The Majestic Map pack released Monday dropping three new small scale maps with achievements into the mix. They are Landfall, Monolith, and Skyline. This trio of multi-player battlefields is the best that 343 Industries and their partner Certain Affinity have made yet. Fans finally get what they have wanted from the start; more small scale close quarters maps.
Landfall, which takes place on a planet during Covenant Invasion, has great sight lines which cater to Battle Rifle and Carbine lovers. The small size of Landfall and the others makes the Designated marksman Rifle less dominant than it has been in previous maps, which helps to balance the gameplay and make it fun for everyone. Landfall produces fast-paced adrenalin pumping slayer games, and is probably best suited for free-for-all game types as team based games felt cluttered.
Monolith is a symmetrical Forerunner themed map that feels like an immediate classic. Because of its symmetry, the map lends itself perfectly for small team style game variants. Monolith feels like the largest of the three maps and here the DMR and BR work best. However, a few nooks and crannies work great for campers with shotguns or other close range weaponry. When I played FFA Slayer on this map, it didn’t flow well, so I would expect to see Monolith in the Team Slayer playlist more often than in any FFA playlists.
Skyline is the third and final Majestic map, and the one the impressed me the least. Visually, like the others, this map is stunning. Set on the side of an orbital elevator players are given a grand sense of scale. Also, in the sky is a hornet flying around seemingly searching for someone or something. Sadly, the Hornet is not drivable. I found the layout of Skyline the hardest to learn as I picked up the flow of Landfall and Monolith much quicker. If you play on this map, be aware of people with Sticky Launchers, as they can surprise you with planted explosives.
Overall, I was impressed with the Majestic Map Pack; it has the best close quarter’s maps in Halo 4. Having three more small maps in the rotation should please fans. It is a must buy for the Halo 4 multiplayer fan. The Majestic map pack is available on the Xbox Live Market Place for 800 Microsoft Points, or for free if you purchased the Halo 4 limited edition, or Multiplayer Map pass sold separately.
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