Halo 2 MP
I was a Design Lead on Halo 2 Anniversary. I primarily focused on:
Porting a selection of 6 legacy Halo 2 maps into a new engine.
Working with other designers to ensure the movement and shooting of Halo 2 was not just preserved, but was the best “feeling” Halo sandbox ever produced at the time.
Injecting new features into the 6 legacy maps that shake up the meta in meaningful ways.
I wanted to approach the recreation of these maps the same way I did Pitfall (The Pit) for Halo 4, where I wanted them to be familiar to fans, but also offer something new to serve as more of a celebration of one of the most iconic multiplayer games of all time. We also included specific Forge pieces so that that players could modify each map back to their original states with very few caveats. This was a dream come true and I’m still so proud of what the team did and how we produced something so special that’s still played to this day.
Note that each screenshot breakdown below is accompanied by a detailed “first look” where Max Hoberman discusses all of the notable changes made for each map, and I was very grateful that he gave me shout out in quite a few of these as well!
Zenith
Formerly Ascension, we actually tried out a lot of wild ideas for this remake before settling on the shipping design. Ultimately, the crazier we got with features like playable space underneath the dish that connected to the rocket pad below, the more I realized how delicate the balance was on this map so it winds up playing very similar to the Halo 2 version. The map needed to center around the opposing Sniper Towers, and anything we did to upset that messed with the magic in a negative way:
A dome that can be activated in the dish in Zenith (Ascension) to provide cover for players trying to assault either sniper tower and offer protection from the Banshee.
Easier access to the middle section of the map from the connecting bridge down below in Zenith.
Bloodline
Formerly Coagulation, initially a remake of the iconic Halo map wasn’t on the table for Halo 2 Anniversary. My logic for including it was simply that if we shipped with any map OTHER than Coagulation/Blood Gulch, fans would ask why we didn’t ship what’s potentially the greatest vehicle showcase in the entire library of Legacy Halo maps. I’m particularly proud of the additions here, starting with the infantry focused bunker in the middle of the map that allows for more infantry based strategy than the original, while still ensuring that all the vehicles could shine:
A large EMP blast that can be activated over each base in Bloodline (Coagulation) that was on a long cooldown and would disable all vehicles within proximity of the blast in the event that the base was under heavy assault.
Bloodline’s base was also simplified so instead of the multilevel base, it now has an access hatch that’s accessible from below the base via some crates, plus other general flow improvements around each base.
A central bunker was added to Bloodline to offer infantry some options if caught out in the middle that doesn’t impede or alter the flow of the vehicles that the map was originally designed for.
Bloodline also had improved landmarking for easier callouts while communicating with teammates.
Lockdown
Lockout was a no-brainer for H2A, and having played the original extensively on XBox Live, I already knew the revisions I wanted to make in Lockdown. Once again, staying true to the two power positions was critical, but we had far less experimentation in Lockdown than we did for Zenith. To add some wrinkles to the gameplay and help flush people off of the towers however, I included these large stalactites above the play space that take a few shots before crashing down and dealing significant damage to anyone within proximity of the impact. All of the skill jumps were left intact, just made slightly more deliberate and intentional than before:
Stalactites that can be dislodged in Lockdown (Lockout) to temporarily push the snipers off of their respective towers.
An energy shield that can be temporarily destroyed in Lockdown above the central chamber to offer both a counter to players ratting and an escape for players trying to traverse topside.
Shrine
Sanctuary is nearly perfect for infantry based CTF and has some very unique power positions, specifically “Ring 3” in the center of the map. This was also the first map that we ported into the new engine before nailing down the classic Halo 2 “feel” and adding our own flair to the sandbox and maps. As such, I made sure that all skill jumps were again present and made them just a bit more accessible, plus adding a few more wrinkles to improve the overall map-flow. My favorite addition is probably the most straightforward though, in the form of the shotgun tunnels which now have gravity lifts and a bit of extra cover to them:
Waterfalls that can be activated from a great distance in Shrine (Sanctuary) that obscure vision for the defending teams and allow for attackers to push up with limited visibility.
A gravlift in the shotgun tunnel for either base in Shrine that allows an easy escape route for players caught down below while evolving the cat and mouse gameplay on the map.
Stonetown
Perhaps the most iconic map from Halo 2, Zanzibar was the map we knew we wanted included in H2A, and we wanted to make sure we got it right. We tackled this one a bit later in production to ensure we were able to nail down the physics for the wheel and get all the little bells and whistles like the shutters that can be activated along with the large doorway on the side of the base. I had fun combining some elements that I enjoyed from the Halo 3 version of the same map, but I definitely made sure to trend it more closely towards the classic H2 original:
Interior of the main base was decluttered, along with repositioning the switch to activate the gate to make it more deliberate easier for new players to make the connection with. Note that I typically prefer having the player commit a specific action, like shooting or melee attacks for an interaction in a multiplayer game instead of “hold button for outcome” which isn’t gameplay if there’s no animation or urgency behind the interaction.
Air duct was added to the stairwell for skill jump access and/or tossing grenades through.
Included features like the “man cannon” and debris pile outside the castle wall for easier access and better flow overall.
Warlord
Featuring rotational symmetry and having a legacy going back to the original Halo: CE, Warlord was a fun remake with some unique challenges that we tried to overcome. Specifically we made a few of the jumps a bit more accessible, while trying to address player navigation using a combination of glyphs, color coding, and overgrowth/destruction in the aesthetic:
Bases are differentiated by colored lights and gravity lifts + iconography on large platforms in front of each.
A small platform in front of each base allows for easier access from the ground floor.
Pillars on the larger platforms have been increased inside to provide more deliberate cover.
Jumping to the central platform is now more accessible thanks to subtly larger platforms and adjustments of some heights.