[The Last of Us" and "Castlevania," there have been some particularly great video game adaptations in the past few years. Paramount's "Halo," however, tells the story of the Master Chief and the alien Covenant on the small screen. As a result, the first season received cold reception from viewers and critics alike.

Quite simply, it wasn't very good--at least, not for most viewers, including diehard fans, who thought the live-action series was just "hmmm." The nine-episode first season debuted last March and received 71 reviewers to Rotten Tomatoes with a lukewarm 70% rating. Audiences were even less forgiving, giving it a less favorable score of 52% based on more than 2,500 ratings.

However, the tide seems to be turning in favor of a more favorable second season, and the new "Halo" service has received an amazing Rotten Tomatoes score of 94% from 16 critics so far, though only two episodes have begun. Has the series turned around? Is it keeping viewers hooked and maintaining a tight storyline that will delight both fans of the series and new viewers?

There are some things you should know before embarking on a galaxy-spanning adventure and grappling with the Covenant in "Halo."

Set in the 26th century, "Halo" follows Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber), a genetically engineered super-soldier, code-named "Spartan 117," who, along with the United Nations Space Command (UNSC), is working with humanity and a powerful and sacred ring, the The film follows his efforts to end the conflict with the "Covenant," an alliance of three alien races seeking a special artifact that will allow them to obtain it.

In this follow-up to the "Halo" Season 1 finale, after the Master Chief finds himself in a predicament with the Covenant and is mortally wounded, the AI Cortana (Christina Bennington) fuses with him and saves his life. But the Covenant is not the only thing standing in his way. ...... It is the fall of the Reach, one of the most important events in the "Halo" series.

Reach is the most important U.S.N.C. stronghold in this and other "Halo" story lines. If Reach falls (and it certainly has in other "Halo" media), the Covenant will essentially be free to carry out its mission and invade humanity. The battle of Reach would have a rather complicated outcome and would be an interesting set-up for another episode.

Various critics have offered their thoughts on "Halo" Season 2, and the response has been mostly positive. By all accounts, the new set of episodes seems to be a hit.

IGN's Hayden Mears, while revealing that the show is still "too stodgy" and "gritty" to be called fun, noted that "the action, paranoia, and acting elevate this second installment in a genuinely thrilling way."

On the other side, the only dissenter so far, Slashfilm's Jeremy Mathai suggested that the "Halo" streaming version of Master Chief "should receive a mercy killing."

The Verge's Ash Parrish said that showrunners "finally understand" that they do not need to be too faithful to "Halo" to "tell a good 'Halo' story."

Total Film's Bradley Russell declared: "For those looking to give 'Halo' a second chance, there is a lot to like here."

Those who have seen the first few episodes of the show seem to agree that Paramount is definitely doing the right thing this time around.

The second season of "Halo" just started on February 8. However, there is a very good chance that a third season will happen. Paramount is investing a lot of money in this series, which will likely go in a very different direction than the games, novels, and comics. The second season was renewed prior to the premiere of the first season based on the overwhelming fan response to the fact that a "Halo" series would be produced.

However, that has not happened this time around, and Paramount is looking to see what the response is like before moving forward with ordering another season. Fans will have to wait a while now to see if they can get additional episodes of this sci-fi series.

If there is a "Halo" Season 3, updates will likely come after the end of Season 2. The best thing for fans is to watch the episodes, prove there is demand, and wait to see if it happens.

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