Feature: Halo 3 taken apart- part II

Maps:

The Halo 3 beta gives you three maps which are Snowbound, High Ground, and Valhalla. All three maps are designed well and each offer slightly different experiences, meaning you must choose tactics and weapons wisely- depending on your environment.

Snowbound:

Snowbound is quite a close and intense battlefield; two bases at each end of the map are your main point of focus, with an underground tunnel system linking the two bases together. At each entrance to the bases there are plasma shields that are impenetrable by grenades or bullets, meaning that bases can't just be simply taken out with explosives. Snowbound is the smaller of the three maps, and is very similar to Battle Creek from Halo 2, only slightly colder!

High Ground:

This a-symmetrical map places you in a very much attackers vs defenders situation- the map was primarily designed for Team Skirmish objective based games, but works awesome for Team Slayer too. The beach is at the bottom of the hill, working you're way up to the main base. The base has a large fortified wall with a large main gate (which is obviously already open in Team Slayer) to breach. It reminds me slightly of the Zanzibar map from Halo 2.

Valhalla:

Valhalla is a large, open, alpine level with two bases at either end of the map- the two man cannons are situated on the top of each base. If you're playing team, working together can be very important here as it can be quite easy to get out numbered and out gunned if you're caught alone in no-man's-land. Great for mid-range and long-range combat and is designed for high vehicular useage. It's quite similar to Bloodgultch from Halo: Combat Evolved.

Game modes:

All the game modes in the Halo 3 beta seem to work well. Team Shotty-Snipers, a variant of Team Slayer, is something new and is actually quite fun. In Team Skirmish- Territories, an attackers vs defenders game, is extremely fun and in the beta is played on the High Ground map. Of course you've also got the standard, and my favourite, Team Slayer- a battle to the death between the reds and the blues.

Gadgets:

Gadgets are a new feature for Halo 3 and are deployed by pressing the X button. Gadgets can be found at a few positions on each map and, if you have picked up a gadget, are displayed on screen near your grenades.

Power Drain:

This can be deployed to interfere with field-based shielding or power generation. If you are near one of these when used they will take out your shield, meaning you are incredibly venerable until it recharges again.

Bubble Shield:

Using a bubble shield confines you within a spherical field-based shield which temporarily protects you against the enemy. Is impenetrable by grenades and bullets, however can be entered by other spartans or vehicles.

Trip Mine:

Are extremely effective against either on-rushing vehicles (deploy at the last second for a splat-tacular awesome-o kill) or can be used to defend a particular passage/area. The trip mine is triggered when it's sensors pick up movement, but can also be triggered by shooting it.

Grav Lift:

Having trouble getting over a particular part of terrain? Want to take a short cut over the wall? Then use a Grav Lift! Deploys on the ground which will then give you a quick vertical lift. Is very useful on High Ground when breaching over the wall.

Vehicles:

In Halo 3 beta the vehicles work just about the same as before, but there is one new vehicle- the Mongoose!

Mongoose:

The Mongoose is purely a transport vehicle, which is both fast and maneuverable. The driver can also carry a pillion passenger who can use his carried weapons. Extremely fun to use and can also be fired across the map (on Valhalla) via the man-cannon!

Watch out for the third and final part of this feature in part III which will cover new controls, other features, and what needs work!