I totally totally agree!!
I pre-ordered halo 4 in anticipation that things may have changed since Reach, to only discover that they hadn't. How much more like COD can you try to be?
Why dont you stop trying to copy other games and like it was mentioned above, BE ORIGINAL! All you have to do is use the same game engine as halo 3, increase graphics, use some maps from halo 3 and make some more but dont try to make things to complex!
Maybe you have heard of the phrase that sometimes you can try to hard, which i think you have done with Halo 4, tried way to hard. Go back to basics and get rid of all the stupid perks, jet packs, sprint and other s**t that you have kept from Reach!
I can almost guarantee you that if you do a remake of Halo 3 but with better graphics and some new maps that you would get a massive increase in players.
I know you probably think halo 3 has been and gone and its time for something new, but, hey,,, that something new isnt working, it wont work and it will never work so listen to US, your customer and try again.