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!
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