I’ve noticed some discussion about Chiefs relationship to Cortana and I think in all reality it does a disservice to discredit his romantic relationship with her. You must understand that this character has been raised from a young age, not to feel and to kill mercilessly and efficiently. I feel like chief at this stage is at a breaking point in his life. The story of halo 4, was that of a man who has lost everything, his team, his soul, his identity and the only thing he has left at this moment is Cortana, for whom which we can’t even understand the gravity of how much she means to him. This relationship is more than romantic. He’s never learned how to deal with his feelings. The story was about chiefs lack of humanity, despite being a human, and Cortanas abundance of humanity, despite being a machine. Halo 5’s story should have been about a post cortana Chief, wrought with despair, which should have culminated in the end with a broken and battered, chief, sacrificing his life, the one thing he has left for humanity.
Secondly, I personally feel that if 343 want to “innovate” in the halo franchise, do it outside of chiefs story, less of a chance to alienate fans, new ideas with new characters, like a horror style shooter in the beginning of the covenant human war, showcasing the brutality of the covenant.