Though Bungie and apparent sponsors Mountain Dew where “kind†enough to supply us, the gamers, with two free (and great) Halo 2 multiplayer maps, Bungie (or more so Microsoft) is forcing us to actually buy two additional maps (combined total of $5.99) if we want the full collection (and I’ll tell you know, you will). Though I feel that the game should have launched with what we have now, Sanctuary and Turf are two of the best maps in Halo 2 and once they get incorporated into matchmaking next week, should add a wide amount of extra variety to the mix.
Turf
Size: Medium
Recommended Players: Turf allows for great flexibility in terms of how many players should be played on this map. The map is incredible fun when playing with 8 or 6 people, but surprisingly so is just as fun playing with 2-4 players. If the maps is played with too many players (such as with 16), then it may defeat the purpose of the map and become to cramped.
Recommended Game Types: As Bungie has stated, Turf was made specifically for 3-plots, or territories. Turf is also great for many other game modes, specifically team slayer.
Weapons on map: Well, it doesn’t have; the Beam Rifle, Covenant Carbine, the Rocket Launcher, and the energy sword, but it does have a Brute Plasma Rifle!
Turf is one of the few, and definitely the greatest earth-based maps on Halo 2. Turf is also one of the most well-designed maps available for either Halo games. The shear amount of climbable roofs and various other “hiding spots,†along with a good amount of oddly-placed weapons, make this a fantastic and exciting map nearly every game played on it, even if your just exploring the map.
Turf is definitely smaller and more cramped then I expected it to be once I first saw the pictures for it. This is far from a bad thing, however. The short narrow alley ways (which all intertwine flawlessly throughout the map) cause for some frantic and exciting firefights, where the available roof-tops and overall size of the map make it to where using a sniper or battle rifle in medium-range works perfectly as well.
A Warthog is placed at the top right of the map (though it isn’t nearly as useful as you may think, considering how cramped the alleys are). Around the bottom left is a medic camp which is where one territory is located in 3-plots, and is traditionally a popular respawn. Around the bottom right is a broken down monorail, and what possibly seems to be a ship-wrecked covenant ship. The top right (and incase you didn’t know I am using on these pictures in relation to a top-down style view), there is a small base filled with a various amount of boxes and a thirst-quenching soda machine (which oddly enough has a pair of teeth on it, where the other soda machine in the map has a rooster; meaning together they make Rooster Teeth. Just go put two and two together.). In this area there is actually two huge doors that can be shoved open, but close back up quickly.
Turf was built with 3-Plots in mind, and really gives reason to dig deep into it.
The rest of this brilliantly designed level is alleyways, rooftops, etc. In 3-plots, around each of the 3 territories you can easily find places to hide, this way when an enemy comes to take over an area, you can pop out and easily attack (using a brute shot in these type of situations is perfect).
As I stated above, the weapons are very oddly placed, a lot of times being placed on roofs that you would never expect to see a weapon located at. However, the weapons in the map are perfectly balanced, causing for near always fair play. This doesn’t seem like some maps where everyone is rushing to grab all of the power weapons, and this is because that , and rightfully so, an besides the sniper, which is easy to get from an enemy, there really aren’t any power weapons. As you run around the map you should always find some weapon to use, and you nearly always have a fighting chance when being attacked by an enemy.
In-conclusion, Turf is a brilliantly designed map. Its balanced, flexible, and extensively enjoyable. This map alone is worth the $6 price tag, but fortunately you also get Sanctuary with it, which I’ll talk about next.
Sanctuary
Size: Between small and medium
Recommended Players: Around 8 players is perfect, but less players work fine also. Putting more then 10 would be overly pushing it.
Recommended Game Types: This map is definitely a kick ass CTF map, but works great with oddball, slayer, and assault as well.
Weapons on map: Doesn’t have: Rocket launcher, Brute Shot, Covenant Carbine, Beam Rifle, or the Brute Plasma Rifle.
Sanctuary is the definition of a beautiful, and absolutely amazing Halo map. Though I stated earlier that Turf is one of the most well-designed maps in Halo 2, I have to say that Sanctuary is definitely one of the overall greatest maps in the Halo franchise.
Sanctuary has little depth to it, and besides have a small tunnel here or there it’s a very straightforward and simple map, but that’s one of the things that’s so great about it. On each side of the map lies a well-protected, yet somewhat open base. Around each base you will find dozens of perfectly placed rocks that supply more then adequate protection to an opposing sniper, or even just an up-close attacker. In the middle you will find a multi-level, roofless “base,†that has a sword right smack in the middle of it. You can go up multiple ramps that lead out to bridges that go throughout the map.
This is a truly gorgeous map. The beautiful maps and sweetly placed waterfalls make this a map that will bring awes to the mouths of thousands. I can’t exactly place what it is, but I just can’t help but absolutely adore this map as a whole. It just a fun map, when you play it you have fun, even when you lose you have fun, of course that’s what videogames are for, to have fun.
Each base has a turret (which can conveniently turn quite a bit to the right making it easy to guard the flag with it), and a smartly located sniper rifle. You will also find Plasma Rifles, Battle Rifles, etc found throughout the map. As with Turf, the game is extremely balanced in terms of weapon placements (you can really tell that Bungie has learned from most of their mistakes). Considering that the sword is located in the middle, you will near-always see a large group of people from each side rush for it, and this causes for an early on war, but really, considering all of the rocks, snipers, battle rifles, and somewhat openness of the map, the sword fortunately doesn’t overpower. It does however give you a slight advantage, which is much deserved considering you more-the-likely had to fight off othe rplayers to obtain it.
This is definitely a CTF specific map, and DAMN is it fun to play. Since the bases and middle is setup so fantastically, it causes for some real fun back-and-forth style play. This map is also well-fit for team slayer (I especially recommend SWAT and snipers on this map. Both of these become very frantic, very quickly). And of course it works well with oddball, which is located in the middle where the sword traditionally is. It also works quite well with assault.
No screenshot can do justice to how beautiful and well-designed this map is.
In the end, after paying my $6 and playing these maps thoroughly, I can undoubtedly say that I am extremely happy with my purchase. Both maps are absolutely spectacular, and both maps take advantages of the strong points of Halo 2, and both maps offer some unique gameplay experiences, all of which are far more then just exciting and fun. Turf is one of the most well-designed maps in Halo history, where Sanctuary is one of the overall greatest. Yeah, their that good.
