Halo fans ought to rejoice as Bungie is out to light the world on fire again with its upcoming downloadable content in the form of the “Mythic Map Pack.” From the incredibly large Sandbox; to the beautiful detailed Assembly map, Bungie has outdone itself with paying tribute to the hardcore fans that have stuck with the high-profile developer since the release of Halo 3 over a year ago. The Mythic Map Pack will launch with Limited Edition of Halo Wars on March 3 in North America. If these three upcoming maps don’t thrill you, then maybe the next three that are set to release with Halo 3: ODST later this year will strike your fancy. Until then, read our detailed impressions of the three new maps included in the "Mythic Map Pack" add-on below then check out our giveaway on our
message boards (forums).
Orbital:
Asymmetrical and favoring gametypes such as Capture-the-Flag or Assault, Orbital should be a new fan favorite for those who love to drive mongooses. Having four mongooses placed on the map and wide corridors to zoom through at high speeds, Orbital is going to be a level with energetic moments around every corner. There are a few hidden pathways into each team’s base so it’s best you find the best path to completing your objectives.
Assembly:
Taking a look at the environment, you’ll notice how much detail Bungie has put into this purple beauty. Looking outside the level, you should notice to that you are in fact battling within a Covenant scarab factory. As for the portion of the level you are able to run about in, the level is symmetrical with multiple stories to battle on. The middle of the level sports invisibility and a brute hammer, while one of the sides has a rocket launcher on top of a second story platform. Overall, Assembly is my least favorite of the new maps since I’ve never been a huge fan of Covenant levels outside of Midship. It’ll definitely be a competitive map for those who follow Halo league play since it’s diverse with close-quarters weapons (maulers) and mid-range weapons (battle rifles). But I usually favor more human-esque levels with enough room to drive vehicles on that focus on team-based gametypes.
Sandbox:
The “Incredible Hulk” of the Halo 3 maps, Sandbox is a gigantic level of endless possibilities that gets better as you discover all of its secrets. Built from the ground up for Forge players, players with a creative imagination will have a field day when they get their hands on Sandbox. With three levels/layers to put your hard work into, almost anything is possible with this new map. It’s literally the big brother of Sandtrap and endlessly more unique than anyone could’ve ever imagined. Having heard that people are recreating their favorite Halo 1 and Halo 2 maps on Sandbox, such as Blood Gulch and Turf, it should skyrocket to the most played map in custom played matches. If I had my way – and not to mention a never-ending amount of time to tinker with the map – I’d remake a bigger and larger Ascension from Halo 2 with more banshees and air combat.
Final Recommendation: Buy
