Just read the GI spread on H4, and my opinions are mixed, to put it liberally. I've been playing since CE (that game is actually the whole reason I bought an Xbox in the first place.), and I think it's because of my longstanding relationship with the game and its skill curves that I am dumbfounded by what I've read so far.
Now, I'm not saying that this game is going to turn into another CoD clone (it's not, it can't, it won't, and to say it will is pure idiocy), but what they're doing, or at least what I see so far, is slightly off putting. Reach is a good game, and the only reason it's not truly great is because of some of the armor abilities (and the focus rifle, that thing blows).
Forerunner Vision - Fine. People seem to think that this means people will able to see through any walls they want for however long they want, indiscriminately corner camping to their little hearts' content, and to assume that's what it is would be doing a disservice to 343 just by thinking they'd be dumb enough to do something like that. I'm sure the ability will come with its share of drawbacks, some of which I would assume include a short duration and / or a lack of radar while it's active. As long as it's balanced correctly, this shouldn't be a problem to most people. But, to clarify, people saying that this will PREVENT camping are terribly wrong in both that opinion and their own confidence in Halo gameplay knowledge. If anything, it will promote it. Pay attention to your radar and watch your back, kids.
Jetpacks - Honestly, this is still my biggest gripe with Halo 4, as it was with Reach. Jetpacks destroy map flow. They don't inhibit certain actions, they don't keep different gameplay aspects in check, they destroy balance. Jetpacks are like an invasive species into a delicate ecosystem - they infest, assimilate, and change everything, and never for the better. Jetpacks add the ability to be wherever you want, whenever you want, on any map you want (obviously with the exception of kill zones), without any real consequence. If the fuel cell was lower, that would even be a great way to balance it, but I know that will never happen. Jetpacks are for people who either don't understand map dynamics, and therefore fly high above everyone else when in doubt, and reign an annoying volley of bullets from above, or for others that just like to grief others with their unfair aerial advantage coupled with extensive map knowledge. No matter what you do to this overpowered hunk of crap, it will never belong properly in the Halo universe. Now that bloom will be a thing of the past in Halo 4, there will be nothing impeding those annoying little wasps from swarming all over every map.
Universal Sprint - Honestly, not a bad idea. By giving everyone sprint, 343 is furthering balance and putting more focus onto actual abilities. The fact that all Spartans in Reach couldn't sprint unless they had an armor override was ridiculous. The military didn't spend billions of credits for a bunch of idiots who can't figure out how to walk faster than a casual stroll in the middle of a battlefield.
Customized Loadouts -Fun, innovative, game changing, but not Halo. These games have always been about balance - an even playing field in which players who were more skilled than others would be able to win in a fair, balanced situation. Now that people are going to be running around with different guns (and I don't mean some people have a carbine and some have a BR) with different niches, I can't see how that will balance anything. Sure, it adds for a more squad - based approach to combat, but true squad roles have never essentially been a part of Halo. Imagine getting tagged by a DMR while you have a BR, and you are directly in DMR guy's PRIME range, but he's just outside of your scope's domain. You'll have to run and give up your position, just because his gun has longer range. Same goes for the reverse situation - you're going to dominate him at closer range with the BR. Again, this is all speculation and I haven't seen how far these loadouts go exactly, but I'm very apprehensive about it.
Campaign looks good, but it still bugs me that in every game the Master Chief's armor is completely different without explanation. Why change so much about his helmet / pauldrons / armor and not just say "oh and by the way, between the last two games you got some upgrades! grats", instead of ignoring different armor pieces as if they've been there all along? Stupid.
I have faith in their ability to make a great game, but I think 343 needs to reassert their franchise as the predominant competitive FPS on the market. I haven't gotten to play ANY of this for myself, so I could be totally wrong, and I'm sure they won't leave skilled players disappointed (there is NO WAY they won't have more traditional playlists like MLG and normal Slayer), but I'm still terrified for the future of this franchise.
[[Edited for grammar]]
