I have been a long time Halo fan and although I like some of the things 343 is doing, I have some concerns. Remember these are only my opinions.
1.) Halo needs to change not evolve - Halos 1-3 made small changes to the Halo formula that did not derastically change the game play. The different games added features such as dual wielding, equipment, weapons, maps, game types, man canons, vehicles and other thing that did not change the core game play, but made the game feel fresh. The new movement in Halo 5 looks to completely change the way we play Halo. Just play a Halo 2 or 3 game and then play the beta they are completely different. Halo needs to change because we can’t have the same game year after year, but evolution implies changing the game into something completely new. For those of you who say I need to shut up and adapt to the new mechanics, why should I, a long time consumer of Halo who has invested hundreds of dollars and hours playing the series not voice what I want to see in a game. It would be a disservice to the game developers and the series I love to sit quietly and watch a game I love change into the same FPS every series has become.
2.) Halo is no longer focused on teams - Halo 2 and 3 were very team focused, meaning if you wanted high K/Ds or wanted to win you had to put the team first. Equipment, for example, in Halo 3 included bubble shields, health regen, and the shield emp thing, which could all be used by the entire team. Players moved slower, making it easier for them to stay together and allowing them more time to plan. Holding defendable areas was also important as teams could focus on one to two entrances that enemy players would have to walk through. Sprint and clamer destroy many of the team element found in previous games. It is now much easier for individuals to get seperate a or run from their teammates. Holding territory also becomes harder because clamer allowes new entrances into defendable areas, splitting a teams attention into four different areas instead of two. Sprint also decrease the time a player will be in the choke point or entrance into the defendable area, meaning these areas are harder to hold. 343, like almost all FPSs has focused on empowering the individual, not the team, encouraging players to be more independent.
3.) Objective game types will be hurt - because of features like sprint, players can get to an objective or area faster then in previous Halo installments. Capture the flag, for instance is much more chaotic as enemy players near the flag bearer die, respawn, and sprint back to the flag bearer in a shorter time. This is why the flag bearer could have a secondary weapon in Halo 4. King of the hill is another game type that could be negatively impacted by Halo 5’s features. Holding the hill would be much harder as teams can get to the hill much quicker, leaving little breathing room to plan a defense in between attacks. There are several examples of how Halo 5’s mechanics could break objective based Halo, but these are just a few.
4.) (Most important) Halo is losing it’s uniqueness - It is harder and harder to explain how Halo is different from other popular FPS titles such as COD, Titanfall, and Battlefield. Perhaps it is a good thing that Halo is evolving, but as FPSs become more similar it leaves the gaming market with less variety. The only major differences I can now find in Halo is the focus on 4v4, limited customization, shields, and power weapons, compared to the long list of differences we once enjoyed. I played Halo because it was a slower, tactical, team based shooter, but now games such as these are becoming very harder to find. For those of you who tell me I should go play the MCC if I don’t like Halo 5 I will, but how long will MCC last. If the direction on Halo is completely changing players, such as me, who enjoy the old Halo style will be left with a “play games you don’t enjoy or quit gaming” complex.
I love Halo and I love 343 and all of the hard work they have put into Halo. I have never disliked a Halo game, but recent titles have not lived up to what I expect to see in a Halo game. I have several other concerns with the future of the franchise, but these are my main concerns. Halo 5 looks to an amazing game that I will buy and surely enjoy, but I am not sure if it will be a good Halo title. Remember these are only my opinions and I will try my best to remain open. Let me know what you think!