Legendary Review

Oh look at that- I did find some time. So here it is: my review of the Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack.

Ghost Town: This map was the only actual "new" map in the pack as it's not a reimagination or remake of any previous Halo maps. Was it worth a third of 10 bucks? Hell yes. When I first played it on my own in custom games the first word out of my mouth was "wow" and that's how I would still describe the map. It looks and plays like a dream. It is a medium sized map around the size of isolation but much more detailed and structured. It is a very assymetrical map and plays a lot like Halo 2's Turf. The over-grown and crumbling buildings that this map features make it just stunning to look at. The outside ledges, high bridges, pen pipe structures and lush jungle make this a great map to play. I would surely put it in my top ten Halo 3 maps. Forge-wise this map is not the best. Bungie made it as good it could possible be to forge on with all the awesome objects they made for it but just the fact that the map contains so much of its own unchangeable design without any large open areas makes it a weak forge. I believe the only decent maps that could be created on this would be a racing one or possibly an infection one but any other variants would play pretty much the exact same way as the default Ghost Town does.
And so because it has great graphics and gameplay but not great forging, I give Ghost Town a 8.5/10

Blackout: Well this was the remake of Lockout that everyone wanted so badly. And although Bungie changed up a few jumps and the theme of the place it doesn't fail its former self. Not only does it play like Lockout (very well indeed) but it also looks amazing now too. Bungie set this map in the antartic at the edge of an ice-sheet as scientific weather station. The station itself looks awesome with frost-bitten walk-ways, glacier core samples, and other interesting gadgets and gizmos. Not to mention that it all takes place in the dark of nigh which gives the map an extremely unique feel. Plus Bungie threw the Aurora Borealis in the sky for a final effect to complete the experience. When you play this map and hear your footsteps clanking on the frozen metal and the sound of a discrete freezing wind passing by, you actually feel the chilling effect of the place as it immerses you into its presence. If you actually look back at Lockout you'll see how incredibly plain it seems in comparrison to its newer version. Forge-wise Blackout is one of the better maps on Halo 3. The numerous ramps and walk-ways make for great race-track possibilities, the doors can really change up the map, and the large areas of open space above, below and around the main structure make for a bunch of other possibilities. For all the above greatness mentioned I give Blackout a 9/10 (it is a remake).

Avalanche: This is an absolutely awesome map. I loved Sidewinder but this map absolutely blows that one out of the water. The massive mancannons allow for infinite fun launching warthogs and other vehicles into the enemy's base. The covenant versus human layout is also an extremely cool feature to include. I never get bored of playing this map- 5, 6, 7 times in a row on DLC team objective and I'm still wishing for it to be selected. The snow-covered trees, ice patches, and frosty structures make this map breath-taking (just as I imagine the climate would if it were real). The forging on this map is 5-star next to foundry. The open space and man-cannon cave give a great amount of room for imaginations to run wild. This map is more of a reimagination of Sidewinder than it is a remake since it has changed dramatically with the mancannons, and caves and such resulting in much more enjoyable gameplay and so that's my excuse for giving it a 10/10.

Now I know I've been pretty decent to the map pack but that's honestly because I love each of the maps excessively. And I'm not like that with all the maps as I detest Stand-Off and dislike Rat's Nest. Foundry wouldn't be very great either if it weren't for its astounding forge play. So there is my 27.5/30 total for the truly legendary Legendary Map Pack.

And just for kicks heres a few of my top ten lists:
Top Ten Halo maps through out the series: (game-play wise)
1. Relic
2. Headlong
3. Avalanche
4. Ascension
5. Blackout
6. The Pit
7. Turf
8. Epitaph
9. Ghost Town
10. Last Resort

Close calls= Guardian, Naorrows, & Coagulation.
(yes I know there are no Halo 1 maps- that's because all my favourite ones of those have been remade better i.e. Blood Gulch and Sidewinder)

Top Five Forge Maps:
1. Foundry
2. Avalanche
3. Blackout
4. Standoff
5. Last Resort

Top Five Least Favourite Halo 3 Maps (gameplay-wise)
1. Isolation
2. Standoff
3. Rat's Nest
4. High Ground (unless it's snipers)
5. Foundry

And that's it - feel free to post your top tens in your comments.

I GOT THE SHIT

got all the stuff I need to make machinimas and will start immediately! Yes it is yet another paycheck blown ($450 total) but hey- I can finally make movies! Okay so this changes things up a bit. I know I haven't updated my blog lately (I just finished the last of my exams) so here's how things are going from here. Unless I end up with some extra free time there will be a delay in the release of previously mentioned reviews. Sadly the same will go for my 'Infection Colliseum' map as right now between work and other shit I only have two days for x-box (hopefully to be 3 soon). I have a whole new row of map ideas lined up too ( I average one a week and as I've fallen behind you can imagine I got quite a pile-up) some of them involving the new maps. The one I have planned for Avalanche will be very time-consuming but if I do it before anyone else thinks of it- it will easily have over a 1000 dls and become a Bungie hot topic- that I guarantee.
But enough of that for now- I know that the community prefers movies over maps (just look at the popularity of Jon's site). I plan to start small just to get used to things and then go big. I had been having some problems with my Vista compatibility but I've fixed them now (knock on wood).
The first video I will release will be a walk-through of my Recluse Mansion so that it's potential will be realized and I can spike it's dl's. It should be pretty simple to do too, so I'm using it as my starter. I may do the same thing next for Work Space. As for Mind Trap (my most popular map right now) I have other greater plans which will not be revealed to you for a long time. I also plan to make a montage later but that too will probably not be released for a while.
As for machinimas I will start them immediately after my map vids. I definately have one action series and a single comedy planned along with the beginnings of a permanent comedy series. I have yet to write the scripts but fear not as that is my forte.

Hold true supporters- there is a light yet to come!


My Production Logo

Mander

Mervin Update

So a couple things here:
1. The votes are in and it's official that Jon Graham aka "DigitalPh33r" resembles mostly the hobbit Sam (Sean Astin) with Tobey Maguire (Spiderman) as the runner up. I will break the news to him on his blog sometime soon. Kidding, I'm sure he won't take it seriously, and besides it's helped people get used to the way he looks (and by that I don't mean that he looks weird or anything but just that it always takes some getting used to when you combine the visual with the audio). Anyways Sam's cool- Frodo couldn't have gone on with the journey to destroy the ring without him, just as Arby n' the Chief couldn't go on without Jon.

2. I'm working on a new map called 'Infection Collisuem' and as you can already deduce it is another infection map, although I am sorry to say that this will be my last one for a while as I have a few competitive maps planed out next. It will not be a regular infection map either- this one will completely redefine the infection gametype as I hope for it to result in very different gameplay for a more exciting and unique experience (yet to be assured). I'm not going to give out any more details until it's done since someone could steal my idea, but I will tell you that it's likely to take me a couple more weeks to finish. Trust me, it will be worth the wait.

3. I'm not blacklisted anymore so once again my map descriptions and pictures are accessable on Bungie.net. Yah!

4. I will be releasing a review of each of the maps in the Legendary Map Pack for Halo 3 in the near future. It will be a thorough and fair summary as was my review of the game itself. I also plan to do a review of Call of Duty 4 (yes I finally picked it up) after which will probably be followed by NHL 08 (okay so I blew my paycheck on games and microsoft points- better than wasting it on tuition).

5. I am in the process of thoroughly researching the requirements for making machinimas and it seems that I will have the supplies and will be making videos before the summer. I have some well-developed scripts too, so I can get to it as soon as I get the stuff.

And that's all, I hope it's enough to keep you tuned in to my blog for now.

Peace,

Mander

Halo 3 Reviewed

The release of Halo 3 had more anticipation than any other video game had seen in all of history. Halo 2 was a smash-hit for online play and Halo 3 was expected to further exceed expectations and push video game technology to the limit. The question is: did it succeed?
Graphics-wise Halo is a tad above the average 360 game, but most of the other very popular 360 games have noticeably better graphics. I wouldn't say Halo was a fail here- the graphics blow #2 out of the water, but it's not it's strong spot either. The spartans look lifelike, the natural environments look awesome and dead bodies flop around realistically enough, but actual humans aren't convincing, the brutes look a bit off and some levels lack a bit of detail. I give Halo 3 a 8/10 here.
Campaign-wise Halo has an advanced plot, but it has been continued from the two other games in the series. The campaign was fun but I believe it could have been slightly longer and the flood levels (mainly "Cortana") could have been made more enjoyable. However, Bungie did introduce the amazing feature of a four-player campaign, turning a lonely single-player journey into an awesomely social covenant massacre carried out by you and your friends. For that I give you major props Bungie. Then there's all the side tasks they included such as collecting the skulls, accessing the terminals, and finding the easter eggs. Not to mention the campaign-scoring system Bungie added which includes the option of turning on the skulls for extra points and harder enemies. The campaign in Halo 3 is definately one of the games highlights but since I don't like giving out 10's I'll give it a 9.5/10.
Multiplayer-wise Halo 3 is outstanding. With the well-organized, constantly updated and changed-for-a-more-enjoyable-experience match-making it has, I cannot think of a game that is more fun to play online. Everything is easy to find, options are easy to change (Promoting, booting and muting players), and up-to-four-player split-screen is available. But the biggest and greatest feature of Halo's multiplayer is the fact that everything is customizable! The players, the games and even the maps! For creating your own character you can make your own service tag, choose whether you want to be covenant of human, unlock, pick and choose your own armor, create and design your own emblem, and choose your own colours! This way there is an insanely massive variety of looks available so you can choose one to your liking and gain your own look and online identification. There are dozens of different gametypes that Bungie created and allow you to tweak or totally redefine and create your own game. The result of releasing these insane options to a vast community of gamers out there has caused an unheard of phenomenon of people creating entirely different games out of one disk. Bungie has also completed the effort of satisfying their fans by building an online community on their website where the games and maps can be uploaded and shared by everyone. Which leads me to the other extreme customizable feature in Halo 3- the maps. Bungie threw in a "forge" lobby where players can edit the maps they play on. Whether they just want to change the weapon layout or create an entirely different map, it's up to them. Players will have a hard time going from a game with these advanced features to playing one without them. Bungie also keeps releasing new map packs for downloadable content ensuring a variety great enough that one cannot get sick of repeatedly playing the same maps. And so with these infinitely superior customizable options Halo multiplayer is never the same, it's always updated and changing for the better resulting in the sickest replay value a videogame has ever seen. It is for that reason that I have no choice but to give Halo 3 multiplayer a 10/10.

Gameplay-wise Halo certainly exceeds expectations. From assassinating Grunts just after they shouted out a funny remark to having adrenaline-pumped face-offs with Hunters, from accidentally deploying a trip mine on your own team's warthog to landing a sweet no-scope to someone else's head with the sniper, Halo 3 has you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Again all the different types of games that you can play make for a really enjoyable experience. There's slayer, team slayer, capture the flag, assault, VIP, juggernaut, infection, territories, oddball, rockets, snipers, the list goes on, and with new maps and games being made many new types of games have been created such as puzzle solving ones. The weapons in Halo are also a high point, there is a wide variety of creative and uniquely-designed arsenal in the game such as the needler and the spartan laser. On top of that Bungie added an arrangement of equipment that adds a twist to the shooter. The equipment does a number of interesting things: the bubble shield, when activated, encompasses the user in a spherical forcefield, the powerdrain takes down the energy sheilds of all players within it's range, the flare temporarily blinds those who glance at it, the deployable grav lift allows it's user to instantly access a higher level or prevent a vehicle for splattering him/her, and the rest of the equipment operates along the same lines. There are also several types of grenades that can be used in the game, the fragmentation grenade, the plasma grenade, the spike grenade and the firebomb grenade, each with their own unique uses and purposes. And so far I have not even mentioned the vehicles of Halo 3, a huge feature that sets it apart from most other first-person shooters. It has a stunning array of unique war vehicles including flyable Banshees and Hornets, powerful Scorpion and Wrath tanks, the classic Warthogs and Ghosts and many more which are all just too much fun to use in the game. Because of the vast amount of work and creativity that Bungie put into this and because it makes the game so much more fun to play I'm afraid that I'll have to give another 10/10 for Halo 3 gameplay.

Presentation-wise Halo 3 is a success. The main menu looks great and all the different sections of the game are separated into organized lobbies where it's very easy to switch from one to another. The start menu is easy to navigate through and full of cool options such as Bungie's Favourites for popular maps, screenshot, videos, maps and gametypes along with a settings page to pick your controller lay-out, character's appearance, and so on. The pre and post-game lobbies are attractive and well layed out as to which players you can hear and which ones you can't depending on the playlist you are in. In less serious playlists you can hear everybody before the game and talk trash to each other whereas in the more serious ones you can discuss plans with your team without being overheard. After the game there is a carnage report that you can view to see all the details of the game just played, giving you something to do while waiting for the next match. Bungie also gave each player their own service record and stats history available in more detail on their website. The option to "party up" is also a handy feature that Bungie included so that you can play with your friends all night in a match-making playlist. The Custom Games lobby also experienced an upgrade from Halo 2 where gametypes can be created in the lobby instead of having to pull back to the main menu and leave the party. I cannot think of anything lacking in this department of Halo 3 so I give it a 10/10.

Extra features is what really sets Halo 3 apart from all the other games out there. The Bungie staff went way overboard in this department with the developement of the Forge and Theatre lobbies. As I've mentioned before the forge lobby allows you to edit maps and have them play whichever way you desire. This achievement cannot be over-emphasised as it is an awesome feature which will give Halo a much longer life than it would have had without it. Bungie made it as easy to use as they could and some really amazing maps have been created as a result from this effort. Once again major props to Bungie for the Forge (something that I obviously could not do without). Then there is the brilliant Theatre lobby both the machinima creator's and the protesting 12-year old's dream. In this lobby you can play back any recent games that you've played and take screenshots or make videos of your favourite moments. This is perfect for movie making because it not only allows you to pause a moment or go back instead of recording live but there is a "free roaming" camera option that allows you to take a picture or record a video from any angle you want! And so yes, this can be used to show your friends that you did hit that guy first or that your sniper shot did hit his head without killing him. Genius Bungie. I really should give this one more than ten but I have to keep up my image as a tough marker so 10/10.

And that's my review of Halo 3, glad to get that one off my chest, now to review the legendary maps when they come out :(

Halo 3's total score: 57.5/60 = 96%
(Yes Halo 3 succeeded in meeting its expectations, more so if you ask me.)

Friday Update

I've changed up my Mind Trap map to fix a few breaks in it. I also cleaned up some areas with the interlocking technique, something that I didn't know when I originally made the map. I've updated the link on this page so it'll take you to the new version. It's doing really well right now with nearly a hundred downloads in the first day so far. Work Space and Recluse Mansion have also taken off with Work Space being already well over 200 dls and Recluse Mansion closely behind at 186 dls and both have 4/5 ratings. I'm really stoked that they're doing so well, I don't know how many of the dls are coming from this site but I have a suspicion that the majority is from Bungie.net file forum viewers. I also ackknowledge the fact that Teleport Tower is no longer available. I had to delete it from my fileshare to make room for Recluse Mansion and it didn't have enough hits to keep it going. I'm not too concerned though, I never expected it to take off. I will delete the link eventually.
New Mind Trap pictures

Digitalph33r released his newest "It's a Wonderful Life" which I gave a 10/10 since I think that it is the best IAWL yet- there was a decrease in uneccessary swearing and yelling and an increase in the sting of the comebacks. If you want to watch the video follow my link to Digitalph33r Productions blog and it'll be accessible from there. Also there is only 2 days left to vote on who ph33r looks like and right now it's at Sam the hobbit, with Tobey Maguire as the runner-up.
I will officially release that Halo 3 review tomorrow- I work so I'll do it in my free time there. Rest assured it will be fair and well-thought out. I'm also going to be picking up a couple more games soon that I'll be able to review- most likely Call of Duty 4 and NHL 08. However, I think my next review will be on the Legendary Map Pack released next week. It should be awesome. I'm also going to be recieving my $750 tax return so it's likely that I'll use it to finaly pick up a capture card and the rest of the supplies required for making machinimas. So stay tuned, keep downloading my maps, and comment away!

Mander

Update - Recluse Mansion etc.

Yes, Recluse Mansion is now available on my fileshare, and soon I will publish it and post a link on my page here. I also fixed up Work Space so that you can't get stuck in the grav. lift vent and prepared it for one bomb and oddball. That too will soon be published. I am also considering to release a sort of floor plan for Recluse Mansion (and possibly the rest of my maps) so that those who view my site can learn how to access all of the hidden areas on it. I'm still planning to release a Halo 3 review soon, but right now I'm pretty busy (yet another essay). But this is my last week of school except for exams so I'll beable to update this site more often.

Enjoy my maps!

Mander

Mervin Update

I've decided to not only use this blog to promote my own maps and games but for other ones that I've played and enjoyed too. This way there will be something else to entertain you while you wait for my maps to be forged, and eventually my machinimas to be made. I know there are a few that I have that need to be tweaked to fix minor problems or glitches but I'll still keep the original authors name with it. I may do the odd game review too so look out for Halo 3's tomorrow.

The rest of them.

Mind Trap: This is definitely the most time-consuming and creative map I have made to date. This is because it is not your regular kill-each-other type of game. In this map with its specific oddball gametype "Treasure Hunt", you have to figure out a way how to get past each room that you’re stuck in. It took every once of cunning that I had to produce this sucker and while it may not be marvellous to look at, it's extremely fun to play either by yourself or with group of friends up to four people. I have double, triple, and quadruple checked this map to make sure that there were no cheap shortcuts and that every room was definitely passable. I did leave a few shortcuts in on purpose so that when they reach a certain point, the players won't have to start from the very beginning each time they mess up and fail the challenge (if you die you will restart no matter what). Some challenges test your intelligence, while others test your skill and daring. See if you can beat it.

Work Space: This is my idea of an awesome infection map. The humans spawn inside the giant office building complete with a conference room and warehouse (hence 'Work Space') where they find a limited amount of Human weapons (flamethrower included). The zombies spawn outside in the back of a semi. The zombies then find there way inside the building through a network of vents in the ceiling and sneak attack their prey!

This is one of the few maps that makes it more fun to be the zombie than the human. I'm constantly having people ask me if I can change it so that they're the zombie for the entire game (eventhough it's impossible to do so, and even if it weren't I wouldn't do it for them because I want to be the damn zombie). It's pretty hard for the humans to win but not impossible, and it makes the victory that much more satisfying. Out of all the games I've played on this map of mine I'd say that humans win 30% of the time. The perfect infection type that I came up with for it is "Shadow Zombs" where the zombies are weak but the alpha's have active camo. The humans have a good 30 seconds to get prepared before the zombies come because thats how long it takes for the first dumpster to spawn outside giving the zombies access to the vents. There are three main vent ways leading into the building, one immediately left to the semi on the side of the building (the first to become accessable), one halfway down the building side in a corner ( the second to become accessable), and one at the very back of the building (the last to become accessable). There is no way for the humans to get out, so if you somehow manage to find one without editing it in forge then congrats, you achieved something that me and over a hundred other attempted and failed to accomplish. I also managed to cover the whole thing with a roof for a nice indoors feel (hence the low budget if you take it to forge). Have fun stealth attacking the humans!

Hey, what's that above you?

Recluse Mansion: Yes, I just finished this today but this is really just a tease as I'm not done preparing it for all gametypes and therefore have not published it yet, but fear not, it will be downloadable soon. This mainly infection map is a massive, four story mansion chalk full of stunning hiding places. That's right all you hiders out there, I made this just for you. You can play this all you want and you'll never find every place.

Alright so here's how it works with the "Black Widow" gametype I designed for it. It's an all out battle between the Brown Recluses and the Black Widows (types of spiders for those of you who don't know). The Recluses (humans) have caught the Black Widow in a trap from which she is angrily trying to free herself, so now it's time for the Recluses to do what they do best, hide. And in this massive abandoned mansion that really isn't too hard a thing to do. They have a thirty-second head start before the Black Widow is free from her trap. Now the Widow attacks and though she may not beable to see her foes, her spider sense tells her where they are. Will the Recluses survive the time limit or will the Widow have her revenge?

And that's it, comment away!

My maps and games

Forgive me but I got caught up in forging a new map, Recluse mansion. I know some of you have been geting anxious so here they are:


Teleport Tower: My first forge map, so it isn't perfect but it plays really well. The main feature of this game is the four story tower in the center of it. The top of the tower contains a large amount of useful weapons such as snipers, BRs, and a flamethrower to gaurd the teleporter. Whoever controls the tower has the advantage. This map is best played with multi-team slayer where there are three or four small teams that all fight their way through the maze to get to the center and control the tower. The team that controls the tower usually gets on a streak, that is until the next team manages to defeat them and get on their own streak. I've made sure that there are a few useful tactics for taking out the team on the top. I've laid numerous grenades on ground level so that teams on the bottom can lob them up to wipe out the controlling team. I've laid shotguns in the maze so that hit-and-run tactics work well, and I've added a back-door entrance where by deploying a grav lift from outside the second floor will take you right to the top, then one well-aimed shot with the rockets and your foe is no more. There are many other interesting features as well such as exploding hallways, death corridors, and man cannons that launch you into the center of the fight! Enjoy!

Shit, I couldn't get the other photos just now I'll put them up in seperate posts.