kennedy (Kai-125), Charlie Murphy (Makee) and Danny Sapani (Captain Jacob Keyes).
All episodes of Halo's first season are now streaming on Paramount+.