How would you guys compare Buck and Locke?
Personally, I think Buck was a much more charismatic character than Locke and since they brought him back, why not make him leader of Fireteam Osiris? Why even create a new character like Locke? Obviously we already have Chief and I bet if Locke were replaced by Buck in the campaign, fewer people would be angry at him for tracking down Chief.
My intuition tells me that 343 wanted a character of their own rather than always using characters that were introduced and developed by Bungie which is certainly understandable. Taking over such a beloved and large scale franchise can’t be easy. There are obviously a great deal of expectations from a business point of view and from the fans. Locke could become a likable character as the franchise continues. Maybe this is still the early stage of character development for Locke which could potentially mean we’re meant to feel some dislike towards him.
Buck mentions in New Blood that he doesn’t want to lead a fireteam for a while because of what happens with Alpha-Nine (no specifics of you haven’t read the book yet). So there’s actually a lore reason for them not giving the leadership position to Buck. I agree I enjoy him a lot more as a character - Locke is fine, he’s just rather bland and doesn’t stand out much compared to some of the other more colourful personalities in Osiris like Tanaka and Buck. However, I do like the consistency 343 kept with Buck’s character. It’s nice to see some ambient tie-ins from the expanded universe incorporated into the main games.