Nearly 8 months after being released, Halo 2 is still running strong. Not just running strong, but growing. With various auto-updates, play list updates, and new maps that have and are soon to be released the number of people playing Halo 2 is sure to gradually increase throughout the rest of the year. Of course you can’t forget the fact that the game simply kicks ass (despite its obvious flaws), and now with 21 maps, most of which are excellent, the game is bigger and better then ever. Its easy to tell with the additional 9 maps featured in the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack (five new to the disc, four previously only downloadable)that Bungie has learned from their mistakes (and even the things they did right) and developed some of the most fun maps in Halo history (though they're not all total winners).


Backwash:

Backwash, loosely based off of the single-player swamp levels in the original Halo, is easily the most intriguing of the new maps. Backwash, which is a small symmetrical map, has very dark and misty appearance that causes a swampy atmosphere. Because of this, your visibility is definitely at a minimum and you always have to keep your eyes out for oncoming attack. It also means that it won’t be to difficult to crouch and sneak up on an opposing player and take him out.

There are to bases on either side of the map. Each team’s base holds a Plasma Pistol and a Sentinel Beam (yep, a Sentinel Beam, the only Halo map to ever have it as a default weapon). Since the map is circular you have the choice of going around the map, which is filled with dozens of large trees that contain twisted, sprawling roots that wind along the ground, as well as a terrain that is full of small hills and valleys. This is definitely the longest route, but it is also sometimes the smartest, considering you can catch players off-guard.

If you want a faster, more obvious route to the enemy base, you can go through the center (going base-to-bases going through the middle takes roughly 15-20 seconds) where you will find a giant base-like structure. On the inside, this structure is very small and linear. there are 3 stories which you can access by climbing various objects on the outside, or you can go up lifts located on the insides. On the outside of the structure there are various branching platforms that you can reach, or you can just go around in a circle on the outside ring killing anyone who comes in contact with you.

Backwash features a good variety in weapons available, and this level seems to be very well balanced. From the Sentinel Beam to the Energy Sword (which is located at the end of an off-branching tree limb) you will find most of the weapons available in Halo 2 on this map. The Rocket Launcher, however, will not be found on this map. I could be wrong, but I’ve looked around the entire level and have yet to find a sniper rifle, which is a shame considering there are different platforms that could make for some great sniping-points. At least we have the Battle Rifle and Covenant Carbine.


Backwash is unlike any Halo map before it.

As I mentioned, the level is greatly balanced. Each side gets the same set of weapons. The only weapon on the map that there is just one of is the sword, and, unlike in some levels, having it doesn’t cause a huge shift in balance.

I was only able to play with 6 players, but it seemed the perfect number. 4 or 8 players would also work greatly, but any more than 8 would probably cause the map to start to feel clustered and over-crowded. The map works best when playing team slayer. Team slayer matches are intense, exciting, and most importantly, incredibly fun. Some may be turned off by the fact that you can’t see to far ahead of you, but personally I believe it to cause for some intense battles that are completely unpredictable.

Another favorite of mine for Backwash would be oddball. CTF and Assault are definitely fun, but its not hard to tell that this map wasn’t made for those game types. This level also lends itself to some highly interesting and often entertaining double-team battles that require a lot of team work and strategy. I tried out head-to-head as well, and while it can be really fun if you're playing with a decent gamer, it seems way too easy to get a kill and then hide. Now if your opponent were to go ahead 3-4 points in a timed match and then decide to hide, then you're pretty much screwed.

In the end Backwash is a fantastic map and a very unique and welcomed addition to the 20 other Halo 2 maps. This is definitely going to be an incredible team slayer map (though not too much more).



Relic:

Relic is another outstanding map. Relic is a medium-sized, asymmetrical island in the middle of a huge ocean. The whole map is littered with a number of huge metal shields and other objects that cause many to speculate that there was once a huge battle fought there. In addition there are large hovering platforms, which are great for sniping, (considering the wide open areas in Relic, sniping is a big deal) and there are downed Pelican dropships that act as bases.

Relic has a lot of open areas that have little-to-no cover. The only thing you could possible hide behind in these areas would be some not-so-helpful boulders. Near the center of the map is a huge man-made structure. One end of the structure is low to the ground and can be easily accessed by anyone on foot. Walking the length of the ramp-like building past a number of cover points brings you the highest point that’s sporting an extremely tall tower. This is also where the flag is located. The best and most simple strategy is to grab the flag and throw it off of the ledge.

There is also a “basement” to the structure which can easily be reached by dropping threw a whole around the top. Under here you will find a switch that activates a teleporter that makes it much easier to get across the level.

Traditionally, the game features a Warthog and a Ghost. Each team starts with a Sniper Rifle, and at the edge of the island there's a Rocket Launcher that is located right between the two teams meaning that they have to battle it out for it, and whoever gets it has a huge advantage.

Slayer matches general work very well for this map, but it's generally best for objective-based games such as 1-flag CTF and Assault. Once again we have a definite winner on our hands. The map is perfectly sized and perfectly setup for both the offense and defense. An amazing map.


Gemini

Now, I'm not saying that it’s a bad map, but Gemini was definitely the most disappointing of the 5 new maps. Gemini is set inside of a Covenant space ship and seems like a greatly expanded version of Midship. That being said, the map features a small and circular design.

The level features a large amount of sliding doors, air lifts, and teleporters that will take you to other parts of the level. All of these, especially the sliding doors cause for a lot of surprise encounters that will be fatal to you or your unlucky enemies.

There are 2 levels in Gemini, the second level is reached by a series of ramps. The centerpiece of the whole map (which is actually located on the second level) is a giant tree with wide limbs that players can rest on and plan even more surprise attacks. Around the tree is an open (despite various Covenant “mounds”) area that holds most of the games battles.

The weapon-set is fairly standard, giving you the traditional Plasma Pistol, Plasma Rifle, Shotgun, SMG start, etc. There is however an Energy Sword found on the map. This gives the player (or even the team) a huge advantage considering the small size of the map and the somewhat cramped areas.

Gemini, like Backwash, is best played in Team Slayer. Though Team Slayer on this map can cause for some exciting battles between teams, the map just seems borderline boring and even sometimes uninspired (though the art style is superb). Oddball also works great, but other game types don’t work quite as well.

What we have here is a decent map, and nothing more. I probably would have enjoyed it more but I was spoiled by the greatness of the others. This map is sure to get some attention from a lot of people, and even a little from me, but with the other fantastic maps I think a lot of people will look past it.