This is easily the most fun I've had with a Halo game, this is such a refined and entertaining sandbox that I could just spend hours messing around with. The grappling hook fits so well into the core loop it feels like it's always been there, and every other minor tweak and change is all in service of making the game even more fun. Picking up a fusion coil and lobbing it at some poor sap who's completely unaware of your existence will never not be entertaining.

It's a shame that everything else it attempts is very hit and miss. You can feel the corners cut everywhere and it's very obvious that this doesn't have an original bone in its body. This is no Halo 3, there's no awe-inspiring set pieces or distinctly memorable moments, and while it does hand you the tools to make your own, I'm not about to top The Covenant.