Heroic Map Pack

The Heroic Map Pack includes 3 new multiplayer maps for roughly the price of $10 (£6.80/EUR 9.30). The maps are called ’Stand Off,’ ’Rat’s Nest’ and ’Foundry.’ Our first impression was...can you guess? Yeah, we thought it was a rip-off too. Charging that much money for just a few maps isn’t a good deal for the consumer. But we’re sure Microsoft is not complaining about the millions in revenue they have garnered; especially with the first day numbers that were playing the Heroic DLC playlist in Matchmaking...although, we have heard a few players comment in matchmaking that they are going to wait until Spring to download the maps for free.

Ground control to Major Grade 2 Tom...

’Stand Off’ is aesthetically beautiful. It features Jodrell Bank style telescope dishes scattered through the background scenery of the map. The first thing to strike us was the sheer beauty of the background. The sun and the moon in the sky at the same time over this dusty landscape, really makes it stand-out as a perfect place for a Stand Off. Even in the sky, a couple of, what look like, jet streams pass are visible and moving. As for the action, it’s intense. Whoever controls a warthog, controls the fate of the game. It’s a very small map made to look bigger than it is. There aren’t that many places to hide outside of the base, which makes it quite the skirmish. Stand Off is especially enjoyable in, surprisingly, Territories. The style of the map is suited for such objective style games.

’Rat’s Nest’ is very much two maps in one. There is a vehicle side to it all, and an interior middle that runs between both bases. This makes it very different to any other Halo map, as you may find it just as fast running the flag home rather than riding it home. The map features an oval style raceway around the interior plus a couple of Warthogs, Mongooses at each base and a ghost in the middle. The map is pretty much symmetrical and it’s good for objective games such as capture the flag and assault. Although, it doesn’t appear to have the lasting appeal of the other Halo 3 maps.

Finally, ’Foundry’ is pretty much a blank canvas. Made by the Bungie team with Forge in mind, it’s a maze of crates and boxes with weapons scattered everywhere. The beauty of this map is that you can remove everything that makes the structure, and be left with a blank warehouse room. This is probably its only redeeming feature, as the actual map is rubbish. A confusing mess that doesn’t seem to suit any game type. It’s different...in the bad sense. It’s just not suited towards Matchmaking.

To conclude this part of the review, these three maps are not really worth the value at all - especially with Bungie changing the playlist every so often. You’re best to wait until Spring to discover these maps for free. If you don’t have the maps, get cracking on your Team Hardcore level.

Theatre

To add even more replay value to this great game, we also are treated to ’Theatre’ which acts as a replay mode. Yes, you can replay any of your last 25 games and see that amazing stick or absolutely rubbish death that the game seemed to make up...for you to find that it was a grenade that you threw off a wall beside you by mistake…theatre is your proof of great feats you have achieved; and great injustice done against you.

You can also go into replays and save certain clips from the whole game. For example, if you get a ’Killtacular,’ you can save the 20 seconds you spent getting it, as a small film clip. Then you can upload it to your ’File Share’ (which holds up to six movies/screenshots) and let other players download it. Oh, and you can also take screenshots from a game. Campaign mode allows films and screenshots as well. It’s a revolutionary feature that really adds value to the game.

That Brute’s actually holding a Katana out of view. He just sliced through that Marine all anime style...look! He’s doing the one-knee thing too!

It’s also a great way to work out tactics for a map. If a team just destroyed your team, you can see what they were doing differently by selecting them. The game actually saves the game assets rather than record the movie, which allows you to see it from any other players’ perspective. This is because the feature is reusing the game assets to re-create the game. Therefore, sometimes the game does lie as it can’t really show lag from a player’s perspective.

Still, the ability to roam around the map, fast forward, look at other players’ perspectives and view the game from first or third person makes Theatre a fantastic feature.

Forge

Finally, we end the review on Forge. In this mode, you and seven other players can go around the multiplayer maps as ’Monitors’ (I.e. the "light bulb" from the trilogy, 343 Guilty Spark). As a monitor, you can drop in weapons or vehicles and change tons of things. You could even have two teams, with a monitor each, and play out a strategy game. Three players on each team plus one monitor giving the strategic overview. Forge is full of possibilities.

You can edit maps in many ways and then save them under different names. This writer recently turned ’Last Resort’ into ’Two Spawns’ by removing all of the spawn points except for two. And then added turrets by the beach wall to counter the base turrets. It’s Bungie’s way of showing that they do love the mod community - even if they strictly aren’t mods, but just different map variants.

We prefer Foundry this way...

You can even add Scorpion tanks though! We thought they were a myth in Halo 3’s multiplayer until we saw that (*cough* hintBungie *cough*)! Bungie also recently released completely blank maps of each of the 3 new maps onto ’Bungie Favourites’. So you can download these maps and create your own version of each. Of course, Foundry being the main draw. Of course, you must have purchased the new maps to do that.

Already users have created great custom maps that suit the hardcore and the casual alike. Adding two ’goal nets’ to Foundry, a ’Man Cannon’ in each corner and a giant soccer (football for non-Americans) ball makes for an interesting gametype...

Forge is an interesting mode that will appeal to some people in a big way. Others, won’t enjoy it so much. But if you’re itching to sort out problems you see in a map, then fix it in Forge.

Conclusion

Halo 3 is absolutely fantastic value for money. Not only are you getting a high production campaign and multiplayer game; you are also getting a replay mode, great editing features and online campaign co-op. It’s everything that we’ve ever wanted from a Halo game, but it’s also lacking at the same time. The campaign is a bit of a letdown, but is still great to play. The multiplayer is fantastic. The co-op is also great, whilst Theatre and Forge just add onto the replay value. If you’ve already got the game, then you know it is money well spent. If you don’t, then you probably haven’t cared much for Halo. If that’s the case, then wait until it comes down in price and you shall be thankful you paid the money to see what everyone on your friend’s list will still be playing in months to come.