I say the gameplay is the issue. It tries too hard to be something different from classic Halo while also lacking any identity by copying Call of Duty's mechanics and chasing trends.
The story is terrible though, it really does just feel like a fan fiction.

I mean where in the previous games was it even hinted that humanity was an intergalactic powerhouse empire thousands of years ago. And that they went to war with the Forerunners and lost so the Forerunners took all their technology and territory? Then I think the Forerunners tried to fight the Flood and the humans all died when the Halo array was activated right? Then the surviving Forerunners grew some new humans in vats or whatever and put them on Earth for *reasons*. Also one of the Forerunners is kind of a jerk so he wants to kill all the humans but his wife doesn't want him to.

What the heck is all that about? It's like something John Travolta and Tom Cruise would believe in and build their lives around. The first Halo game was simple:

Space popes vs space marines. Space marines are losing but they have Master Chief. "Hey what's that big ring?" Space popes seem to be into it. "Ahh space zombies!!!" Then you blow everything up. Game over.

100% agree. 4 has always felt like a generic, nonsensical sci-fi story comprised of scraps of ideas that were intended to be something else, and they just slapped MC and Cortana on it and called it a day.

Originally posted by cb4n28:

Then the surviving Forerunners grew some new humans in vats or whatever and put them on Earth for *reasons*

The forerunners didn't want the ring firing to make the galaxy extinct, so they "archived" members of a load of species; plants, animals, and sentient life too, before firing the rings, then sentinels seeded that life back out to suitable planets once the flood had been "stopped"

Originally posted by Pyrocitor:

Originally posted by cb4n28:

Then the surviving Forerunners grew some new humans in vats or whatever and put them on Earth for *reasons*

The forerunners didn't want the ring firing to make the galaxy extinct, so they "archived" members of a load of species; plants, animals, and sentient life too, before firing the rings, then sentinels seeded that life back out to suitable planets once the flood had been "stopped"

I remember that was in the Halo Legends i think

Gameplay's pretty ♥♥♥♥.

There are some cool level designs in the campaign, at least until the last few levels. But the base gameplay is significantly inferior to the previous games.

I will agree the story is some fanfic-level crap.

Originally posted by cb4n28:

Is not the gameplay or the graphics, it's the story. The sudden introduction of so many story elements that only players who had dived into novels and alternate reality advertising campaigns were even vaguely familiar with remains bewildering. To this day, I am not really clear on who that Didact guy was and what he wanted and why.

It's a real shame as the story of the original trilogy was easy to follow and it enhanced the campaign experience as opposed to bogging it down.

the didact was referenced in halo 3

Originally posted by cb4n28:

I mean where in the previous games was it even hinted that humanity was an intergalactic powerhouse empire thousands of years ago. And that they went to war with the Forerunners and lost so the Forerunners took all their technology and territory? Then I think the Forerunners tried to fight the Flood and the humans all died when the Halo array was activated right? Then the surviving Forerunners grew some new humans in vats or whatever and put them on Earth for *reasons*. Also one of the Forerunners is kind of a jerk so he wants to kill all the humans but his wife doesn't want him to.

What the heck is all that about? It's like something John Travolta and Tom Cruise would believe in and build their lives around. The first Halo game was simple:

Space popes vs space marines. Space marines are losing but they have Master Chief. "Hey what's that big ring?" Space popes seem to be into it. "Ahh space zombies!!!" Then you blow everything up. Game over.

not at all you clearly didnt pay any attention. the forunners archived dna from every race and had their sentinals redistribute the new creatures of the galaxy

Originally posted by wwm0nkey:

Story would have been better for non-book readers if they just put the terminals in the game itself rather than hiding them, it explains a lot with the Didact and Librarian

This is probably true

The strong Nathan Fillian focus is a clue.. Did they use him because he was the best or because he needed a vehicle for continued fame.. Fame would dictate the game focus on where the STAR wants to go with the career..
I always faulted the Devs for losing the master chief but that is how you break fan bases to allow new directions for the Devs.. And do trust that mechanic is in full use on many treasured icons..Star wars hyper drive a ship as a missle ring a bell? Lore lost out..
The more loved an IP or character the quicker it is altered away from what folks loved...Fallout3 was revolutionary, fallout4 was a contender but flat.. 76 is a dumpster fire.. See how that worked out Todd?
Anyhoo, Good content never stays around these days, everything is always slightly off or out of focus...
I think the next title to suffer a parasite is Cyberpunk 2077..there was no one else on the planet that would have been the perfect Johnny Silverhand? Keanu Reeves is so lame it hurts, he should be selling medicare but he is a feature in the most anticipated game this century? pre order cancelled...

Originally posted by hearwade:

The strong Nathan Fillian focus is a clue.. Did they use him because he was the best or because he needed a vehicle for continued fame.. Fame would dictate the game focus on where the STAR wants to go with the career...

Buck isn't in 4 though?

Originally posted by cb4n28:

Is not the gameplay or the graphics, it's the story. The sudden introduction of so many story elements that only players who had dived into novels and alternate reality advertising campaigns were even vaguely familiar with remains bewildering. To this day, I am not really clear on who that Didact guy was and what he wanted and why.

It's a real shame as the story of the original trilogy was easy to follow and it enhanced the campaign experience as opposed to bogging it down.

The Didact is explicitly referenced in Halo 3.

Originally posted by cb4n28:

Originally posted by wwm0nkey:

Story would have been better for non-book readers if they just put the terminals in the game itself rather than hiding them, it explains a lot with the Didact and Librarian

This is probably true

I just don't know why that stuff was hidden in the terminals, which could ONLY be accessed if you had an internet connection. It explained why the didact hated humans so much and all the stuff that happened in the Human-Forerunner war.

Originally posted by wwm0nkey:

Originally posted by cb4n28:

This is probably true

I just don't know why that stuff was hidden in the terminals, which could ONLY be accessed if you had an internet connection. It explained why the didact hated humans so much and all the stuff that happened in the Human-Forerunner war.

Honestly I think I only ever found a couple of them on multiple playthroughs. Halo isn't really an exploration game. Also didn't they have some obtuse minigame where they'd shut down sometimes while you were trying to read them?