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In one of its most ambitious undertakings to date, Microsoft is moving forward with the live-action Halo: Nightfall TV series, which will debut for the Xbox One this November. Hailing from Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions and Microsoft’s 343 Industries, the five-part series is set between the fourth and upcoming fifth Halo video games. Now, we have a taut first trailer for the show, which promises lots of brooding actors and an enigmatic storyline – not much of a surprise, seeing as it was written by Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring.

Nightfall centers on a new character named Jameson Locke (Mike Colter), described as “a legendary manhunter and agent with the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), Earth’s most powerful and secretive military branch.” Locke is the protagonist of Halo 5: Guardians, so Nightfall will act as an origin story for the character. In Nightfall, Locke and his elite unit are tasked with tracking down an ancient artifact and uncovering the roots of a deadly biological attack on Earth. According to the official description:

When he and his team are caught in a horrific biological attack, they unravel a plot that draws them to an ancient, hellish artifact, where they will be forced to fight for their survival, question everything, and ultimately choose between their loyalties and their lives.

The brief first trailer skimps on the action but reveals a surprisingly dark and serious show, as well as an impressively well-shot one. In addition to Colter, the cast includes Christina Chong (24: Live Another Day, Star Wars: Episode VII) as Talitha Macer; Steve Waddington (The Last Of The Mohicans) as Randall Aiken; Luke Neal (Wilderness) as Michael Bradley Horrigan; Alexander Bhat as Alistair Bov Estrin; Christian Contreras (Zero Dark Thirty) as Gregory Aio Ramos; Jennie Gruner (The Other Side Of The Street) as Samantha Wisner; Alexis Rodney (Kick-Ass 2) as Arris Le; Eric Kofi Abrefa (Tight Jeans) as Haisal Wari; Shaun Blaney (Made In Belfast) as Mason Hundley; and Sarah Armstrong (Drunk In Love) as Jordan Gaines.

Halo: Nightfall arrives in November. Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think.