Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn - "Part 5" Review

Warning: full episode spoilers follow. If you haven't seen the fifth episode of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn yet, it can be viewed at the official Halo website.

After three episodes of build-up, the fourth chapter of Forward Unto Dawn barreled into full-on action mode and didn't let up. The finale, Part 5, was every bit as epic, though it also wasn't afraid to stop for a moment to savor all the little emotions. By the end, we learned who survived the siege of Corbullo Academy and just how Master Chief inspired a cadet named Lasky to become the decorated soldier he is in Halo 4.

The episode opened with the now-familiar flash-forward glimpse of Cortana having her mental breakdown. However, this time we got to see Cortana in the flesh, as it were, in a nice little display of CG wizardry. I questioned whether the entire struggle in the past was a recording Cortana was viewing, but the final scene revealed that it was actually the older Lasky reflecting back on his youthful escapades. The Cortana scenes were ultimately superfluous, but they did help tie this series into the events of Halo 4 a bit more. Part 5 also included an unexpected cameo of two other Spartan-II soldiers - Kelly and Frederic. Presumably this too is setting the stage for their roles in Halo 4, as both number among the few surviving Spartans at that point in the Halo timeline.

Back in the past, viewers were treated to an epic chase sequence as the surviving cadets and Master Chief battled their way through a Covenant-infested forest. This sequence wouldn't have been at all out of place in the various Halo games, though presumably it would have been much more brightly lit. As with Part 4, darkness became a necessary tool to mask the CG enemies and not overextend the limited budget. It worked well, and again, the result was almost like a survival horror take on a Halo game. That's not to say it was all cheap tricks and lighting effects. As soon as Chief said "We''re being hunted," I knew the filmmakers had saved the biggest threat for last. The Hunter battle didn't disappoint, as it was every bit as tense and nerve-wracking as those encounters are in the games.

Part 5 also supplied some key emotional payoff. I'm amazed that Sullivan and Orenski survived through the end, as pretty much all the cadets aside from Lasky and Chyler have seemed like ready-made cannon fodder. But perhaps in recognition of that fact, Chyler was the one chosen to fall in battle this week. Her death scene was handled very well, particularly as it forced Tom Green to shed his calm exterior and react much more emotionally. Judging from the final scene of the older Lasky, I'm guessing this death weighs heavily on him even several decades in the future.

Halo 4 Review

I was a bit disappointed that Lasky's defining moment of heroism wasn't a little more grandiose. Acting as a decoy while Master Chief frags a Hunter is all noble and selfless and everything, but it doesn't necessarily emphasize Lasky's supposedly keen strategic mind. I expected a bit more from him based on the way he rallied his troops back in Part 2.

Nonetheless, Part 5 was a worthwhile finish to a series that morphed from decent to great over the course of five episodes. It told a story worthy of the Halo universe, and it has me wanting to play Halo 4 itself. So I guess that 10 million dollar budget paid off.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.