*scratches chin* Hmm. I'm not sure what to think. I like how everyone appears to be back on a level playing field, that that "Spartan Abilities" are built in to the game. But will those abilities make Halo feel less like Halo? Does sliding, a ground pound, and "clambering" (grabbing hold of ledges to climb up) really mesh with Halo? Then again, they can't be any worse than armor abilities, some of which changed movement drastically (esp. jetpacks). Looks like "ADS" isn't really ADS at all. Every weapon has zoom and zoom is apparently functionally the same as always, just fancier looking. 343I seems to be getting the grasp of making better use of color, as those maps are far less monochrome than the typical Halo 4 map, with lots of contrasting shades. The Midship remake isn't utterly dominated by the same pale blue light as the earlier screenshots indicated, and that one map with the black floor with blue grid and the steel with yellow highlights looked really neat.

Overall, I'm cautiously optimistic. See you guys in the beta in December and hopefully on the MCC before the end of the month. I still haven't been able to pick up an XBO yet, but I should have one within 2-3 weeks if everything goes right.