It plays exactly like Halo. Everything else will be quite different from the original trilogy. However, you can [b]definitely[/b] notice the influence from Halo: Reach. Almost as if they were trying out certain gameplay concepts, like Big Team Battle, custom characters in campaign cutscenes, and seamless "fire-team" (A.K.A. "Party") creation.* I'm glad it's something new, that the development team can take us somewhere Halo couldn't. But to deny it plays like Halo is just madness, if you ask me. *This is the one I find most interesting. Anyone else remember how flawless the party system was in Halo: Reach While playing the Alpha, in "orbit", joining a fireteam felt almost [i]exactly[/i] like joining a party in Halo: Reach. The more you think about it, the more it makes sense.