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Re: Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack Review
Posted By: Jamirus99 <Jamirus99@gmail.com>Date: 6/29/05 6:27 a.m.

In Response To: Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack Review (BeardedFerret)

: The Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack is the single biggest dissappointment to drop
: on the XBox since its launch. I have no doubt that it will single-handedly
: kill the Halo franchise.

: Just kidding. Stop crying and read on...

: [Relic]

: Relic, the island map, is the one I'd been most looking forward to. I love
: the idea of an island multiplayer map, and Bungie haven't let me down.
: Single-flag and single-bomb enthusiasts are going to go nuts over this -
: the map is designed for some awesome games. The floating sniper position,
: IMHO, is going to be more useful for taking out enemies within the
: fortress than on their way to it - you get a better field of fire into
: that area. This makes it an invaluable tool for the offence team, if they
: can kill the defence sniper who'll inevitably get there first.

: My score: 5/5
: Reccomended Gametype: 1-Flag CTF

: [Terminal]

: I didn't know what to think of this map when I first saw it online, or even
: once I'd seen the Bungie writeup. However, after playing it, it's the map
: that's stuck in my head the longest. After writing this, I'll be playing
: on it again. It's that good. First thing you should know is that it's
: really big - bigger than the maps and screenshots of it would have you
: believe. I was expecting a smaller-sized map, but this is quite a biggie.
: And it uses its space well - you've got carparks, a train station, a
: lovely Ivory Tower-esque park area, and heaps of vehicle room, plus the
: massive set of monorail tracks all set up in the one area. It's a busy,
: busy map.

: Now, the trains. I LOVE the trains.

: Bungie have been telling us that they're lethal, but I always take stuff like
: that with a grain of salt. 'Like a train's going to hurt me,' I said,
: foolishly.

: These are devil trains, moving with the unholy speed of Satan himself.

: For my first run around, I jumped up onto the tracks and started moving
: towards the offence spawn from the station. No trains either way. I jumped
: up, grabbed the sword...

: -bam-

: The thing about trains, the truely -evil- thing about them is that even if
: you're extremely lucky and don't get killed by them, their sheer kinetic
: energy will still blow you across the map. I wound up back towards the
: Dukes of Hazard Jump, just from the force of the impact. 'Wow, that was
: powerful,' I said to myself. 'But I bet I can survive a run along the
: tracks.'

: How wrong I was. No sooner was I up onto the tracks when I got hit -from
: behind- by one of the demonic things. Killed by the Guardians. I was
: rather expecting some 'Training' pun for train-related deaths, but that's
: neither here nor there. I also managed to get killed by a train when
: exploring the limits of the map. I got myself (without dying!) to the end
: of the train tracks on the map, where they move into a tunnel. The tunnel
: is blocked with an invisible wall. I turned around to hop down - and got
: pancaked between the invisible wall and a speeding train.

: Incidently, how much do you think a train cares if it hits your Warthog while
: travelling?

: It doesn't. How much does it hurt?

: A lot.

: This map is going to be awesome for pretty much any gametype, and better
: still, you're going to come away with some sweet war stories. Easily my
: favourite of the five.

: My score: 6/5 (Yes, I know. The extra point is for the trains)
: Recommended Gametype: Single-Bomb Assault. With trains.

: [Backwash]

: This map oozes atmosphere. The fog, the noises (your character squishes as he
: moves across the ground - very cool) and the return of 2401 Penitent
: Tangent make for a really immersive map. Tension, here, will be high. The
: designers have really managed to capture the feel of the swamp level from
: Halo 1. I never thought I'd want to play multiplayer in a swamp... But my
: mind's been changed. Incidently, if you want to be a badass, grab the
: Active Camo, the shotgun and the sword and go hunting through the fog.
: Very, very cool.

: Score: 4/5
: Recommended Gametype: FFA Slayer, Zombie or Hide And Seek

: [Eloooooongation] (Get it?)

: I know they say it's long, but this map is SMALL. Damn small. It's all about
: close-quarters fighting here, to break out the Brute Shots and Shottys and
: get ready to get messy.

: This is a perfectly symetrical map featuring two moving conveyors and some
: walkways overhead. Capture points, naturally, are as far as possible from
: each other, and the map is split into a distinctly blue section and a
: distinctly red section. That said, there are plenty of oppertunities to
: move from red to blue and vice versa. I suggest that the first thing you
: do when you load this map is get to a window and check out the awesome
: vista of Earth from orbit. Magic.

: My score: 4.5/5
: Gametype: CTF Classic, Neutral Bomb

: [Gemini]

: I was expecting to dislike this map as much as I disliked the High Charity
: single player levels. In a way, I could have been happier with it - I'm
: still not a fan of Covenant architecture, and the map itself could be a
: lot bigger and more immersive - but I have to hand it to Bungie. This map
: has grown on me. It features a bunch of little rooms and some really big
: ones, separated by doors that will do a lot to break up the fighting.
: Imaging killing a bloke, walking away with your shields gone, only to walk
: through the door and into another huge firefight! That's Gemini.

: My score: 3.5/5
: Gametype: FFA Slayer, Team Slayer, Zombie, Hide And Seek

: [A Day at the Beach]

: This short (and they mean short) film comes bundled with the Map Pack, and
: it's worth a watch. In a nutshell, it tells the story of the squad of
: ODSTs (the REAL baddest motherf- shut your mouth! in the galaxy) whose
: Pelican you find crashed on the beach behind the Hotel Zanzibar. There
: were a couple of really cool bits in this movie. If you ever got pissed
: off at the Jackal snipers in Mombasa, you MUST watch this movie.
: Similarly, it's good to see that Bungie learned something from the
: Japanese clan they played in a Humpday a few months ago. Very nice touch.

: My Score: 3.5/5 (I would have liked it to be longer)

: So that's it. Please note that my scores are based on MY PERSONAL
: PREFERANCES. I love objective games, so obviously I was happier with maps
: that were heavily weighted towards them. That said, I've tried to be as
: impartial as possible. Finally, some awards.

: Easiest Map to learn: Relic - it's all outdoors and fairly easy to nut out
: Hardest Map to learn: Terminal - there's so much stuff going on!
: Most visually polished map: Backwash - incredibly atmospheric and visually
: impressive. Terminal a close second, Gemini third.
: Least visually polished map: Elongation - can seem a bit spartan (ha ha) on
: occasion.

: In closing, these maps all have their places, and will serve to spice up the
: Multiplayer action on Halo 2. In my opinion, if you don't go out and buy
: them, you're a fool and you're denying yourself some serious fun.

: If you have any questions about stuff I haven't covered, please feel free to
: post them and I'll answer as soon as humanly possible (after I finish
: playing some more on the train tracks)!

Great write-up. I think I may have to go out and get another year of XBL if these maps are as good as you say they are!


Message Index




Replies:

Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack ReviewBeardedFerret 6/29/05 1:47 a.m.
     Awesome Review, thanks! *NM*Chaos Recon 6/29/05 1:53 a.m.
     Re: Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack ReviewPvt. Jenkins 6/29/05 2:17 a.m.
     Re: Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack ReviewNikraD01 6/29/05 2:30 a.m.
     XboxZone VideosZeper 6/29/05 4:43 a.m.
     Re: Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack ReviewRC Master 6/29/05 4:47 a.m.
     Bought it, won't install it...Flashman 6/29/05 5:39 a.m.
           Re: Bought it, won't install it...Zionyx 6/29/05 7:30 a.m.
                 Re: Bought it, won't install it...Covenant Goldfish 6/29/05 7:44 a.m.
           Re: Bought it, won't install it...sketchfactor 6/29/05 11:05 a.m.
                 Re: Bought it, won't install it...BeardedFerret 6/29/05 5:09 p.m.
                       Re: Bought it, won't install it...Devil Mingy 6/29/05 5:49 p.m.
                 Duality! Of course!Flashman 6/29/05 7:06 p.m.
     Re: Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack ReviewJamirus99 6/29/05 6:27 a.m.
           Re: Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack ReviewDigikid 6/29/05 6:31 a.m.
                 Re: Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack ReviewJust one 6/29/05 6:43 a.m.
                 Re: Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack ReviewBeardedFerret 6/29/05 7:29 a.m.
     Re: Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack ReviewBeluga 6/29/05 11:00 a.m.
           Re: Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack ReviewAwe Venger 6/29/05 11:23 a.m.
           Re: Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack ReviewDevil Mingy 6/29/05 11:26 a.m.



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