Just throwing my own two cents among the plenty others who have done so already, but I’m in favor of Sprint. Having played Halo and many other popular and not-so-popular shooter titles, I think sprinting is just a natural mechanic that had to be inevitably implemented and I was happy when it became a normal mechanic in Halo 4 rather than just an armor module like in Reach. Between my years of playing Halo and then having access to the MC Collection to be able to efficiently play amongst the different titles at once, I personally feel that sprint is a good mechanic to have. It speeds things up when its needed such as when you want to cross open terrain and flank opponents while they’re pinned down by your teammates - two things that are a bit more difficult to the point of you not being willing to do so with the tank speed of the earlier games. In other instances such as when you want to get the hell out of Dodge or rush towards an objective that’s being taken, sprinting can add to the psychological rush and enjoyment that comes when you’re speeding towards or away from what could be brutal death or a last-second save. It gets you in and out of combat when you need to and when you’re engaged sprinting is out of your mind as you revert back to the slower but no less enjoyable movements of Halo’s gameplay and combat. Having had sprinting and then when I go back to the previous Halo titles, I just wish I had sprinting whenever I come to those previously mentioned instances.
So I think sprinting should stay,. However, some of the other mechanics I think I’d rather see go. Sliding? Maybe. Clambering/Vaulting is another I’m not sure if I want to see go or not but I’m slightly leaning towards yes. Personally, I find Thrusting to be a bit much. I understand its uses and why its implemented such as a quick duck-away-from-grenades or blast back right into cover when you’re shot, but I don’t feel it to be a “Halo” mechanic. I don’t really have a good way to describe it other than I feel like it breaks the steady flow of what I consider to be Halo’s combat when players suddenly thrust in, out, and during combat. At times, it seems downright silly to have when I see it and use it myself.
Spartan Charge and Slam I’d definitely like to see go. Slam has been reduced to another round-the-corner or up the stairs cheap trick to me that’s kinda similar to the previous Boltshots and Maulers - tools which were later removed, thankfully, as I hope Slam will be too. Between grenades and various power weapons that a player may have to bait and kill you with, having an ability like Slam which you can use whenever and you’ll always have is a bit of a pain. Charge isn’t as bad, and I can kind of see its use to break that tradition of people waiting around the corner and killing you so you just go headfirst and hope for the best with this ability that may or may not give you an edge and even out those encounters, but overtime and seeing too many people using Charge as a more spammable thing that has them running around the map - particular in close quarters - charging and killing you before moving on to repeat the process. Granted, its nowhere near as bad as some of the aggravating serial knifers and meleers in certain other games, but its another thing that kind of breaks that Halo feel of combat and good times when its packed on with the other mechanics.
Basically what I’m saying in my own personal opinion is that sprinting is good to me and is a good mechanic to better get you into those fun-filled fights that we attribute to Halo - or add to the frantic rush of getting out. The other mechanics though I think are what tends to break the gameplay and firefights of what we consider traditionally Halo and are better off being removed.