Everytime a new Halo releases it's the end of the franchise to the same people and everytime those same people are wrong. Right now Halo is the best selling exclusive on any console ACCEPT IT. The  downplay of Halo by some of you people is embarrassing.  Halo 5 is already shaping up to be one of the best in the series based of the Halo 4 campaign and Halo 5 beta.

When Halo 3 dropped Halo was at its peak and COD still murdered it in popularity. Its still the highest selling Halo of all time.

Yep, I have to have it both ways, Story and gameplay mechanics, which is why I am such a fan of Sony games (which leads me to like Remedy as well. Go Quantum Break!). Halo 5 looks like its about to get more competitive as well. Just a beautiful looking game. Can't wait to play it. 

Did you play Reach? 

Halo had to evolve sometime or get left in quicksand. I don't mind the new stuff for H5. Master Chief is a bad ass Spartan that doesn't just walk anymore lol

Again, it's very interesting to read this point of view that's so different from my own. Out of curiosity, why do you think story is so essential to a great video game experience?

Actually liked Halo 4. The campaign was to short, but it also had things where 343 really imrpoved Halo, not only but actually importantly in storytelling. That said, some other entries had more story potential but Bungie was terrible in storytelling.
MP is a thing. I still think that multiplayer wasn't bad. It wasn't perfect, it wasn't what Halo fans had expected and it copied to much ideas from elsewhere without enough own ideas. But at least to me it showed that Halo mp could need some good, fresh ideas.

Games shouldn't stay the same all over again and again. Otherwise we'd still have Pong.

I played and enjoyed Reach, yes. I agree that the series needed to evolve, but I think that evolution could have happened according to the rules of Halo. Instead, the evolution, or devolution in my opinion, happened according to the rules of Call of Duty. Story and storytelling became more important, action became more linear and more scripted, and the gameplay, which once upon a time lived and breathed on improvisational and nimble combat, became more predictable and straightforward.

Thats just the point...it makes the game an experience. It truly emotionally puts you in the shoes of the character and gives the gamer motivation for fulfilling a mission. It's also one of the reasons why I love RPG's. I like to have my gameplay choices and actions affect the world I am in. Also, a brand that has characters with great stories leads to greater individuality and connection for the various individuals who game on that console. Sony and Nintendo have so many, but Nintendos charm is of a different variety that doesnt necessarily have everything to do with story. The story between Chief and Cortana had never been that deep, but Halo 4 turned it up to eleven and I really wanted to help her. It tapped into my emotion and made it more frantic. I never knew the Halo universe was deep at all despite playing all the games because of the way Bungie told the story. It was because I skimmed a couple books why I found out how deep the story was. 

By the time Reach came out, I knew Bungie had hit rock bottom in storytelling. 343 would've done a better job with the pacing of that story. Good lord...I didnt give a damn about any of those characters. They all died and I just did not care.

I also enjoyed Reach but it started down the path we're at now. The jet packing, AA and sprinting. It was more COD than the other games. I think i see your point about the storytelling in 4 but i welcomed that. It was the best single since the underrated ODST imo

You might want to rethink your use of the word "any" ^^