From Blood Gulch to Zanzibar, every Halo game is remembered (or not) by its multiplayer maps. A good set of 'em can turn a great Halo into a classic (see: Halo 2), while a mediocre batch can leave a bad taste in fans' mouths (we're looking at you, Halo Reach). So how about Halo 4? Are its 13 total maps winners? After playing each one for hours and hours, we ranked them from worst to first.
Ascent (Forge)
We Recommend: Free-for-all game types, or just avoid it altogether
Why it Ranks Here: While we haven’t played the hundreds of hours required to cement Ascent as an outright stinker of a map, we did develop an instant dislike for it. We’ve also played enough hours to realize that this level is absolutely atrocious for team-based games. Why? The map is one giant – and very steep – hill, and the blue team starts at the bottom of it every single time. This gives the red squad a severe high-ground advantage whether you’re playing King of the Hill, Oddball, or anything else – even plain ol’ Team Slayer. Perhaps it’s just our frustration piling on here (can you tell which end of the hill we were stuck on for most of our playtime?), but it’s easily the ugliest of Halo 4’s battlegrounds to boot.
Vortex
We Recommend: Dominion, Extraction
Why it Ranks Here: Vortex seems almost explicitly designed to play Halo 4’s new Dominion mode. As such, it’s got a couple of key bases – one in a rock-side cave and another in the central structure – to which most of the combat funnels. It’s also got plenty of vehicles – a Ghost, a Rocket Warthog, and a Wraith – but unfortunately most of the terrain is so tight that it’s rather difficult to maneuver any of the rides around and really open ‘em up. As such, it feels like the latter two vehicles in particular are wasted a bit, since both are very scarce in War Games.
Relay (Forge)
We Recommend: SWAT, Oddball
Why it Ranks Here: A simple outer ring with a large arena below, Relay is a bit like Halo 3’s Foundation crossed with Halo 2’s Sanctuary and Halo 1’s Hang ‘Em High. It’s not quite small enough for one-on-one, but it makes a great Team Doubles arena. Skilled jetpackers can have a field day here, as the wide open middle area allows those with the elevation-changing Armor Ability to counter an attacker by lifting into the air, changing the shooter’s targeting plane just enough to help you escape. Also, for some Custom Game fun, we recommend Rockets-Only matches for a quick round of hilarity.
Abandon
We Recommend: Flood, Slayer Pro
Why it Ranks Here: Though Abandon is visually a bit reminiscent of Halo 2’s Backwash, it plays quite differently, with organic back alleys feeding into a central, three-story structure. Action tends to be fast and furious here, with the sword-and-shotgun-starring Flood mode a particular treat. Close-range weapons play well on Abandon thanks to mostly tight quarters and lack of long sightlines. You’re going to invent a lot of Custom Game variants to entertain you on this one. Oh, and be careful staring into the sun. As pretty as it is, you’re liable to get shot in the back…or shoved off the cliff.
Longbow
We Recommend: Dominion, CTF
Why it Ranks Here: Another of Halo 4’s larger outdoor areas, Longbow actually isn’t quite as big as it seems. Or at least, it doesn’t play as big as it looks. Its three bases are fairly close together, keeping combat focused and frantic. And that’s why it works. The structures make for great Dominion FOBs, while there’s enough road to tool around in Warthogs or Ghosts. Better still, in Dominion (or custom gametypes), you can eventually bring in a Wraith, which amps up the intensity of this level twofold. Also, there’s a “back alley” path along the water to get between two of the bases that many players tend to forget about. Use it to your advantage!
Adrift
We Recommend: SWAT, King of the Hill
Why it Ranks Here: All of the action funnels to the central bay, where the proto-mech (it’s not a Mantis, it’s much bigger) lives in a three-level hangar. However, the real fun of this map happens in the extremely narrow hallways that feed into the middle area, where DMR and Battle Rifle firefights will litter dozens of bodies on the floor by the end of a match. Promethean Vision is a mighty useful Armor Ability here, while grenades can make serious messes in the corridors. We also highly recommend giving Swords-only a try on Adrift once in a while, too.
Meltdown
We Recommend: Dominion, Capture the Flag
Why it Ranks Here: Its figure-8 driving track hearkens back to Halo PC’s memorable Infinity map, though Meltdown is nowhere near as colossally massive. But, like its spiritual forebear, it’s got vehicles. Warthogs and Ghosts will help you navigate the level as the road loops from a higher area to the bases down on the ground level, but narrow caves will help on-foot Spartans navigate the map in relatively brief sprints. Dominion is a true beast here, and it’s possible to get a Mantis on that mode, but it’s balanced because your heavily fortified bases can help repel the walking tank. Hint: try to get – and keep – your hands on the Incineration Cannon.
Solace
We Recommend: Team Slayer, Flood
Why it Ranks Here: Low walls and a giant glowing anti-gravity beam in the center of this small, symmetrical level means one thing: lots of aerial combat. Paying close attention to your motion tracker and knowing exactly when and where you can hop over Solace’s mini-barricades can let you get the jump – literally – on unsuspecting opponents. Coordinated teamwork here can make a good crew almost unstoppable, though with enough back alleys and below-level paths, your back is never safe. This is a fantastic four-on-four (or smaller) stage.
Complex
We Recommend: Capture the Flag, SWAT
Why it Ranks Here: That this outstanding outdoor level barely cracks the top 5 is a testament to just how good Halo 4’s multiplayer map complement is as a whole. Break out your DMRs and your Battle Rifles, click in your right thumbstick and start zooming in. Interestingly, the middle of the map is the least busy area. Instead, most of the frantic action will take place between the cliff-side grassy areas and the complex’s rooftops, where you’ll feel powerful but will in fact be vulnerable from all sides. Heck, even the back route tends to be fairly quiet – a fact that would serve you well to remember in CTF matches. Given the glorious return of both the Battle Rifle and the much-improved DMR, Halo 2 fans are going to be all over Complex.
Settler (Forge)
We Recommend: Capture the Flag, King of the Hill
Why it Ranks Here: Gee, those bases look miiiiiighty familiar…Yep, those are straight out of Blood Gulch, as is the rest of Settler. Sort of. Rather than remake the classic “boxed desert canyon” for the third time (it returned as Coagulation in Halo 2 and as Hemorrhage in Reach), 343 instead opted to create a spiritual successor, and the results are a riotous delight. Settler is much smaller than the Gulch, with three distinct “lanes” connecting the bases: the mountainside path, the central trough, and the cliff-side catwalk. Each base familiarly has a Warthog and a Ghost parked outside it, and the smaller size – combined with Halo 4’s Armor Abilities and built-in sprint, make Settler play plenty fast. This is a phenomenal update to one of Halo’s all-time greatest maps.
Ragnarok
We Recommend: Capture the Flag, Extraction
Why it Ranks Here: Even though Valhalla returns virtually untouched from Halo 3 as Ragnarok, it actually plays better in the Halo 4 sandbox. The addition of a Mantis mech at each base is a big reason why. The walking tank has plenty of room to maneuver in Ragnarok’s open fields, and when wielded properly can absolutely pin the enemy team in their own base. But it’s the combustible combination of the Mantis with the other vehicles – the Warthogs, Ghosts, Mongooses, and especially the Banshees – that make Ragnarok one of the finest showcases of what Halo 4 can do in multiplayer.
Haven
We Recommend: Team Slayer, SWAT
Why it Ranks Here: Perhaps destined to be Halo 4’s Midship, Haven is small, symmetrical, and very straightforward. But it’s the map’s simplicity that enables its greatness. Action can happen on either of the two floors, and small gaps in the top level’s walkways allow easy access to hop down into – or shoot up out of – the bottom area. Two man-cannons help allow speedy access to the center area, which is made all the more chaotic by a huge structure in the dead middle that you can’t jump over. You’ll just have to dance around it with your enemy, at which point you’re vulnerable from all sides. So good.
Exile
We Recommend: Capture the Flag, Extraction
Why it Ranks Here: This is it: the ultimate showcase for the Halo 4 sandbox. A giant donut loop enables full-speed vehicles laps – be it in the Warthog (Gauss variant, woo!), Ghost, Banshee, and Scorpion tank (yessssss!) – around the map, while a cave system lets walking players get around fast enough too. The green outdoor setting is decidedly Halo, and the trenches in key action points are set at just the right height where you can hide in them while crouching or put a DMR round straight into someone’s dome as their head pokes up out of them when they’re standing. Exile is a winning combination of scale, balance, and map flow. Better still, it not only plays phenomenally on just about any game type, but it plays great in different ways depending on which mode you choose.
Ryan McCaffrey heads up IGN Xbox. He used to own a DeLorean, which is weird. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, on IGN, catch him on Podcast Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.
Source : ign[dot]com
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