“Alexander wept, for he saw that he had no more lands to conquer,” but that isn’t a problem faced by the Master Chief and his followers. World re-known game developer Bungie has pulled out all the stops with the release of the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack . Giving fans nine new maps to wage their internet wars on, Bungie has gone one step farther by making these goodies available to Halo 2 fans who aren’t part of the Xbox Live community as well, with a few added extras such as the 1.1 multiplayer patch and a few short videos about the map pack to sweeten the pot. But does this justify the twenty dollar price tag that comes with the expansion pack? Read on and decide for yourself.

Extended Evaluation

Turf

Welcome to Turf , a small map with an urban setting to it, similar to the first parts of the Outskirts level on single player. As you look around at the buildings and side streets, your mind is abuzz with all the possible ambush areas this map makes possible. The tight alley ways on this map promise some extremely fast and furious close quarters combat with its various short range weapons, and will make any major-league grenade thrower grin with devilish satisfaction as he surveys the possible killing grounds. Throw in a brute shot and you have absolute chaos during these back alley brawls. Now that’s not all, as you move away from the alleys; you come out into a broad ‘L’ shaped street. This area of the map should appease all of the players who prefer a more civilized long range attack with battle rifles as well as gamers who take exquisite joy in taking down their opponent’s one shot at a time with the sniper rifle. There is even a warthog for players with a taste for some Grand Theft Auto style carnage.

Turf is one my favorites from the Halo 2 Map Pack , mostly because of the different options for combat that it offers. If I want to go ace commando in the trenches, it’s no problem at all to find a plasma rifle somewhere to grab and match up with my trusty SMG; or I can stick with something more my style by finding one of the conveniently placed battle rifles on the map and laying down some suppression fire for my teammates. The small size of the map means I don’t have to walk too far to get back into the action, and I can always find a handy weapon or two along the way.

Warlock

Any old school Halo fan will be familiar with this reincarnation of Wizard from the classic game. Warlock is a bit larger in scale than its predecessor, but still offers all of the intense medium and short range action of the original. The weapons choice is fairly limited on this map, with battle rifles and shotguns being the preferred weapons. There are also some plasma rifles, needlers, and magnum pistols to offer up a little variety. Just like Wizard, Warlock is a fairly open map, circular in shape with four platforms surrounding it. It also has an elevated platform in the center, which is also where a player with a sneaky side will find an invisibility pick up at the top. What really separates Warlock from the rest of the maps is that you can literally go from one side of it to the other in a matter of seconds. This is possible because of the four teleporters located behind each of the platforms, each of which teleports you to the opposite side of the room.

While Warlock is a great map to play on, I feel it has some balance issues at times. A group of players skilled with the battle rifle can dominate this map by taking control of the four platforms. But regardless of balance issues, the flow of the gameplay on this map is always un-predictable and frenzied. You can be pelting your opponents from one of the platforms with a battle rifle, but if you lose sight of them for a moment you might find them at your back door thanks to those handy dandy teleporters. While the platforms offer up some very good cover, the small size and open layout of this map means you are always in grenade throwing distance. If I had to describe the games I’ve played on this map in two words, I would simply say that they were kill frenzy.

Sanctuary

Sanctuary is a medium sized map, with three temple-like structures. One on each side of the map is a single story team base featuring a turret, battle rifle, sniper rifle, plasma rifle and shotgun for each team to quickly equip their choice of weapons with. The third is a two story structure in the center map, with a door on each side of it facing the bases. The top part is connected to the each of the bases by a simple walk way setup that allows for quick and easy access to each base. Other than the sword that a player might pick up on his way to one of the bases via this route, the center structure allows snipers a very appreciative view into the opposing team’s base, without exposing them to a lot of return fire. Bungie got a little lazy with the design of this map though, as each side of it is a mirror image of the other; one side of each base is littered with oversize rocks that can be used for cover, while the other is very open. Scattered around the map are also a few needlers, plasma pistols, and covenant carbines.

This map is very challenging to play on, while it has some areas with great cover, it also has its fair share of wide open spaces. Medium range combat is the general tone of this game, unless you get creative with the shotgun and sword. The gameplay becomes even more difficult on objective based games, as the two respective bases are wide open to enemy grenades and sniper fire. Sanctuary can be a fun map, but whoever controls the long range weapons has a definite advantage over those who don’t.

Backwash

As you first look around Backwash , you’ll notice how short the visibility on this map is. On every other map in Halo history, you can clearly see your opponents from a mile away. Not on Backwash though, this map is very dark and extremely foggy. Backwash is circular in shape, and while it may seem large at first, it is in fact a very small map with a two bases on opposite sides and one two-story tower in the center. It would take a determined player less than ten seconds to run from his base, straight across the map to the opposing team’s base to attempt to capture a flag or plant a bomb. Weapons are plentiful in this map, with a good mix of plasma rifles and pistols, shotguns, the brute shot, battle rifles and carbines, as well as the much vaunted sword. However, that same low visibility that makes finding your enemies hard makes it even harder to find a weapon laying on the ground, or leaning up against a tree. Another thing that sets Backwash apart from the rest is that is the only map on Halo 2 to feature the Sentinel beam in its stock weapon set.

Backwash is a very interesting map to play on, as the limited lighting and visibility work very well to create an atmosphere of the hunter and the hunted. With its infinite cover and limited visibility, the map is geared towards intense close range battles, where the victor would be smart to exit the battle scene quickly as fire fights are the only things that are easy to see from anywhere on the map. Battle rifle fans can also use the stealth like environment of this map to their advantage. Most of the time, someone being shot with a battle rifle can’t figure out where the shots are coming from in this gloomy environment, which makes hit and run tactics one of my favorites. The games I’ve played on it so far strike me as a very balanced, with no team being able to control the map with a few “power” weapons as it were.

Containment

Containment is by far the largest map released for Halo 2 , and its sheer size can be intimidating. Though it is rumored that Halo PC fans will find this environment familiar, I don’t have enough even experience with that version of Halo to make a judgment on it. The map features two large two-story bases on opposite sides of a very long snow covered canyon, with plenty of small trenches and caves to provide players with cover as they make that lengthy walk from one base to the other. The bases themselves are very interesting. The best way to describe them would be as a huge wall that runs from one side of the canyon walls to the other. The main entrance or exit to each base is a massive gate that is built into each one that can be opened for a short time by a handy little switch. The switch isn’t in the base itself, these are located a short distance outside of each base to give opposing teams a chance to open the gate and get their vehicles into the base for flag captures. Be careful though, as the switches are completely open and exposed to sniper fire.

Each base has a warthog and banshee inside of it, and a Scorpion tank parked outside. The above mentioned gate on each base doubles as a ramp to let the warthog out without having to be opened. Anyone driving should be very careful, because scattered across the canyon floor are small triangle shaped containers that have a tendency to explode when shot or run over. You also need to be on the lookout for the trenches that line the canyon floor. The skies won’t be all that friendly for the fliers either, as each base has a turret built into the top, and there are two rocket launchers on this map to help ground troop’s deal with those pesky vehicles. Along with the rocket launchers, there are the must have weapons for a map of this size such as battle rifles and carbines, one sniper rifle located outside each base, and a few shot guns thrown in for good measure.

I feel that Containments size works against the map as far as enjoyment of the game goes. Unless you’ve managed to snag one of the vehicles, you’re in for a rather long walk to the other base, and I really hate it when I do all that walking only to get sniped once I reach the base. With very few exceptions medium to long range battles are the order of the day for this map. Even if you are inside one of the bases, the structures are so massive it’s rare to have an up close and personal encounter with the opposing team. The vehicles do make for an interesting inclusion to this map though, as they are useful but aren’t capable of dominating the map outright. The best way to deal with a tank is either with another tank or a rocket launcher right? Unfortunately, there aren’t enough of those to go around, but with all of the cover available in this map, it’s not too hard for an enterprising gamer to get close enough to a tank to take the driver out with his bare hands if you know what I mean. My overall opinion of Containment is that it gives you a very slow placed game punctuated by moments of intense fighting, only to return to the slow pace again.

Relic

Relic is another one of those maps rumored to be similar to a map from the Halo PC game. The map itself is a large, tear-drop shaped island with a massive tower-like structure in its center, which is where the flag is to be found during CTF games. The tower is surrounded by what looks like wreckage and debris from other smaller buildings, and provides excellent cover whenever a player is trying to gain access to this tower. The only other noteworthy structure is what appears to be a crashed Pelican drop ship, which is the starting base and capture point during CTF games. The size of this map relates itself to long range battles, so battle rifles and covenant carbines are plentiful. There are only two sniper rifles located on Relic , one in each of the “floating towers” that are on opposite sides of the tower. Aside from the needed long range weapons, there is a single rocket launcher located on the far side of the tower to help deal with the ghost and banshee that are available to each team. Going into the bottom half of the tower, players will find some possible ambush points along with the sword and shotgun around the map. As a player moves to the top of the tower, they will also find some plasma rifles to round out their choice of weapons on Relic.

Relic has given me several enjoyable games. It’s a true challenge to hold the top of that tower during a CTF match, as there is very little cover to be found on top of it. There are several points of entry to the tower, which gives teams set on capturing the flag a variety of angles to try, and the defenders can’t cover them all. This map reminds me a lot of Hang’em High from the original Halo with all the cover available on the low ground of the map, but also letting you pelt your enemies from afar with the high ground available on top of the tower.

Elongation

Elongation is another one of those blasts from the past. In short it’s an updated version of the Halo classic, Longest Walk . However, unlike the other map remakes we’ve seen in Halo 2 , Bungie did more than a cosmetic make over with Elongation. As with the other remakes, this one is much larger in scale than its predecessor. The basic layout of the map is still the same, two hallways separated by a wall with a base at the opposite end of each. The first huge differences you will notice are the addition of some boxes, stacked up in each of the bases. These boxes are taller than a Spartan , but with a little bit of practice allow players to jump on top of the boxes and from there to the upper level of the map.

Another difference between Elongation and Longest Walk is the conveyor belts that are now in the center of each hall way. Each one is moving in the opposite direction than the other; the conveyor belt beside the blue base is moving towards the red base and vice versa. Boxes are systematically dropped onto the conveyor belts at each end of the hallway, which provides cover and as well as proving for easy access to the upper levels, even from the hallways. The weapons layout for this map is interesting, with a shotgun located directly above each base, and a battle rifle and brute shot located to the left of each base. Also scattered around the map are a few plasma pistols, plasma rifles, and magnum pistols.

Elongation is fast becoming a favorite map for me. Its truly unique in team based games as it allows for each side to have the exact same weapons from the start. What really makes the map interesting are the conveyor belts and boxes though. A sneaky player can travel the whole distance from his or her base to the other without having to move too much just by riding the conveyor belts. While it’s a slow ride, you won’t be picked up on the motion sensor as long as you’re not moving you’re player around on the conveyor. Don’t stay on it too long though, at the end of each conveyor is a bottomless pit. The boxes add a whole new dynamic to the battles; you can easily go from the bottom floor to the top and back down again. This adds a whole new degree of excitement to chasing down flag carriers, as it’s easy to lose sight of them during all of the jumping and climbing. Overall, Elongation is a blast to play, even though it is a small map, it has got enough room to keep things from getting too cramped.

Gemini

Welcome to Gemini , some of the more observant gamers out there will notice the similarities of this map with the single player mission High Charity. Gemini’s basic lay is one large room with an upper level connected to a lower level via ramps, or a gravity lift similar to the one found in Colossus . A few weapons can be found in the upper level, the only noteworthy one being the sword which is located near a large tree in the center of the room. The lower area is much the same, though a beamer rifle can be found down here and it is dominated by a large statue of one of the Prophets from the campaign, which is directly in front of the gravity lift. Outside of this single large room are two hallways which are just ramps that again take you from the lower level to the upper one. What makes these hallways different is that each of them has a teleporter in it that warps players from that hallway to the top of the room, directly over the large tree in the center of it, allowing for some surprise attacks from above during CTF or assault games.

The only other section on this map is out side of the upper level of the large room, and its nothing more than a balcony like structure with a teleporter in it that takes you back to the bottom half of the map with the large statue. There are few weapons to be found on this map, there are the aforementioned sword and beamer rifle, as well as a few covenant carbines, brute shots, and plasma rifles.

Gemini is a rather odd map overall. It’s extremely compact and would probably get overly crowded with more than four people on it. My biggest complaint with it would be the weapons selection, or lack thereof. There just isn’t enough variety to this map to keep me interested in it for very long at all. The few games I’ve played on it have been decidedly one sided with whoever controls the sword controlling the map if they know what they are doing. Overall, I think Gemini was thrown in with the maps as an afterthought.

Terminal

Next stop is Terminal . This is a modestly large map, with a city design similar to the Metropolis level from the single player campaign. The most noteworthy feature of this map would be the train tracks that run down the center of it. What makes them so interesting? There is a train that runs back and forth on them at random intervals. This adds an interesting variable to the gameplay on this map. If a player were to look along the tracks, he or she would notice both the sword and the over shield on this map are located in the center of the tracks. The tricky part is getting to them without getting splattered by one of those out of control trains.

Terminal is more of a long range map, but there are plenty of sections inside the buildings for intimate battles at close range as well. With weapons such as the shotgun and plasma rifle to assist in these close encounters. To complement its size are a generous number of battle rifles and covenant carbines, as well as a couple of sniper rifles. There is also a rocket launcher located on the map, and it comes in handy when dealing with the warthog, ghosts, and Wraith tank that are available on this map.

For me, there are few things more amusing than to see someone get so caught up in a battle with another play that they forget where they are at on the map till just before the train hits them. Terminal is large, but it’s not so big that you become frustrated with moving around on it. It offers several different venues for combat at various places, and has enough variety to keep the gameplay fresh and interesting. CTF game types are a favorite on Terminal for several people I know, and it’s even funnier to see someone making a get away with the flag in a warthog only to miss-judge their timing on the tracks and lose it all to that long white train.

Additional Comments

The Halo 2 Map Pack is a very impressive addition to the multiplayer experience of Halo 2. Overall, I’m very satisfied with the new content for one of my favorite games. The 1.1 patch that was issued along with the maps really helped address a few of the issues that fans have had with the game, making the game more similar in some ways to the original hit Halo. Given nine new maps to play with, and some interesting documentaries on the making of those maps, and this a fairly good deal for twenty dollars. What you’ve really got to ask yourself before pick this up though is, are you happy with what you’ve already got in Halo 2? Or do you want to freshen up the game play a little?

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