I think assassinations are pretty neat and adds a little competitiveness in game. When I assassinate a friend, he always shouts down the mike “damn you! I’ll get you back!” and also adds a little thing which is as fun as hijacking a chopper (upside down) in Halo 3. I think they should return.
I’d like an option to turn them off. Too many times have I tapped the button for a backsmack, only to do the animation. Then the time I hold the button for the animation, it just backsmacks.
I think the assasinations need to be more gruesome. Ones that really say “I’m a half ton Spartan and I’m going to kill you in the most painful way possible.”