After months of waiting, the (majority of the) world finally got hold of the Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack last week; myself included. In a clever ploy to sell more copies of Halo Wars, the Limited Edition version came complete with a code to download the three maps before their general release on the Marketplace. The three maps included in the pack are called Sandbox, Orbital and Assembly.

Each map is very different, and I must say straight away that they are all brilliant. Sandbox takes what was started with Forge and Foundry, and just amplifies it by about a billion. The possibilities with this map are endless when it comes to Forge’ing the hell out of it - not to mention a bit of crazy golf with the new items included. I can’t wait to see what is created once the mass-community gets hold of it. Secondly you’ve got Assembly, which is a vast, although claustrophobic-feeling, Covenant map which seems to work really well for CTF. You’ll also see everyone charge straight to the middle to grab the hammer; until they’ve managed to get their “Hammer Time” achievement, anyway.

Last but by no means least is probably my favourite map; Orbital. It looks great, and it plays great, especially for SWAT. It takes a while to figure out the layout, but when you’ve got it in your head, it’s one of the most enjoyable maps I think I’ve ever played on Halo. The vehicles really come into their own for CTF on Orbital, but you need to find a good driver to navigate the hallways.

Each of the three maps features a hidden skull, which can be found by exploring in Forge mode. I’m not going to give away too much, but finding the skulls is so much fun, and you’ll be amazed at how Bungie find such imaginative places to hide them. Sandbox being a perfect example.

Overall, I’d say this is the best map pack that Bungie have released. Three absolute crackers that every single Halo 3 player will want to buy. At 800 MS Points, they’re a bargain. Hell, I’d even advise you to go and buy the Halo Wars LE, just to get them early.

Filed under: Reviews, halo 3, marketplace, mythic map pack, xbox 360