RUL Mythic Impressions

February 21st, 2009

Let's start by saying AWESOME! The maps are fantastic! We were fortunate enough to get a week early sneak peek at them. The Mythic Map Pack will be released with the Halo Wars Limited Edition, or you can get them on the marketplace later on. Now let us break them down.

Orbital:
Orbital is a great map for objective games. Its long hallways make it perfect for gametypes like assualt and territories. There are locked doors in front of each base that can dramatically alter the outcome of the battle if opened with the switch adjacent to the door. So don't let them open it (unless you've got a plan). The bases are beside each other, with one base (like the picture below) overlooking the other. A key location on the map is a large elevator shaft that separates territory 2 and 4. A quick but precise leap will grant you quick access from territory 2 to territory 4. A rocket launcher, with limited ammo, sits on the edge of the higher platform, which can lead to the unfortunate demise of any unsuspecting foes. Orbital is a favourite here at RUL.

The aesthetics of Orbital are absolutely stunning. The human architecture of this map is somewhat different from what we have seen in the past. The map is well lit and has an interesting plaque in one room that commemorates the completion of the Quito Space Tether. The most striking part of the map is what lies miles below the player's feet. Earth in all her glory shining in space. Looking down at the surface, one can make out mountains, river deltas, and civilization. If you knew nothing about Halo's story, it would be hard to believe that the Covenant ever arrived. It appears that this part of Earth remains untouched and unscathed. The Quito Space Tether may not be the civil engineering monument of our century but it certainly is a great testament to the fantastic art team at Bungie.

Assembly:
Assembly looks similar to Midship, but plays a little more like Warlock from Halo 2. The map is symmetrical when looking from base to base. You can get from one side to the other by navigating the system of bridges that eventually converge in the middle. An alternative is to walk along the lower levels of the map. There are several pathways that lead into each base. Both floors of the map have two doorways leading into the bases, plus one gravity lift. The center of the map holds an active camo on the top level and a gravity hammer just below it. One side of the map has a regenerator and the other side has a bubble shield. Right behind the bubble shield is a gravlift that leads to a platform holding a rocket launcher. This map is great for those of you who like MLG and FFA games. Like Midship, Assembly plays great on CTF, oddball, and slayer. SWAT fans will have a fun time as well.

Sandbox:
Oh sandbox, such a great level. Sandbox has 3 layers. A top layer AKA 'sky bubble,' the main floor, and the bottom layer AKA 'the crypt'. Each level has a blue grid that only shows up on Forge, and the blocks fit perfectly into the grid. The main level of Sandbox is a lot smaller than you'd expect. It's not Sandtrap-sized at all. The main level is more or less the size of Standoff. This makes up for its size with its layer system. The sky bubble is Gigantic - let's just say that a full sized hill marker won't cover half of it. The sky bubble is a giant circular grid that you can rest objects on. If you fall past the grid you die instantaneously (due to the death barrier). You get up to it through a floating teleporter that you can only see and access in forge. The crypt is a large room under the level. In the very middle of the main floor there's a hole, which is usually blocked off with a block. You can remove the block and fall down into hole, granting you access to the crypt. The crypt hole is just large enough to fit a mongoose. Like Sandtrap, Sandbox also has guardians that keep the players in the game, only Sandbox's guardians are much deadlier. Your screen first starts flashing red as a warning sound buzzes, then you hear crashing all around you as lasers rain down from the 6 towers that surround the map. xkevlar calls them Shishka towers. I'm sure we'll see some really creative maps once the Mythic Map Pack comes out, like my Sandbumpers level shown at the very bottom.

And now, some fun facts you may have been wondering or didn't know.

- When the juicy filter is on, the inside of the killball turns purple.
- When you fall off the sky bubble, you die instantly.
- The fall from the main level of Sandbox to the bottom is quite a long one.
- A mongoose ride down the crypt hole may result in death, as the mongoose may explode with you on it.
- The skulls can only be found when on forge. None of them require glitching to obtain.
- The golf club is a hammer that looks like a golf club.
- The golf ball goes further and makes a different noise than the soccer ball.
- The transport hornet is the same one as the one on Avalanche: a white, low damage hornet.
- The red and blue lights are solid objects.
- In a Grifball game, they light up half of the Crypt.
- The Grifball arena is a lot larger than it was in Foundry.
- A scarab is being assembled right above you on Assembly.
- Orbital is like a 26th century airport. There are terminal gates that list destinations to other worlds and even throughout the Sol system.