Get Ready for a Legendary Experience

Published April 11, 2008

Bungie's much anticipated Halo® 3 Legendary Map Pack is set for release April 15, and after a full day's session of fierce fragging at Bungie's headquarters, we've got the full skinny on what you can expect. With two recreations of classic maps, one from Halo: Combat Evolved, another from Halo 2, and a brand-spanking new addition to the Halo universe, the Legendary Map Pack offers a little something for everyone.

Lockout reborn.

Lockout Goes Black

Halo 2 veterans should feel immediately at ease with Blackout, the revised and refined recreation of the fan-favorite Lockout map. Of the two classic maps, Blackout has seen the least amount of change from its predecessor. There's just a tweak here and there to expand some of the larger areas, the sniper tower has been shortened just a shade, and of course, Halo 3 equipment such as the Bubble Shield and Power Drain have been added alongside the expected whopping visual upgrade.

Objects will now stick firmly and permanently
to the ground once you've placed them.

For those unfamiliar with this classic, Blackout is very much vertical in nature, with a large open courtyard near the top, loads of ramps, a cluster of small enclosed spaces tailor-made for close-quarters combat, an elevator for quick access to the map's top level, and a pair of towers for those eager to gain the high ground with battle rifle or sniper rifle in hand. Based on our playtime at Bungie, Blackout looks to be the most aggressive map of the pack with the action coming constantly from all angles.

A Ghost Town is Born

This dilapidated water treatment facility sits nestled and forlorn in the same jungle players enjoyed in the Sierra 117 Campaign level of Halo 3. Ghost Town is brand new to the Halo franchise, and with its lush jungle environment, battle-scarred ruins, and asymmetrical layout it certainly distinguishes itself from the crowd.

Looking spectacularly rundown.

Visually, Ghost Town may now be the crown jewel of Halo 3 multiplayer maps as exquisite detail pops from the crumbling mortar on and around the buildings, bent and twisted rebar juts free of broken support columns, and overgrown foliage sprouts through all manner of cracks and crevices. Every square inch of Ghost Town is stunning, though don't admire it too long, or you'll be greeted with a rifle-butt upside your head.

This medium-sized map may seem quite spacious, but you won't want for action for long as strategic positioning provides sight-lines from nearly one end of the map to the other. Broken down building interiors and tunnels may promote a healthy measure of close-combat encounters, but if you love long-range firefights with the battle rifles or sniper rifles, Ghost Town has you more than covered. While classic Slayer and Team Slayer matches are every bit as much fun as you could wish for, it's the objective-based games like Territories or One Bomb that allow Ghost Town to really shine.

Don't mind me.

Sidewinder Goes Avalanche

At last, a much loved map from the original Halo: Combat Evolved has been tackled by Bungie and reconfigured for Halo 3 as the classic snow-covered Sidewinder has made the shift to next-gen and been renamed Avalanche. While very much the same map in spirit as the original, Bungie has tweaked Avalanche to fit seamlessly with the evolved gameplay, map design, and game balance found in Halo 3.

For example, while Avalanche still has a host of vehicles (Covenant-based for one team, UNSC for the other) it also provides a series of enormous man-cannons so those on foot can literally jump into the battle and into each other's bases without enormous travel times. And while the teleporters exist much as they did in Sidewinder, they now work both ways. Also, "ninja routes" have been implemented near the entrances for both bases so those that prefer stealth can sneak up ramps along the sides and gain entrance.

It might be toned down for multiplayer, but the Hornet is no joke.

It's worth noting that Avalanche is the first map to enable the much-vaunted UNSC Hornet as a default vehicle for most game types, though the multiplayer version of the Hornet has (for balance reasons) been stripped of its homing rockets.

Forge Update

Much like the Heroic Map Pack, the Legendary Map Pack provides a few welcome updates to the Forge. For example:

• Map-specific items: You'll now find a number of items that fit seamlessly into the visual motif for each of the downloadable maps. For example, a bridge in Ghost Town will be constructed of wooden planks rather than the sleek, futuristic constructs you might expect in other maps.
• Permanent placement: Gone are the days when you would set down a wall, doorway or similarly bulky item only to watch it teeter and fall. Objects now stick firmly and permanently to the ground once you've placed them, and will remain fixed in location even if you remove objects from beneath. You can place one large container on top of another one, remove the bottom container, and the top container will float in the air all on its own.
• New items: You can also expect to find several never-before-seen objects as well, including a number of Forerunner-related items for building self-contained bases on Avalanche, a standalone sniper perch complete with a built in ramp, and even a one-size-fits-all closed doorway for blocking off entrances.
• FX time: Those hoping to twiddle with the look and feel of Halo 3 online can rejoice in the new FX items that effectively add a visual filter to the game. For example, the Old-Timey filter creates a classic, old-fashioned sepia tone look while Juicy gives everything a more vibrant feel, and Gloomy does just the opposite, subduing the map's color palette.

Elite goes sepia tone.

The Legendary Map Pack for Halo 3 covers a wide spectrum of fan service as it pays homage to Halo: Combat Evolved with Avalanche, Halo 2 with Lockout, and of course brings a brand new experience to the table with Ghost Town, to say nothing of the healthy spread of Forge-related upgrades. Sharpen your Halo 3 skills now because the Legendary Map Pack releases April 15. See you on Xbox LIVE!

Article by Ryan Treit