Halo 2 Multiplayer Maps

Bungie is releasing the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack on July 5 (note that this is a week later than the original release date). The pack contains 9 new maps - four of them have been released on Xbox Live already. Containment, Warlock, Sanctuary, and Turf are only the beginning. The other five maps were on display here at E3, with Bungie arranging Team Slayer matches composed of four teams of two every few minutes at the Microsoft booth. I got to play two of the maps and watch games on the other three, so here are some quick impressions:

Relic: Relic is dry. It's a brown island with a huge Forerunner base in the center (similar to the beam towers from Halo 1). The map is wholly asymmetrical and seemed a bit disorganized in a non-objective game like those being played at the Bungie kiosk. It's a moderately sized island, maybe about the size of Zanzibar altogether. It should be a fun map once you get big teams with an objective in mind, though, because there are a lot of little nooks and crannies to roam about in. Also, objective games will let the invading team to take advantage of the switch in the main base which activates a two-way teleporter leading directly from one base to the other - a crushing blow in a game of CTF, for example.

Backwash: Backwash is based on the 343 Guilty Spark level in Halo 1 - except it's on Delta Halo, because 2401 Penitent Tangent can be seen flitting around like a deranged cyborg hummingbird. It was too loud in the convention hall for me to tell if he talked to himself or not as he traveled. The map itself is pretty small, maybe a bit bigger than Beaver Creek, but the bases are simply small shelters on either side. The center of the map houses a two story cylindrical structure, which contains lifts and upper level exits from which to gain the drop on opponents. Everything is shrouded in a ton of mist and a weird glow, and there are an unprecedented amount of trees and little hills to take cover under. This should be a great map for pretty much any gametype.

Elongation: Bungie's remake of the legendary map Longest, it's now set on a human spacecraft (it's not clear whether it's the Cairo or a ship near it). There are large windows offering vistas of Earth, and conveyor belts running the length of both hallways. The frenetic gameplay that made Longest popular hasn't vanished at all - if anything, the moving crates have added a new dimension to the craziness. The map is virtually identical to Longest, except with a few more ramps and a bit wider girth to make it a tad less claustrophobic. If you loved Longest you'll love Elongation; it's as simple as that.

Gemini: Gemini is a midsized map, probably about the size of Foundation, with one large, multi-level central chamber and hallways snaking out from the sides. Gemini's claim to fame is the gorgeous level setting - it's located in the core of High Charity, and at least one base offers the same breathtaking view of the city center and the Forerunner ship that we learned to love in the single player campaign. Gemini also has the distinction of being the first level with doors that open as you approach - a level of interaction that many felt was missing from the game. I did exceptionally well playing this level - it seems to favor twitch reflexes and skill with a plasma grenade. Gemini should be popular for slayer matches, but it's unclear how well it will work for objective games - king of the hill and territories will probably be more interesting than CTF and assault gametypes, though.

Terminal: One of the more innovative of the new maps, Terminal appears to take place in New Mombasa and features a pair of bullet trains that speed across the map every thirty seconds or so. The train tracks are an excellent route to the opposite base, but the convenience comes with a price - the trains will kill you instantly if they hit you. In the three or so games I watched on Terminal I saw at least two people get nailed, probably more. It'll happen a lot, and you laugh every time. The layout of the map itself is fun, too - it's a large map, maybe about 75% as big as Coagulation, with intricate base areas. It's an urban area, so you'll find parking garages complete with gates that open by proximity - the first time I saw it I smiled. That insane kind of detail is what makes this map, and all the new maps, so impressive, because it's something many thought was lacking from the original Halo 2 multiplayer maps.