Containment
‘Containment’ was initially released as a free download on Xbox Live and is the first new map designed for 16 player games in mind. It’s set in a snowy environment rather reminiscent of the ‘Assault on the Control Room’ stage from the first Halo. It’s huge in size, so vehicles play a big part with Warthogs and even Scorpion Tanks located in each base. The level is symmetrical with identical bases, cave pathways around the sides of the map and a trench running through the middle of it. Much like the gate system of ‘Zanzibar’ there is a switch outside each of the base which lowers the ramp allowing vehicles to get in. Given its sheer size, CTF and Assault are the preferred gametypes on this map and is now arguably the best 16 player map in the game.
Warlock
Halo fans will notice the map closely resembles ‘Wizard’ from the first game. It’s essentially a square shaped room with platforms around each of the 4 sides and symmetrical placements of ramps and tunnels in each corner of the level. There’s an Active-Camouflage power up in the centre of the map with a shotgun hidden in the tunnel below. It’s one of the smallest maps in the game and is ideally suited to Slayer and Oddball gametypes, although 4 team CTF is pure chaos.
’Warlock’, one of the most chaotic maps in the game.
Gemini
For long-time followers of Bungie, Gemini’s design is based upon ‘Duality’, a classic map from their Marathon games. Visually it resembles ‘High Charity’ from the single player, or maybe even ‘Midship’. But unlike that map, ‘Gemini’ is one large room with several corridors branching off in different directions. There’s a teleporter that takes you to a balcony above the main room giving players a height advantage over anyone below. Given its design, modes like CTF and Assault aren’t really suited to it, but with plenty of weapons lying around, and nowhere to really dominate with a sniper, it makes for a great Slayer or King of the Hill map.
Terminal
Based in New-Mombassa, ‘Terminal’ is exactly what you think it is – a train station. This map is essentially a long rectangle shaped level with a car parking section up one end, and the station at the other. These are linked with various tunnels and walkways spread over a variety of different heights and levels. Warthogs, Ghosts and Wraths populate the ground areas. Objective based games are best here due to its size and multiple routes of travel. Snipers play an important part with one tucked away for each team and there’s even an Overshield hidden on the train tracks. Just watch out for the train that speeds along the tracks through the centre of the level, it will kill instantly on impact.
Turf
Set in Old-Mombassa, ‘Turf’ is arguably one of the best maps on this disc for pure Slayer madness. With 2 long streets, a myriad of corridors and plenty of roofs and higher levels to jump around on, this is a highly explosive and unpredictable map. Although it’s not a small map, the Warthog and sniper rifle don’t dominate proceedings like on similar sized levels like ‘Ascension’ where holding the sniper rifles practically insures victory. As well as Slayer, ‘Turf’ is also suited to Territories and even Assault in smaller games.
Sanctuary
This is one the best new maps in my opinion. Set on Delta Halo, ‘Sanctuary’ is a symmetrical map that is essentially 2 bases divided by a giant wall across the middle which houses a Plasma Sword. Each base has a gun turret nearby along with a sniper rifle and shotgun in close proximity to one another. With plenty of broken walls and rocks spread around the map to use as cover, the sniper and turret guns aren’t essential to control the map which makes this one of the best levels for Slayer and Territories. CTF works well if the flag has a short return time or even one touch return, but is otherwise too easy to score because once it’s in the centre of the map, it’s only a few seconds away from your spawn points so any team should be able to keep the flag from returning.
’Sanctuary’ is ideal for practically any game mode.
Elongation
Based on ‘Longest’ from the original Halo, ‘Elongation’ makes way with the pits of doom and ladders, adds in redesigned bases and a moving conveyer belt and is much better for it. There are many linking corridors, multiple levels and plenty of boxes to hide behind, which is especially handy in CTF as you can crouch behind a box on a conveyer belt and move along the map completely undetected by radar. Given its small, cramped design ‘Elongation’ is a hectic Slayer map or a superbly tactical in 2v2 matches.
Backwash
‘Backwash’ is the 2nd smallest map on the disc after ‘Warlock’ and is set in the marshland environments that the Flood was first encountered in the original game. This map is basically a large circle of hills, ditches and trees focused around one central structure. Considering the general lack of grenades lying around, ‘Backwash’ is never anything less than chaotic. This is mostly down to the fact that there’s a thick green fog that covers the whole level, giving the environment a very claustrophobic feel. Pretty much any gametype works here, a particular favourite has to be the single-flag CTF where the flag spawn into the middle and it’s a big race to the centre to get it.
Relic
Designed primarily for One-flag CTF, ‘Relic’ is a large map based on an island that houses a crashed Albatross Dropship. From there players must move towards the large base structure in the distance to where the flag or the assault target sits. The base itself is quite easy to defend as you’ll have height advantage over oncoming enemies, but once someone reaches the flag it’s practically game over. It’s pretty much all downhill for the rest of the way meaning it’ll only take a few well placed flag throws to see it bouncing all the way back to score.
An overhead view of ‘Relic’.
Overall, it’s hard not to be impressed with the 9 maps Bungie has come up with. While there are a couple that don’t thrill in the same way others do, they all show promise in at least one or two gametypes. Only when they all go into the proper Matchmaking playlists will we know how well certain maps work with particular match types, but I think these maps are in general, better than the original selection. Maps aren’t controlled with weapons so much, which is definitely a good thing. While holding certain weapons is key for a lot of maps, they’re not so overly dominant anymore. Take ‘Beaver Creek’ and ‘Coagulation’ for example where controlling the Rockets and the Sniper Rifle pretty much guarantees success. ‘Foundation’ can be controlled with the Rockets and the Plasma Sword, while ‘Ascension’ and ‘Colossus’ are lost causes if the other team holds the Sniper Rifle for any length of time.
In comparison, the likes of ‘Turf’, ‘Sanctuary’ and ‘Warlock’ have enough cover, hidden tunnels and pathways to not be a sitting duck when you respawn. The changes that the patch (also included on this disc) and the playlist alterations bring to Halo 2 improves things further. Due to the increased power of grenades and the melee attack, you now stand more of a chance against dual-wielders. The Battle Rifle, which now is thankfully a starting weapon on a lot of the bigger maps in Matchmaking, is now far more accurate than before, giving you some temporary defense against distant Snipers.
It’s just as shame that they couldn’t have used this patch as an excuse to make Matchmaking more PAL-friendly. Being constantly matched up with distant Americans instead of local PAL gamers over and over simply isn’t fair and takes a lot of the fun out of the game when you are persistently having to deal with lag and latency. In Custom games with fellow PAL, one shot to the head with the Sniper Rifle or one point blank blast with the Shotgun is enough to put anyone down, but when you’re playing against someone on the other side of the world, one shot is rarely enough. In the heat of battle, it simply isn’t fair or enjoyable to have put multiple shots into someone only for them to turn around and kill you in one due the lag either not registering the shot, or the latency showing the player to be in a different position to what they really are meaning you’re seeing a shot hit on your screen when in reality they were nowhere near it. But they’re complaints with the game in general, not with this Map disc.
Other than the maps and the up to date patch, there are also some unseen videos tucked away, along with other Halo-related movies and trailers. For the money, it’s hard to fault this disc. With 9 top quality maps, there’s enough here to quench the thirst of all Halo fans. With all the maps becoming free to download at the end of August, those with the patience may as well wait, but for those who can’t, or play a lot of LAN games, pick this up ASAP.
) tend to like the smaller maps better.
. 859 days, 11 hours and 29 mins since it came out 
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