Was playing a bunch yesterday and I was just thinking about how much the new Spartan Abilities add to the game without really upsetting the balance.
Thrusters give a new maneuverability option to players engaged in any type of shoot out and their creative use lets people come up with all kinds of cool ninja moves. Clamber adds a whole new dimension to play as it opens up the vertical side of each map. Combine those with the Stabilizer and Ground Pound and players have so many more options for moving around the map offensively and defensively. Sprinting, while maybe an illusion, gives the sense that Spartans are really superhuman and Slide and Spartan Charge create even more opportunities for inventive play.
While all of this stuff has taken some getting used to, particularly how to defend against the various tactics, but Spartans feel more like the crazy badass superheroes that the lore always said they were than ever before. People who’ve figured out how to chain the abilities together are seamlessly pulling off moves that you’d expect to see in a superhero movie. Such a great addition to the franchise