Here's a recap of prequel series Halo had a profound impact on the first-person shooter genre when it was released in 2001. The game pioneered design choices that would soon become standard, such as limiting players to two weapons at a time and using shoulder buttons for grenades. Halo's fluid combat, unique world and great multiplayer made it a massive success for the Xbox. It also made a gaming icon out of protagonist Master Chief, who wears power armor and a helmet he never takes off.
Master Chief soon return for Halo 2 which was highly anticipated back in 2004. This follow-up expanded the universe and added more weapons and features, and its success guaranteed the series would be sticking around for the foreseeable future. The Chief returned for numerous sequels in the years that followed, with the next being 2020's Halo: Reach, anime anthology Halo Legends and TV series Halo: Nightfall.
Despite the popularity of the series a District 9 instead. In 2012 a live-action web series called Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn was announced, which would be a prequel to the then Halo 4. While Master Chief has a role on the show, it mostly centers around Thomas Lasky - a ing character from the game series - during his days as a cadet in a military academy that is attacked by the Covenant.
Halo: Forward Unto Dawn season 1 episode 1 opens with Laskey (Thom Green) and his squad doing a training exercise. Laskey is shown to have trouble following orders he doesn't agree with, which leads to his team failing the exercise. Needless to say, this doesn't make him popular with his squates or instructors, though he is close to cadet Silva (Anna Popplewell, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe). He's also shown to be suffering some kind of allergy and struggling to live up to his family name. His brother is also a trooper who offers him some encouragement in a video message, where he also shows off a badass tattoo.
Halo: Forward Unto Dawn season 1 episode 1 does a good job setting up the world of the show and only runs for a lean eighteen minutes. The acting and production design is solid, though it still feels somewhat small scale for the Halo universe. Fans will be disappointed to learn Master Chief doesn't make an appearance, and would only show up when the academy is under attack in later episodes.