I think the cutscenes would make a big difference in the story and our part in it. Bungie has crafted a beautiful world, but did not fill it with any meaning or lore to keep you motivated...the main motivation now is finding better loot. I really enjoyed Halo 4's weekly Spec Ops mode. The actual missions started out vanilla but were improved upon each week. What made them fun was the weekly cutscenes that set up each of the 5 episodes. They were beautifully rendered CG segments that would make a great tv series on there own. Anyone that has played any Halo game knows the repetitive nature of the mission structure...turn on three beacons, disrupt three generators, deactivate three towers...regardless, what kept me playing was the story thru cutscenes, and the relationship with Cortana (character development), and the fluid combat with great physics and particle effects. More CG scenes to expand the lore, story, and your characters backstory and motivations are greatly needed to make this universe into something living and breathing.