Roundup: Here's What The Critics Are Saying About The Halo TV Show

Episodes 1 and 2 of the new Halo TV show are out soon on Paramount Plus, but the critics have weighed in early, looking at how things are shaping up thus far. We're pretty intrigued by this one, given how long the TV show has been in development.

Well, after the lengthy wait, impressions are finally here! The series will launch publicly on March 24th, but for now, here's what some critics are saying about the show's first two episodes:

IGN (7/10)

"Given how integral the massive battles between humanity and the Covenant are to the appeal of the Halo franchise, the lackluster action in the Halo premiere is cause for concern. However, the series gets enough else right in its first outing to make up for that shortcoming. As much as the premiere focuses on capturing the iconic weapons and technology from the games, it also shows a willingness to move its story in dramatically different directions. This is hardly a 1:1 adaptation of the games, and that's really the show's biggest selling point right now."

Polygon (No Score)

"I’m of the mind that Halo will be best served as a series because the show isn’t adapted exactly to the games. I don’t want a shot for shot retelling of what I’ve already seen or read. I want to love Halo in a new way, and to live in parts that I hadn’t had a chance to before. So while the first episode was a bit lackluster, the second episode actually picked up a bit."

Variety (No Score)

"Seeing the world through a vacant perspective might work for a game in which the audience has its own agency, but not for a show that requires its own point of view. In its first two episodes, 'Halo' doesn’t quite have that yet. But as another entrant in the ever expanding 'Halo' universe, it at least has enough ambition to make it worth a closer look."

Entertainment Weekly (C-)

"So it's worrisome to count zero moments of real awe in the two episodes Paramount+ made available to critics. After 21 years, Halo has enough history for its own endless prequel circling. This first season (with a second already incoming) seems to be slowly inching its way toward where everything started in 2001. Master Chief discovers a mysterious artifact, which upends his opinions about his military superiors — and himself."

The Hollywood Reporter (No Score)

"Visually, Halo has a little scale and the occasional eye-popping piece of imagery, ranging from Covenant’s glowing interstellar hub — like a jellyfish or a brain, complete with a spinal stem — to the colorful, pulsing evocation of the franchise’s “slipspace” travel. But if you’re making a sci-fi world-building comparison, there isn’t a second here that comes close to what something like Apple TV+’s Foundation delivered on a weekly basis."

Collider ( B- )

"Just as Master Chief is only able to scratch the surface of what has happened to him, the show feels like it is only beginning to uncover the vastness of its world. What we see is intriguing and demonstrates how there is a lot of potential for this Halo adaptation to thrive where many other forgotten attempts have failed.

It mostly succeeds in this regard, with the relationship between Quan and John proving to be the show’s saving grace. They offer a hopeful glimpse at a future where they both help each face off against a universe that is dead set on using them for their own means. Even when everything else around them struggles to come together, they remain the glue that holds it all in place."

So, this is looking like one where its introduction intrigues, but how the show develops into the season remains to be seen. We know we're getting at least two seasons anyway, as the Halo show has already been renewed beyond season 1.

Will you be checking out the Halo TV show later this month? Let us know in the comments below.