This is a topic of much debate over at HaloWaypoint.com. I chimed in with my thoughts and decided to post them here for the record as well.

It’s not that I want Halo 4 to be like Reach. However I would expect at least some aspects of Reach to spill over into H4.

What I don’t want is a repeat of OLD games.

I DO want cooler tech to game with. I want to learn NEW technics for killing, strategies for map control (without camping!), etc.

People complain about AAs being in Reach and not in the other games. Let’s look at that for a moment.

Reach happens before the main trology, yet it stars Spartan III’s with the exception of Jorge. So we know that the Spartan III program got upgraded armor/abilities. Why? Well to make up for the fact that they weren’t as tough as Spartan IIs. Jorge just happened to benefit from this as well. Also, let’s not forget that the Spartan III program was Army, NOT Navy like the SII’s. It was Ackerson’s project not Halsey’s so the armor/abilities would be different and coexist at the same time.

In the meantime, Halo CE, 2, 3 all happen within just a few months after Reach. We’re NOT talking years folks. Just a few months. Spartan IIs had been using Mark V armor for some time and only in H2 did MC get Mk VI armor. Since he got it from the Navy.

Mark VII armor has been introduced in the novels and only SII’s have it. IN fact just a scant few do.

I mentioned in another thread that I have a theory that Master Chief’s armor won’t even be Mk VII, but rather a hybrid of his existing armor and Forerunner upgrades. So that would fully explain any new abilities, new hud, etc. Even if it’s not due to Forerunner tech, getting a new suit of Mk VII would explain it all away.

Personally I do NOT want the same old Halo. Just look at the title of the original…Combat Evolved. So why can’t the game continue to evolve and have new and/or better things in it?

We’re talking about 500 years in the future. These are Super Soldiers. They SHOULD have abilities like jet packing. Due to the fact that their armor is also mechanical armature, this enables the spartans to run a fast speeds. Not just sprint for short distances like in Reach, but RUN and for miles. (This taken from a paraphrased excerpt of [i]Glasslands[/i].)

I’ll play Halo 4 no matter the style of play, upgrade, abilities or not because I’m a fan of the franchise. Each game has changed a bit from the next one. Yet each one is VERY playable and fun. If you’re a fan of Halo and not having fun with the games, then what is the point for you? You may want to consider adapting to new styles of play. I did from H3 to Reach and I immensely enjoy the game. I had to practically reinvent my own style of play to d so. That is okay though. I’ve become a much better player, specifically slayer.

So if Halo 4 emulates reach more than it does Halo 3 or it’s predecessors I’ll be quite happy. If it emulates Halo 3, well I’ll be a little disappointed as I think it’s a step backwards and will ruin the franchise. But, I’ll still play it.

Realistically you have to consider how other franchises are doing things. What are they doing right that gamers like/love? This is the kind of thing Frank O’Conner was referring to, when referencing CoD. If 343i were to ignore the ridiculously high sales of Modern Warfare 3, then indeed Halo may be doomed to be a second tier FPS series behind CoD/MW.

While I’m nervous of the lack of info about the new game not coming out, I am confident that 343i is out to make an outstanding game. No it won’t appeal to ALL Halo gamers. How can it? We are a fickle bunch. Just look at these forums and you can see the proof in that statement.

If Halo 4 becomes more like other first-rate, high selling franchises, yet keeps much of it’s core game style, then I think it will last through the other two games in the Reclaimer trilogy.