OP, i much agree.
the FEW complainers posting in here, it is still halo. it has just evolved. it is still an arena shooter of sorts. it is far from a class based game where you can spawn with power weapons. to me that is the line.
but having the weapons that have been in the game since halo:ce (yes i know BR, sword, splaser, fuel rod, and beam rifle didnt come until 2, and the dmr didnt come until reach) and knowing the difference between power weapons and our now loadout weapons is what makes it halo to me.
it still plays like halo, it has just evolved to give the people more individuality in their play style. it is still skill based in the manner you have to over come what other people are using, but you can still use what they are using, no one is stopping you from that, you have the same choices as everyone else. you just choose what you like.
and what makes it feel even more like halo to me is the introduction of new enemies and weapons (similar to when they added the brutes and brute weaponry to the pool of weapons in halo 2, or when i first encountered the flood in halo:CE)
the fiction of the halo universe is expansive, and evolving, so it only makes sense that the game should evolve with the fiction. for example, ordnance drops, we have a big THREE MILE LONG SHIP, with a massive amount of weaponry and transport, so it makes sense that it is able to drop in weapons! havent you wondered on the random weapon pods lying around in halo’s 2-reach? now there is a reason for them.
Halo is an evolving arena shooter. it is no where near a class shooter (loadouts =/= classes), but the day that it becomes that, is when halo will die for me. until then, im glad to see it evolving and becoming more open and expansive, and giving players more control (like we wanted btw) while still keeping the fundamentals that made halo what it is today (like returning classic weapons while still bringing in new to keep gameplay fresh).