I'd say Forge (by far), free content/dlc delivery, expanded universe and merchandising. I know two of those have nothing to do with the games, but as a Halo fan I've enjoyed the novels (let's just agree to forget the Escalation comics), IP-crossovers (warthog/Forza, Arbiter/KI) and options in merchandise that just weren't there with Bungie as much (Nicole/DOA and grunt plushie aside).

: Meanwhile, they still do some things worse than Bungie did. For example,
: their art design leaves much to be desired, and I think both Sabre and
: Blur have a better understanding of classical Halo aesthetics than 343i
: does. Also, Warzone and the REQ system, while great in concept, often feel
: more like a microtransaction delivery/revenue-generating system rather
: than a gametype and customization system optimized for fun and enjoyment.

I've grown to put up with the art direction, though like you, I believe 85% of what 343 has done pales in comparison to the original art. There's a difference between recreating (using new tools to update old designs), re-imagining (using old designs to update with new designs) and redesigning (ignoring old designs and creating new designs), and unfortunately, 343 has redesigned more than they've re-imagined or recreated.

Every game these days will have some kind of microtransaction system in place. It's here to stay. I feel the REQ system is honestly the best, possible option we'd have out there. The only time I use REQs is to work on commendations, otherwise I'd be 'REQless' in my playtime.

: Some things are just... different , and not necessarily better or worse.
: When it comes to gameplay, Halo 4 & 5 had gameplay changes that bugged
: me a lot. Halo 4's random ordnance drops and rank-based leveling system
: were terrible, and Halo 5 is simply too fast-paced for and out-of-place in
: the series, and 343i let pro gamers have way too much input, plus 343i
: seems to never want to have all gametypes present in a Halo game at launch
: (Halo 5 is still missing Oddball, KotH, and Race 10 months after launch).
: However, Halo 2, 3, and Reach also had various issues with their gameplay
: as well. Halo 2 had awful balancing in MP, plus the original Xbox version
: was plague with bugs and cheating, Halo 3's weapons were mushy-feeling and
: inconsistent because of reduced aim assist combined with removal of
: hitscan, and Reach's armor abilities were not very well-executed.

Halo 4 multiplayer was 343 trying to hard to be different, and it was horrible because of it. I think the spartan abilities were where Halo needed to go to have a chance at relevancy in a world of slides, wall-running, double jumps and teleporting.

Lack of gametypes to me has become even more obvious with the success of Halo 5's Forge. It's a glaring omission that I hope they finally correct before the end of the year.

: As for non-gameplay things, the Staten-penned Halo games (CE, Halo 2, and
: ODST) had really good stories, but Halo 3's was kinda meh and Reach was a
: canon-wrecking mess. 343i's stories are decent enough, but at the same
: time they decided to completely ignore all previous canon that all but
: stated that humans and Forerunners are the same species. 343i writers also
: write the games as if they expect the players to have read all the novels
: and comics (Halo 4 was worse about this than Halo 5). 343i and Bungie were
: both mixed bags in regards to storytelling, but in distinctly different
: ways.

As someone else said, I prefer the humanization of Chief that 343 took with Halo 4, but the story that surrounded his personal journey was left to only lore-lovers and fans of the EU. I felt Halo 5 did a better job of crafting a plot than Halo 4 did, but the plot itself and focus on Locke left me wanting more. Not to mention Locke as a character just bugs me for some reason. Give me the rest of Osiris, but even Locke's live action mini-series didn't make me care enough about his character.

I never cared too much for Halo CE's story, but Halo 2 and ODST were the pinnacle in storytelling for me, and the main reason I'm buying 'ReCore' purely off Joe Staten's involvement.

: I still think Halo might have been better off had Bungie stayed with MS and
: kept working on Halo simply because maintaining the status quo would have
: likely meant fewer radical changes in game design philosophy, art design,
: music, and storytelling, but at the same time I think 343i, with the
: proper shifts in focus and strategy, can better live up to the legacy
: Bungie left them.

I wonder about that though. We see what Bungie has become post-Halo and how so many of the employees that made Halo great have left or been kicked out. I think Bungie would probably be screwing up the game as much as 343, but in completely different ways. As you said, 343 has a chance to live up to the legacy with shifting things around a little bit (have Joe Staten at least consult with the story or give Jeff Easterling a bigger role), but hopefully we'll see progress soon!

- MacGyver10